Autumn 2012
Contents p3
Welcome
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Connect
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My Story Ian & Gina
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Love students
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Finding faith
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Events
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Youth
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Discovery Zone Community Sunday
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City Pastors
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Foodbank
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Trustee talk
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Dates for your diary
welcome
Hi and welcome to our autumn edition of What’s Happening.
my hero, now it’s Jesus”. Read his story of transformation on pages 6&7.
For many people the autumn term is the start of their year – lots of change and new things beginning. Maybe you’ve recently moved to Birmingham with studies or a new job, or maybe you’ve been around the city for years. Whatever your story, we want to welcome you and encourage you to explore and grow in faith with us at the start of this new term.
We have a great article on student life, with loads of forthcoming events. Network Youth and Discovery Zone are also here, plus an update on what’s been happening across our cell communities.
Our church is a community within the metropolis that is Birmingham, centred around the person of Jesus. People from all walks of life have chosen to follow him and this magazine is a great way to find out more about them. There is a fantastic My Story from Ian & Gina. Ian tells us, “Ozzy Osborne used to be
We’ve also just moved our evening service to an earlier start of 5:30pm. If you fancy coming along, you’ll be getting the same quality of service as the morning, plus we’ll be serving a light tea of toasted goodies from 5:00pm. It would be impossible to capture all that’s happening in a growing church like ours but we hope this will give you a flavour! Enjoy….
Andrew & Rosie McNeil and SImon & Keely Bateson [Senior Leadership Team]
connect
“
eeting new m t a e r g s It wa ring what the a e h d n a le p peo about church is all
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 on a regular basis and are an opportunity to share some food, hear our story and see how you can be involved. 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 happen on week 3 of the month during the morning service from 11:00 until 11:50am. During the break between worship and the talk you’ll be invited to join the connect team on the 1st floor of Network House. If you have any access issues please let us know by return email and we will make special provision for you.
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my story IAN & GINA’S STORY Ian - My story starts back when I was quite young. My parents took me to church and Spring Harvest (a christian camp). One year at Spring Harvest I gave my life to Jesus. I remember praying and I felt God’s presence enter into my life. When I think about it now, it sends shivers down my spine. It was an amazing experience. After that I didn’t get on very well in church. It seemed so regimented and so formal. God moves with the times but the church didn’t seem to. Most of my friends weren’t christians and I fell in with the wrong people. In time I stayed away from the church. I ended up going out partying but it wasn’t all fun. I felt very empty and had lots of questions. They were gnawing at me for about 10 years or
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so. Looking back they were empty years, I had so many questions. Friends were searching in other spiritual experiences, as did I. My dad said to me that there are answers out there, you’ve got to look for them. I since found out that my Mum and Dad had been praying for me everyday. God answered their prayers. I did believe Jesus was alive. I couldn’t dismiss the experience I had had as a teenager, but I had questions. Questions about science and the Bible. I read a book on creation and science and it answered a lot of the questions I had. I’ve learnt to question everything. Question what other people say, question the experts. If someone says they don’t believe something in the Bible, they have an alternative belief system. It’s another way of looking at the world or the facts but it is as much a belief system. My faith came alive again and I just know God is real. God’s put me on a mission to tell other people about him.
When I put God first in my life I chose to post a proverb on Facebook as a way of letting my friends know what was going on. It provoked quite a reaction from some. It seemed like I was getting criticism from all angles. I was really shocked but I didn’t retaliate in anger. I asked God to help me know what to say to these people. One old friend said “Ian as a friend I’ve got to warn you, you are going down the wrong path, you’re walking into a nightmare”. I said “mate I’m walking out of a nightmare”. I knew my life was changed. The apostle Paul says to be prepared to answer the questions you get as a christian. I’ve done my best to answer the questions my friends had. I’ve been praying for them. The next week I was blown away when one of my critical friends said he was going to church and did I want to come along! I know my purpose now. I know I live purely to come to the Father in the end. I didn’t have a purpose and I felt empty. I didn’t know where I was going. I really feel God calling me to serve him. I pray now about what to do and where I am going with my life. I had a dream recently. In it I was looking at my phone and I got a text from Jesus - “Wait Ian, I’m coming soon. Stick with me.” I know Jesus is moving in my life fast - he’s moving me along quickly. My dad recommended I come along to Vineyard. At first it felt a bit strange but everyone here is really welcoming and friendly. That’s helped me settle in really well. When I came to the connect event that eased many of my worries. I know that following Jesus has changed everything. It’s a way of life now and not just a thing to do on a Sunday. We are trying to do a lot to change things in our life. It’s day by day. When I was going down the wrong road partying and into all my heavy metal, Ozzy Osborne was my hero. Now Jesus is my hero. My life has completely changed now and I’m so glad it has. By becoming a christian you are going against the grain but that’s what Jesus asks you to do.
great childhood. I had very rebellious teenage years. I did everything possible to annoy my Mum but even through all my bad times and low times I‘ve felt like Jesus was there. I did pray but I never fully put my trust in him. A few years ago five relatives died in a short space of time. I prayed to Jesus for each one but I felt really upset at what happened and I couldn’t get rid of the bitterness. I couldn’t pray to Jesus again. I can see now I was searching. I looked at the occult and I got the Koran and other religious books from the library. I was searching for the truth. When Ian’s faith came alive he said “Why don’t you read the Bible?” That caused a massive strain on our relationship. Recently a good friend of mine was ill. She went into a coma and was passing away. I decided to pray again. I prayed that Jesus would look after her. That he would show mercy. Praying again meant I had to let go of the pain. For all these years I’d believed in Jesus but for the first time I actually put my trust in Jesus as I prayed. My life changed that day. My eyes were suddenly opened and I could see all the wrong I’d done in my life. I felt responsible and accountable for everything I’d done but then as I met Jesus it was like a burden being lifted from my life. Alice Cooper once said - “The most rebellious thing I ever did was become a Christian”. That’s how I feel. Most of my friends are pagans and they have very different views to me. I’m trying to be a beacon for my faith. I’m trying to answer the questions and ignore the jibes. Now I look forward to getting up early and getting here on a Sunday. You can’t turn back. It’s a way of life and not just something to do on a Sunday. God is changing our lives day by day. Before I had belief. Now I know I trust Jesus fully.
Gina: My family have a catholic background but it was more about tradition than actual faith. I didn’t have a
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Hello readers! Welcome to this term’s section on students. As this is the start of a new academic year, there will be over 200,000 Freshers starting at universities over the country. A sizeable chunk will be attending one of Birmingham’s five institutions. At Vineyard we are passionate about students. We do all we can to invest in them and help them grow and ensure that their time here is spent discovering what God has in store for them. Students play a vital role in our congregation, serving in Discovery Zone (our children’s ministry), youth, or practical teams on a Sunday. Here is just a snippet of how four students have found their time here at Vineyard so far. If you are a student and here for the first time we’d love to welcome you to our church and invite you to one of our Student Lunches on the 30 Sept, 7 and 14 Oct to meet the team, other students and hear what we’re all about. For more info please grab a member of the welcome team. What made you decide to join Vineyard Network Church Birmingham? Ruth: The one thing that I love about Vineyard is that it isn’t just students!! It’s so easy to get caught up in the student ‘bubble’ at university and not really talk to anyone above the age of 21! Church, for me includes diversity. I really wanted to have kids running around and a grandma sitting next to me! Obviously, there are students but as there are perhaps fewer than other churches, it means we have been able to bond a lot
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more, which has been amazing - especially coming to university not knowing anyone, to be included in a group so quickly was really a vital reason why I stayed at Vineyard! It is also such a friendly church, and individuals of all ages really do go out of their way to make you feel at home and included! Plus there is yummy cake every week, what more could you want?! Matt: I tried a selection of churches in Birmingham but Vineyard was the only
one that challenged me personally and had a great family vibe. I felt that God was prompting me to come to this church because people didn’t hold back from what God was doing.
the fantastic worship and amazing word that is given in the service. Both the time of worship and time for hearing the word build me up and set me up to carry on our daily battle.
How has your relationship with God strengthened by being part of our church?
Lucy: I’ve found it so refreshing to be in such an honest environment. In previous churches I felt as though I had to lie to be seen as ‘holy’ and that people weren’t being honest or truthful about their journey with God. But at Vineyard people admit that they are not perfect and you get the impression that the whole church is journeying through life together.
Ruth: Over the last couple of years I have begun to realise the benefit of the wisdom of older christians and how much I can learn from older people who have been through more than I have. Getting to know older couples and being ‘adopted’ by a family has been amazing. I have been challenged in so many ways and having individuals that are genuinely interested in what makes me tick, where I am heading and just praying with me has been incredible! There have been lots of opportunities to grow in my giftings and I have definitely been pushed out of my comfort zone and encouraged to step out in ways I haven’t before. The student group is such a great and safe way to grow and learn from each other. Michael: Having a church service to attend every week where I knew I would be welcomed, kept me wanting to come back every weekend I was in Birmingham. Even when I was feeling tired or not in tune with God, the very fact that I knew I would have a good time at the church regardless of how I felt made me go a few weeks. Because I go every weekend I’m in Birmingham, I get
Ruth
Matt
How have you found being part of a cell? Michael: Being part of a cell group allowed me to get to know people outside of university that are similar to my age, fun to be around and also part of the real world. Students are a really weird bunch. The way we live our lives is so odd in comparison to the rest of the world and it is so all encompassing. Having this group for me to meet with was helpful in bringing me back down to the ground and not losing myself in the euphoria that is the late night, crazy party, studying life style of studentism. The material that we discuss is thoughtprovoking and having people who think differently to you is fantastic for expanding your understanding of God’s word. It fits in perfectly. I get back from Uni, head to
Michael
Lucy p9
Cell, spend time with some amazing people, discuss the weekly message and our lives, pray, head back and go out and party with my flat mates in the best mind set I could ever be in for partying! Lucy: Joining a cell was the best thing I could have done. I hate to be apart from them for the long student holidays and miss them so much when I’m away! When I joined the church I went through a difficult period of my life and doubted my faith and christianity entirely. I told the group about it and they were totally unphased and just gave me time and space to think over everything. I have no doubt that they were all praying for me through that really hard period and I really don’t know how I would have coped without their constant love and support. Matt: I think it’s being a part of a cell group! The Sunday service is great but the place where business is done with God is in a cell through the relationships that are formed. Also stepping up into student leadership has really grown me, trusting that God has called me and wants to use me is very humbling and exciting at the same time.
What advice would you give current students? Ruth: I was really naive coming to university in terms of thinking I would just go to the first church I went to and that would be that. There are so many good churches in Birmingham (which is obviously an amazing thing) but it means for impatient people like me, who just wanted to feel at home straight away, it wasn’t easy. It’s a really personal choice and all the churches have different aspects to offer. It’s vital you feel at home and comfortable. Try out a couple of places, see where you feel at home! Pray about it, God knows where he
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wants you and where you are going to grow most, so give it to him! It takes a while to totally feel settled, I didn’t fully decide on Vineyard until second term and even after that it takes a bit to become established! I think I felt I was taking too long and needed to find a church really quickly and get involved, but actually it really is something you want to get right and find somewhere that you want to make your home for the next three years or so. Don’t stress if it’s taking a while! At the same time though, do decide on somewhere, it’s so easy to become a church ‘floater’ or just to slip away completely! Once you have decided on somewhere, get stuck in! Go to student events, get into a cell group, serve...! Michael: Being part of a cell and a cell community has challenged me to look at church in a different way. I am used to a traditional church service every Sunday and it has been a new experience to be ‘doing church’ in a different way with a different group of people. It has really shown me that God’s heart is for community and he is not just pleased when we turn up to a church service, but actually makes a conscious effort to mix with everyone around us. Lucy: If you’re not already in one, JOIN A CELL GROUP! There is nothing like getting close to a small group of people who can be there for you all the time. I also personally love getting out of the student bubble and a cell group is a great way to do this :)
Hi my name is James, and I have the privilege of heading up the student work here at Vineyard. As part of my role I connect with students across all Birmingham’s five universities, help students integrate into church life which includes cells, organise student events such as Urban Camp, get students excited about mission and meet up with students for coffee (woop). As well as the joys that student work brings, I am a third year Theology student, head up running mission groups for Birmingham Uni Christian Union and also have a part time job (and occasionally have time to breathe).
JAMES Lee PICKIN
james.leepickin@vineyardnetworkchurch.com
BEYON D BAKED BEANS Making your money go further
Sunday 21 October
Welcome to Birmingham! We’d love to see you at one of our services 10.30am or 5.30pm Join us for food after church on 30 Sept, 7 and 14 Oct, meet the team, other students and hear what we’re all about. For more info: James - 07910 762088 james.leepickin@vineyardnetworkchurch.com
Career Connections
Urban camp: 25-27 Jan
Cause To Live For (CTLF): CTLF is Vineyard’s national student weekend away. This year it was at Trent Vineyard and we were blessed to have Jay Pathak come and speak to us.
Sat 1 Dec Network House 4pm-6pm
Urban Camp is our annual student weekend of fun, fellowship, food and frolics (trying cheesy alliteration...!). Last time we had roughly 40 students turn up, and an array of amazing speakers, worship and ministry time.
“A lot of fun was had while really growing in our friendships and supporting each other in our journeys of faith!” – Jess Hall
finding faith We search for the things we value. If you lose your wallet or an item of family jewellery you search for it because it is valuable to you. What about searching for the answers to life’s questions? Why am I here? What’s my purpose? What about faith? Is God real? You may have experienced a degree of faith within your family, or you may have grown up an atheist or agnostic. Any of these experiences can leave us with unanswered questions. Maybe you’ve looked for God in a variety of places: in a crisis, an experience, or through investigation or evidence. Let’s look at how these can play a part in our journey of finding faith. Experience. Many people have had experiences that can’t be easily explained away or dismissed. These experience leave people with an open world view aware that spiritual things really happen. How do I make sense of that experience? In the New Testament Jesus speaks of God wanting to bring life in all its fulness to those who follow him. Many people experience the presence of God through a healing, when a prayer is answerd or as they see the Church in action. Followers of Jesus loving God, serving others and making a difference in the world all speak of a God who is real. A God who changes lives. People come to faith through the crisis of success. Sometimes we get the very things we set our hearts on only to realize that they don’t deliver the significance or fulfillment we thought they would. That can cause a real crisis. We can place onto things like romantic love, our careers, success or power an expectation that it is unable to deliver. Our need for worth is so powerful that whatever we base our identity and value on we essentially ‘deify.’ We will look to it with all the passion and intensity of worship and devotion,
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even if we think ourselves as highly irreligious. People come to faith through failure. In times of brokenness we are brought face to face with our limitations and recognize our need for help beyond ourselves. The author C S Lewis said “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world”. Failure can break our self reliance and help us realize that we don’t always know best. We’re designed to follow God. Investigate. Lee Strobel wrote ‘The Case for Christ’. He was antagonized by his wife’s new found faith in Christ. He decided to disprove her experience by exposing the lack of historical credibility for Christ. Using his journalist experience (Chicago Tribune) and legal training he was confronted by evidence that demanded a verdict. Speaking of this evidence, Charles Darling who Deputised for the Lord Chief Justice said “The crux of the problem of whether Jesus was or was not what he proclaimed himself to be, must surely depend on the truth or otherwise of the resurrection. On that greatest point we are not merely asked to have faith. In its favour as a living truth there exists such overwhelming evidence, positive and negative, factual and circumstantial, that no intelligent jury in the world could fail to bring in the verdict that the resurrection story is true”. In a quest for answers ultimately we are faced with the words and the person of Jesus Christ that we see recorded in the bible. Make it a priority to examine his teaching and life for yourself. Albert Einstein said: “As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene....No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual
presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No “myth” is filled with such life.” “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.... Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to”. C.S. Lewis If you are exploring questions of faith for yourself or if you want to intelligently respond to the questions of others here are a few resources that can help: The Case for Christ - Lee Strobel The Reason for God - Tim Keller Reasonable Faith - William Lane Craig Websites - bethinking.org Jesus called people to follow him. Not on twitter, but by actually devoting their lives to loving obeying and serving him. Following Jesus encompasses the totality of our being.
your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29 To love God is to be whole hearted, our intellect fully engaged, serving with all the strength we have. I invite you to pay attention to your questions, your successes, your failings, your experiences and most importantly the very words of Jesus Christ when he said. “Follow me.....”
RECOMMENDED READING
When asked what was the greatest commandment Jesus replied “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all
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5 vineyard events
Healthy local churches are central to seeing God’s kingdom come and his will being done on earth. Vineyard Churches UK is a family of over 100 congregations across the UK and Ireland with new churches being planted every year. We gather at regional and national events to celebrate what God is doing and be equipped to make a difference in our communities. See vineyardchurches.org.uk
midlands area
Sat 17 November
Guest speaker: Steve Nicholson Coventry Vineyard
Guest speaker - Steve Nicholson - from Evanston Vineyard Chicago. Steve leads a vibrant multicultural church and has great experience in encouraging people in their life call. He is one of the most widely respected leaders in the Vineyard internationally. Book online at vineyardnetworkchurch.com/events
Dates for your diary
The Cause to Live For 26 & 27 October
Main speaker: Alan Scott from Causeway Coast.
Naturally Supernatural 9-10 November
Life in the Kingdom 17 November National Leaders Conference 28-31 Jan 2013
The Cause to Live For is for students, 20s and 30s within the Vineyard in the UK. The vision is to see young adults inspired, equipped and propelled into the ministry of the Kingdom.
city events Carols in the City is a great example of partnership within the city. Every year we work with churches across the city and Birmingham Council to celebrate and communicate the Christmas story in the heart of the city. Once again we’ll be working with our friends at the Cathedral to inspire joy and festivity within the square and surrounding area. If you’ve helped with Carols before you’ll know that we have a great time wrapping presents, hosting family activities, giving away fun stuff and celebrating the joy that Jesus brings. As it goes dark we have an open air carol service hosted by the Lord Mayor and the Bishop of Birmingham. This will be our 10th year so we’ll be working with our partner churches to think of new and creative ways to demonstrate God’s love to the thousands of shoppers in the city and around the square. Last year we had our own living nativity complete with donkey, so watch this space… We know Christmas is a long way off but please pray that this year we touch more people than ever and that they encounter Christ in all the busyness. We’ll let you know as things develop. Look out for sign up sheets at the end of November or speak to Simon Bateson for more information. Saturday 15 December Activities and Giveaways from 2:00pm Carol Service 4:30pm
www.carolsinthecity.org.uk
There has been huge growth over the last year with over 45 young people regularly involved. For the last couple of years the youth have been meeting as one big group, worshipping, learning, growing and praying for one another. There have been some amazing times and they have all been challenged to step into everything that God has for them. The development is we are going to be meeting in smaller cell groups with young people of the same age and year groups. This will be happening on Sunday nights during the evening service. We have a lot of new people joining the youth team which is very exciting and we look forward with great anticipation to all that God is going to do in the coming weeks. As a church we love all the youth and we believe God has so much in store for them. We are proud to have so many Godly, gifted and talented young people in our church whose passion to serve God, love him at all cost and make a difference at their schools
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and colleges is overwhelming. The youth have a crucial place in our church family so please join us in praying for them. Please pray that: • the new year 7s would settle into Secondary School & youth • the new groups would gel and that deeper relationships of trust and accountability would be formed • that they would know how loved they are • that they would have the freedom to express their passions and heart’s desires and that all of us would support them as they try and navigate the teenage years • that they would stand against the pressure to conform to the likeness of the world • that they would grow in confidence in using the gifts of the Spirit Praise Points: thank God for their • growth and maturity • amazing gifts and talents • passion for Jesus • purity of heart
Upcoming dates: Network Camp 8–9 February 2013 Please see the youth page on our church website for cell dates. A special thanks to... Steve & Davina have served our young people faithfully and wholeheartedly. They have both decided to take a break from leading youth as Davina has just started her training to become a secondary science teacher. We want to honour and thank them both – Steve has served for 8 years and Davina stepped in to help lead when they started going out together. They have both invested so much in our young people and we are truly grateful for their example and commitment. The young people will miss them – especially Davina’s different forms of worship, praise and teaching – and Steve’s late night jokes, DJ-ing…..and snoring at DTI! Susie has also decided to take a break while she concentrates on her final year training to become a doctor. She has been a wonderful member of the youth team and again will be greatly missed. Next steps... The youth are saying a sad goodbye to Jake & Rachel. They have finished their A-levels and are off to University. Jake is studying to become a Primary School Teacher in Birmingham and Rachel is moving away to do a degree in Architecture. We wish them both well in their future adventures.
Last term our young people went to Lincoln Showground to a National Vineyard youth camp called Dreaming the Impossible. They had a fabulous time hanging out, making new friends, going out onto the streets to bless people, worshipping and learning from the Bible together. Here’s what they said: “Wow” pretty m uch describes it! I lov ed seeing God in a big ger way than usual an d meeting lots of ot her young people fro m Vineyards across the country. Ella
It was great to worship and be together as one body with one purpose. Jonah
year. hlight of my youth DTI is always the hig have t bu ds loads of frien We not only make urite vo fa y M with God. an incredible time uth yo r Ou . s the worship thing this year wa ate ion ss pa t ample abou were setting an ex s hip ds en fri obvious that worship and it was nt wa y all re e epened. W with God were de can’t ’ve learnt and we to apply what we Beth wait for next year.
It was a privilege to take our youth to DTI because they are the most exciting, vibrant, energetic, enthusiastic, creative and generally wonderful group of amazing and blessed people. Mike McMaster - youth leader.
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Celebrations
Discovery Zone is the children’s ministry at Vineyard Network Church. As a church 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) There are six different age appropriate groups in Discovery Zone: • Parent and Baby Room: 0-18 months – S3 (top floor) • LaunchPad: 18 months- 3 years – S1 (top floor) • Rockets: 3 – 5 years – F3 (middle floor) • Explorers: 5-7 years – 186 Barford Street • GForce: 7-9 years – 186 Barford Street • Voyagers: 9-11 years – 186 Barford Street
Marking special occasions is part of our culture and our faith and for me and Discovery Zone, that shouldn’t be any different. This term involves two big celebrations. Firstly, I joined the church as a student in September 2005 and soon after that started serving with the 5-11s. I remember spending time with the reception age children and helping them settle into the 5-11s, it was new for them and for me. This term marks that group of children who started reception in 2005 starting secondary school and leaving Discovery Zone. For me, watching them grow up over the last seven years is something I count as a privilege. I have seen them go from being very much small children to preparing to become young men and women. I have seen them grow in their faiths, their ability to hear God speak and their confidence. I am so proud of them all. In many ways we have grown up together. They have watched me at church going from being a Sunday helper to the Children’s Pastor and in life going from a first year medical student to a fully fledged doctor and a GP trainee. Some of you may wonder how I went from having no responsibility on a Sunday to leading the children’s ministry here. It wasn’t something that happened over night, it was a journey over 5 years under the guidance of the amazing Nigel and Jo Hemming. Year by year I was slowly given more responsibility. Then in late 2011, as Nigel and Jo were sent from here to go and lead Winchester Vineyard, they handed over Discovery Zone to me. If you are a student reading this, let me tell you that this is a
church that believes in investing in their students. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for being invested in by this church. As the reception children of 2005 leave Discovery Zone and begin their new chapter at Secondary School our prayers will be with them. Please be praying for them, for good friendships and to settle in quickly. I’m sure many of us remember how we felt on our first day of Secondary School. We will miss them and the 5-11s will certainly be quieter without them! As they start a new chapter, so do I. I have stopped working full time for the NHS and am now on staff here at Vineyard Network Church two days a week. When I was 16, I was helping out with children’s work at New Wine and in one of our team times, someone said “Please can everyone who feels that one day they will be employed by a church to run their children’s ministry stand up?” I knew I had to stand up but had no idea how it was going to fit into God’s plan for my life, because as far as I was aware I had already planned my life. Then last February I realized that MY desire to stay in academic medicine, which is where I’d been working and the direction my career was heading, was about making MY name famous rather than making JESUS famous. I knew that God was gently dealing with my pride and telling me now was the time to work for the church. 10 years down the line from when I stood up at New Wine, my life looks very different to how I thought it was going to but it is so much better than I believed it was going to be. Yes, it will take me 5 years instead of 3 to become a GP but I know that this is what I am meant to do and I am really excited. I am living my dream and want to thank you all for your support and encouragement.
Serving in Discovery Zone A great way to meet new people and to say that Vineyard is your church is to get involved with helping out on what happens on a Sunday morning. We believe that if we want to see God’s kingdom grow on earth we need to teach the next generation about him. We are blessed to have over 80 children from the age of 0-11 in Discovery Zone. If you would like to get involved, then do come and talk to me on a Sunday. Our 6 age groups run throughout the morning service and serving involves a once a month commitment. 5-11s new space: Unit 3,186 Barford St Last term we moved the 5-11s down the road as we had outgrown F1 and F2. The move went amazingly well and both the children and the team adapted to their new venue really quickly. Children that we knew were asthmatic now have to bring their inhalers because they now have the space to run around and are getting out of breath! Our prayer now is to see them healed of their asthma so they can run around and not get out of breath. What will the children be learning about in the coming months? If children grow up with knowledge of Bible stories but no understanding of who God is, why Jesus came and how we should live life, then we have missed an amazing opportunity. Therefore, I try to be strategic in how and when we do things. In the Autumn term we will be looking at stories in the Old Testament and how the way for Jesus was prepared, leading up to the Spring term where we will look at who Jesus is and what he has done for us.
zara.llewellyn@vineyardnetworkchurch.com
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community sunday Community Sunday
On the 4th Sunday in each month we have Community Sunday. The goal is to give space in our diary for us all to express church in our local communities. 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. Our vision is to touch every area of our city with new cell groups and cell communities. Community events are great to invite friends to and a way to make a difference.
We have communities in all these areas:-
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B Bournville
Br Broad Street
C City Centre
F Four Oaks
N Northfield
P Perry Common
Se Selly Oak
So Solihull
St Stirchley
W Weoley Castle
WEOLEY CASTLE
Weoley Castle Cell Community is made up of 3 small groups that meet midweek. On community sunday we aim to express church as a family and organise events that include everyone - young and old . We like to have a mix of family celebrations and outreach events. Our family celebrations include worship, teaching and activities everyone can participate in and we always end with a shared lunch.
STIRCHLEY cell groups across the city
BOURNVILLE Our vision is based on James 1:16 -recognising that “every good and perfect gift comes from God”. This means our events are based on “Enjoying God and enjoying each other & sharing Gods extravagant love and grace with our friends and neighbours”
For us, Community Sunday is about building relationships, hanging out together and having fun. We’re also keen to get to know those around us where we live, to pray for them and share Jesus with them. We organised a Jubilee street party in May, which over 100 people came to and was a great community building event.
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city pastors City Pastors is now fully established and is a valued part of the Broad Street infrastructure. We have four pastors out every Friday and Saturday night from 10:00 until 2:30am, volunteering from eight different churches across Birmingham. Our third generation of pastors have now completed their training & orientation weeks and are now the proud owners of their City Pastor jackets :) Linda Hetherington was one of our latest recruits. This is what she had to say… “The training I received to be a City Pastor was great and the support from the team and the street wardens is brilliant. I was a bit apprehensive on my first shift but felt safe, supported, encouraged and excited as the evening went on. Each shift I have done has been varied from giving directions, picking up bottles, praying for someone and handing out baby wipes to those being sick! It is a great way to bring the presence of Jesus onto the streets of our city.” You could sum up being a City Pastor as a “friendly face, a listening ear and a caring heart”. We aim
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to be a helpful, supportive and Christ-like presence for anyone we meet on Broad Street. If that sounds intimidating then don’t worry. We don’t break up fights or get involved in disputes and we are closely supported and in radio contact with the street wardens and police camera team. We currently have 38 women and men all operating within this safe and effective framework. Please pray for us for wisdom as our steering group evaluate various invitations to expand into other parts of the city. We are currently in process with the BID team to launch City Pastors in Southside including the the Gay Village. If you are interested in joining our team, please send an email to citypastors@gmail.com and we’ll send you a link to our online application form. We are holding training sessions at the begining of November. 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. You can follow our pastors on Twitter: @citypastors Simon Bateson
Toieltries / Household
Female
Meal
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Baby
Toieltries / Household
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foodbank “We’re so grateful for all the bags you give us”
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Please continue to make a difference by ‘grabbing a bag’, ‘filling a bag’ and ‘giving a bag’.
Breakfast
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“You don’t know how much we appreciate the foodbags, they are really needed and well used” These are just some of the comments we often hear when we give out foodbags to the organisations we support. They often ask, “who donates the food and where does it come from?” They can never quite believe the generosity of the “people from church” and are often overwhelmed that we would do this to serve others.
Collection by Soho Children’s Centre
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caribbean
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“I asked the staff for some milk as I wanted to make a cup of tea. I felt really embarrassed about asking as I am very proud…, the refuge workers came back with a bag full of food items that she called ‘the breakfast bag’. She insisted I take the whole bag – I certainly needed it all, I just didn’t want to ask. I realised then that I wasn’t going to be judged by the staff or many people in the community as they recognised my difficulties and had done something about it. Thank you so much.”
trustee talk
Mike McMaster
Vineyard Network Church has a vision to share God’s love with people across Birmingham and to support a network of different groups that are connected with a common heart. Part of this is sharing strengths and resources. Earlier this year we all felt challenged by God in how we were stewarding our resources. Andrew and Simon taught with great insight on the challenge of “radical discipleship”, God’s call over all our resources – our time, skills and finance. As a church we want to be growing in every area of our devotion to God, not surging ahead in one area but neglecting another. If you missed the talks then I strongly recommend you download them and have a listen – they are great!
So if this church is your home (and if you are reading this, then it probably is!) then please ask God to show you how He wants you to fit in and give of your time, talents and resources. Be open to Him challenging you to join in and be an active part of the work of His kingdom. Grab a Trustee if you have any questions about the way we use the money that we receive, how we manage the resources and where we support other groups – or if you have any other questions about church, and areas that you might be interested in supporting and serving.
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 Rushby, Ian Rogers, Bill Dixon, Mike McMaster
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stay connected There are many ways you can connect with the church:Connect Events: if you are new and want to find out more, we hold regular connect events during a Sunday morning service – fill in a connect card and we’ll be in touch
Through Sundays: morning or evening services are a great way to experience the vibrancy of worship and ministry
Through cells: the place to make friends and build community
Through communities: experience the synergy of cells working together to make a difference
Through facebook: join our facebook group vineyard network church birmingham
Through the web: download the latest Sunday talks and keep up to date 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
City Pastors is an initiative involving volunteers from local churches working in partnership with the Broad Street Business Improvement District to ensure that Broad Street is a safe, vibrant environment for everyone who visits.
Every month a team of people go out onto the streets to show God’s love by praying for people who need healing. The team is led by Jackie Tearle and can be found outside Birmingham Cathedral on the third Saturday in each month from 1-3.30pm.
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.
Simon Bateson
Jackie Tearle Sandra Eagle
Keely Bateson Mike McMaster
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 small group and would like a Sozo appointment then do pick up a flyer. Keely Bateson
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 Harding Sarah Wicker
Vineyard Bible Institue (VBI) is an accredited Bible study programme. The next course is ‘Introduction to Biblical Interpretation’. Contact Adam Pipe for more details.
Network Netball meets regularly on Monday evenings at Selly Park Technology College sports hall from 8pm.
Adam Pipe
Jo Bullock
DZ meets during the morning service. Age groupings are: Parent & Baby (0-18m) Launch Pad (18m - 3) Rockets (3-4) Explorers (5-6) G Force (7-8) Voyagers (9-11) Zara Llewellyn
activities Networkfour offers vulnerable and deprived young people and adults a chance to see hope and transformation. Networkfour aims to establish networks of compassion in the community, offering individuals the chance to access and find the tools they need to build a foundation towards a brighter future.
Gary Wicker
Dalitso Trust works in partnership with rural villages in Malawi with its team based in Malingunde.
We run Network House Birmingham as a social enterprise conference centre, employing and training people in events and conference skills. Talk to Rosie or Bethany if you are interested in finding out more. www.networkhousebirmingham.com
Simon Bateson
Rosie McNeil
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SUNDAYS
A comprehensive diary of all that’s going on during the Autumn term. For more details about individual events you can go to the events page on our website and click on it, or alternatively contact the office on 0121 622 1230.
2 9 16 23 30
10.30am 10.30am 10.30am Community sunday 10.30am
Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday
7 14 21 28
10.30am 5.30pm 10.30am 5.30pm Community sunday 10.30am 5.30pm
Team 1 Team 2
Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday
4 11 18 25
10.30am 5.30pm 10.30am 5.30pm 10.30am 5.30pm Community sunday
Team 1 Team 2 Team 3
Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday
2 9 16 23 30
10.30am 5.30pm 10.30am 5.30pm No Service - Carols in the City Sat 15 10.30am 5.30pm No Service
Team 3 Team 2
Dec
Sept
Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday
Oct
Sept - Dec 2012
Nov
IN AUTUMN...
5.30pm 5.30pm 5.30pm
Team 1 Team 2 Team 3
5.30pm
Team 2 (extra)
Team 3
Team 1
dates for your diary Wednesdays 5 Sept, 3 Oct, 7 Nov, 5 Dec Prayer Wall at Network House
Saturdays 15 Sept, 20 Oct, 17 Nov Healing on the Streets - St Phillips Cathedral Square
Saturday 22 Sept
Call to Men - Network House
Saturday 13 Oct Womens breakfast
Sunday 21 Oct Beyond Baked students
Beans
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Saturday 17 Nov
event
for
Life in the Kingdom - event for leaders
Saturday 1 Dec
Student connections event