2 minute read
Growing Big People
Opening Address
What another incredible year it has been at The Vine! At the beginning of this year we heard God speak clearly on two essential things – ‘Let My People Go’ and ‘from Crowd to Community’. Both of these mark new culture shifts for us as a church in our vision to Grow Big People in the years ahead. We must continue to press into the season of healing, transformation, and restoration that God has called us to, and at the same time deepen our community with one another.
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2017 has been witness to many powerful moves of God amongst us. I think specifically of our recent Re:Think series that helped many of us deal with faulty core beliefs and mindsets, the launch and development of many new organic Community Groups and core leaders across our ministries, the incredible generosity you all showed to help turn our finances around at the beginning of the year, our deepening hunger for missions, and the spirit-led dynamic of The Justice Conference Asia. God is at work growing big people at The Vine and I can’t wait for what He has in store for us in 2018!
Andrew Gardener
Senior Pastor
From the Elders
On the 26 May 1940 during World War II, the Allied forces were losing. They retreated to Dunkirk beach and were trapped between the sea and the enemy, awaiting death. A miracle appeared on the horizon as hundreds of civilian boats arrived to ferry them to safety.
This battle was one of the turning points in the war, when the entire nation moved from a crowd of strangers to a community of people who loved, helped, and saved those around them.
As we have journeyed together in 2017, we have seen and heard the call of Jesus to us. The Story of Jesus, and the theme of The Justice Conference – Love Thy Neighbour – all point to the destination to which we are called. 2017 is The Vine’s Dunkirk moment, Jesus calls us to move from crowd to community, 2018 is our opportunity to respond to this call. Will you be in the boat with us?
Sean Seah
Chairman of Elders
Growing Big People
When Andrew stepped into the position of Senior Pastor four years ago God said to him, ‘I don’t want you to grow a big church; I want you grow big people.’ We’re not interested in your mere attendance at The Vine, we’re interested in your spiritual growth as a believer. It’s easy to attend church. It’s another matter to let God re-fashion your life after His Son, Jesus. That’s what we care about at The Vine.
It’s the stories of repentance, renewal, sacrifice, faith, and obedience that tell us whether people are growing or not. How have you grown in God in the last year? What did Jesus reveal to you about Himself in the Story of Jesus series? What core beliefs of yours are more aligned with God’s truth? What healing words of love has He spoken to you? We, and God, want you to grow!
