A typical vineyard church.
The Vineyard Church Movement is a movement of churches, started in America by John Wimber in 1982. The movement now has over 1500 affiliated churches over several continents.
Beliefs and Practices[]
Statement of Faith[]
Vineyard Churches follow a set of beliefs and practices. The statement of faith is Biblically based, with all claims backed up by scripture.
Worship[]
An key aspect of the Vineyard Church is worship and connecting with God through worship is a key part of their beliefs. As well as giving glory to God, worship in the Vineyard is also about connection with the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts. Worship often takes place at most Vineyard events, whether it be a Sunday morning, a small home-group, a Vineyard run training event or another event run by a Vineyard church. Worship is generally made of of contemporary Christian music, often with a band (consisting of a guitar, drums and bass, sometimes with other instruments). The popularity of this music led to the creation of the Vinyeard Music distribution company.
Ministry[]
The central aspect of Vineyard ministry is that "everyone gets to play" (as said by John Wimber). Anyone who attends the church is allowed to pray for other members of the church, as the belief is that God will choose anyone to carry out His work. The Vineyard believes that the Holy Spirit plays a key part in everyday life and believes that He the gifts of the spirit are readily available to anyone.
The Church Atmosphere[]
The Vineyard Church atmosphere is generally quite relaxed. Most churches offer drinks and doughnuts to visitors and do not expect the congregation to some dressed smartly. The pastor can often be seen wearing casual clothing (such as jeans and a t-shirt). Most Vineyard Churches have no official membership or initiation; instead, they ask that people simply get involved with the Church.