Moments like this often make us wonder about life's big questions. At Vineyard 53 we love to help people as they journey with these questions. If that's the place you're in right now, here's a few thoughts to help you get started.
So, I've got questions
We all have questions in life. These range from ‘What shall I wear today?’ or ‘What shall we eat tonight?’ through to life’s bigger questions like ‘Where is my life going?’ or ‘Could there be more to life than this?’
In this current pandemic, we wanted to create opportunities for people to ask questions. It may be that in this season you have begun to ask some of life’s big questions. ‘Why am I here?’, ‘Is there any real hope in the world?’, ‘Could there be a God, and if so, what is he like?’ or ‘Who is this Jesus person anyway?’
If you’ve clicked here and you’re wondering about the whole faith thing, then you have come to the right place! At Vineyard 53 we love to create environments where people can journey in exploring faith and Jesus in a relaxed and non-pressured way.
We love that you're here and taking the time to explore - if you have questions about Jesus, Church or the Christian faith, do fill in the below form and we’ll be in touch! It might be that you’d appreciate someone to pray with you - if that is the case, include as much or as little as you feel comfortable below. We also frequently run short courses which explore different facets of the Christian faith and a space to discuss what we thought. Do let us know if you want more information on those too!
In this current pandemic, we wanted to create opportunities for people to ask questions. It may be that in this season you have begun to ask some of life’s big questions. ‘Why am I here?’, ‘Is there any real hope in the world?’, ‘Could there be a God, and if so, what is he like?’ or ‘Who is this Jesus person anyway?’
If you’ve clicked here and you’re wondering about the whole faith thing, then you have come to the right place! At Vineyard 53 we love to create environments where people can journey in exploring faith and Jesus in a relaxed and non-pressured way.
We love that you're here and taking the time to explore - if you have questions about Jesus, Church or the Christian faith, do fill in the below form and we’ll be in touch! It might be that you’d appreciate someone to pray with you - if that is the case, include as much or as little as you feel comfortable below. We also frequently run short courses which explore different facets of the Christian faith and a space to discuss what we thought. Do let us know if you want more information on those too!
Why not check out our Sundays Live? Here's what to expect...
Why not check out our 'What's Your Story?' videos. People share, in their own words, how they encountered Jesus and the impact he has had on their lives...
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Why not try reading the Bible?
The Bible is one big story broken up into different types of writing styles - eye witness accounts, poetry, letters, etc. It tells the story of how humanity was appointed as partners with God to take care of this awesome world. But, how we chose to define good and evil for ourselves, and ruined that partnership. The good news of the Bible, is that God did not give up on that partnership, even though we did. Through Jesus, he set in motion a rescue plan to restore us and the world, and to get that partnership going again. So now, if we follow Jesus, and his way, we get to be part of this incredible story too!
If you’re self-isolating and have some time on your hands, why not try reading one of the Gospels? The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are in the Bible and are four eye witness accounts of Jesus’ time on earth. They show us the way of Jesus, how we can be restored to relationship with God and partner with him in restoring the world. We believe they’re a life changing read so why not check them out!
There’s a number of ways you can access a Bible:
If you’re self-isolating and have some time on your hands, why not try reading one of the Gospels? The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are in the Bible and are four eye witness accounts of Jesus’ time on earth. They show us the way of Jesus, how we can be restored to relationship with God and partner with him in restoring the world. We believe they’re a life changing read so why not check them out!
There’s a number of ways you can access a Bible:
- There’s an online bible at biblegateway.com
- You can find digital Bibles on your phone app store - just search for Bibles! We recommend YouVersion, Bible.is or Glo Bible. If reading isn’t your thing, there are options to listen to an audio version too.
- Because it's very old, the Bible can sometimes be a bit tricky to understand. To help you understand it we recommend The Bible Project. There’s a wealth of resources explaining the Bible and God's big rescue plan - including a breakdown of every book of the Bible. Here’s an overview of the New Testament, which may be a good starting point.
What if I want to give my life to God?
The good news of the Bible is that we can know God, receive his forgiveness for trying to define good and evil for ourselves, and enter into a new way of being human. Partnering with God to love people, bring social justice, compassion and healing wherever we go. Our past can be forgive and we can know His peace and His presence with us now. We can also know that our future is secure - even after death.
If you are ready to welcome him into you life, you might find it helpful to say a prayer (out loud or in your heart):
“God, I realise that I’ve lived my life apart from you - doing things my own way. I want to get to know you and leave behind all the things that get in the way of living a life that is pleasing to you.
I’m sorry for the things I’ve said and done, whether I knew it was wrong or not, that have been sinful - I want to receive your forgiveness. Help me turn around from these things and follow you.
Thank you Jesus for dying in my place to pave the way for a restored relationship with God, and conquering death so I can live with you forever in eternity, in your renewed creation. Help me live a life that is pleasing to you as I look to your example in how I live my life.
Amen”
If you find yourself having prayed this, do get in touch with us at hello@vineyard53.org and we’ll send over a pack which will contain a couple of books to help you as you start your journey following Jesus, as well as, ways to connect into church life. It may look a little different at the moment as we can’t physically meet together but we’re still connecting online in various ways.
One of the beautiful things is that this is just the beginning. We get to partner with God in loving people, sharing this good news (that there is hope in this life and the next because of Jesus!) and we now enter into a bigger story of God’s plan to restore all things!
If you are ready to welcome him into you life, you might find it helpful to say a prayer (out loud or in your heart):
“God, I realise that I’ve lived my life apart from you - doing things my own way. I want to get to know you and leave behind all the things that get in the way of living a life that is pleasing to you.
I’m sorry for the things I’ve said and done, whether I knew it was wrong or not, that have been sinful - I want to receive your forgiveness. Help me turn around from these things and follow you.
Thank you Jesus for dying in my place to pave the way for a restored relationship with God, and conquering death so I can live with you forever in eternity, in your renewed creation. Help me live a life that is pleasing to you as I look to your example in how I live my life.
Amen”
If you find yourself having prayed this, do get in touch with us at hello@vineyard53.org and we’ll send over a pack which will contain a couple of books to help you as you start your journey following Jesus, as well as, ways to connect into church life. It may look a little different at the moment as we can’t physically meet together but we’re still connecting online in various ways.
One of the beautiful things is that this is just the beginning. We get to partner with God in loving people, sharing this good news (that there is hope in this life and the next because of Jesus!) and we now enter into a bigger story of God’s plan to restore all things!
How do I join Vineyard 53?
It might be that you’re thinking of joining our church. There are a lot of great churches in the area but, if you think that Vineyard 53 would be the place for you to call home, then why not have a read of our Welcome Pack. This will give information about who we are as a church and how you can get involved.
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Like a coal fire, take a piece of coal out of the fire and it will quickly go cold. We need support, encouragement, places to grow and ask questions as we journey with Jesus together. We believe the church is part of God’s master plan to restore all things - we get to partner with Him to usher in his Kingdom in all aspects of life. Why not join the adventure?
Although, at the moment, we’re not physically meeting together, we gather digitally on a Sunday and throughout the week with online small groups. There will be a growing number of ways to get involved even if that may look a little different.
Although, at the moment, we’re not physically meeting together, we gather digitally on a Sunday and throughout the week with online small groups. There will be a growing number of ways to get involved even if that may look a little different.
