Home Church Gatherings

It’s been common to hear people say that they went to a church for a significant period of time and never really felt connected. What I’ve come to realize is that what is really being said is that they attended a large gathering of that church community… and that any such gathering that’s larger than 25 people… isn’t by nature designed to develop meaningful personal connection. Sociologists will affirm that basic truth.

The reality is that we don’t attend a church… we are the church. What we attend are gatherings of the church. The larger gatherings serve some very unique and vital aspects of our spiritual life. However, as we leave the larger gatherings, we are likely to sense an unconscious and interesting dynamic in terms of connection. We may sense something of the profound mystery of being spiritually connected through joining our voice with others in worship… or taking communion from the common elements. But we are also likely to leave in our cars a bit lonely as well. Because we were in a crowd but not personally known.

That is where the Home Church and support groups provide real life. It is in these relationally centered gatherings that we can be joined by others in the real life that we are living… and stand with others in what God is working in them.  It is in such an interactive context that we exercise the process of God’s word speaking to us… and His Spirit speaking through one another. It is there that we discover that Jesus is not only in us… but among us… just as he said.

Connect into a Home Church (small group), and help find and grow the community you've been longing for in L.A...(list of current groups here)...

It's really hard to grow if you're not planted..... and so we invite anyone who is desiring to explore or establish greater commitment to the Westside Vineyard to attend our Vineyard Getting Planted Class.

Four Wednesday Nights
beginning May 2, 7pm

Getting Planted is a four week course for all who desire to explore or establish deeper commitment into the Westside Vineyard.   Topics include:

• Why we exist as a community
• The bigger picture of our history and story
• What God has called us to be about
• How you can be a meaningful part of God's calling in this time and place

Plus, dinner and discussion.... meeting Vineyard staff and others who are new(er).

Email to register or find out more....

Easter Sunday Celebrations
Sunday, April 8

Sunrise Service at the beach, 6am
Join with several other Westside churches in celebrating Easter in the beauty of God’s Creation. This annual celebration will take place at Will Rogers State Beach (Pacific Palisades between Chautauqua and Temescal, Lifeguard Station #12, Dress warmly & bring a blanket or beach chair). map

Vineyard Easter Celebrations, 8am, 10am, 12noon
Celebrate the power of God, who is alive in our midst and still moving stones.  This is an ideal day to invite a friend.  Childcare for children 7 and under will be offered at 8 a.m. Service.  Full children’s church will be available at 10 a.m. and Noon services.  No youth (6th-12th grade) groups on Easter. There will be NO ALTÆR gathering at 6:07pm on Easter, as we''ll be joining in combined celebration that morning at either 8am, 10am, or 12noon. Vineyard Facility

Easter Baptisms 
Sunday, April, 8, 2:30pm, Venice Beach

The most profound testimonies we have are those from among us who have found new life in Christ. Come share in their story and the joy of their baptisms. It will be held on the beach just south of the Venice Pier (at the end of Washington Blvd.).  map

Find out more about baptism at the Vineyard...

Monday through Saturday
6:30am-8:30pm

Sunday
9:00am-6:00pm

You’re invited to join ...

You’re invited to join ... 
A Special “Lenten” Season of SPIRITUAL DEVOTION ...
Monday, February 27th through April 22nd (Good Friday)

The English word lent (related to the word lengthen) refers to a period of joining in Christ’s preparation preceding the events of Good Friday and Easter through a season of dedicated prayer and fasting. Based on Christ’s own 40 days in the wilderness in preparation for His ministry, the period became that of 40 days. We join in the tradition of many of the earliest Christ followers in this season of personal renewal and discipline.

All are invited to choose a form of prayer and fasting that you feel personally prepared for. This may range from setting aside a single element of activity … a particular food … a single meal each day … a weekly day of fasting ... to a full fast.

“Feasting Through Fasting” article....

It is helpful to consider these three important qualities when deciding how to be involved:

• Prepare to adjust your schedule to allow some focused time for prayer.  Pursue at least 10 to 30 minutes daily along with at least one more extended period each week (i.e., 1 1/2 hours).

• Reflect upon the Scriptures by reading through either a prepared devotional guide or the Gospel accounts of Christ’s last week (i.e. generally the last third of each Gospel).

Further Recommended Reading:

Week 1 – Matthew 24:36-25:30 – A heart that’s ready

Week 2 – Psalm 51 – A heart of humility and repentance

Week 3 – Nehemiah 9&10 – A heart filled with God’s faithfulness

Week 4 – Matthew 4:1-11 – A heart of resolve

Week 5 – Isaiah 58; Matthew 25:31-46 – A heart of compassion

Week 6 – Philippians 3:7-11; Mark 14-16 – A heart of discipleship

Enjoy being a “student’ (disciple) in the process. Developing disciplines such as prayer and fasting usually don’t emerge quickly and easily as this involves facing many patterns we’ve developed. If you feel distracted or discouraged, don’t stop your season, simply use this as a means to learn more about what’s involved with connecting with God.

What You Can Pray For:

1. Yourself – that Christ be formed in you and that you may serve Him faithfully and boldly. Let this be a season of honesty and openness about aspects of your character and attitudes … that this may be a season of deeper growth from the inside out. If married and/or with children, pray for them in the same manner.
2. Our church community – that we would grow as a profound ‘alternative community’ of compassion and power in Christ. Pray that we will seek and experience:

• • Ever increasing love for God … becoming more centered and satisfied in Him.
  • The teaching and transforming power of the Word of God.
  • The outpouring of the Holy Spirit with signs, wonders and supernatural grace.
  • Profound love, humility, and dedication in serving one another.
  • A deep impartation of God upon our children (newborn to youth) as a “new generation of lives and leaders”
  • Faithfulness in reaching out and serving others, church planting, and global partnerships to serve the nations.

3. Specific family and friends to know Christ; for surprising opportunities to explore the spiritual longings of others and introduce them to Christ in a fresh way.

You also may utilize the following pattern of prayer to help structure your time:

P – Praise  (Acknowledge God for who He is and all that He’s done.)

R – Restore  (Confess any sin that’s separating your heart from God.)

A – Ask  (Seek God about the needs within and around you.)

Y – Yield  (Wait on God’s voice of counsel and direction.)

“Feasting Through Fasting” article....

Coming three or four Sunday afternoons starting February 12, this class will help train you to follow after Jesus more faithfully and effectively through prayer ministry.  This class will also equip you to serve as part of our After-Service-Prayer-Team.

The After Service Prayer Team ministers by praying for the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of people after each service on a scheduled basis.  Anyone may receive ministry from this team.

To find out more about this class, contact our offices....

Saturday, Jan. 18, 7pm

Saturday, January 28, 7pm

Find out more and RSVP.

The Vineyard Westside and the Altaer Community are excited to show the film Furious Love. We're hoping to show the film and engage with the power of the love of God! Here is the blurb from the official Furious Love site with all the details of the film:

"In his first film, Finger of God, Darren Wilson traveled the world chasing the miraculous. This time, he's chasing love. In an attempt to put God's love to the test, he travels to some of the darkest spiritual climates on the planet to see if God will show up even there. Demon tents in Tanzania, the sex trade in Thailand, witchcraft and New Age festivals, Christians slaughtered in India, indigenous tribes in Brazil, and much, much more. Darren and his team went to the extreme to see just how serious God was about loving those who don't love Him. You've never seen God quite like this!"

In conjunction with University Presbyterian Church in Westwood, we'll be hosting Robby Dawkins here in LA over the weekend of February 24th-26th. Robby is featured in this film discussing his experiences with the power of God's love, so we're excited to have him coming. Look for more information on that conference in the coming weeks! 

Here's a link to the trailer.

We'll have a time of worship and ministry time for people who want a time of response and prayer after. Please feel free to contact Sara Elander or Joel Moses with any questions or concerns you might have prior to the showing. 

Come, watch, experience God's love fight back.

February 24, 25, 26

2.24  -  2.26

Join us Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday night.... February 24, 25, 26......

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
7pm, University Presbyterian Church
900 Hilgard Ave., LA  90024   310.208.3991   info@upcla.org
Conference held in the 1F Charles Doak Auditorium
(Parking available on site & through public parking)

SUNDAY
6:07pm, Westside Vineyard
3838 South Centinela Ave, LA  90066   310.391.7366    info@vcfwestside.org

WITH ROBBY DAWKINS and ANDY PARK

Robby is a fifth generation pastor who grew up seeing lives transformed by the power of God in poor urban communities. Robby had served as a youth pastor for 12 years for churches between 50 to 12,000 members before he and his wife Angie planted a Vineyard church in the downtown area of Aurora, Illinois. 80 % of their church came to Christ at their church and 70% of that through Power encounters (Prophetic, Healing, Deliverance or feeling God’s presence). Robby ministers extensively as an itinerate minister (in the U.S. and in over 30 countries) equipping churches in Power Evangelism. He was most recently featured in the movie Furious Love in 2010.

Andy began recording with Vineyard Music Group in the late 1980s. Since then, his recordings include "The River Is Here", "Blessed Be The Name", “Night and Day” and “In the Secret”. In the Secret is among the top 60 songs sung in churches through North America. Over the past two decades, Andy has been a pastoral staff member of several different Vineyard churches. Andy has traveled to more than 25 countries to lead worship and teach on worship and other Christian topics. Andy’s book “To Know You More – Cultivating the Heart of A Worship Leader” was released in July, 2002. It was awarded Book of the Year by WorshipMusic.com for 2003. Andy and his wife Linda reside in Surrey, British Columbia and have eight beautiful children.

This holiday season will mean special gatherings at the Vineyard:

Christmas Eve Candlelight Services
Saturday, December 24 - 5:30pm & 7:30pm

Christmas Morning Celebration Service
Sunday, December 25 - 11:00am

New Years Day Gathering
Sunday, January 1 - 11:00am

Note:  There will be no Altaer 6:07pm Gatherings on
Sunday, Dec. 25 or Sunday, Jan. 1.  
We'll be joining in the 11:00am worship gatherings.

Tuesdays @ 7 pm starting August 9.

SESSION 2 (4 weeks): Aug. 9 - Aug. 30

Our Sunday evening Altaer teaching series this summer is "Living the Dream". Through the duration of the series we'll be exploring and learning from the life of Joseph from the Old Testament.

As part of engaging the story, we're encouraging everyone to join in a straightforward daily reading plan through the latter part of the book of Genesis.  We encourage you to set aside time and space to read, examine, and apply the passages of Scripture below.  You can follow the suggestions on the table (reading a passage each day Monday - Friday for 3 weeks), or you can set aside the 15 days of reading as you choose. Or you could read the entire story in one day!

Consider joining us this summer as we read, examine, and apply God's Word together!

REFLECTING ON “YOUR STORY”

Altaer Moving Pictures – 2011

These weeks (June 26 & July 3), we're engaging stories of God's transforming power in our lives.  During our current Sunday gatherings we're hearing from some in the community... and we're encouraging everyone to reflect on your own story. Consider:

Reflect: 
Set aside some time to quiet yourself.  Be still.  Ask the Holy Spirit to come and show you God’s mighty hand in your life over the years.  As you listen, you may become aware of episodes of God’s power that you’re familiar with… or new episodes may come to mind.  As you continue to reflect, ask the Father, “Where would I be without You?”

Offer Thanksgiving:
As your mind becomes more renewed to the truth and reality of God’s amazing love and pursuit of you, offer Him thanks.  Express your thanks.  Offer Him worship from your heart and mind.  Offer Him worship that is costly, expressive, bold, and demonstrative.

Ask for Vision:
Considering God’s great call and invitation to you, it’s appropriate to respond by committing yourself to His plan and purpose.  Can you sincerely say to the Father, “Here I am, Lord.  Send me”?

Write Out Portions of Your Story:

• Ask God to speak through you. Ask Him to give you wisdom and guidance as you write. ("If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." James 1:5-6).

• Consider:  Life before, What happened, Life after

• Consider verses of Scripture that have been especially meaningful or relevant in your journey

• Avoid
  • Inappropriate negativity towards people or organizations
  • Using stereotypes or overworked terms
  • Glorifying yourself

As you begin, ask God to give you the right words and approach.
Trust Him to do it. This is as much His story as it is yours!

1 Peter 3:15 Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

Revelation 12:11 They overcame him…by the word of their testimony.

Consider:  Psalm 105, Psalm 116, Psalm 51

** Taken from various sources...

Since the beginning of this calendar year, our Vineyard pastoral staff has been feeling a uniquely strong stirring in our hearts to serve Jesus' call to the next generations.  We feel that in many ways it's a burden and priority that the Father has deposited into us as leaders in this season. Towards that end, our current Sunday teaching series through June (called "NEXTing" - serving Jesus' call to the next generations) will help us engage more of the Father’s heart for those who are younger than us. Through this series we’ll explore how we (as individuals and the church) are participating in the process of raising up new generations.  How might we be hindering that process?  How might we help that process?

In addition to the series, throughout the month we're asking people to pray for our next generations.  As we pray, we believe that our Father will expand our hearts and shift our minds so we can more faithfully and effectively serve the emerging generations.  And we know that as we pray God hears our cries and answers according to His great love.

A PRAYER GUIDE has been created to help serve you as you set apart time this month to pray.  Through these pages you’ll find prayer requests, encouragements, and portions of God’s written Word…. included to help you approach God’s throne of grace in prayer.

Thank you for partnering in prayer for our next generations!