Staff Update - Farewell Aaron!

Our Assistant Pastor Aaron, who oversees our youth, will be moving on in May to take on a new role with The National Youth Agency. We are so excited for Aaron to take on this new challenge and be using his giftings on a national scale. 

Aaron's stepping out of this role will leave a gap. Can we replace Aaron? No, because he's unique, and in that sense irreplaceable! We will; however, want to ensure that Youth has the right leadership and resources going forward.

We'll be looking for someone else to join the staff team to build on the work that Aaron has led. There is a plan in place to make sure Youth can carry on as normal during the process of Aaron leaving and finding a new person to lead the Youth ministry. Currently there are no planned changes in terms of Youth provisions at BV so Friday and Sunday Youth sessions will continue to happen as normal. The leadership team are praying and closely following the Lord’s leading as they seek direction for the future. In the long term, we are a growing church, and the Youth ministry will continue to shape and evolve over time as God leads. 

We want to end this by saying a huge thank you to Aaron and his family! We are hugely grateful for all he has brought to the young people, the team and the church as a whole.

For more info check out the FAQs below: 

1. So, what has prompted this?

Any change can always spark speculation. Let us be crystal clear this is not because Aaron has had any form of falling out or disagreement or some ongoing dispute with Andrew, Rosie or the church leadership. Nor is it because Aaron has had some kind of moral failure. 

Aimee and Aaron have felt for a few months that God has been stirring them that something is going to/needs to change for their family. Aaron was closely listening to God to see if it was time to move on from his role, it became clear whilst going through this process that the move is one which is needed/right for now. His new role will allow greater home-working and more predictable work hours, which is important for him at this stage of family life. We see this and want to release Aaron with our love and blessing.  


2. When will Aaron be leaving?

Aaron will be leaving in early to mid may once my three-month notice period has come to an end.

3. So what does this mean for the future of Youth?

We know that God has good things in store for BV Youth. There is a plan in place to make sure Youth can carry on as normal during the process of Aaron leaving, & finding a new person to lead the Youth ministry. The leadership team are praying & closely following the Lord’s leading as they seek direction for the future. We will keep you updated to more specific & practical things, but we want you to know there is a plan in place for the short term.

4. What is the process for finding a replacement?

The job will be advertised in the coming months so internal and external candidates can apply. The hope is that the position will be filled prior to DTI, but the outer date for requirement would be that a new person will be in place by September

5. Who do I contact about youth stuff?

Aaron is still the main point of contact until he concludes his employment. Before he leaves we’ll give clarity about leadership and who to contact with questions etc. We’ll make sure this is clear. We’re also so grateful that the existing youth leaders remain present throughout this transition. 

6. Will Aaron still be around at BV?

Firstly, Aaron & his family love BV. They have been part of this wonderful community for 8 years and have formed many deep friendships. One of the challenges that they have really noticed is the distance from their home to church. Something Aaron is aware of is giving space to the person who will be taking on the new role, so they don’t feel undermined or uncomfortable with Aaron still around. For now, they are taking some time to pray and think about where God would want them to be as a family.

7. What does this mean for Youth?

For now, there is no change in terms of Youth provisions at BV. Fridays & Sundays will continue to happen as normal. In the long term, we are a growing church, and the youth ministry will continue to shape & evolve over time as God leads.

Job Opening // Administration and Communications Assistant (full-time)

If you enjoy administrative work, like working with a team, enjoy communicating and community-building through social media and events, and are passionate about helping people encounter God, then we may have a role for you! 

We are looking for an administration and communications assistant to join our thriving office team at Birmingham Vineyard.

We are a church that exists to help people follow Jesus, live life to the full and make a difference. Our vision is to start groups, communities, and congregations where people can encounter God. That vision cannot become a reality without administrative support and great communications.

If you’re looking for a full time, office-based administrative role in central Birmingham and are passionate about using your gifts and skills to serve the church, we’d love to hear from you.

If you’re interested, please click below to view the job description

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To apply please send a CV and covering letter to mike@birminghamvineyard.com. You can also email Mike if you have any questions or would like to discuss a prospective application.

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DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS 20th february 2023

 
 

Staff Update - Nessa's New Adventure!

Our wonderful friend and colleague Nessa is moving on to pastures new and we wanted to take just a moment to celebrate her!

For the last year Nessa has been doing a fantastic job managing our social media and supporting Aaron as they lead our youth ministry. We’ll miss her, but we’ve loved journeying with her as she explores her calling into the entertainment world, and we’re so excited for what God has in store in her next step!

Check out below to see her story of the journey God is taking her on:

Over the last few years I’ve really felt a stirring to be part of making the film and tv world a more ethical place to work.

I’m from a Film and TV background and have witnessed first hand the neglect that often occurs behind the camera. We hear about the mistreatment of actors and actresses behind the scenes but what is only just starting to be spoken about is the mistreatment of the many hundreds of crew who work long hours, are underpaid and suffer with mental health problems in silence. With some of my friends losing their lives to suicide.

We often hear about the ethics of where our food comes from, where our clothes come from and the mistreatment of workers in other sectors but the film and tv world is often one that is portrayed as a glitzy and glamorous environment to work in. When in actual fact, its very labor intensive and the issues are severely overlooked.

Over the pandemic, I began The Retreat Productions. A film and TV production company prioritizing ethics in all areas.

A few months ago, I headed to LA for some work meetings and to network. During this time, God did so much. During a meeting an opportunity for a well known platform to buy my script occurred. However, throughout the meeting, it became clear that what they were proposing was in no way ethical and would have meant that I would not have been able to be involved in making sure that everyone was able to work in a safe environment. So I declined their offer.

It was at that moment that God started putting people in my path the rest of the trip that further reinforced that I had made the right decision. Opportunities for more ethical ways of doing things arose and by the end of my trip I left confident in the knowledge that in order to make a lasting impact and change the culture, I needed to go back into that industry full time and make my God appointed vision a bigger priority.

It's a scary realisation to come to. It means a lot of change going forward but I’ve heard two sayings having been around Vineyard for most of my Christian life and they are; “ old orders are good orders until you get new orders”, and “you know, that you know, that you know when God is calling you to be situated in a certain space.”

I know, that I know, that I know, that God is now calling me into a new thing and it’s with that knowledge that now is the time for me to close this chapter in Birmingham and bring more of his kingdom impact into this industry.

Ways you can support this new adventure:

  • Financially support me - I’m raising £15,000 to cover things like flights, accommodation and visa fees. For more information and to donate to this cause head to my Go Fund Me page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/get-nessa-to-la

  • Pray - If you’re the praying kinda pal, please do be praying for this new adventure. There are high and low times ahead. I do really believe that any and all prayer makes a difference.

  • Hire Me - I am making up income by relaunching myself on a self-employed basis as a graphic designer and social media consultant. You can find my graphic design Instagram over on https://www.instagram.com/nessaccreates/ and you can stay in the loop on my personal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nessa.chileshe

  • Share the fundraiser - I can't do this alone. Sharing it with your friends, family, or anyone you think might be interested could make a world of difference between hitting or missing my goal.

  • If you would like more information about The Retreat Productions and about me, you can head to https://msha.ke/nessacwrites/

East Site - Now meeting twice a month!

Over the last year a number of us have sensed God calling us on an adventure with Him in East Birmingham and Solihull.

We have been praying and meeting regularly as a community since November 2021 and are actively in the process of planting out a new East site, currently meeting at the crossroads of Hall Green, Acocks Green and Solihull.

We are praying for God to build East site to be an intercultural, family-like community which invites everyone in, encountering Jesus together and living out His love in the communities where He has placed us.

As we have been seeking God in this journey, He has been challenging us to be:

Prayerful - coming to our Father boldly and expectantly as our growing habit and first response, no matter what our situation .

Missional - intentional about connecting with those who don’t know Jesus yet; learning to take every opportunity, both in and outside of church, to live out His love and our new life in Him.

Relational - becoming a family-like community where everyone is valued, where we both give and receive (and where we eat together a lot!).

Simple - in approach, not as an end, but as a tool to help us make space for the Holy Spirit to move; and to prioritise time and energy for connection with God and people.

East Site is in a pre-launch phase for the remainder of 2022, meeting twice a month from September.

3:30 PM - St Michael’s Church Centre, 17 Redstone Farm Road, B28 9NU   

 Dates for the autumn term are:

Worship Services

September 11th
October 9th
November 6th
December 11th

Community Events

September 25th
October 23rd
November 27th

All ages are welcome at all of our gatherings. During worship services the will be groups for children ages 4 and up and also for youth. Contact us for up-to-date information on our current provision for very young children.

If you have any questions, pop Rachel an email, she’d love to chat!

rachelb@birminghamvineyard.com

Birmingham Vineyard Internships

We are so excited to be able to offer internships again, starting in September!


What’s an internship?

An internship is a great way to take a year to grow in your faith and to hone your skills for the workplace. Whether you’re looking to work in a church, for a charity or other third-sector organisation or for the corporate world, an internship is a great way to gain some practical work experience as well as a chance to help you explore career options.

As a church, we can offer practical experience in a number of transferable areas, as well as a year to solidly ground your faith and character which are both essential to flourish as a follower of Jesus in any contemporary workplace. 

The internship programme will run from September to July, and be based around 3 things:

  • Theological training (provided by Vineyard UK and Ireland)

  • Practical experience and on-the-job learning

  • Mentoring, sponsoring and spiritual development

What will I be doing?

As an intern, you will be sponsored by one of our pastoral team, who will line manage you as you work within a certain ministry area in the church. There are five areas to choose from: compassion, kids, worship, youth and pioneering pastoral leadership. The availability of each area will depend on the capacity of the sponsor involved and the number of applications in any given year. You’ll be working with your sponsor in a given ministry area, helping hands-on with the existing ministry and helping to strategise and develop new projects within it.  In addition, you’ll have a spiritual director/mentor from within Vineyard who will help you reflect on what you’re learning and on your growing relationship with God, and theological training from VCUKI (the national Vineyard movement). 

Theological training will include one day per week of home study, using resources produced or recommended by VCUKI, and one day per month of study in Nottingham as part of that year’s Vineyard College cohort. There will be general theological training as well as ministry-specific modules.

You will need to be able to commit at least 25 hours per week to being part of your chosen ministry area at church, in addition to the above study time. These hours will be flexible depending on your chosen area and the projects you are part of. Be aware when applying that a lot of our ministries take place on evenings and weekends, as well as during the week!

Do I need to be a member of Birmingham Vineyard?

You don’t need to be a member of Birmingham Vineyard to apply, but you will need to attend church while doing your internship. Your work will involve being part of our Sunday team, as that’s where much of our ministry takes place. You will also need to be living in Birmingham for the duration of the internship, so that you can easily access our facilities. We can help provide low-cost housing and help with other costs you might incur as part of your internship.

Please note: there is an occupational requirement for anyone in this role to be a practising Christian.

How much does it cost?

The cost for the Vineyard college course is £320 deposit plus £99 per month for the year.

For successful applicants who require it, Birmingham Vineyard would be able to offer a bursary and reduced-cost housing for the year. Additional funds could be gained through support raising or casual work.

Funding will be decided during the application and interview process, in conversation with potential interns and the church trustees.

OK, how do I find out more?

If you think you might be interested in applying for an internship programme, get in touch with us using the form below and we will be in contact with you.


If you would like to help support our internship programme, for example by providing spiritual direction or mentoring, housing an intern, or offering prayer or financial support, you can email becky@birminghamvineyard.com detailing the support you’d like to offer and we will be in touch with you.

Great Birmingham Run - Sunday 1st May

Sunday May 1st is the Great Birmingham Run and road closures mean we won’t be able to get to the City Centre Site that morning, so there will be no morning service at that site.

Instead we’d love to see you at one of our other services:

South site - 10:30am
City Centre Site Evening - 5:30pm
Online Stream - 5:30pm

Do check the road closure maps below and plan your travel accordingly:

Welcome to the team, Nathan!

We’re thrilled to be able to introduce to you our new Production Co-ordinator, Nathan. Nathan joined our team in late January, to take on oversight of all the Production elements of our church, which include sound, projection, cameras and lighting. 

His vision for the Production ministry is to create distraction free spaces that glorify Jesus and enable both the congregation, and those serving, to meet with him. Our hope is that, through Nathan’s time and gifting, the production team will be able to create spaces that people can easily meet with the life-changing power of Jesus, for the first time or thousandth time, and that we’d be able to multiply and grow these spaces across the city.

Alongside his job with us, and his work as a freelance sound engineer, Nathan is also an avid climber, sports fan (F1 and football particularly), musician, and enjoys the best coffee the world has to offer!

If you see Nathan around at any of our sites, do say hello, and introduce yourself. And as always, if you’re interested in getting involved with this essential ministry to make a difference in the life of our church, please do get in touch with him, by email: nathanh@birminghamvineyard.com

Job Opening // Executive Assistant to the Senior Pastors - Maternity Cover

Do you enjoy administrative work? Are you passionate about helping people encounter God? Do you enjoy working with a team? Do you have experience in administration in an office environment or the third sector? 

If so, we might have a role for you - we’re looking for maternity cover for the Executive Assistant to the Senior Pastors!

We are a church that exists to help people follow Jesus, live life to the full and make a difference. Our vision is to start groups, communities, and congregations where people can encounter God. That vision cannot become a reality without administrative support.

We are looking for Executive Assistant maternity cover, someone who can undertake a wide range of administrative and oversight responsibilities as they support the Senior Pastors.  In this role you would work closely with the Senior Pastors as they lead locally at Birmingham Vineyard and nationally in their role as Associate Directors of VCUKI.  You would also work alongside the Birmingham Vineyard staff team to help carry out many aspects of church life, and support the team as they do the same.

If you’re looking for a full time, office based administrative role and are passionate about using your gifts and skills to serve the church we’d love to hear from you.

If you’re interested, please click below to view the job description

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To apply, please email Aimee your CV and cover letter, describing why you’d be the right candidate.

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DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS 31ST MARCH

 
 

Prayer & Prophecy Update

We’re making a few changes to our prayer teams and we’d love to see people from across the church with the same heart in these callings connect up, share and sharpen each other.

Over the past couple of years, we’ve had a few WhatsApp groups that have been used for prayer and prophecy across the church. As they have been linked to specific courses or groups of people, they have not really been known about or available for the whole church to access. We’re excited to change that and move things forward in a way that connects people across all the sites and communities, releasing individuals into their calling in ways that bring them to life spiritually and allows us to share and support each other as one church. As such, I have decided to set up three WhatsApp groups. You are welcome to join all three groups, or two, or just one, or none - join as you feel led.

Prophecy

A group for those moving in the prophetic to share words for the church (the city, the nation, the world), or who want to draw attention to prophecies that are circulating city-wide, nationally or internationally. It will allow us to discuss the prophetic and be inspired by each other. This would also be a place where we can share invitations to training in the prophetic, or where we can ask if we need a prophetic team for an event.

Everyone Gets To Play!

Not only do we have the WhatsApp group above, but anyone who receives a word or picture from God can share them by heading to the bvc.so/prophecy page, we have team checking it during the City Centre AM service and throughout the week. This is a great way for us to collect everything God is saying to us as a community and will help open us up to hearing more from Him!

Personal Intercessors

This is for those who come to life in praying for individuals and love to pray for healing and freedom. It would be a place where we could confidentially (and with permission) pray for individuals within the church, particularly where a prayer need is a big burden for one small group to bear. It would also be the space where the team would share prayer request emails that come to us via the church website (on average about one a week).

Corporate Prayer

This space would be for those who are brought to life in praying for wider issues to do with the church, the city and the nation. Those who love to pray for particular parts of the city or leadership or who are stirred to pray when they hear the local/national/international news. The hope is that this group of people would also wish to meet up for regular prayer meetings, as they press in to see God’s Kingdom come in our church, city and nation.

The WhatsApp groups that currently exist will be replaced with the three groups above. If you’re interested in getting involved, just email Jo at jorh@birminghamvineyard.com with your phone number and she’ll add you to the right groups.

It will be so exciting to see what the Lord will do in these spaces when we gather together those with the same heart, hunger and desire to see His Kingdom come.

21 Days of Praying & Fasting

During the month of January Vineyard churches across the UK and Ireland will be participating in 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer.

“There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey…”
— Ezra 8:21

Effort alone is futile without God’s help.  Fasting and prayer turns us to the One in whose strength not only can we endure but also advance, no matter what challenges we face - we think that’s a great way to start the new year.


 During the month of January Vineyard churches across the UK and Ireland will be participating in 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer.  Birmingham Vineyard will be participating from the 9-29th January and we’d love for you to join us.  Through daily prayer prompts you can be praying that God’s Kingdom will advance and that as His church we can be a light in the darkness. You’re also invited to fast, whether from food or fulfilling other appetites, as we put God’s desires before our own.


 You can check our social media from the 9th for daily prayer prompts.  All 21 points are also available below.  

In Person Services - Update

As restrictions are tightening around the UK we are so thankful that we’re still able to meet in person!

This comes with a responsibility that we take seriously, as such we’ve made a few changes to our in-person gatherings to ensure that the space is both safe and welcoming:

  • Our invitation is that everyone take a lateral flow test before coming to the buildings for any service. In addition we’d ask that even if your lateral flow is negative but you have any of the classic Covid symptoms, you join us online until your symptoms subside. 

  • We’ll require that all adults in the building wear a face covering (unless medically exempt) and hand sanitise upon entry. 

  • We are increasing the spacing between seats and we are also increasing the air flow in the room (in our city centre site we have 100% fresh air through the ventilation systems and never recycle air through the room).

  • On arrival at church we ask people to take their seat and only socialise with those closest to them.

  • At our City Centre Site, refreshments will be offered to you in your seats by the team (who will have tested that day and sanitised before serving you). At South Site, individually wrapped snacks will be available, with lots of room to maneuver and a one-way system in place for hospitality.

  • The only point in the service when a face covering can be removed is when leading/speaking into a microphone or if you are having a drink / snack.

This post was written on December 21st, if and when there are any updates to government guidelines we will update and change our plans, with all changes clarified below.

JOB OPENING // Admin Assistant

Do you enjoy administrative work? Are you passionate about helping people encounter God? Do you enjoy working with a team? Do you have experience in administration in an office environment or the third sector? 


This might be the role for you - we’re hiring an administrative assistant!

We are a church that exists to help people follow Jesus, live life to the full and make a difference. Our vision is to start groups, communities, and congregations where people can encounter God. That vision cannot become a reality without administrative support.

We are looking for an administrative assistant who can undertake a range of administrative and practical tasks which will enable the effective operation of Birmingham Vineyard Church. Our administrative team  are a valuable part of our church staff, helping to run events, look after volunteers, plan services, write newsletters and other communications, produce web content and graphics, and get involved in lots of other aspects of the day to day running of the church.

If you’re looking for a full time, office based administrative role and are passionate about using your gifts and skills to serve the church we’d love to hear from you.

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED, PLEASE CLICK BELOW TO VIEW THE JOB DESCRIPTION.

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TO APPLY, PLEASE EMAIL AIMEE YOUR CV AND COVER LETTER, DESCRIBING WHY YOU’D BE THE RIGHT CANDIDATE.

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DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS 2nd January

 
 

JOB OPENING // Production Coordinator

Do you love the technical aspects of church? Are you passionate about creating spaces for people to encounter God? Do you enjoy developing, releasing and overseeing volunteers? Do you have experience in sound, lights and media?

This might be the role for you - we’re hiring a Production Co-ordinator!

We are a church that exists to help people follow Jesus, live life to the full and make a difference. Our vision is to start groups, communities, and congregations where people can encounter God. But, we know that without essential production elements like PA, media and cameras, these spaces would not be effective in bringing people to God.

We’re looking for a Production Co-ordinator to oversee all production elements, and the whole production ministry, in order to strengthen our existing environments, and enable us to multiply to whatever future environments God leads us to.

If you’ve got prior experience in this field, and if you’re passionate about developing production elements to best serve our church vision, we’d love to hear from you.

If you’re interested, please click below to view the Job Description.
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To apply, please email your CV and cover letter, describing why you’d be the right candidate, to our Worship Pastor, Jon.
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DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS 3rd Januar

If you are unable to meet this deadline, but are still interested, please email Jon and express your interest.

 
 

Thank You Elaine!

This week sees the end of the notice period given by our beloved Assistant Pastor Elaine Webster- her employment with us ends on 30th September.

She joined us in 2015, overseeing Birmingham Vineyard’s Kids and Compassion ministries. While she hasn’t been in Birmingham for the last two years, she has been on the payroll and looked after as she recovered from a serious illness and made other exciting changes in her life too.

Below is a letter from her, to update you on how she is and what’s been happening over this time. We are really excited for Elaine as God leads her into her next stage of life with him! If you would like to send her a message but don’t have contact details, please let the church office now (info@birminghamvineyard.com) and we can pass those on for you.

“Gosh this is a daunting task…how to update you all on my life being transformed and turned upside down. I’ve gone from an Assistant Pastor, enjoying seeing God at work in all our lives and in the community of Birmingham to a stay at home mum, living in Kent. So, maybe it’s best to back track a little to explain the journey for those who may not have known how that happened.

In August 2019 my dad was dying and I left suddenly to nurse him in London. While in London, nursing dad, I was hospitalised. I’d lost the ability to write, type and to walk any distance and there was a risk of paralysis so the doctors had asked me to stay in London and wait for surgery on my spine. While that was going on an old friend who was visiting Kent invited me to join her at a healing conference. Obviously, I jumped at that the state I was in hoping Jesus would sort out my issues before surgery. That didn’t happen but my friend did introduce me to a wonderful guy called Joel. Joel and I started meeting for coffee and then after a few meet ups decided to date.

My surgery happened in February 2020 but recovery from spinal trauma can take 18 months to 2 years and it has so I’ve been off work living in London for much of that time. Birmingham Vineyard provided incredible support during this time ensuring it was worry free and I could focus on getting better. In the meantime, in July 2020 Joel proposed. It was very romantic he surprised me after a swim in the sea at the coast. He managed to smuggle iced champagne and chocolate in his ruck sack. We then married in December 2020.

I moved to our new home in Kent after our honeymoon in Cornwall. I’m now home schooling our 13 year old daughter, Jemima and helping Joel with his tree surgery business. We also have a 15 year old son, Sam who has Cerebral Palsy and he’s with us two nights a week. I’m about to start attending a school of Supernatural Ministry at our church in Kent, one day a week (it’s the Bethel model for anyone who knows that church in the US). I’m really looking forward to it as becoming a mum and taking care of our home has left my God connection has been in a very different place. I’d say more gentle contentment rather than on fire. I’m very happy, very much in love and very, very, blessed. Joel’s an evangelist at heart so shares God wherever we go, we spoke to strangers on the day we got engaged and they decided to go to Alpha. They had no church contact before that conversation. We are currently running an Alpha course in our home with people we’ve come into contact with locally. We are also reaching to our neighbours, we delivered cupcakes at Easter and are having them round for meals. We pray for strangers that we meet all the time for healing or whatever their needs are. It’s become so easy stood alongside someone who loves God as much as I do (maybe even more LOL). So God is at work.

I’m praying for you all. It’s been an upside down COVID for us because we’ve been so blessed in the midst of such a terrible time for the rest of the world. It was like God created a huge bubble around us to establish us as a family. I look forward to coming back to visit Brum with my family in tow. My love, prayers and blessings all!”

Love, Elaine

At Birmingham Vineyard, our Kids and Families ministry will continue to be run by Becky Stamps and Lauren Morris, and Compassion ministries will be run and overseen by Jess Munson. We pray for God’s blessing on Elaine and her family, her home and all God has for her!

South Site is Back!

South Site is Back!

After an 18-month hiatus we are back! For Becky and I (and many others) this has been a very exciting and much anticipated moment. Not only because we are excited to be able to meet in person again and definitely not because we are glad to be back to normal. But primarily because we are excited to have a geographical base from which to love, serve and reach South Birmingham with the love of Jesus.

Multi-site creates more opportunities for people to serve, it enables us to have a tailored local presence and it reduces the barriers to us inviting our friends to church. We have seen all three of these even in just the last two weeks of being back!

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Opportunities to Serve

One of the exciting things about multi-site is that it creates more spaces for people to serve and contribute their gifting. It creates more opportunities for people to preach and service lead, as well as all the other opportunities to serve that are there. It’s easy in a big church for 20% of the people to be doing all the work, which means that 80% of the people are missing out on the blessing, the growth and the community that comes with being on a team.

As you will know if you have been with us for any length of time our desire is ‘that everyone gets or play’. Just the other week we had a newcomer, who had joined us for the first time that day (they had just moved to Birmingham and were living just down the road), come up to us after the service and ask how they could join a team and find a small group. It’s so exciting to be able to provide these opportunities for discipleship, but also to be a church that is just round the corner!

Local Presence

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There is something special about being a part of a worshiping community in your local area. I love being able to walk to church (and not just because it’s better for the environment). For me it makes church feel more integrated into my everyday life. I walk to the shops, I walk my kids to school, and more recently I even work from home.

I was chatting to someone who had been traveling a significant distance to church, they joined our church over lockdown because they felt nudged by the holy spirit to find a local community. They described bumping into someone from church in the supermarket, getting to chat about how things were going and even praying for one another. They said it was such a fun experience because they had never bumped into someone from their old church before. We believe church should be an integral part of your life, not just something you do ‘over there’ on a Sunday.

Travel is not easy for everyone and it is not cheap, when we first started South site many people were able to engage with church in a way they hadn’t before because they didn’t have to pay for public transport or a taxi, multisite enables us to be a more diverse church.

Someone once described Birmingham as less of a city and more of large agglomeration of villages. And I think this is quite true, each area of Birmingham has its own feel, its own ‘highstreets’, its specific demographic and that is in many ways why multi-site is so well suited to it. By having a local expression, we can make small changes to the feel or format of the service that can help us serve our community better and making it easier for our friends to come.

Invite Friends

This might be my final point but it is by far the most important driver for us going to all the effort of doing multi-site. As our vision statement says, we want to start more environments where people can encounter God. Warren Bird and Ed Estetzer have found in their research that multisite is the best way to reach people who don’t know Jesus yet, even overtaking church planting.

The reality is, it’s unlikely that my seeking friend is going to travel on a Sunday to the City Centre Site for church. It’s much easier and gives me much more confidence in inviting my friends to church, when it’s a short walk away. Even in just the last two Sundays we have experienced this, people have been bringing their friends to church, and they have been encountering God!

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As a leadership we are feeling freshly stirred to pursue the call to multi-site church in this coming season. If you have read this and it is stirring something in you then please do get in touch.

To chat more about multi-site contact Jeff Stamps - jeff@birminghamvineyard.com

Job Opening // Full-time Assistant Pastor

Are you passionate about working with students and young adults? 
Do you want to see the church grow in personal evangelism?
Do you feel a call to church leadership?

 We’re recruiting for a full-time assistant pastor!

 

Responsibilities within the Birmingham Vineyard staff team have shifted and we’re looking for someone to join the team who will be responsible for leading and growing our Student and Young Adult ministries.  We want to reach and disciple more students and young adults so that they can pursue God’s calling on their life and be equipped to thrive in their faith, serving Jesus both inside and outside the church. This role will help to shape the evangelistic culture of Birmingham Vineyard, equipping and empowering church members in personal evangelism and also overseeing specific events and initiatives (Alpha etc). 

This role is not to be a maintainer of a ministry but a pioneering leader. We would like to see someone apply who may well be exploring a call to church planting, site planting or senior church leadership. The invitation is to join the pastoral team of Birmingham Vineyard.  We are a church that “exists to help people follow Jesus, live life to the full and make a difference.” Our vision is to start groups, communities, and congregations where people can encounter God.  Would you like to be a part of helping make this happen?

To learn more including how to apply, please email Aimee Gatting at aimeeg@birminghamvineyard.com (subject: assistant pastor position)

Applications close on Friday 3rd September 2021. 

Making A Difference - Compassion update

Birmingham Vineyard’s compassion ministries seek to be the hands and feet of Jesus to people in need in our community.  We do this by equipping the church community with opportunities to reach out compassionately in their local areas, as well as create a safe space for individuals in Birmingham to connect, play and to receive generous support.

We want to share with you some of the ways that has been happening in over the last several months, as well as what’s ahead.

What’s been happening

Growbaby

The Growbaby storeroom has served 111 families so far in 2021!  

A really encouraging story from the Growbaby ministry is about Yasmin who first used Growbaby in the spring of 2020 for her newborn daughter. She was also the first client we served last April during the first lockdown.  She was so blessed by the quality of clothing she received and reached out to Growbaby again just a few weeks ago requesting clothing now that her daughter is bigger. When she came to collect her items she shared with us that her son had gotten into law school and her daughter had been accepted into two universities.  As a way to celebrate these occasions asked her wider family to donate items to be given to our Foodbank!

Foodbank

The “Foodbank Champion” role was established as a way to meet emergency food needs. We have eighteen people from the church who have been trained and stocked up with food bags at their homes, ready to deliver to people in need across the city.

The Birmingham Solihull Women’s Aid Drive throughout May saw over £1,300 donated online from our church community. The funds were used to provide fifty women with supermarket vouchers and Foodbank bags, which include a handmade card from someone within the church.  We are praying that these women feel loved and valued as they re-establish like after domestic violence.


Safe Families

Safe Families is a charity that works primarily with churches, matching volunteers with families who are isolated to offer care, support and friendship. There are eight people from Birmingham Vineyard who have signed up to be volunteers with Safe Families. This summer the team is getting established with the families we are working with and generating stories that we can share with the wider church in the autumn. If you want to learn more about Safe Families, head to our website: bvc.so/safe-families


What’s Ahead

Growbaby Storeroom and Stay & Play

Prior to lockdown the GrowBaby storeroom was open at the same time as a Stay & Play group, and they functioned almost as one ministry.  While we’ve been able to operate the Storeroom during lockdown, the Stay & Play has not been able to operate.  We’re excited to be re-launching Stay & Play in September but separating it from GrowBaby Storeroom.

We believe that hosting these two ministries on different days will allow us to better serve people in the community and have more intentional relationship-building opportunities, especially for those in the Highgate area. The new vision for Stay & Play is to be a structured group with termly focuses and set activities, with the purpose of helping parents learn to play with their children, as well as develop relationships with other parents in the local area. The GrowBaby Storeroom will continue to operate on a different day of the week, so that agency workers or people collecting items that aren’t interested in the Stay & Play can do so in a swift and convenient manner. More details will be available shortly on our website: bvc.so/growbaby


Foodbank

The Foodbank team is using this season to discern God’s leading on where we’re meant to partner strategically and proactively, with local organisations to provide food to the most vulnerable.  We’d appreciate your prayers!

As in years past we’ll have a Harvest Drive in September and we’ll be having the Christmas Hamper Drive like we did last Christmas, launching at the beginning of November. Financial donations help us to purchase food and toiletry items in bulk at a lower cost, but if you prefer to pick up a shopping list and drop items at church you can feel free to do so. Shopping lists are available on the website: bvc.so/foodbank


Local Focus

Compassion is to recognize the suffering of others and then take action to help. This invitation is for each of us, for our whole lives, to be servants of God, partnering with him to bring His Kingdom here on earth through living compassionate lives. 

What could it look like for our church’s expression of compassion to go beyond centralised ministries or programmes, rather it be a way of living that is embraced and championed by every person in the church? We encourage you to take a look around your local area, pray and see the people who God might be asking you to reach with practical help and relationship.

Looking for somewhere to start? Check out our list of 52 Ways to Make A Difference - one activity for each week of the year: 52 Ways To Make A Difference

We have planned and prayed and we are so excited about how God might use these ministries to be a blessing to people in times of need.  One of the things we have prayed for are new team members. 

For our vision to be carried out at its best we need more volunteers.  If you would be interested in helping with any of the ministries or would like support meeting needs in your local area, please email Jess Munson, our Compassion Coordinator, at jessm@birminghamvineyard.com




Services Update - July 2021

Now that restrictions have relaxed, there will be some changes in how our in person services look and feel. We want you to be able to come and worship with us, whether you feel excited or nervous about these relaxed restrictions, and so we wanted to quickly talk you through some of the changes that we’ll see from this Sunday.


Firstly, if you’re unable to join us in person, or just want to engage from home for any reason, we will still be live-streaming our service straight to your devices.

Secondly, we’re aware that you might be anxious about awkward situations about how comfortable you, or someone else is, to interact, hug and so on - and so, instead of an awkward interaction, we’ll be inviting you to choose a coloured sticker which will indicate how you are feeling about socialising with others. ‘Red’ to keep distance, ‘yellow’ to have a chat, and ‘green’ for chats and physical contact.

Thirdly, you do not need to book a ticket to come along - however, if you’re bringing children, we’d love to encourage you to still book a place for them, as it helps our kids team to prepare a safe and engaging session for your kids and you can book on our website. When you arrive with your children, you can head upstairs where there are spaces prepared for the different age groups. 

Onsite Kids Provision

For families with 0-4’s we’ve prepared a room for you at the 10:30 service! We’ll have the service livestream playing and space and activities for you and your children to connect with God and others. You are also welcome to keep your young child in the main service downstairs with you, whatever you are most comfortable with.

For children aged 5-11 there are Kids groups available at both our 10:30 and 17:30 services, led by our trained Kids team. Kids groups will be playing games, worshipping and eating snacks, taking time to connect with each other and God.Parents are welcome to drop kids off and attend the service downstairs. 


The Services

When you come into the service, feel free to help yourself to a snack and some water, then find a seat where you are most comfortable. 

Our service will have worship, teaching and a chance to respond to God through prayer. We are now allowed to sing during worship! We encourage you to wear a face covering while singing or talking with people, for the safety of everyone present, however there is no requirement that you must wear a face covering. 

If you’d rather not sing, and you’d like to be sat with others who also won’t be singing, we’ll have a designated area for you to sit in, to help you feel safe.

We’ll still have hand sanitiser around the building, and our fresh air system will still be blasting away, replacing the air in our main room frequently.


Whether you choose to join us in person this week, want to wait a few weeks, or are joining us online, we really value you as part of our church community as we follow Jesus, live life to the full and make a difference together!


God bless, stay safe, and see you soon, either onsite at 10:30 or 5:30, or online at 10:30.

Gathering

The word for ‘church’ in the New Testament is ekklesia - the gathering. It’s used to mean any group of people coming together for a specific purpose, and in a Christian sense is used for the local church, the worldwide church or any number of believers, large or small, in any space (including those in heaven) who are together for the purpose of worshipping and seeking Christ.

‘Gathering’ means ‘to bring together’. Jesus’ longing is to gather us and everyone around us, under his protection and into his presence and love, like a mother bird with her young.

We are the church, and we gather.

We have gathered online, we’ve gathered in gardens, in parks, on social media, on video, on group chats. On July 4th 2021, we (the Birmingham Vineyard local church) hope to begin to gather on Sundays in person.

We will also need to gather other things.

We gather our strength. Many are tired, sad, frustrated after a long fight.

We gather our courage, to step into the new world that is opening around us. Not back into what was but forward into what is and what God is making available.

We will gather our friends that remain back to us. As we do, we may find in our hands the sadness of those we have lost or who have moved on.

We will gather what we may not have expected. New friends we’ve never met in person. Those who’ve met with Jesus online or who have returned to Him after a long absence.

We will gather the fruit of our prayers and tears, our reaching-out messages and thoughtful ‘I miss you’ gifts, as old friendships are found to be deeper and new ones kindled brightly before they’re even begun. There will be a gathering of harvest, of those who are coming to faith and coming into the gathered spaces of our church.

There will be a gathering of shared stories, experiences, wonders and memories of God’s closeness and goodness through everything.

We will gather, beloved church. Slowly, carefully, kindly, gently, joyfully, we will begin to pick up what God has made available, and enjoy it. We will treasure His gifts together. We will worship, learn, cry, talk, laugh, play and feast.

We will be the church, in new and old ways, gathering.

He will be God, as He has always been, gathering us into Himself.

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