Last week over 1,000 people gathered in Nottingham for the annual Vineyard National Leaders Conference.

It is a powerful three-day conference for leaders to worship, meet with God, be inspired and spend time with other leaders from across the Vineyard UK, Ireland and beyond.

The main sessions were recorded at NLC, and you can listen to them here:

There were about 30 leaders from Birmingham Vineyard who attended this year. Let’s hear from them about what God was up to during the conference:

“Identity was something which was being spoken about a lot at NLC. God reminded me four times during the conference of a truth I have been wrestling with over the past six months - a truth on how he saw me and valued me which wasn't my conviction in my heart. I had been believing this lie over and over. The reminders came from four different people, one of which was a guy from St Andrews Vineyard in Pizza Hut - he had been challenged to ask God for a word for someone and I was that person - it was bang on and he and I both went away encouraged!” - Aaron S.

“This was the first time I'd heard Debby Wright preach. She's inspiring and motivating. Quoting from a version of 2 Corinthians 6:2 on the theme "Now is the Time", she set the tone for the conference. One of her key points was "Now is the time to be confident" - both in our identity (it's God who defines who I am!) and in nurturing expectancy. She clearly longs to see people who have not met Jesus come into His Kingdom. Her challenge is for us all to be farmers sowing seeds, leading people to Jesus and investing in the next generation. At another ministry time, Debbie had prophetic words of breaking barrenness both physical and to enable us all to bring new life spiritually. I was affirmed in what I want to see in my neighbourhood and challenged to keep believing and stepping out in faith. Thank you Jesus.” - Pippa B.

“On the first night I shared a table with three Scots - a Site Pastor; a young woman church planting in Stirling; and a church planter released to go that week with his wife and baby. Wonderful to see and hear the passion and drive to see God’s Kingdom come across Scotland. Then John and Eleanor Mumford shared about their work across the 15 global regions of the Vineyard church movement. They reflected upon some of the challenges facing the Church in areas of the world, and how much difference being part of the Vineyard family makes. Finally, and closer to home, it was great to see the development of churches birthed or released a year ago, in places like Leicester and the Isle of Wight, now growing healthily.” - Steve P.

“I thoroughly enjoyed NLC. The talks were fresh and powerful, but the best thing was how the Holy Spirit moved across the week. There was so much expectation and the Holy Spirit’s presence was so tangible and at work. For me personally, I felt that there were some lies that I worked through with God, which left me feeling more free, and ready to run His race with new energy.” - Jon S.

There is a longing for and an expectation across the UK for the Kingdom of God to come. We are thankful to be a part of a movement who is saying yes to the life-giving works of God and you are invited to join us as we partner with Him to bring life in Birmingham!