Purpose of the Vineyard

We exist to share and learn how to speak the words and do the work of Jesus.

We desire to train and equip the entire Body of Christ to advance God's kingdom by preaching the Gospel, feeding the poor, healing the sick, casting out demons, and mending the broken hearted.

• We seek to reach non-believers through honest relationships and an acceptable model of the Gospel and the Kingdom.
• We want to provide a church home that is characterized by an atmosphere of warmth and acceptance; a place where risk taking and vulnerability are encouraged as we learn to do the works of Jesus.

Vineyard Practices

Ultimately we would like each member of the Vineyard to be able to:

• Pray effectively and consistently from the proper motive.
• Worship freely.
• Heal the sick with power (spiritually, emotionally, and physically).
• Study the Word of God with understanding and insight.
• Lead people to Christ.
• Counsel Biblically.
• Enjoy healthy social relationships.
• Give generously.
• Participate fully in the life of the church.
• Minister in the Gifts of the Spirit.
• Effectively manage their resources.
• Develop relational communication skills.
• Experience healthy and intimate marriage, family, and peer relationships.

Vineyard Values

The Pursuit of God

Our highest value is the pursuit of God.  We are hungry to know and experience God's presence, hear His voice, and follow hard after Him.  Our desire is to see Jesus' love, mercy, and power shine through all we do.

Kingdom of God

We aim to move in all the signs of the present fulfillment of God's Kingdom, invoking the Spirit's powerful presence, ministering healing through the Spirit's gifts, and seeing God heal and work wonders through His people.

Discipleship

We aim first to grow personally in the disciplines of Christ and secondly to make disciples - calling others into those same practices.

Value of the Individual

We aim to work together to build the church through maintaining mutual respect, open communication, determined cooperation, and believing and speaking the best about each other.

Relationships

Relationships take root in the soil of intimacy, accountability and commitment.  Relationships are an end in themselves and are not to be used, exploited, or manipulated.

Simplicity

We will not use manipulation, deception, or coercion to motivate people to function and participate in church life.

Integrity

It is important to us to speak the truth, deal honestly, and live uprightly.

Servant Leadership

We aim to exercise authority with humility, selflessness and grace, care for the sheep, and with sincere desire to build up the Body of Christ.

Children

Children are a gift from God. They are our present blessing and future hope.  As such, they deserve the same quality of nurturing and care we give adults.

Marriage and Family

We desire to help families grow strong and healthy; enabling them to be nurturing, spiritual family units that are able to love and serve each other.

Culture Current

We use contemporary music and seek to develop an atmosphere in which non-churched people will feel at home.

Unity

We aim to maintain unity by honoring all who call on Jesus' name and by seeking reconciliation with all parts of the Body and by blessing the whole Body of Christ.

Non-Religious

We try to speak in the language of our culture without Christian clichés and dress. We desire to act in ways in which our culture will respond positively to the Kingdom of God without compromising the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Vineyard Priorities

Worship

Our highest priority is giving God's love back to Him in worship.  Through worship we experience vital nurture and life from our heavenly Father.  We also express worship by our lifestyle before a watching world.  We desire Spirit led worship in a style that is intimate, dynamic, culture current, and most of all life changing.

Fellowship

Our next priority flows out of worship: giving God's love to each other.  As we find acceptance, affirmation and healing with God, we have a basis to relate honestly to one another.  To aid these relationships, we place a very high emphasis on small group experiences called "Kinships."  These Kinship experiences give every individual an opportunity to express who they are, what they need, and give themselves to one another in love.

Word of God

Our third priority has to do with teaching and responding to the Word of God.  To us, God's word involves both His immediate work spoken through inspired utterance (i.e. word of wisdom, prophecy, etc.) and sound Bible exposition presented by pastors and teachers with emphasis on doing and experiencing truth.

Ministry

We believe that all Christians are called to minister in some manner under the anointing of the Spirit.  Furthermore, our premise is that every believer has the same capacity to exercise any spiritual gift at any time according to the will of the Father.  Specifically, we are called to preach the Gospel to the poor, bring healing to the whole person (spiritually, physically, emotionally and socially), care for the poor through the giving of our time, energy and resources, set free those taken captive by Satan and his demons, counsel those in need of God's wisdom and direction, nurture believers through teaching and exhortation to pursue discipleship in Christ, and train and release others in ministry of salvation, healing, deliverance, and other areas of Kingdom ministry.

Training and Equipping

We believe all Christians should be trained to "do the works of Christ."  We are also committed to a teaching model illustrated by Jesus Christ.  The pastor and leaders must always stay "in training" themselves as they train others.

Church Planting

We see church planting as a primary evangelistic tool.  Our desire is to find people like ourselves and provide for them a church life that reflects Vineyard values.  To be effective church planters and Kingdom builders, we must train and release our most capable people. 

Renewing the Larger Body of Christ

Our premise is that God loves the whole church, even those with differing views, theologies and practices.  We want to be a part of God's ministry to the whole church.  In so doing, as a by-product, we are also renewed.