Norwood Church Merges Arts and Liturgy

Against the tide of big mega-churches, seven-year-old Vineyard Central of Norwood has put its ministry emphasis on small groups and services in homes.

It also has emphasized ties to the arts community.

....the church's CD of original praise music, "Raise Both Hands," is selling at several Cincinnati churches.

A festival 6 to 10 pm Sunday, called "Grain: A celebration of firstfruits through arts," will be an open forum for Vineyard Central artists.

We're trying to bring the arts and liturgy together," explained senior pastor Kevin Rains.

The 150-member church, begun in 1993 in west Norwood, has become known for its commitment to the arts, to urban outreach and to the Christian ideal of community.

In the past five years, about 10 families connected with the church have moved into the neighborhood, buying up more than $1 million in property.

"We're not looking for greener pastures," said founding pastor Dave Nixon, who now leads the church's Community House ministry. "Several of us have made commitments to live and die here in west Norwood and to see the fruits of God's work in us over a lifetime together.

"We see this as the field that God has given us to tend."

Vineyard Central bought the former St. Elizabeth Church in 1995 after the latter closd and merged with two other Catholic churches in Norwood.

"The priest who was here (Father Francis Niehaus) saw this neighborhood as under his care," Nixon said. "There have to be people who decide that they're going to stay and work for the long-term welfare of their neighbors."

Even though it's a neighborhood troubled by crime and vacant buildings, Nixon says, "It's exactly where we're supposed to be."

Members pray the Divine Hours twice a day, chant the Psalms and make regular retreats at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, Ky.

Vineyard Central began as a daughter church of Vineyard Community Church in Springdale.

Eighteen months later, the church faced its first identity crisis, forced from the Norwood Community Center because of fire code violations and structural instability.

The church's leadership decided to break the congregation up into small groups.

Helping the church in the process was its purchase of St. Elizabeth's, which included a 5,000-square-foot rectory and a Sisters of Charity convent.

Out of the latter, Vineyard Central developed its Community House ministry, an experiment in quasi-monastic living for families and individuals.

Community House currently comprises two homes in Norwood and one in Northside, where residents agree to live by a common purse and a common schedule.

They also take a vow to, among other things, study Scripture, work hard, serve others, welcome strangers and "live simple and purposeful lives."

House churches hold their own worship services once a week, and all Vineyard Central members gather at 6 p.m. Saturday for a meeting known as AllGroup.

The house church is like an extended family, and AllGroup is like the familiy reunion," explained Rains.

Vineyard Central's communal ethic owes a lot to the influence of Owen and Sandie Brock, longtime members who moved to Cincinnati from southern Oregon in 1985.

The Brocks were leaders in the 1970s and early '80s of an alternative Christian community known as Servant and a rock group by the same name.

"I really believe that we were meant to connect with (Vineyard Central)," Ms. Brock said. "They had all this life and energy around what they wanted to do, and we had years of past experience."

Owen Brock, a graphic designer at Zender & Associates, serves on Vineyard Central's pastoral council and contributed several songs on the Raise Both Hands CD. It was his first stab at songwriting since leaving Servant.

by Stephen Huba (Post staff reporter)
Saturday, June 2, 2001 edition of Cincinnati Post

Copyright 2008 • Vineyard Central
1757 Mills Avenue, Norwood, OH 45212 • 513-396-7202