First Time Guests

It is never easy to visit a new church for the first time so we want to be as helpful as we can to make your experience a good one.  Whether you've attended church your whole life or never stepped foot in a church, Vineyard Church is a safe place to bring your doubts, questions, and curiosities, regardless of your beliefs or background. We invite you to come and take a look around. What you'll find is a group of people who truly desire to experience God and discover that life was never meant to traveled alone.

Vineyard is a "come as you are" church. Jeans and ties are equally welcomed.

We believe in treating our kids like full members of the church and the body of Christ. There's no such thing as a Jr. Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that is in us adults is also in our littlest believers. We encourage our children to worship and engage with the presence of the Lord. Often, their example is a beautiful challenge to us adults!

For elementary-aged kids, there is a short kids lesson from 9:30-10:00, at which time they join the main congregation for the worship portion of the morning service. We have a children's area set up with paper, coloring sheets, colored pencils, and flags for dancing.  

We have found from experience that seperating children from the "main" congregation leads them to feel alienated and disconnected as they become teens, so we have cultivated a culture where children are welcome to freely be children in our church services. This does require our adults to intentionally practice patience and compassion for the distraction children sometimes create, but we believe that is also a vital part of being the church.

We carefully select and screen our childrens' ministry teachers and all our classrooms and hallways have security camera feeds to ensure safety, so you can rest assured that your children are safe and well cared for. If ever there are specific safety needs, please approach our leadership and we will glady work with your family to provide the best environment we can. 

Youth group meets every Wednesday night at 6:30, and our awesome team of youth leaders is passionate about helping our young people navigate the difficult transitional period of adolescence in a godly way. We also have several special events throughout the year, including a big summer trip each year designed to be a powerful and emersive worship experience.

But it's not just youth events! Our youth are not just our future, they're our present. Because we want our teens engaged in the normal work and life of the church, all our events - including our mens' and women's events - are open to not only adults but to our youth as well.

We believe that every believer can and should be "doing the stuff" of the Kingdom, so most prayer ministry is usually done informally. It's perfectly acceptable at the Vineyard to turn to the person sitting next to you and ask them to pray with you. In fact, a big focus of our discussion groups is praying with each other! But if you don't feel comfortable doing that or you have a sensitive prayer request that you'd like to keep private, the Vineyard Church leadership team is always available to pray with you.  

We see worship as the door that enters God's presence.  Our team of worshipers seeks to lead us through that door each week.  A contemporary worship set is the norm for our weekend worship time, though you can expect to hear older songs, traditional hymns, and even original songs mixed in as well.  For us, it isn't as much about style as it is about seeking God's presence with an open heart.

Offerings are given as an act of worship for those who call Vineyard their home.  We teach and believe in Biblical stewardship.  For new visitors, your presence is a gift to us. We want you to be blessed without feeling any obligation to give. We have a few different ways to give to the work of the ministry, including an online portal and a giving box for cash and checks. All money given goes toward the needs of this church community, missions, and fulfillment of the vision the Lord has given us.

Our Sunday Mornings are broken up into three sections, and you are welcome to join in for any or all of them:

• 8:30-9:30 - Power Hour - A time of quiet prayer. During this time, members are encouraged to come and spend some time in prayer and intercession to pave the way for the day to come. We ask that unless you are leading a prayer or giving a prophetic word, that you remain quiet in the sanctuary during this time.
• 9:30-10:00 - Fellowship & Kid's Lesson - We set this portion of the day aside to make connections with each other as a family, and we have a special lesson for our Kingdom Kids in the children's wing.
• 10:00 - Noon - Worship & Teaching - This is most likely what you think of when you think "Sunday Service." While the structure can vary a bit, usually we begin by spending time in worship, followed by a sermon from a member of our preaching team, and we close with an opportunity for you to receive prayer. 

We believe that every person, regardless of ability status, is made in the image of God and worthy of dignity, love, and care. We have done our best to ensure our services are accessible. The worship and teaching portions of our Sunday service are live-streamed for community members whose health makes in-person attendance difficult. We provide wheelchair-accessible parking, entryways, and restrooms. We also have earplugs available at the sound booth for those with auditory processing issues, and stimming and fidget toys are welcome. Our philosophy of freedom in worship is often very refreshing to ADHD and autistic members of our community. If there are any accommodations you need that are not currently provided, contact our pastoral assistant Ash Hammack at ash@vineyardjackson.org and we would love to work out a plan to make sure you feel at home.