A curious title for a post.
We are a church without a building and without a defined parish, in the traditional sense.
So who do we serve and where is our focus?
Historically some churches would reinforce the knowledge of the boundary of a church parish by walking it annually. This custom of ‘beating the bounds’ is still observed in some English and Welsh parishes. A group of old and young members of the community would walk the boundaries of the parish, to share the knowledge of where they lay, and to pray for protection and blessings for the lands. The priest of the parish headed a crowd of boys who, armed with green boughs, usually birch or willow, beat the parish boundary markers with them. Sometimes the boys were themselves whipped or even violently bumped on the boundary-stones to make them remember. The purpose of this was to ensure the population of the area knew which church served them, where they could seek help and alms, and even be buried. This is how they defined the area they influenced
Defining the sphere of influence of a church is not so clear in the modern age. It is confused by people being more mobile, population more crowded, settlements overlapping between the areas served by a single church and multiple churches serving a single area. The picture is unclear and difficult enough when there is a building to centre on and a set of defined parish boundaries but when you have neither you have to change your viewpoint from which you measure.
We believe the Vine Community Church is placed to serve the three Villages of Cherry Willingham, Reepham; Fiskerton and the surrounding areas but we also believe that the Vine should respond to need and the purpose of God’s Kingdom. This is why we seek to serve people of the three villages plus those of the county, the country and even the international community through our work in Kenya. Our ‘parish boundaries’ are flexible and stretch across the world. We do this sometimes as a single church; sometimes in unity with other churches and like-minded Christians in the area and in the case of Kenya through partnerships with other organisations and sometimes as individuals. This is the reason one of the Vine’s leaders will be walking the 6000m up Kilimanjaro in June 2015.
We try to serve in the most effective way with the most effective people to see others benefit and the message of Jesus communicated.
Like many churches we do not see the lack of a set of parish boundaries ‘to beat’ as a negative, we see it as a positive, as we are not limited by lines on a map but are free to focus on where God reveals a need wherever that is. In these situations we want to operate effectively with ‘punch’
One purpose of “beating the bounds” is to make people aware of how they can be served by the church. Below are a number of initiatives provided by the Vine Community Church or in unity with other churches or partner organisations; these are marked with a *. Why not click to find out more?
Funding of a Youth/Support Worker into a local Secondary School.
Providing Youth Activities on a Friday night.
Supporting New Life Homes Trust – Kenya*
Assist* - Providing support to adults in difficult times including mental health issues.
Kilimanjaro Challenge for - Compassion Water of life project*
The Journeyman Project - a Christian social enterprise that mentors, encourages and inspires young people aged 16-21 in the Lincoln area.
Monthly drop-in sessions for coffee and chat at a local café.
A Women’s Book Club
30 days of prayer* held annually
Funding and organising - A Community Choir
Association with The Ground Level Network*
Monthly prayer and praise evening*
Girls Night In – social events for ladies.
Mid-week discipleship groups for adults
Discipleship groups for secondary age students.
Alpha Course
Carols on the Green*
Bacon Butty Specials – Café style church. a great taster if you've never been before.
Finally, Sunday services at Fiskerton Village Hall or Reepham and Cherry Willingham Village Hall which include Children’s activities
Why not come along and find out how you can make a difference or how God and the Vine can make a difference to you. Need more info? Contact us.