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JOINING GOD IN THE RENEWAL
OF ALL THINGS
TO BRING COMMUNITIES
TO LIFE
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WELCOME TO CENTRAL VINEYARD Central Vineyard is a growing church community in the Northampton area, which began with a small team of people in February 2006. Our vision is to join God in the renewal of all things, and for us this begins in our lives and the communities in which we live, work and play. It means seeing the people of Northampton (and beyond) transformed into passionately engaged followers of Jesus. We long for people not just to attend church, but to be the church. We recognize that God has placed within each of us gifts, passions and abilities to build the church and help bring the kingdom of heaven on earth.
We have a saying here, that we are people bringing communities to life. Ephesians 3 says the church is the manifold wisdom of God on display to the principalities and powers. Its people, its life, its culture, its service and its sacrifice are telling a story about the God we serve. Therefore our church doesn't just exist for itself, it exists to declare the glory and heart of God to the world.
We live out our vision in three directions:
UP,IN
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REACHING UP TO GOD We gather together to celebrate what God has been doing in our lives and community throughout the week. During our time together, we place a high value on connecting with God through worship,teaching and prayer in a laid back, casual atmosphere. Our aim is to be a worshipping community, where worship affects every area of our lives. Worship is an act of freely giving love to God, and we want to do this in a style that is intimate, accessible and relevant to who we are.
REACHING IN TO EACH OTHER We’re seeking to build a community where people are learning to “do life together”. We see ourselves as a family of believers who’s primary role is to encourage one another in our pursuit of God. Throughout the week we have small groups that provide a place for us to connect with others on a more personal level. We want to be a place where every member of the church has a role to play, where we can all serve one another with the gifts we have. We aim to train and equip men and women to do the things that Jesus did and seek to provide training and development in all areas of life and service.
REACHING OUT TO THE WORLD Our desire is to make a difference here in Northampton and throughout the world with acts of compassion, kindness, and love. The Bible repeatedly calls us to seek justice and to serve the poor and we want to live with open hearts and hands to the poor and broken, as we continually look for God-given opportunities to serve those most in need. We aim to be ‘Good News’ to our friends, our neighbours and our co-workers, in order to communicate something of God’s grace, love and forgiveness. We believe that over time we will train and send out teams of people to start new churches throughout our region, the United Kingdom and beyond.
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GETTING INVOLVED We know that sometimes getting settled into life at a new church can be tricky. So we’ve tried to make it really easy for you to get plugged in. We’ve designed asimple path to make you feel at home as quickly as possible.
Please don’t hesitate to jump right in, to ask any questions you have and to get involved. We’re thrilled you’re checking us out!
10 MINUTE PARTY Every week, after the service, stick around for another coffee and a chance to meet and chat with some of the leaders.
COME TO THE NEXT NEWCOMERS’ EVENT About once a month we host a newcomers lunch or dinner, this is a great time to hear more about the story and vision of the Central Vineyard, find out what it means to get more involved here and ask questions.
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DISCOVERING CENTRAL VINEYARD COURSE After you’ve been to a Newcomers’ Lunch or Dinner, come to Discovering Central Vineyard. It’s a four-week course that highlights some of our community’s key values and helps you become more orientated with who we are as a community. Discovering Central Vineyard is held several times a year. To find out more information on the next course, please speak to Steve Gee. If you’ve come to our church during an “in-between” time (when Discovering Central Vineyard isn’t running) check out a Connect Group until the next round begins!
JOIN A CONNECT GROUP Connect Groups are gatherings of 8 - 16 people that meet across Northampton and beyond, usually on a weekly basis. The purpose of these groups is to help build community in the life of the church and they are an integral part of church life. Groups run on a termly basis with opportunities to sign-up in September, January and May.
FIND A PLACE TO SERVE We believe that everyone who says they’re a part of our community is a part of our family. Together we use our gifts, talents and money to welcome and serve our guests and the community at large. There are many ways you can serve in and around our church. Please see page 15 for more information.
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VINEYARD CHURCHES We are part of a family of churches known as the Vineyard, there are currently around 1,500 Vineyard churches world wide. The Vineyard started in the late 70s and early 80s. Birthed out of the Jesus movement that came from the ‘Hippie’ culture of southern California, it started with a group of people who desperately wanted more of God. The group that would eventually become the Vineyard was founded by the late John Wimber.
The first Vineyard church in the UK was started in 1987 by John & Eleanor Mumford, in the south west London area. From there the Vineyard has grown to around 120 churches here in the UK & Ireland. Collectively we are known as Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland.
spare change in “ I’m His pocket, He can spend me any way he wants
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John Wimber
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OUR TEAM LEADERSHIP TEAM
STEVE GEE LEAD PASTOR Oversees: Vision & Direction, Newcomers, Teaching, Church Planting, Worship & Staff Team
TAMMY GEE
PETE WILLIS
LEAD PASTOR
ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Oversees: Vision & Direction, Newcomers, Pastoral Care & Kids & Youth
Oversees: Connect Groups, Students, Communications & Sunday Serving
ANYA WILLIS
SAM RAJAGOPAL
ASSOCIATE PASTOR
ASSISTANT PASTOR
Oversees: Connect Groups, Students, Prayer & Re:store Northampton
Oversees: Overseas Mission, Homeless Outreach, Re:store Northampton & Events
CLUSTER LEADERS
Our cluster leaders oversee and support our Connect Group leaders by meeting and praying with them throughout the year.
KEN & ANN WILLIS
PAUL & ESTHER VEAL
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Re:store is a new charity formed by Central Vineyard to help better facilitate a number of outward focused ministries in the church.
THE FOOD BANK
RE:NEW
Hunger is not just a third world problem. Right now in Northampton, there are many people living on the edge of poverty and The Food Bank has been able to help many individuals and families who have experienced a crisis of some type.
We want to help meet the needs of individuals and communities in our town in practical ways. Working in partnership with a local Christian family refuge, Re:New reaches out to vulnerable women and families who have be re-homed after a period of crisis. As a team, we help people to make their accommodation more homely by painting and decorating, working alongside those referred to teach them new skills and build their confidence.
The Food Bank provides local families and individuals with essential food supplies at a time when they need them most, covering the days or sometimes weeks before other parts of the social care infrastructure can come in to play. www.northamptonfoodbank.org.uk
We also have a pastoral support team which follows up each project to provide additional support and befriending. We don’t believe the church should be hidden away in a building, but instead be right at the centre of the community.
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CAP MONEY
THE ALLOTMENT
The CAP Money course is designed to help people gain a better knowledge of what they earn and what they spend, devise a manageable budget, get their accounts in order and learn to save, whatever their financial situation.
The Allotment is a two-part project, firstly a teaching programme lasting 4 sessions on a community allotment, led by a volunteer with appropriate knowledge and skills. The ‘students’ will be nominated by Northampton Food Bank and other local agencies who work with vulnerable adults and families. The aim is to pass on the skills for growing their own fresh vegetables and they will be given a small ‘starter kit’ at the end of this time.
The 3 session course is led by members of the church who have been trained to help and advise in a range of financial situations. This is a helpful tool for both those within the church and outside, whether you have serious debt problems or would like to save a little extra for a holiday. It is also being held in community venues across the town as a means to reach out further, and volunteer be-frienders are often needed in these settings.
The second part is moving these clients on and giving them ownership of growing their own vegetables throughout the year. The selected few will be paired with a mentor to give guidance and work alongside them, as well as offering emotional support in regards to life-issues. This provides a great opportunity for volunteers within the church to make a practical difference in their wider community.
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HOMELESS & VULNERABLE We are also involved in helping and supporting those who are homeless and vulnerable in Northampton.
We have a team of people who go into Northampton town centre to provide food, drinks and other essential items to those on the street. The team go out weekly on a Thursday evening and the ministry is run in partnership with other Northampton churches, who go out on other nights of the week. In addition to meeting the practical needs of the homeless our aim is to build relationships with individuals and to provide an opportunity to share the gospel and pray with them.
Street Church is a joint project for Churches across Northampton, which serves some of the town's homeless and most vulnerable people. Every Sunday afternoon there is an opportunity for individuals to share a simple meal together with time for sharing testimonies and stories of what God is doing in their lives, as well as opportunities for prayer. Every 6 weeks there is a pampering session, where some of the ladies get their nails painted and others can get a free hair cut. Churches volunteer on a rota basis and we normally need a team of about 6 to 8 people to make that happen 4 to 5 times a year. www.streetchurch.org.uk
As a church, we have a desire to see lives transformed across our town. If you have any ideas on how we can have further impact on our town, we would love to chat with you.
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WHAT WE DO FOR... Adults Dedicating your children
If you would like to dedicate your children, we would be delighted to help you with that. Just get in touch with Paul & Esther Veal. Marriage & Marriage Preparation
If you are thinking about getting married, we run a marriage preparation course, which includes ongoing mentoring for young married couples, from older married couples. Also, if you are encountering significant difficulties with your marriage and you would like some help, we can provide pastoral support. Contact Paul & Esther Veal
I feel Central Vineyard is more like my family than a church. I just love coming home on a Sunday!
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Help with your finances
If you are having difficulties managing your finances, we have a Money Management Course that might help you to get things in order. If you have debts that you cannot repay, we can arrange for you to have a free advocacy service to negotiate with your creditors. We also have a short term benevolence fund for moments of crisis, please contact Sam Rajagopal. Baptisms
We see full immersion baptism as a public declaration of our decision to follow Jesus. We schedule baptisms at various points throughout the year. If you would like to know more please contact Paul and Esther Veal.
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At Central Vineyard, I’m continually being challenged to ‘live out’ what I say I believe in, and not just keep it for myself
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No matter what stage of life you're at, there's something for you at Central Vineyard. That goes for the entire family too - from infants and toddlers to grandparents. This is a safe place for those you love the most:
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WHAT WE DO FOR... Kids
Youth
Our children are a valued part of our church community. L.I.G.H.T (Living In God Here Together) takes place every Sunday. Registration for Bright Stars and Blaze starts from 10.20am and ends when the service finishes at around 12 noon. On the 4th Sunday of the month the adults and children stay together as a whole church family for worship and communion.
Here at Central Vineyard we aim to make our Sunday mornings as relevant to the lives of our young people as we can.
Each week Bright Stars & Blaze spend some of their time together to worship, they then split into their own groups for the activities tailored to their specific age group. Activities include drama, prayer, puzzles, craft, interactive stories and games. Our aim is to inspire our kids to build their own relationship with God and shine for Him.
Sparklers is our 0’s - 3’s age group (stay and play)
Bright Stars is our 3’s - 7’s (Nursery to Yr 2) age group
During the service we run a group called Illuminate where we look at the bible and talk about Jesus and what it means to follow him - the stuff we consider the most important, but we also talk about you guys and we're here to listen! We want to make the things we look at as relevant to you as possible and be with you in the challenges that come up in your everyday life.
Typically on a Sunday mornings the group runs from the start of the service, but a couple of times a month we stay with the adults for worship. There are loads of ways you can get plugged and be involved on Sunday, why not check out what is available and talk to your parents about getting involved? We also run a youth connect group each term.
Blaze is our the 7’s - 11’s (Yr 3 to Yr 6) age group
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WHAT WE DO FOR... Students University provides an amazing opportunity and a unique challenge for students. We are thoroughly committed to providing a ‘home’ for students to feel supported, envisioned and equipped to live passionately for Jesus on campus. At Central Vineyard we really want to help all our students get plugged in to church life here in Northampton. We offer all our students wanting to get more involved many different training opportunities from, leadership, discipleship, mentoring, worship and serving in the church. As a church we are linked to Fusion, who facilitate student mission, evangelism and discipleship through local churches. We also have a great relationship with the University of Northampton Christian Union and a number of Central Vineyard students are part of the Christian Union.
1. Join a Connect Group Connect groups are communities of 8 – 16 people that typically meet in peoples homes. They are the optimal place to grow in relationship with God and with others. Groups run on a termly basis and you can sign-up for a group at the end of September, January and May. 2. Get stuck in! We don’t have any formal membership, but we do encourage everyone who wants to make Central Vineyard their church to get involved in some way and serve in an area of ministry suited to them. That can be anything from helping out in kids work, playing in the worship band or doing more behind the scenes stuff like setting up our meeting space on a Sunday morning. 3. Do the Discipleship Year Each year we run a Discipleship Year programme, which runs from mid September to mid June and is for 2 to 2 1/2 days a week (usually Thursdays, Fridays and Sunday mornings). For more information please contact Steve Gee for an Application Pack.
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SERVING ON AT TEAM “ Look at the needs in your church and community. Then jump in with a willing heart and open mind. Drape the servant’s towel over your arm and get busy. Then you can begin to study about spiritual gifts and ask God to reveal yours to you. Don’t worry about finding the perfect fit immediately. Give yourself permission to learn as you experiment.” Bill Hybels Serving on a Sunday at Central Vineyard is not simply about just getting a job done. Being part of a serving team is all about creating environments. Firstly we are creating an environment where God is worshiped, where people can arrive at our service ready to worship. Secondly we are creating an environment where people can encounter God. We want to remove the distractions and give people every opportunity to meet with God.
From the moment I arrived for the first time, it felt like home
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So, everything we do from setting up our meeting space, to showing people where to park their car, to helping people feel welcome is all about facilitating those two things. As Acts 15 tells us in verse 19 “...we should not make it difficult for [those] who are turning to God". We encourage everyone who calls our church home to get involved in some way or another, some people may not be able to offer a regular commitment but could act as ‘back ups’ and can stand in occasionally.
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There are a number of areas of service on a Sunday:
HOST TEAM
WORSHIP
Includes welcoming, stewarding, car parking and catering
Including leading worship, singing, playing musical instruments, sound desk and media
What to get involved? Speak to:
What to get involved? Speak to:
ROB LAWES
STEVE GEE
T: 07854 209688 E: rghlawes@gmail.com
T: 07581 197464 E: steve.gee@centralvineyard.co.uk
LOGISTICS TEAM
MINISTRY PRAYER TEAM
Includes driving the van, setup of meeting space and packing away again
Being on hand to pray with people at the end of the serive, training provided
What to get involved? Speak to:
What to get involved? Speak to:
PETE WILLIS
MIKE & KATE ADAMS
T: 07726 601136 E: pete.willis@centralvineyard.co.uk
T: 07967 823694 E: rghlawes@gmail.com
KIDS & YOUTH MINISTRY Includes planing and leading each session working in one of three age groups What to get involved? Speak to:
TAMMY GEE T: 07855 735232 E: tammy.gee@centralvineyard.co.uk
There are also other areas of service out side of Sundays, some of which are part of our Re:store Northampton charity (see page 8):
Food Bank Re:new CAP Money
The Allotment Soup Run Street Church
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GIVING AT CV The Bible clearly teaches the principle of giving, and the giving of money is just one demonstration of commitment to the work and ministry of the church to which we belong. We want to be a generous people, providing the church with the resources to do things well, as well as to demonstrate God’s generosity outside this church in what we give away. We don’t teach a particular percentage as defined in the Old Testament (10% of gross income), but rather, with that as a guideline, we believe that “each [person] should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).
If you bank online you can set up a standing order to Central Vineyard (sort code 08-92-99, account number 65278068, The Cooperative Bank), or you can download and complete a standing order form and send it to the Church Office who will then send it on to your bank or building society. You can also put cheques (payable to Central Vineyard Northampton) and cash into the offering basket on Sundays. Whichever method you use, if you are a UK tax payer don’t forget to sign and complete the Gift Aid section on the form, this entitles Central Vineyard to claim the tax back that you have paid on your donation that’s currently equivalent to 25 pence in every pound, so your money will go even further!
Each of have you should givein what you decided your heart toorgive, not reluctantly under for God loves 2 Corinthians 9:7 acompulsion, cheerful giver.
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THE CITY Connect, Chat, Encourage, Advertise, Pray, Meet... We’ve realised at Central Vineyard that the only way we will be faithful to God’s mission is to build a strong, welcoming and connected community. However the larger we grow, the harder it is to make friends, meet people and communicate with everyone we’d like to. What we need is a quicker, more intelligent, and easier way of staying connected. So the answer is an online community-building tool called ‘The City’.
Visit: mycv.onthecity.org/kiosk and get connected today!
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GET IN TOUCH & STAY CONNECTED
OFFICE ADDRESS Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/centralvineyard
Central Vineyard Hub Unit G3, Nene Enterprise Centre Freehold Street Northampton NN2 6EF
Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/centralvineyard
Chilled yet challenging!
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Central Vineyard Northampton is a registered charity number: 1128417
Central Vineyard is dynamic, outward looking, challenging and, most of all, home!
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Tel: 01604 716323 Email: info@centralvineyard.co.uk
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www.centralvineyard.co.uk
Unit G3, Nene Enterprise Centre Freehold Street Northampton | NN2 6EF T: 01604 716323 E: info@centralvineyard.co.uk Central Vineyard Northampton is a registered charity number: 1128417