ABOUT
We’re Experts in Leadership and Wine Enthusiasts
Our Focus
What We Do
We lead transformative vineyard retreats for leadership teams. We draw from the setting and cycles of nature to teach sustainable leadership, promote team well-being, and inspire lasting change.
Our Philosophy
The Vineyard Teaches and Transforms
Metaphor as a Learning Tool
We believe the natural cycles of the vineyard offer powerful metaphors for life and leadership. Just as the 100-year-old Zinfandel vines produce fruit through seasons of growth and rest, leaders can learn to embrace cycles of activity and reflection. Metaphors help participants reframe their challenges and gain fresh perspective.
Embodied Experiences
We emphasize the importance of embodied learning—not just head knowledge but instruction that involves all the senses. Our hands-on approach ensures that the lessons learned are not just theoretical but deeply felt and internalized, promoting lasting change and growth.
Conversations that Transform
We not only teach, we facilitate deep dialogue that fosters self-awareness, empathy, and connection. These conversations help individuals and teams explore their purpose, develop their character, and establish rhythms that support long-term well-being and success.
Our Impact
Transformative Results for Teams
Our offsites and team building retreats have helped numerous teams break through barriers, build trust, and find renewed purpose. By connecting leadership and personal growth with the rhythms of nature, we create experiences that produce deeper personal insight. Our offsites serve:
Testimonials
“Not only was the retreat beautifully executed, but our team bonded in deep and significant ways. We walked away with a common language and a shared framework for what flourishing leadership can look like. We’re already planning to continue with Susie’s extended leadership journey, because it’s clear this isn’t just a one-time event, it’s a sustainable path forward.I wholeheartedly recommend a Conversations in the Vineyard Executive Team Retreat. It’s turnkey in the best way: Susie provides an on-the-ground experience that includes lodging, atmosphere, and intentional theming, and she does it with an eye toward the whole person, integrating both spiritual depth and strategic clarity. She and her team took care of us from start to finish.
Whatever domain you are leading in, these principles are timeless and transformative.”
(CEO, Avodah, Inc.)
“Like you I have lost count of the number of retreats I have attended. I’m not kidding when I say this one is really DIFFERENT! Drawing deep learnings from nature and ecosystems, the transformation I and my team members experienced is still a topic of conversation three years later.”
(CEO, Transforming the Bay with Christ)
“LuminAfrica, in partnership with Susie Lipps of Conversations in the Vineyard, hosted an intimate weekend retreat on September 6-7, 2024, at the picturesque Opstal Estate, nestled among vineyards and framed by the majestic Slanghoek Mountains. The weekend began Friday evening with a bespoke four-course meal, expertly paired with wines and crafted by the estate’s vintner and chef.Susie guided guests through an immersive exploration of Jesus’s teaching in John 15, offering a fresh perspective on viticulture as a metaphor for Christian life and ministry. This experience connected deeply with LuminAfrica’s mission to advance the Bible translation movement in Southern Africa, all while guests savored exquisite food, fine wine, and the company of like-minded individuals.
Through this embodied engagement with Scripture, participants cultivated a deeper connection with God’s Word and a renewed conviction to address the ongoing needs of the broader Bible translation movement.”
(CEO, LuminAfrica)
Our Story
A Journey of Renewal
Susie Lipps founded Conversations in the Vineyard out of a deeply personal journey. After years of fast-paced leadership and success on the boards of non-profit organizations, she experienced painful disruption and setback. It felt like she was losing her role and status. In the midst of this turmoil, she was drawn to the vineyards. The vineyards became her teacher.
For two years, Susie immersed herself in the vineyards. She began to observe revealing patterns and cycles she had previously overlooked. In the quiet and persistent rhythms of the vineyard, she found solace and profound metaphors for leadership. Susie realized that, like the vines enduring winter, many leaders face periods where nothing seems to flourish. Yet, these moments are crucial for future growth and renewal.
Through this, Susie discovered that true leadership and personal growth require embracing these natural cycles of rest, reflection, and renewal. This realization now forms the cornerstone of the retreats at Conversations in the Vineyard, helping leaders and teams find sustainable growth through the wisdom of nature.
Our Team
The People Behind Conversations in the Vineyard
Susie Lipps
Susie Lipps (MA Global Leadership, Fuller Seminary) is the creator and owner of Conversations in the Vineyard, which marries her passions of leadership, metaphors, wine, and gathering people. As a leader, she understands the importance of being rooted in good soil, and inspiring others to their greatest fruitfulness. Her writing, her teaching, and her leadership is infused with a vision for sustainable flourishing as seen in the vineyard.
The daughter of missionary parents, Susie spent her childhood years in Honduras and Guatemala. After decades of leading and serving in international organizations, she is currently planted in Sonoma County, California. She and her husband, Bob, have been married over 45 years, have three amazing adult children and four adorable grandkids.
Susie’s favorite wine is Zinfandel because a beautiful glass of Zinfandel wine, made from the fruit of 100-year-old vines, is a good metaphor of abiding fruitfulness. It’s even better when shared with friends and pizza!
Adam Peacocke
Adam Peacocke is native of Sonoma County. He has a passion for collaboration complemented by an unwavering hopefulness drawn from a deeply rooted Christian faith. Adam possesses a rich knowledge of Sonoma County history and local ecology. As a spiritual director with a special emphasis in embodied experiences he brings a unique blend of leadership and personal development training resources to the Conversations in the Vineyard team.
Tasha Vanden Heuvel
Tasha Vanden Heuvel (MA Linguistics, Georgetown University) found her way to the writing world in her twenties, first teaching English to university students and eventually tutoring children privately. Along came her husband and their three children, and she shifted gears to writing and leading Bible studies for her church in Healdsburg. She’s worked as a college counselor since her oldest, now a college graduate, started the application process and loves helping high schoolers shape their stories, chart their college application journeys, and refine their essays. Her writing and editing expertise are an asset to the CITV team.
How to Schedule Your
Transformative Retreat
Schedule a Call
Start by scheduling a call with Susie. Discuss your team’s unique needs and goals to ensure a tailored experience.
Get a Customized Plan
Based on your discussion, Susie will craft a customized retreat plan and location that addresses your specific leadership challenges and team dynamics.
Experience Transformation
Embark on an unforgettable retreat that revitalizes your team, fosters deep connections, and inspires sustainable growth.