Meet Heather and Vince Murdock | Founders of Rise and Rejoice Ministries

We had the good fortune of connecting with Heather and Vince Murdock and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heather and Vince, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
This is a great question that challenges a person first to define success. To us, success isn’t a destination. It’s obedience to God and the calling and purpose He has given us individually, as a family and as a ministry. To walk out your purpose, you must develop perseverance and maintain perspective. There are mountaintop experiences to celebrate but many more valleys to conquer. Conquering those valleys means persevering through hardships and learning the lessons along the way. Perspective is everything. How you see things determines how you respond. How you see things determines how you engage successes and failures. We want to impact lives and grow God’s Kingdom, so we approach our music and ministry with the long view in mind. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. The proper perspective enables and equips you to see trials as opportunities to learn and grow.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My husband and I founded Rise and Rejoice Ministries in late 2018 driven by a passion to raise up a generation of devoted disciples and disciple-makers of Jesus. Our ministry focuses on three main pillars: Kingdom discipleship, Spirit-filled worship, and compassionate outreach. We equip and empower people to heal from their past and false beliefs, overcome the obstacles that hold them back from their purpose and break free from strongholds so they can live out Kingdom purpose. We want to see lives set free and transformed by the Holy Spirit, which will, in turn, transform families, communities, and nations.

God often transforms our pain into purpose, using our stories to reach others with His grace and truth. I came to Christ after many years of making bad choices driven by a painful childhood and father wounds. I grew up off the grid in Northern California and lived in a teepee and a schoolbus with no running water, electricity or indoor plumbing for most of my childhood. There was definitely some adventure and good times, but a lot of it was really hard. I spent most of my twenties and thirties trying to fix and find myself, pretending to be okay while suffering from deep shame, unworthiness and guilt. When I gave my heart to Jesus, I experienced radical healing from an eating disorder I’d had for more than two decades. For years, I’d been in counseling and gained an understanding of my issues, but I never experienced healing until I encountered the forgiveness, love, and acceptance of Jesus. He also taught me how to forgive myself and others, which dramatically changed my life. He taught me the root of my issues and began showing me my true identity and how to live that out. God began to use me to share my story and testify to the Gospel’s power to transform lives. I’ve been teaching and preaching ever since, in addition to working full-time as a Human Resources executive.

Early on, one of my biggest dreams was to serve God with my husband and kids in ministry. In fact, I believe it was a God-given desire and vision. He showed me glimpses of what restored families looked like, the impact they could make and how He wanted to use us in His mission. Yet it seemed impossible because my husband had his own wounds and scars that held him back. But nothing is impossible with God! At the end of 2017, Vince surrendered his whole heart to Jesus and finally agreed to go to counseling to work on reconciling and healing from his past. It’s been a powerful and ongoing transformation for Vince, our marriage, and our family.

It’s been amazing to watch and experience the Lord strengthen and weave our gifts and talents together as a family. Vince leads the music part of our ministry, Rise & Rejoice Worship. We write and play our own music, which is available on all streaming platforms. We want to reach as many people as possible with our songs; so far, our music has been played on every continent! It’s such a joy to watch God take what we dream about and write in our living rooms and send it around the world to bless people! Our music is inspired by many genres and appeals to all kinds of people. Our hope and prayer is that it meets people where they are and draws them to Jesus. We aspire to push the envelope of Christian music and create a unique sound.

It’s been quite a journey! It’s sometimes messy and hasn’t been easy, but the power of prayer, perseverance and keeping God’s perspective sustains and stretches us to keep on keeping on for God’s glory! The joy and reward is walking with Jesus through it all.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We live in Placerville, CA, between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, and there are so many incredible places to explore on the Hwy 50 corridor! Lake Tahoe itself is a treasure trove of beauty, fun, and adventure! I’ve traveled throughout Asia and Europe, and when I tell people we live by Lake Tahoe, they always exclaim how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful place! If you want a more local vibe surrounded by crystal clear waters and quietly luxurious hotels, you must visit North Shore. If you want to hang out in the casinos and experience more of the tourist vibe with lots of shopping and restaurants, then you should visit South Shore. Hiking, biking, swimming, and, of course, skiing are all available for every level of experience. Fun for the whole family! Edgewood’s restaurant has superb food. If you’re in the mood for Mediterranean, check out Artemis Lakefront Cafe. So good!

There’s lots of history in Placerville, as well as lakes, rivers and outdoor activities. It’s a beautiful place to raise a family with its close communities and slowed down pace. We love breakfast at Sweetie Pie’s-you must try the cinnamon roll toast! Burgers at Old Town Grill are to die for and the owner does so much to help the community! We love the Independent Restaurant and Bar and Pizza Norcia for the best pizza. Must try their beet and barratta salad!

We are big sushi lovers, and the best sushi restaurant around is Mikuni in Folsom, California. It’s a must-go! Folsom also has great shopping and restaurants at the Palladio.

One of our favorite places is Coloma, a short drive away. It’s a beautiful historic town where you can pan for gold. Just beyond that is Lotus Park, which is great for river rafting and has beautiful parks for picnics and outdoor activities.

Of course Sacramento is the Ca state Capital, so lots to do and see there!

But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of our all-time favorite restaurants, Taste in Plymouth, CA, about thirty minutes from Placerville in Amador County. It consistently ranks as one of the best restaurants in Northern California. The food and service are stellar, and the wine list is extensive if you are a wine drinker.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
From the beginning of my walk with Jesus, He surrounded me with influential leaders who led by example and saw something in me they wanted to invest their time and energy into. I’ll name a few here, and the first one is one of my dearest friends, Darlene Franks, a pastor and leader of leaders. She is like Jesus with skin on! As a new Christian, she was my mentor, and we met weekly to teach me how to follow Jesus in my everyday life. Our relationship evolved into walking together as partners to make disciples and disciple-makers. She continually encourages me to walk out my calling confidently and boldly.

Jen Wylie is another great friend who challenges me, encourages me and believes in me. Her heart for serving people, teaching the Word of God, and calling the Church higher has been a great inspiration to me.

Hal Perkins is my spiritual father. He is also a pastor, author and an apostolic leader to thousands who taught me Jesus’ strategies for making Kingdom disciples and took me under his wing to guide me, encourage me and sharpen my theological understanding. He and his wife and family are powerful examples of consecrated lives totally dedicated to Jesus and the Kingdom of God.

Music has always been a big part of our family. Starting in our early childhood years, we were part of families with numerous musicians or people with a tremendous appreciation for music. For Vince, music was central in his life in the 1980s, as he and his younger brother, Mike. grew up as latchkey kids and music was their daily source of entertainment.

Vince carried over his love of music to playing saxophone and bass guitar. Vince joined a garage band in high school and began playing music for his church. This brought him to a place later in life where he started to explore writing his own music with our son, Luke. Together, we write music as a family and with others in our band and community who desire to create songs that appeal to a broad range of people. It’s a highlight of our lives to create something from nothing and know it will glorify God. What an honor!

As you can see, music has been a huge inspiration in our lives. Writing music is more than just melody and words; it’s also about understanding the music business and navigating a complex and changing environment. Todd McCarty, former VP of Sales at Sony Records, has been a tremendous help in this endeavor. In addition, reading books and podcasts from experts such as Ari Herstand and Wisdom Moon have helped guide us on our journey from starting to actually making it happen.

The members of our worship team inspire us daily. God has blessed us with a team of anointed, creative, dedicated and talented people. They are, Luke Mudock, co-Founder, songwriter/singer, guitar player, keys player and co-visionary. Emerson Jana, lead vocalist, songwriter and our son, Luke’s, girlfriend. Kyle Bowen, guitar player, lead vocalist and sound engineer. I want to also mention Emerson’s mom, Alicia. She is a very dear friend, and also a wonderful support to me and our ministry.

Our three adult kids, Mason, Lily and Luke, are among our greatest inspirations. They are our legacy. They are world-changers! We are so thankful we get to be their parents! They make us better in every way. Our parents and siblings have greatly encouraged us and supported us in our endeavors. We are so thankful for our family!

But our greatest encourager and inspiration is Jesus Christ, our Healer, Deliver and Restorer. He makes all things new.

Website: https://www.riseandrejoiceministries.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rise.rejoice.music/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.murdock1, https://www.facebook.com/RRBandOfficial

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@riseandrejoiceministries and www.youtube.com/@riserejoicemusic

Other: Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/6G7sc1ryy3YWFbkB5TyPzc?si=sKmldZeyQwKqP-XMTt25QA

Image Credits
Lauren Jenkins, Sophie Sheble, Balinda Rentfrow