We recently caught up with Pastor Aubrey Barnwell, who has been using the VantagePoint3 Pathway of processes for most of his years in leadership at First New Life Church in Phoenix. We were curious what he notices about himself, his leadership, and the people at First New Life after years of steady investment in the lives of adults motivated for more life with God and others.

“When I first began to lead, I needed a pathway for development myself,” said Pastor Barnwell. “The VP3 Pathway is now so deeply in me and us that it just IS,” he said with a contagious laugh.

“I would say helping adults discover their God-given gifts and aligning those with God’s purposes is the most important way for me to spend my time,” says Barnwell. This statement hangs in the shadow of our observations that Aubrey’s teaching muscle is dynamic and life-giving and aligned with his gifts from God as well.

Helping adults discover their God-given gifts and aligning those with God’s purpose is the most important way for me to spend my time.

“One of the things I love about the VP3 materials, is the flexibility and freedom to adapt it to our setting and needs.” Aubrey uses all Pathway materials, starting groups at different times of the year, with different combinations of people, and adapts deeper dives to meet the transformational activity of God in the group.

“The VP3 processes have repeatedly uncovered people in my midst that I didn’t imagine what was possible for them. I have a Saul in mind, and God has a David in hand.”

One of those people in Pastor Aubrey’s Journey and Way of Life groups was Paula Guerrero. “Pastor Aubrey has been instrumental in guiding me and helping me learn God’s voice. I affectionately call him ‘Professor.’ It’s hard to put into words the impact Pastor Barnwell and VP3 have had on my life as well as the lives of others. I am humbled and honored to share how I’ve been impacted,” says Paula.

She adds, “Through the VP3 processes I no longer doubt if I am worthy to be God’s co-worker because I now know God values me, forgives me, is healing me and is aligning my gifts for Kingdom influence beyond what I could have ever imagined.”

Churches who have committed to the VP3 Pathway over a period of time, like Pastor Aubrey’s First New Life congregation, share with us that the bar of Christian maturity goes higher, which includes a common shared language, an ability to address conflict in healthy ways, a release of the imagination of God’s Spirit among God’s people and an overall equipping of the saints for the work of the Kingdom.

“A deepening development and discipleship is not for the faint of heart,” says Pastor Aubrey, “this Pathway has been as meaningful to me as to all of us here at First New Life.”