Why Should People Care That They Go to A Vineyard Church?

I didn’t even know there were other Vineyards!” This isn’t an uncommon phrase to hear a Vineyard churchgoer say. It may not seem like an enormous problem — and maybe it’s not the biggest. But long term, it may point to a pattern that can be unhealthy for churches. We could call this pattern congregational isolation: the tendency for individual congregations to become disconnected from other churches within the larger Vineyard movement.

The Decline Of Denominationalism

One potential cause of this is that denominational affiliation is in decline in the U.S. Churchgoers in this century are less loyal to past labels. They don’t always choose a church because it’s Presbyterian, Assemblies of God, or Vineyard. Instead they choose based on personal preferences: church size, style, leadership, location, and other factors.

Many larger churches have eschewed the use of denominational names altogether. In my city, for example, some of the largest churches are “Grace Church,” “Eagle Brook,” and “Church of the Open Door.” Even the ones specifically affiliated with a denomination don’t make their affiliations prominent.

The result is, if you ask many churchgoers what kind of church they go to, they might generally be either unaware of or uninterested in their church’s larger community. Even pastors and staff members will often say that they are somewhat uninterested in the affiliation of their church — they primarily care about the faith expression of their local congregation. Denominationalism is often associated with divisiveness, power politics, and obscure doctrinal positions that many people just don’t care about much.

Because the Vineyard is a smaller, younger community of churches, the tendency to be disconnected is sometimes amplified. It’s not uncommon for Vineyard-goers to think that “Vineyard” is just the name of their local congregation. They don’t always know there are actually other Vineyards around the country and the world. If they move from one city to another, for example, they may not even look around for another Vineyard church but just look for any church that seems like a “fit.”

There can be an upside to this tendency. It could point to more unity in the body of Christ at large. People have grown to understand they can experience the community of Jesus in any number of types of churches. This is something to be grateful for. [bctt tweet=”The lack of denominational divisions can help inter-church cooperation in prayer & outreach to the shared community.” quote=”The lack of denominational divisions can also help inter-church cooperation in prayer and outreach to the shared community.”]

Yet, in some ways, the lack of awareness of the movement at large can further divide the body of Christ. When we don’t understand ourselves to be part of a larger group of churches, we may simply think of our local congregation as “the” church. While we are aware of the existence of other Vineyards, our connection to them may be extremely limited. 

Ironically, the very tendency that leads to less division between local congregations can, conversely, lead to the growth of congregational isolation.

The Dangers Of Isolation

Over time, congregational isolation can become harmful. The exposure of the people to only one leadership style and one theological point of view is limiting. As people go through changes and transitions of life, they may find that their local congregation is unable to provide the kinds of resources they need to maintain faith and connection. Sometimes the solution is simply for those people to change congregations. That isn’t the end of the world, but it can be painful both for them and for the churches that experience the transition.

Perhaps more seriously, without outside input, we can drift into health risks without noticing it. There are times when only an outside perspective can help a leader see an unhealthy tendency he or she has unwittingly developed. It’s not unusual for a church to get caught up in a particular theological or ministry trend that leads it off course from the main and plain. Oftentimes well-meaning leaders can end up in disastrous problems simply because there was no one to point it out or to help them fix it.

I once brought some outside speakers into my church without checking their references. They were quite charismatic and engaging. And while they did introduce some helpful things to our church, they also introduced some toxicity that took a long time to work out of the church system. 

Fortunately, fairly early on in the process, I was talking to a group of Vineyard pastor friends. When I began describing the influence these speakers were having, they quickly pointed out the unhealthy elements and gave wise advice about how to counteract the problem before it did deeper damage to our community.

The weakness of congregational isolation is perhaps most evident in times of leadership transition. Whether because of retirement, scandal, or conflict, leadership transition — especially a transition with the senior pastor — can be a traumatic event. Often the lay leaders of the church feel unequipped and unsure of how to proceed. 

The church members who are loudest and most forceful may pressure the congregation into making unwise choices in a moment of deep anxiety. Without any support or input from other church leaders, the isolated congregation puts itself in a vulnerable position.

The Causes Of Isolation

Generally, leaders don’t intend for their churches to become isolated from the greater Vineyard movement. There are a number of forces that can cause this to happen unconsciously. We previously mentioned the general decline in denominational loyalty. In another article we addressed the simple reality of our busyness and the difficulty of finding the time to stay relationally connected. 

Here I want to explore two other forces that result in isolation: disillusionment and bitterness.

Disillusionment

In his book Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer addresses the idea of disillusionment. He argues that disillusionment is a necessary part of the process of forming community. The very nature of disillusionment is that it undoes illusions.

When we enter community, we are bound to be disillusioned precisely because that community is made up of imperfect humans. We are bound to disagree at times with that community, because no two people have exactly the same ideas.

If any leader is part of a movement like the Vineyard for any amount of time, they are guaranteed some disillusionment. They will hear something a Vineyard leader says that they personally find repugnant. They will attend a conference that is less than inspiring. Or they will reach out for help in a time of need and feel ignored. In these situations, the leader may choose to leave the Vineyard. But they may also choose to withdraw from active participation in the Vineyard.

Bitterness

Over time, if this disillusionment is unaddressed, it can lead to bitterness. Rather than simply being disappointed by the Vineyard, a leader becomes actively angry. When they think about going to a conference, a local meeting, or simply getting together with a pastor from another church, angry feelings well up, and the leader will either avoid the interaction altogether, or enter into it with a chip on the shoulder.

I remember clearly a period I went through where I was quite angry with a number of other Vineyard leaders for various reasons. I felt the Vineyard could do nothing good. Even our church staff was infected — if the subject of the Vineyard at large came up, we were likely to roll our eyes, make sarcastic comments, and openly criticize whatever had happened.

Eventually I realized this attitude was doing nothing to help anyone; I found myself further from God and alienated from friends. It took repentance, time, and intentionality to find some freedom and begin to reconnect with others.

It’s important to deal with our disillusionment in any community. Disillusionment and bitterness lead us into a general life space of cynicism. Cynicism can seem wise, but it is not. It is a limiting way to look at the world. It separates us from people, keeps us away from community, and ultimately keeps us from having hope-filled faith in our loving Creator.

The Benefits Of Connection To The Vineyard

When people know that their local church is part of a larger body, they can feel safer in times of difficulty and transition. It is comforting for them to know that their pastor has both accountability and help from outside the local church. It will actually help them trust their leader more when they know that he or she isn’t going it alone.

People can also be inspired by feeling a part of something larger. Motivation for church planting and overseas work can increase when members feel like their small contribution is part of something larger God is doing in the world. There are also increased opportunities for participation in God’s kingdom when multiple congregations attack an issue together.

Connection to the larger Vineyard also increases the ministry reach of a church quite easily. Our church was able to have a men’s retreat this fall without having to plan anything — we simply sent our men to a regional retreat. Other churches were able to participate in a diversity training at our church. Their pastors and leaders didn’t have to do anything but announce when and where the training would be held.

Probably the person who benefits the most from being connected to the entire Vineyard is the lead pastor. Leading can be lonely work. Pastors are often misunderstood and unfairly criticized. They carry a lot of weight on their backs, and they can tend toward workaholism and burnout. Community with other pastors is one great help to bearing the burdens of ministry. [bctt tweet=”A healthy pastor is perhaps the greatest gift the Vineyard can offer to a local congregation.” quote=”And a healthy pastor is perhaps the greatest gift the Vineyard can offer to a local congregation.”]

How To Help Your Congregation Stay Connected To The Vineyard

I want to encourage pastors and leaders to increase their church’s awareness of and participation in the larger Vineyard movement. It is valuable for both the staff and members of a Vineyard church to have a sense of larger connection to what God is doing. And as we participate together in the Vineyard, opportunities for partnership and mutual resourcing can multiply our ministry impact in the world. Here are four suggestions for increasing a congregation’s connection to the Vineyard movement.

First, there should be lots of time and budget for Vineyard pastors to connect and reconnect, typically at local and national conferences, retreats, and meetings. Connection requires investment. There needs to be a travel budget, an ability to have others fill the pulpit, and an understanding from the congregation that part of the pastor’s role is to participate in the larger movement. The degree to which a pastor is connected to the larger movement directly affects the health of a church.

Second, it can be very meaningful to bring in speakers from other Vineyard churches. This can be on Sunday morning, for mid-week trainings, or church retreats. It benefits your church a lot: You can bring in a speaker who has similar values but with a different perspective, which can be healthy — like changing your exercise routine to work different muscles in your body. Plus, exchanging speakers can foster good relationships between church congregations.

Third, there are several ways the congregation can connect to other Vineyard folks. Many regions have men’s or women’s conferences, youth retreats, or other opportunities that are not just for leaders but also for the general congregation. Many events typically aimed at pastors can also be meaningful and inspiring for lay leaders.

Fourth, it is helpful to have an occasional sermon series surrounding Vineyard values. Vineyard values are connected to large biblical themes, so it isn’t necessary to have a very narrow sermon about the “life and times of John Wimber.” A preacher can connect themes like worship, healing, the kingdom of God, and authentic community to the broader Vineyard values, helping the congregation understand the distinctives that shape their regular church life. (Here is a great set of booklets for that series).

Conclusion

Being part of the Vineyard isn’t the most important thing about a Vineyard church. Jesus is the most important thing. But the New Testament makes clear that part of loving Jesus is loving his church. And loving his church doesn’t just mean connecting to those who share coffee with us every Sunday. 

It also means having a broader connection to God’s work throughout the world — and especially in the Vineyard movement.