Between Reality & Return: One Church’s Approach To Reopening
By Sharon McCarter (Pastor, Vineyard Church Maryville in Maryville, TN) Two text messages, two opposite ends of the bell curve … Our governor gave the churches in our county permission to reopen on May 1st, with a laundry list of restrictions. Before our church made any announcement about what we would do, one of our […]
The Miracle Of Multiplied Rice And Dhal
A Story From Vineyard Missions USA By Ruth (Vineyard India) I have goosebumps as I write this, and I am trembling with emotion. As you know, we are a small church, but our great desire is to help the poor at this time. We have no support right now. And also, we have to observe […]
When The Story of COVID-19 Gets Told, Let’s Make Sure We Have Stories Worth Telling
Pacific City Church was planted in 2018 by Chris Meekins and his team in Santa Monica, CA. In this episode Michael and co-host Liz Moore (also a church planter in Princeton, NJ) talk through the issues facing church planters in the era of COVID-19. Chris and his team have tackled these new challenges with lots […]
Vineyard Churches Caring For Their Communities During COVID-19
[Photo: Vineyard Church Of The Rockies] Vineyard churches across the U.S. have been actively meeting some significant needs in their communities in the wake of COVID-19 through food distributions, giveaways, game drop-offs, and more! We’ve asked a few of these churches to share how they have been serving their cities. The Vineyard Church Mishawaka, […]
When We Don’t Know What To Do
What do you do when you don’t know what to do? When Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah was faced with the threat of battle from the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites, he made an important decision as a leader. 2 Chronicles 20:3 states, “Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and […]
Invitation To Interior Freedom
Rebellion, resignation, or consent: The choice is yours. Have you considered your heart’s attitude toward the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis? Your response is the difference between simply surviving this season and knowing Jesus more intimately on the other side. Honesty in our emotions and attitudes is a critical first step in embracing God’s deeper […]
The Secret In Suffering
I keep waking up with the weight of the world pressing in, inciting my own prayers to heaven. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy on us all. These are difficult times. And while no person’s experience of sheltering in place is the same, it is disruptive for everyone. For some, quarantine is a long vacation […]
Be Gentle
One of the most surprising aspects of sheltering in place is that I experience little surprises almost every day. Some of them are delightful surprises – wood ducks swimming in my pond, how quickly my dog learns new tricks, my husband cleaning the kitchen after my cooking frenzy. But others are less delightful. I’m surprised […]
Funeral Planning During COVID-19
The following was written to provide guidance to anyone faced with the unique dynamics of gathering people to honor a loved one during this season in which social gathering is limited. Consider what may best serve two needs at different times. When we lose the earthly presence of a loved one, there are two things […]
An Illusion Of Control
The last few months of “sheltering in” due the COVID-19 pandemic have awakened all of us to the limitations inherent in being human. I’ve commented often in conversations with directees that I experience this season of limitations as more an opportunity than a crisis. What kind of opportunity, you ask? Many of the people I […]