As a church, our heart and vision is to respond to Jesus’ words from Matthew – the Greatest Commandment and the Great Commission:
‘To love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength and to love your neighbour as yourself.’Matthew 22 v 37
‘…Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded and surely I am with you to the very end of the age.’ Matthew 28 v 18
When we passionately pursue Jesus, when we love God in everything and with everything, the stuff of Matthew 28 becomes the natural overflow.
We are a church for the generations and hope that you will join us on the journey.
Worship and Compassion
Worship is our highest priority. By worship we mean living lives that are surrendered to the purposes and person of God. Living in such a way as to bring glory to God.
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ Luke 10:27
That is seen in our daily lives – the way we deal with other people, clients, patients, the boss, pupils, husband and wife, children, parents and so on. It is seen in the way that we handle our money, how we behave sexually, how we party, how we do our jobs, the language that comes out of our mouths.
We also worship through song, when we pray, when we meditate on the bible, when we pray for each other, when we heal the sick and cast out demons, when we feed the poor, care for the bereaved and welcome the stranger.
Worship in the Vineyard is all about giving glory to God. Bill Jackson describes his first encounter with Vineyard worship in his book The Quest for the Radical Middle: ‘A girl came and sat on the stage with her guitar, closed her eyes, and went to be with Jesus. I had never seen anything like it before. A thousand people with their eyes closed, many with hands raised, singing and weeping to Jesus. No band, no flash, just broken people like me learning to love God and neighbour.’
We see from the Gospels that Jesus always showed compassion to those most in need.
‘When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them…’ Matthew 9:36
Worship leads us into to the presence of Jesus and by his Holy Spirit, Jesus leads us out to demonstrate His compassion for the world in which we live. Compassion is not just a feeling but an unction – a compulsion that goes beyond emotion. We express God’s heart of mercy and God’s demand for justice to a broken world.
As a church we expect to spend our money, time and energy expressing God’s heart of compassion, not just to one another, but outwards to our communities and beyond.
Intro to Christianity
God’s greatest desire is for us to love Him and love those around us. Christianity is all about our relationships; with God, with one another and with the world in which we live.
To be a Christian is to surrender our lives to Jesus so that we can be restored to our relationship with God, the maker of heaven and earth. It is the most important commitment we ever make and the most important relationship we’ll ever have.
If you are uncertain about your relationship with God, or you have not experienced the saving love of His Son, Jesus Christ, learn more about knowing Jesus by downloading our Intro to Christianity or by joining our next Exploring Faith
Baptism
If you’re a new follower of Jesus, getting baptised is an important next step. It’s a public proclamation of our decision to follow Jesus, a celebration of our joining God’s family, and a powerful act of obedience and submission.
The first story we read in the gospels about Jesus as an adult is his baptism and the last thing Jesus said to his disciples before ascending into heaven was that they should go to the world making disciples and baptising them. Baptism is obviously a very important activity in the New Testament.
Baptism symbolises our cleansing from sin. Baptism in the New Testament indicates that a person has ‘repented’ or turned away from sin. Baptism symbolises our union with Jesus in his death, burial and resurrection. When we become a Christian, we die to sin and our old way of life, and we begin a whole new life. The very act of baptism – being immersed in the water and coming up out of the water – is a picture of what happens to us spiritually.
Preparing for Baptism
Baptism is a wonderful and powerful experience for those being baptised as they celebrate new life, and a statement of faith to their family and friends. It’s a beautiful celebration and offering to God, to say ‘thank you’ for letting us be part of His great redemptive plan.
‘HE SAVED US, NOT BECAUSE OF THE RIGHTEOUS THINGS WE HAD DONE, BUT BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY. HE WASHED AWAY OUR SINS, GIVING US A NEW BIRTH AND NEW LIFE THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT.’ TITUS 3 V5
Baptism is available for anyone who has made a decision to follow Jesus and calls Vineyard their church. If you’re interested in exploring more about baptism.
If you are considering Baptism and would like to find out more, get in touch. You’ll be invited to three sessions to discuss content from Tim Chesters Book Preparing for Baptism: Exploring what the Bible says about baptism.
This three-session Bible course is designed for:
- people who have recently decided to follow Jesus
- people who want to be baptised
- people who want to understand the significance of their baptism
If you’d like to chat to our team about baptism, or have any questions,
we’d love to hear from you
The Lord’s Supper
Experiencing God is at the heart of the Vineyard. We regularly gather together in community to draw near to God as he draws near to us (James 4:8). Participating in practices that help form us into the image of Christ is an important way for our hearts to encounter God. One way to experience God’s presence is by celebrating the Lord’s Supper.
At the Lord’s Supper we remember and proclaim Jesus’ death by eating and drinking deeply and we welcome the Holy Spirit’s presence as we anticipate the Lord’s return.
As we partake of the Bread and the Cup, the Holy Spirit is at work in a profoundly mysterious and powerful way. As we receive the Lord’s Supper, we experience his presence and encounter the grace of the kingdom.