We're a vibrant and relevant church with a passion for you to find hope, and know Jesus.
We are a friendly church so whatever your age, background or previous experience of church, if any at all, we invite you to come along. Join us at our Sunday Services or other activities and receive a great welcome.
We would love to welcome you as friend, a visitor or part of our family.
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https://www.thevinecommunitychurch.org.uk/images/Matt_2_1-11.m4v Matt_2_1-11.m4v
The guidance makes it clear that public (communal) worship is allowed during this lockdown as long as the appropriate Covid-19 safeguards are in place.
This guidance and associated law limits numbers, prohibits singing (classified as a risky activity), hugging, handshaking, raised voices, requires face coverings to be we worn and prohibits mixing between households / support bubbles. But we are free to join together (safely) and worship.
In order to keep everyone safe we are restricting numbers at our Services to ensure social distancing is possible. To allow us to arrange this you will need to book into 'in person' services; wear a face covering and observe social distancing. The best way to book in is from the link on our news letter. We would encourage you to join our email list.
While it is easy to look forward to meeting together and I look forward to this as much as anyone, it is important to remember we never closed. While the building was not available to us:
We worshipped online with our services on Youtube and Facebook. I know may of you have and many more people that would not already have attended a physical church have engaged with the online services.
We have met together on Zoom for Sunday night prayer, being joined by other Christians from the area.
We have met together on Zoom for our mid-week groups, continuing our exploration of discipleship.
We have engaged with local, regional and national events online both receiving great input and publishing video content for Lincoln City Churches group, Hope Together, Groundlevel and others as well as taking part in live meetings with a range of groups.
Our social outreach Assist has continued to provide support for the most vulnerable in the area, increasing its provision through partnership with others during this time. We do not see this need abating any time soon.
We have engaged with the children of the village through TST Online and the Video content.
We have kept in touch with each other as best we can.
We have not closed, we have adapted and God has provided great opportunities to work with others and to reach people who would not consider stepping inside 'the church'.
We encourage you to engage with us
Catch up on previous TST content
A collection of the latest news and articles from The Vine
Over the last few months, the dark of winter has really hit home. The death of a number of people connected with the church, our family, as well as the restrictions applied to the nation have left me and I am sure others, longing to move on from this period. We have felt grief, loss, anger, frustration and disappointment at a number of things over the winter period.
As a church, through lent, we have been looking at the topic of the disappointment and frustration that is “unanswered prayer” looking at people going through their darkest ‘winters’ and how in the midst of their struggles and grief, hope creeps in and surprises them.
Hope is a strange thing, it does not undo the feelings of hurt or loss, instead it hints at something new, something better that is worth going on for.
I think of the first Easter as the disciples gathered following the events of Good Friday. They would have been in their own personal ‘winter’ of loss, disillusionment and disappointment. They would have been questioning everything they knew and had heard. Yet hope creeps in and surprises them. For the women going to the tomb, that hope, was in the empty tomb and the words of a ‘Gardener’, for others, that hope was in hearing the news, for others in seeing and for Thomas in touching, the wounds of Jesus.
In nature, this hope at the end of winter is expressed as the first snowdrops, buds bursting in colour returning to the landscape. In these COVID times hope is signalled by vaccination rates, being able to meet others and the cautious reopening of shops and other facilities.
For Christians today, the hope is in experiencing God in our daily lives even in the disappointments and unanswered prayers. God invites all of us to know him and to be surprised by the hope that brings.
Whatever your situation I pray that this Easter time, that you are surprised by hope breaking into your situation and that you see a way from winter into the new beginnings of spring and beyond. – Amen
Last month saw the funeral of one of our church family. The lady that sadly passed away was a very quiet person both in demeanour and volume. Every time I encountered her; I would struggle to hear what she was saying. It was a constant struggle to strain to hear, made even worse in these times of social distancing and face masks. I have to admit it took effort to not make an excuse to finish the conversation or not to drop into ‘husband mode’ and nod in what I thought were all the right places while not really listening.
I did, however, persevere and the rewards were great. Beneath the quiet exterior and behind the difficulties of hearing a small voice there were great stories of her life, exciting exploits, pearls of wisdom and encouragement. When I actively listened, I found that the exterior view that I and many would have had of this lady, hid the true wealth of her history and experience. When I caught hold of her small voice I was rewarded beyond my expectation.
I find the same true in my relationship with God. Sometimes in my life, God is dramatic and loud and obvious. Much of the time though He is quiet, difficult to experience and a struggle to hear.
I am not alone in this; the bible tells of Elijah (1 Kings 19:11-13) who didn’t always find God in the dramatic either: “After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”
I will miss my chats with this lady at church, it may have been a struggle to hear her but it was worth the effort.
In this busy time, where communication is not always easy because of separation, face masks and the necessary use of technology to bridge the miles. It is easy to stop listening because it is hard. Can I encourage anyone and everyone to keep listening to those around us, even if it takes effort? They reward of listening can be great for both parties the listener and the person being listened to.
I find the same is true of God when I take the time to listen, to read his word, to look at nature and creation, I tend to find a reward in experiencing Him. When I don’t take the time or make the effort, I don’t.
This month let’s make the effort to listen to the still, small voices around us.
| Thu Apr 15 @08:45 Thursday Morning Prayer |
| Thu Apr 15 @19:30 CANCELLED - Third Thursday Book Club |
| Thu Apr 15 @19:30 CANCELLED - Third Thursday Book Club |
| Sun Apr 18 @11:00 Sunday Service - during Covid |
| Wed Apr 21 @20:00 Online - Connect Groups. |
| Thu Apr 22 @08:45 Thursday Morning Prayer |
