As the people of God, we feel called to be present to the place in which God has planted us. We seek to proclaim and embody the Good News that God has not abandoned us but has come to dwell among us and redeem us. By God’s grace, we seek to be imitators of Christ and live incarnational lives among our neighbors here in Norwood. We are a diverse people, seeking to embody a generous orthodoxy that stands in solidarity with the church historic and global. As we’ve laid out different models for VC over the last several weeks, there seems to be a shared hope to continue being a church in this neighborhood, a church that has a more definitive structure and yet retains an organic and intentional presence in the community.

As we have listened to God and to each other over these last several months, we feel confident in proposing a parish church model for VC that also incorporates elements of both the house church model and the intentional community model. The hallmark of a parish church model is a pastoral commitment to shepherd the people of a specific geographical location. Everyone within that boundary is seen as part of the church’s parish, regardless of their commitment to the church. For VC, this would mean an intentional commitment to caring for the people of Norwood, especially those within the immediate vicinity of St. Elizabeth.

Regular, smaller gatherings of us will be vital to the continued growth and discipleship that house churches at their best provide. These smaller gatherings can be based on geographical proximity, life stage, interest or missional cause. Distinct layers of commitment to the church will allow for clarity, more of a sense of ownership, and the pursuit of a more intentional life together. Each layer will invite people to a deeper commitment to God, each other, and the work of God in this place. Membership in the church will be possible without committing to all aspects of intentional community. Specific practices and covenants will be drawn up to give substance and distinction to these commitments. Further marks of this model are as follows:

A parish model of church would seek to cultivate our relationships with God by

-rooting ourselves in God’s faithfulness and love, seen most fully in Christ and His redemption

-regularly coming together as the gathered body of Christ for worship, prayer and fellowship

-taking seriously the call to proclaim and embody God’s love and justice

-committing to intentional practices of individual and corporate devotion

A parish model of church would seek to cultivate our relationships with our neighbors by

-committing to intentional practices of community presence and neighborly love

-providing a weekly gathering for worship that is accessible to them

-offering pastoral care and other services throughout the week that empower and encourage

-partnering with them in local activities, organizations and initiatives

A parish model of church would seek to cultivate the lives of its members by

-providing preaching, teaching and pastoral care that exhorts, equips, and encourages

-providing teaching and shepherding for children and youth

-coordinating opportunities for small group fellowship and discipleship

-committing to intentional practices of fellowship and accountability

Membership in this parish model would

-be centered around a covenant commitment

-be reviewed on a yearly basis

-include a commitment to mutual accountability with other covenant members

Leadership in this parish model

-would come from covenant members exercising their God-given talents and abilities

-would ultimately rest with a body of elders who represent covenant members

-may include a paid pastor and additional staff positions

The building in this parish model would

-be a visible and tangible hub of the church’s work in the community

-function as both a spiritual hospital and a launching pad for ministry out in the community

-get used throughout the week for various activities that serve the community

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to let die and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.
… God has made everything beautiful for its own time. (Ecclesiastes 3.1-9)

An author I admire says that a disciplined person “does what needs to be done when it needs to be done.” Very true. Yet determining exactly what needs to be done often requires wisdom, and wisdom, although freely given by God, comes with its own price-tag. It’s acquisition requires self-abnegation, the deconstruction of pride, a turning away from all expressions of selfishness and inordinate ambition. That’s the first step of the dance. The second step is (re)turning in humility to both God and people as the only viable resource for the kind of wisdom we so desperately need: wisdom that’s marked by purity, peace-making, gentleness, mercy, good deeds and yielding to one another. This kind of wisdom produces what we secretly or openly desire: “a harvest of righteousness.” (James 3.17)

So wisdom is acquired by orienting ourselves in a particular way toward God and the community, and by our community then orienting itself in a particular way to the wider world. Wisdom is, therefore, deeply relational in God’s economy. It is kneaded into us over time by holding fiercely to a specific way of living with each other in full view of God.

Because wisdom is relational, every person holds a piece of it, and only by contributing our various pieces do we gain a larger understanding of what God is doing among us. We offer our various scraps of wisdom when we come together humbly, share truthfully, listen carefully, pray fervently, and reflect deeply on all that emerges. If our scraps are given in this atmosphere of humility, mercy, and deep respect, we slowly begin to see. We discern a larger tapestry, something that transcends the smallness of our individual scraps. We find the Opus Dei, the “work of God,” work that draws us into a richness of life we could never experience singly.

What time is it for Vineyard Central? In what season do we find ourselves? If in fact “God has made everything beautiful for its own time,” then let’s ask God together to show us what this season is all about so that we can participate in the beauty of it. Let’s come together with open hands in a posture of humility. Let’s listen. And let’s take as much time as we need to gain this discernment rather than expect or demand the Spirit of God to be subject to our anxiousness and impatience. (Trying to force God’s hand is an exercise in futility, anyway, so why bother?)

For the welfare of the church, the pastoral council would like to initiate a season of discernment starting with the next festival — February 6. We have no idea how long this season will last, but it will be carried forward by a weekly rhythm of worship together on Sundays. (The exact time of that meeting is still being worked out and will be announced this Sunday, Feb 6. Feel free to contribute your thoughts on this between now and then.)

Furthermore, we’ve asked Tom and Karen Wuest to oversee this time of discernment. The Wuest family is dear to many of us who have been around from the beginning. They played a pivotal role in the earliest years of Vineyard Central’s founding before moving first to Colorado and then to Vancouver, B.C. to pursue God’s calling on their lives. During their time away they held us in their hearts and prayers, and recently they felt called to return, bringing two children (Isaiah and Arbutis) and a wealth of experience in tow. They love us deeply and have experience in guiding churches through the discernment process. We think they’re a great fit and would like to recommend them to the community. We’ve also asked them to draw in others from our community to help with the discernment, so this won’t be a solo effort.

The pastoral council is hopeful for this time. We believe it will be a turning point in this long, beautiful and sometimes confusing and bittersweet journey we’ve had together. I personally hope that someday, years from now, many of us will look back on this time not only with affection but with a sense of awe and gratitude toward the great and beautiful God who is always desirous to give us our daily bread.

Peace to you,
Dave Nixon
(on behalf of the pastoral council)

Hi friends! On April 4 we’ll be gathering together to celebrate Easter Sunday. A big part of that celebration is the lunch we’ll share. It’s a pot luck, which means everyone gets to bring something to share and we all get to enjoy a delicious meal together … and it’s a surprise as to what we’ll be having, depending on what folks decide to bring : )

This is something where everyone can participate … everyone gets to play. Those who like to cook can cook. Those who don’t cook can stop at Kroger and pick something up that’s inexpensive. Kids can bake brownies or cookies. Folks can help set up the table, and clean up afterward. And we all get to enjoy food and family and friends together on a very special day.

So we’re asking that you think about how you can contribute. What can you bring to the table to share? There’s a list for signing up so we can get a picture of how things are coming together. We’d like to have a full table at this event. There are suggestions below if you’re not sure what to bring. Please take a moment to look it over and consider your contribution, then click on this link and let us know what you’re thinking.

• Meat (bake a ham or a roast or some chicken … bring a bucket of chicken … get cold cuts from Kroger … etc)
• Casserole (make something your family enjoys … meat or vegetarian … a pasta dish perhaps … etc)
• Side (green beans, corn, broccoli, some other vegetable or potato, potato salad from Kroger, baked beans … etc)
• Salad (put one together or get a bag salad and dump in a bowl)
• Bread (bake or buy)
• Dessert (bake or buy)
• Beverage (make a jug of tea or lemonade, pick up some bottled water, or just bring a pitcher you can put some water in … etc)

And we’ll also need a clean up crew. So please, check out the link and join the party!

This was a message from Jody Nixon