John Reichart, Pastor
John was raised in Darien, Connecticut, graduated from Ohio University in 1982, and after spending almost 20 years in the Boston and Providence area - 16 of those years in the ad agency business - made the "mid-career" transition in pastoral ministry and later returned here in the summer of 2002 as the new pastor of the Vineyard Church of Guilford.
Although raised nominally Catholic, John formally became a Christian through Young Life, an outreach to unchurched high school students. He then joined St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Darien, and served two summers as part of their youth staff. Starting in 1984, though, John attended one of the first Vineyards on the east coast with founding pastor, Kenn Gulliksen. Subsequently, Kenn invited he and his wife Kate to join a church plant team in Dartmouth, Mass., then in 1998, John was co-pastor in establishing a new congregation in Hopkinton, Mass., just west of Boston.
Since arriving in Guilford, John has also been assigned the role of Church Planting Task Force Coordinator for Connecticut, part of the Vineyard's Northeast Church Planting Team.
He and Kate have three children, Emma, Conor and Tess, who are age 15, 14 and 13 respectively.
2008 Advisory Team
Bryan & Sandy Connolly, Kate Reichart
Bryan is our financial trustee and overall "money man" in addition to his role at the Sunday service as the [witty and warm] "announcement guy" and trustworthy prayer ministry leader. Sandy Connolly, the other music/worship team leader, also leads our longest-running group - a Friday morning Bible study for women with pre-schoolers. And Kate Reichart, on top of the challenge(!) of being married to the pastor, has also was the Children's Ministry director three years (before the amazing Marcia Munson took over last year), while also contributing as a vocalist and prayer ministry trainer.
The purpose of the Advisory Team is to provide the strategy and leadership necessary to walk out the vision of our church. They work alongside the pastor and have a high priority for balancing honest input with faithful teamwork.
Our goal is to embody the answer to Jesus' prayer recorded in John chapter 17: "...That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me."