Ken Van Vliet

Dr. Ken Van Vliet is the senior pastor at Monte Vista Chapel in Turlock, California. He grew up on a ranch in central California, and began ministry as a pastor to young adults. He has been the senior pastor for the past 25 years. He guided his church from a complementarian to egalitarian position on women in leadership. He navigated a church culture shift from a large church event community to a spiritual formation community. He is also a Lead Mentor with Dr. MaryKate Morse in the Doctor of Ministry in Leadership & Spiritual Formation program at Portland Seminary in Oregon.

Latest Articles

Featured image for “Helping them Stay: Mature Believers and the Local Church (Pt. 2)”
Ken Van Vliet

Helping them Stay: Mature Believers and the Local Church (Pt. 2)

Featured image for “Helping them Stay: Mature Believers and the Local Church (Pt. 1)”
Ken Van Vliet

Helping them Stay: Mature Believers and the Local Church (Pt. 1)

Featured image for “Does Character Matter in Our President?”
MaryKate Morse

Does Character Matter in Our President?

Featured image for “Can Christian Leaders Hope to Flourish?”
Mandy Smith

Can Christian Leaders Hope to Flourish?

Featured image for “Maroon Church: Desert Wisdom for Fugitive Worlds”
Joshua E. Livingston

Maroon Church: Desert Wisdom for Fugitive Worlds

Featured image for “Racism Hinders Spiritual Formation”
Nicole Doyley

Racism Hinders Spiritual Formation

Featured image for “Spiritual Formation In My Mundane (Actual) Life”
Sherene Joseph

Spiritual Formation In My Mundane (Actual) Life

Featured image for “The Costco Run: Confronting My True Self”
Benjamin Park

The Costco Run: Confronting My True Self

Featured image for “The Ongoing Journey of Becoming a Trauma-Informed Pastor”
Cheryl You

The Ongoing Journey of Becoming a Trauma-Informed Pastor

Featured image for “Theopoetics: Breathing Fresh Life into Faith Communities (Part 2)”
Michelle Winter

Theopoetics: Breathing Fresh Life into Faith Communities (Part 2)

Featured image for “Theopoetics: Breathing Fresh Life into Faith Communities (Part 1)”
Michelle Winter

Theopoetics: Breathing Fresh Life into Faith Communities (Part 1)

Featured image for “The Essential Need for Integrity in Leaders and Systems (Part 2)”
MaryKate Morse

The Essential Need for Integrity in Leaders and Systems (Part 2)

Featured image for “The Essential Need for Integrity in Leaders and Systems (Part 1)”
MaryKate Morse

The Essential Need for Integrity in Leaders and Systems (Part 1)

Featured image for “Informed But Not Transformed: The Power of Art in Our Formation (Pt. 2)”
Steve Noble

Informed But Not Transformed: The Power of Art in Our Formation (Pt. 2)

Featured image for “Informed But Not Transformed: Critiquing the Banking System of Education (Pt. 1)”
Steve Noble

Informed But Not Transformed: Critiquing the Banking System of Education (Pt. 1)

Featured image for “When We Are a House Divided”
MaryKate Morse

When We Are a House Divided

Featured image for “Keep Yourselves in the Love of God”
Jared Patrick Boyd

Keep Yourselves in the Love of God

Featured image for “Why Go to Seminary?”
MaryKate Morse

Why Go to Seminary?

Featured image for “Five Ways Deconstruction Can Deepen Faith Without Devolving into Demolition”
Derek Vreeland

Five Ways Deconstruction Can Deepen Faith Without Devolving into Demolition

Featured image for “In Search of a Spiritual Practice for Losing Mothers”
MaryKate Morse

In Search of a Spiritual Practice for Losing Mothers

Featured image for “Is Spiritual Formation Biblical?”
Ken Van Vliet

Is Spiritual Formation Biblical?

Featured image for “Spiritual Formation as the Transfer of Tacit Knowledge”
Ben Sternke

Spiritual Formation as the Transfer of Tacit Knowledge

Featured image for “10 Things I’m (Still) Learning as a Pastor”
Matt Tebbe

10 Things I’m (Still) Learning as a Pastor

Featured image for “Everything Belongs: On Joining Missio Alliance and Other Questions of Discernment”
Gaby Viesca

Everything Belongs: On Joining Missio Alliance and Other Questions of Discernment

Featured image for “At the Core of the Gospel: Participation in God’s Own Life”
Ike Miller

At the Core of the Gospel: Participation in God’s Own Life

Featured image for “Embracing Lent: The Art of Dying Well”
Andrew Arndt

Embracing Lent: The Art of Dying Well

Featured image for “Seminaries in the Crucible: What Will Emerge? (Disruption in Theological Education, Pt. 2)”
Kyuboem Lee

Seminaries in the Crucible: What Will Emerge? (Disruption in Theological Education, Pt. 2)

Featured image for “Formation for a Newly Disrupted Generation”
Rich Villodas

Formation for a Newly Disrupted Generation

Featured image for “Spiritual Direction: Why We Need It”
MaryKate Morse

Spiritual Direction: Why We Need It

Featured image for “Is the Church Creating a Fragmented Spirituality in Emerging Adults?”
Steve Noble

Is the Church Creating a Fragmented Spirituality in Emerging Adults?

Featured image for “Top 10 Articles of 2021”
Chris Morton

Top 10 Articles of 2021

Featured image for “Breathing in a New Rule of Life”
Sherin Swift

Breathing in a New Rule of Life

Featured image for “Anchoring Prayer for a Time Such as This”
Dennae Pierre

Anchoring Prayer for a Time Such as This

Featured image for “Allowing God to Love us Through Centering Prayer”
Karina Kreminski

Allowing God to Love us Through Centering Prayer

Featured image for “Four Surprising Habits for Christian Formation”
Derek Vreeland

Four Surprising Habits for Christian Formation

Featured image for “Addressing the Elephant in the Church: Seven Necessary Components of Integrated Discipleship”
Derek Vreeland

Addressing the Elephant in the Church: Seven Necessary Components of Integrated Discipleship

Featured image for “Thinking Differently About Rest: What Communities of Color Can Teach the Church”
Christine Yi Suh

Thinking Differently About Rest: What Communities of Color Can Teach the Church

Featured image for “Why Theological Education Must Include Intentional Learning Communities”
Levi Jones

Why Theological Education Must Include Intentional Learning Communities

Featured image for “A Remedy for Your Exhaustion”
Ruth Haley Barton

A Remedy for Your Exhaustion

Featured image for “Evangelism, Discipleship, and Spiritual Formation: Which is What?”
MaryKate Morse

Evangelism, Discipleship, and Spiritual Formation: Which is What?

Featured image for “A Trinitarian Vision of Spiritual Transformation”
Derek Vreeland

A Trinitarian Vision of Spiritual Transformation

Featured image for “4 Essential Practices for Spiritual Formation”
Derek Vreeland

4 Essential Practices for Spiritual Formation

Featured image for “Do You Know Jesus Like You Know a Presidential Candidate?”
Mark Moore

Do You Know Jesus Like You Know a Presidential Candidate?

Featured image for “Unformation: Learning to Experience God in My Darkness”
Ruthie Johnson

Unformation: Learning to Experience God in My Darkness

Featured image for “Spiritual Formation: Conformed to the image of Christ for what purpose?”
MaryKate Morse

Spiritual Formation: Conformed to the image of Christ for what purpose?

Featured image for “Marathons & Religion”
Derek Vreeland

Marathons & Religion

Featured image for “Christian Formation as #TrulyHuman Discipleship”
Derek Vreeland

Christian Formation as #TrulyHuman Discipleship