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In house church magazine for Vineyard Network Church Birmingham
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Summer 2013
What’s Happening
Contentsp3 Welcome
p4 Connect
p6 DZ
p7 Youth
p8 Students
p10 Healing on the Streets
p12 Next Steps
p14 Cells & Community
p16 Sozo
p17 City Pastors
p18 Crafted
p19 Call to Men
p20 Trustee Talk
p24 Get Connected
Andrew & Rosie McNeil and Simon & Keely Bateson[Senior Leadership Team]
welcomeHi and welcome to this term’s edition of what’s happening. As you read through we hope you’ll get a flavour of what the vineyard church is about. We are a church made up from people across our city and we are working out what it means to follow Jesus and do life as he intended.
We don’t just want a great church, we want a great city. That’s why we value living out our faith in ways that make a difference in our communities. Church should be an army and not an audience. An army of ordinary people, using our lives and skills to make a difference in the places that we live and work (see Foodbank, City Pastors, Crafted).
We are a large and growing church and we want a place where everyone can belong and explore questions of faith at their own pace. All across the city we are growing communities of faith, hope and love centered on Jesus through our small groups and Community Sunday (Page 14).
We can’t contain our story to this magazine. Our story is written in the lives of our members and in the heart of our communities. We believe the story has just begun....... It’s simply the story of a church where lives are changing. Where people are saying “yes” to God and experiencing life in a new way.
p3
connect
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We aim to be a church where anyone can come, feel welcomed and find their way in at their own pace. Our desire is that everyone can experience God’s life and love and find a place to belong.
A great way to find out more about the church is to attend a connect event. These happen each month and are an opportunity to hear the story and vision of the church. You can meet other new people and the leaders will be on hand to answer any questions you have.
First, pick up a connect card on a Sunday, from the information wall or the offering basket.
Second, fill it in and give it in. Fill in your connect card and then put it in the post box on the information wall by the media desk.
Third, come along. You’ll receive an email invitation to the next connect event. These usually happen on the third Sunday of the month from 4:45 to 5:20pm before the service while we serve tea and toast, on the ground floor of Network House.
connect is very informal - it is
simply our way of welcoming
you to church
“find out more
Andrew & Rosie“
In Discovery Zone we want to inspire a generation to live whole-heartedly for Jesus, both in how they conduct their lives and in what God does through them. We currently have around ninety 0-11s here at Vineyard. Every Sunday morning, with the exception of when we have an all age service, the children meet together in age related groups. During the evening service we have a cell group for those of primary school age and this meets in the LaunchPad room. DZ Cell meets on the same Sundays as youth cell.
Discovery Zone is the children’s ministry at Vineyard Network Church. As a church family we believe that children are the church of today as well as the church of tomorrow and therefore they play an important role in the life of the church. The vision of Discovery Zone is:
Putting Jesus first (Point up)
Getting to know God better together (Thumbs up)
Showing our friends how to live God’s way (Open hands)
Living a life full of God’s power (Jazz hands)
In the morning there are six different age appropriate groups:• ParentandBabyRoom–0-18months–RoomF2• LaunchPad–18months-3years–RoomS1• Rockets–3–5years–RoomF3• Explorers–5-7years–Unit3,186BarfordSt• GForce–7-9years–Unit3,186BarfordSt• Voyagers–9-11years–Unit3,186BarfordSt
With the movement to two morning services in September, we will be seeing a lot of change in Discovery Zone. The team will be expanding to nearly 100 people, sign in will be different and the age groups are going to be changing. Please pray for us in this time and ask God the question: How can I impact the next generation?
Our vision for the youth is:Micah 6:8 Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with our GodLookingUp 100% reliance and devotion to GodLooking Out Making a difference in the world
Our desire is that our youth will run wholeheartedly towards God and that justice will rise up within them to make a difference in our city, nation and world.We have a number of different activities on throughout the month for youth. These tend to run in term time only.
Week 1Youth cell during Sunday evening service (Yr 7 & 8, Yr 9 & 10, Yr 11+)Week 2Youth during Sunday morning service (Yr 7-9)Youth cell during Sunday evening service (Yr 7 & 8, Yr 9 & 10, Yr 11+)
Week 3Youth during Sunday morning service (Yr 7-9)Friday Night Live7.30–9.30pm(Allofyouth)
This term during youth cell the young people will be looking at the theme of justice. What does it mean and how can they act justly and make a difference in our world? We are off to DTI (Dreaming the Impossible), the Vineyard youth camp on the May Bank Holiday weekend and there we’ll be looking at what it means to be Naturally Supernatural.
The youth have an amazing bunch of leaders who love them and set them a great example. The team continues to grow. Are you the next person to join the team? Many of our young people are taking their GCSEs and A-Levels this summer with the hope of going on to college and University. Do bepraying for them.Zara Llewellyn
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Network Youth is our vibrant youth group for those of secondary school age. The youth are a vital part of our church family and many of them are involved in different church teams.
Hello everybody! So the student work is growing and continues to grow (we have gone from 11 students two years ago to now about 50). Last term we had an amazing student weekend - with over
40 people attending. Over the duration of the weekend we looked at how to live fearlessly in the world, and what that means in actively pursuing Jesus. We have decided to get a team together to be really intentional in helping students grow in their love for God, their gifting and their heart for sharing Jesus with people. So here is the line up for the Students and 20s team:
James Lee Pickin
meet the teamMatt Read | Discipleship I am studying at theUni ofBirmingham.My role on thestudent team is all about discipleship. Jesus called us to make disciples and not believers and the most important way to develope in discipleship is in relationship with God and with each other. My heart is not that we bounce from event to event never entering into the full benefits of community but that we learn to discover Jesus on a real grassroots level like the apostles did. Getting plugged into cell groups, developing accountability in smaller groups amongst fellow students and sharing our deepest hopes and fears with those we trust are a must if we are to grow into effective disciples that take Jesus to those who need him most.
Lucy Mold | Compassion and Outreach I’m Lucy, a final year Art History and English student, and my role is in Outreach and Compassion. My heart has been breaking for loads of injustices nearby and globally recently so I’m
excited to have this opportunity to help students find ways of exercising their compassionate hearts. My prayer is to see us all living lives that look outwardly both in terms of helping others in need and in sharing our beliefs. Come and talk tomewithany ideas– I’d love tohearthem!
Yvette Yeghnazar | Development Hello! I’m a final year student at the Uni ofBirmingham, studying Drama and English Literature and I’m VERY excited to be committing to Vineyard beyond this year. I’ll be part of the Student and 20s Leaders Team, overseeing Development. Essentially, I’ll be figuring out the giftings and passions of the students and 20s (in and out of church) and putting things in place that will equip them to be able to pursue them. I LOVE seeing people fall more in love with Jesus and realise the fullness of what God has for them. Amazing!!
Matt Read Lucy Mold Yvette Yeghnazar James Lee Pickin
This month, the scripture “treasure in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 3: 7-12) came to mind during our prayer time. Later I had the opportunity to talk to a group of young muslims about Jesus. One of them asked a question that had baffled him about the crucifixion. He could not understand how, if Jesus was the manifestation of God in human form, he could be murdered. ‘A’ was able to grasp the fact that although Jesus’ physical body was killed, He could not be destroyed because he was God and therefore able to rise again. He then talked about his experience of reading the bible in secret, his belief that christianity was the right way and his desire to become a christian. He asked how he would reveal
Sandra Eagle: [email protected] Jackie Tearle: [email protected]
If you wish to join us, please talk to:
healing on the streets
On the first Saturday of each month at St Martins Church in the Bullring, and on the third Saturday of each month at St Phillip’s Cathedral, a team of Christians from various churches meet from 1.30-4pm with the same aim: to talk to people, pray for the sick and needy and in doing so introduce passers-by to the extraordinary person of Jesus Christ. We spend approx 40 to 50 minutes in prayer before hand, then set out a row of chairs and erect a banner which simply says “Healing.” Then for the next 2 to 3 hours, the teams wait, watch and pray to the Lord, asking Him to send people.
this to his parents. I said Jesus would tell him. His friend asked “how do you know what Jesus is saying?” ‘A’ pointed to his chest and replied “He speaks in here!” It was clear that ‘A’ and Jesus had already been having a dialogue. ‘A’ said it was the first time he had ever told anybody about it. His friend was very interested, and was keen to know more. He expressed his fear about the repercussions this would have, to which ‘A’ said “it doesn’t matter, this is about God!” He then asked if Jesus would be able to look after him and his family. I pointed out that Jesus would look after him, but things might still be difficult. ‘A’ expressed his delight at being able to talk openly about Jesus, and I prayed with them both that our Heavenly Father would protect them, give them more revelation of who Jesus is, along with wisdom about how to proceed from here. ‘A’ took a “Why Jesus?” book, and at this point we parted company as it had started to rain heavily. Healing on the Streets gives me the opportunity to acknowledge what Jesus has done for me, and to help others find God’s indescribable gift for them. Jane Thacker
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foodbank
Because of the generosity of people linked to our church we can
practically show God’s love to people in crisis.Through Foodbank we
support the following organisations:
Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid
Gateway Family Services
Bromford Housing Support
Soho Children’s Centre
Freshwinds
South and City College
I was not allowed to eat more than a cheese sandwich and a packet of crisps each day when I lived with my husband because he said I was fat and that I would get fatter if I ate anything; he also said that he would not waste his money on buying me food. When I came to the refuge I was given some bags of food from Vineyard as I did not have any money to go shopping. I felt overwhelmed; I coudn’t believe that people that don’t even know me cared more about me than my husband. Thank you so much…Zara, 18“Recent story from someone
who received a foodbank bag “grab a bag fill a bag give a bag
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sundays at the vineyard
What’s changing?From September this year we will be expanding to two services on a Sunday morning . This will be in addition to our existing early evening service.
So on weeks 1,2 and 3 in the month we will have three services. Two morning and one early evening. Week 4 will continue to be community Sunday for the whole church.
Our morning services will be at 9.30 & 11.15 am Our early evening service will remain at 5.30 pm
We will have children’s ministry at both morning services covering the full range of ages. The morning services will be identical in length, feel and content.
The evening service will have youth and discovery zone cells for 5-11’s.* It will have the same message as the morning service.*(on week 1 and 2 in the months)
Our church is growing each week with new cells and communities developing all the time. Discovery Zone and Youth are expanding and we need to create space so we can keep welcoming new people into church. The autumn term is often a time of growth so we are using this term to prepare for what’s next.
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The benefits• More opportunities for people to be involved by serving• We can maintain our welcoming culture and grow at the same time• Good stewardship. It’s the most cost effective way of making space• These changes will give more choice for everyone
Community Sunday Community Sunday remains central for us as way to build relationships, include friends in the life of our church and expand our communities.
Some questions?I’d like to be involved on a team. How does that work? We’re inviting everyone in church to be on a service team once a month. We try to match people’s interests to the roles available on a Sunday. Pick up a serving flyer for more details.
Do I have to pick one service to go to? We’re inviting people to primarily identify with one of the services to help with building relationship, but that’s not set if you need to make an occasional change. For example many people in the Discovery Zone or youth team choose to serve in one service and attend another service in the day.
Will I get to see my friends if they are at a different service?In the morning we will have a 30 minute refreshment break between services to allow time to greet new people and catch up with friends.
We are also planning some events each term that bridge connection between different sections of the church (men’s and women’s events and church socials).
Next year we may choose to have occasional united celebrations where we bring all 3 services together.
This is a significant development that needs us all to work as a team. We don’t exist for ourselves but for the benefit of those who are yet to join us!! Help us make this happen by:
Praying - for the growth and health of church so that many new people will become active followers of Jesus.
Being part of it - sign up to a Sunday team and get involved! It’s a great way to belong.
cells & community
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On the 4th Sunday in each month we have Community Sunday. We don’t meet in one location but we gather in many spaces across our city. It’s all about building and extending community.
We build community so everyone has a place to belong and can forge great friendships.We extend our community by inviting friends and neighbours to experience the life of our church.
We do this through our cell groups coming together to host social events, community church with lunches, projects that serve others, family activities, prayer gatherings and many more expressions of God’s love in action.
Community events are great to invite friends to and are a unique way to make a difference.
Our vision is to touch every part of our city with new cell groups and cell communities.
COMMUNITY SUNDAY
Cell groups are core to our church vision as they help us live out what Jesus said. They are an ideal place to discover more of what it practically means to follow Jesus. Meals together, serving one another, growing in our faith and ‘being Christ’ to the people we meet all helps create a sense of community with a purpose.
All of our groups have a slightly different flavour but the same values run through all of them:
We want to live life with Jesus at the centre not the edge.
Everyone needs a place to belong, a community within their wider community.
We want to become everything God has destined us for, in work, relationships, and in all of life. That process of growth is central to our groups.
We know that Jesus led by example in serving others and showing God’s love to the world. He is the one we follow as we learn to serve our friends and neighbours.
All our cells are open and love to welcome new people. Feel free to call, e-mail or visit a group near to you. Alternatively ask our Sunday Welcome Team to introduce you to our cell leaders.
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Perry CommonBIRMINGHAM
BournvilleNorthfield
SolihullSelly Oak
North Birmingham
Students
Broad Street
CELL GROUPS
City Centre
Weoley Castle
Our church has always been passionate about helping people on their journey towards wholeness. We want people to have life-transforming experiences that help them know more of God’s love and enable them to live life to the full, in healthy relationship with God and one another.
A Sozo appointment facilitates a time of listening and responding to God, aiming to get to the root of problems and issues that may hinder our relationship with Him.
sozo
Meet Phil James – one of our Sozo TeamMembers
I first learnt about Sozo from Keely. I’d never heard of it before so was a little wary. Keely reassured us that it was biblical and that the ministry was seeing some amazing results. Both
Sue and myself wanted to learn more so decided to get involved with the initial training event.
I have now been involved with Sozo for over a year. It is amazing to see how something so simple can have such dramatic changing affect on people’s lives. What I love about it is that it’s all about God and doesn’t rely on me. The team are just facilitators to what God wants to do with the individual. Therefore each Sozo is completely personal to that person’s life.
I have currently had two Sozos. If you would have asked me prior to these if I needed something like this, I would probably have said no - my life was fine. However, God really connected with me during my first Sozo and healed me of various rejection issues that I hadn’t realised were there. They were just lurking in the background, influencing the way I perceived life and God.
That’s the point really - you don’t know what you don’t know. You think you are fine but all you have done is learn to live in harmony with the bad stuff. This is not what God wants for us. As our loving, heavenly father, he wants the best for us and Sozo is a great tool to help this happen.
Therefore I would recommend that everyone has a Sozo. I know that you may be reading this thinking you are fine and you don’t need one. Well, what’s the worst that could happen? You can spend a couple of hours in his presence, great! However, you may find that God wants to do some deeper stuff which is even more fantastic.
If you want to know more about my story please come and ask me and I’ll happily share with you.
I have the privilege of leading the Sozo Team and am very excited at all that God is doing in people’s lives. If you are in a cell group in our church and would like a Sozo appointment then please pick up an Information Pack from the information wall at the back of church or chat to me for more details.Keely Bateson
p16 Church office 0121 622 1230 [email protected]
city pastorsA friendly face, a listening ear and a caring heart
We’ve just finishing training our next generation of City Pastors which included a good bunch of guys from Vineyard which is great to see!
We’ve also received some encouraging feedback from both Business Improvement Districts (BID) that we operate in. We had a an excellent article under “Enhancing” in the Broadstreet BID Annual Report 2012:-
“Since the scheme began in June 2011, the BID has benefitted from over 1,000 additional hours of respected, safe and welcoming presence for our visitors, with the team receiving much positive feedback for their efforts. The BID recognise that we are very fortunate to have this pastoral service in our area.”
Julia Chance, the manager of the Southside Business Improvement District is also delighted with our progress:-
“Southside is proud to be working with the City Pastor scheme to promote safety in the night time economy. We are incredibly impressed with the calibre of our Southside City Pastors and we are looking forward to hopefully expanding the scheme in the future.”
I recently felt God speak to me through Psalm 119:148, “My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your
promises”. City Pastors is playing an important part in being a godly, watchful presence helping to bring about God’s promises for our city.If you are interested in joining our team, please send an email to [email protected] and we’ll send you a link to our online application form. If you just want a chat to find out more, grab me on a Sunday and I’ll be happy to share a few stories.
Simon Bateson – on behalf of City PastorsSteering Team
City Pastors is a project involving volunteers from local churches working together with other nightime services to ensure everyone who visits Broad Street or Southside encounters a safe vibrant environment.
Every night on Broad Street is a different experience! Having spent my younger days on Broad Street out with friends, I feel that I know the street quite well, however it certainly seems different when you’re looking at it from a different perspective! There are a wide variety of people that you meet, young, old, single, couples, groups of friends, all with differing needs; I get such a buzz when you know that you have been able to intervene and help someone, particularly when you have ensured that they have got home safely or you have enabled them to sort out a problem and enjoy their night out. Equally though I feel like I have learnt so, so much - I have met a wider variety of people and it has given me fresh perspectives.
“ “
Lorrette Roberts Doyle
Crafted is a compassion ministry in Vineyard Network Church. This ministry is exclusively for women. In groups of two, we run a craft activity for two hours, once a month. We currently work with Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid and starting in May this year we will also be working with Narthex centre in Sparkhill.
If you want to know more or get involved pick up a flyer from the info wall or contact Seanna:
Seanna: 07725 552509
rethinking anxiety
The course is designed for those experiencing anxiety and for anyone supporting somone who struggles with anxiety.
Dates: 20 May, 3 & 17 June, 1 & 15 July
Timing:7.30-9.30pm at Network House
Suggested donation:£25 per person (includes course book)
Pick up a flyer for further details or book online vineyardnetworkchurch.com/events
a 5 week course
the call to men
“They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor”
(Isaiah 61:3)
breakfast and teaching
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MEET THE TEAM….
James Cullis John Spafford Adam Bignell Dave Seaton Tony Bunker John Wilkins
When and where:
Venue: Network House
Saturdays:29 June 14 Sept
Please register online:vineyardnetworkchurch.com/events
9.30 am - 12.15pm
church office 0121 622 1230
trustee talka snapshot of the 2012 annual report
1. Of these three charities which received the most income last year? (answers at the bottom of the page)A. The SamaritansB. The Donkey Sanctuary C. Cats Protection
2. HowmanycharitiesareintheUK?A. 83,000B. 124,000C. 168,000
3. How much extra does the government give to a charity through the gift aid scheme?A. 20%B. 40%C. 45%
The Government recognize the unique contribution that charitiesmake to life in the UK. That’s why they givetax back to charities when people give using the gift aid scheme (at the rate at which you pay tax) Because of that benefit the Government requires all charities to submit accounts with an annual report showing they are managing funds well.
Every charity has to fulfil certain charitable purposes that benefit the public.
Community event
Marriage course
City Pastors
Foodbank
Carols in the City
Heres a little charity quiz for you....
Vineyard Network Church Birmingham is a registered charity and so has a board of trustees that volunteer their time and wisdom to serve the church. If you have any questions about church governance you can contact them at any time.
Our trustees are:- Phil James, Hilary Dougall, Ian Rogers, Bill Dixon, Mike McMaster, Andrew McNeil
Mike McMaster
Phil James Hilary Dougall Bill Dixon
Ian Rogers Andrew McNeil
We’ve just completed our charity accounts for last year and we are delighted to have so much positive activity to report.
As a church our charity objectives are the advancement of the christian faith, the relief of poverty and the care for the vulnerable. Our annual report shows that these are not just phrases but the reality of our activity each year.
The following give you highlights of our work:
• Growth of our Sunday services, expansion of youth and discovery zone with many new people joining the church• Leaders trained and new cells and communities established across the city • Over 9000 volunteers hours are mobilised over the year enabling the ministry of the church in Birmingham• We’ve run pre-marriage courses, leadership development groups, retreats and weekends away for students and young people
• Our Healing on the Streets, Foodbank, City Pastors and Crafted ministries have all expanded to serve those in need in our city• The pastoral team have been involved in supporting the growth and training of other Vineyard churches in the area
A full version of our annual report is available upon request or online at the charitycomission.com
Our hope is that every person in church can express worship to God and support of the ministry of the church through regular, generous giving. We are not funded by any other agencies or grants. It is only the generous giving of the members of the church that enables the ministry of the church to flourish.
To all regular givers, thank you for your financial partnership in the work for the church. If you want to amend your giving or start giving to support the minisrty of the church then pick up a finance flyer from the information wall.
answers: 1 - C, 2 - C, 3 - A, B, C (depending on what tax you pay)
City Pastors is an initiative involving volunteers from local churches working in partnership with the Broad Street and Southside Business Improvement Districts to ensure that the city is a safe, vibrant environment for everyone who visits.
Simon Bateson
Every month a team of people go out onto the streets to show God’s love by praying for people who need healing. They meet outside St Phillip’s Cathedral and St Martins in the bullring Birmingham from 1-3.30pm.
Jackie Tearle Sandra Eagle
Children’s ministry meeting during the morning and evening services:
Parent & Baby (0-18m)Launch Pad (18m - 3)Rockets (3-5)Explorers (5-7)G Force (7-9)Voyagers (9-11)
Zara Llewellyn
Foodbank reaches out to serve those in need by providing a bag of provisions in a time of crisis. Every bag has a card inside with a simple message from the church to express something of God’s love.
Fiona HardingSarah Wicker
FOODBANK
The focus of Sozo is to break the lies and heal the wounds in our lives. If you are in this church and in a cell group and would like a Sozo appointment then do pick up an information pack.
Keely Bateson
Vineyard Bible Institue (VBI) is an accredited Bible study programme.Contact Adam Pipe for more details.
Adam Pipe
We run Network House Birmingham as a social enterprise conference centre, employing and training people in events and conference skills.Talk to Rosi Davies if you are interested in finding out more. Rosie Davies
www.networkhousebirmingham.com
We aim to help young people find space to make friends, learn more about Jesus, serve the church and live the reality of the kingdom of God.
Zara Llewellyn
activities
Seanna Lassetter
Crafted is a compassion ministry. It is exclusively for women and in groups of two we run a craft activity for two hours, once a month, in refuge accommodation.
Dalitso Trust works in partnership with rural villages in Malawi with its team based in Malingunde.
Simon Bateson
Network Netball meets regularly on Monday evenings at Selly Park Technology College sports hall from 8pm.
New players welcome.
Jo Bullock
Gary Wicker
Networkfour is a pertner charity that delivers individual client support and mentoring for young people and vunerable adults.
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City [email protected]
Healing on the [email protected]@hotmail.co.uk
Discovery [email protected]
Network [email protected]
Dalitso [email protected]
Contact Addresses
Sunday services
1st, 2nd, 3rd Sunday of every month:10.30am 5.30pm
Network House174-178 Barford StreetBirminghamB5 7EP0121 622 1230
get connected
Connect Events: if you are new and want to find out more, we hold regular connect events before the evening service – fill in aconnect card and we’ll be in touch
There are many ways you can connect with the church:-
Through cells: the place to make friends and build community
Through communities: experience the synergy of cells working together to make a difference
Through the web: download the latest Sunday talks and keep up to date
Through facebook:join our facebook group vineyard network church birmingham
Through e-bulletins:make sure we have your email on our database and you’ll receive a nice (short) reminder of key events
Through What’s Happening: you are reading it! You can also read this magazine online on our website
Through text-alerts: if you are on a Sunday serving team and we have your mobile number, you’ll get a nice text reminder to let you know when you are next on
Through Sundays: morning or evening services are a great way to experience the vibrancy of worship and ministry
www.vineyardnetworkchurch.com
