Who We Are - Our Values
THE PURSUIT OF GOD. We want one thing -- the presence of God. We long to experience His nearness, hear His tender voice, and to do His will. That's why we make such a big deal out of worship and prayer.
THE BIBLE. In our quest to experience God, the Bible is our guide. We are amazed by its historical reliability, consistent portrayal of the nature and intentions of God, and remarkable preservation. We believe it is the complete record of divine revelation to humankind. (It's where we go for answers.)
BEING SPIRIT-LED. We make Jesus the CEO of our lives and His Spirit (The Holy Spirit) the Counselor and Administrator of our daily affairs. We therefore seek to be responsive to the Holy Spirit's leading in our personal lives on a daily basis.
DISCIPLESHIP. Our goal is to grow in Christ-like character and to discover and engage His plan for our lives. We also seek to offer people from all over the world (every culture and nation) the information needed to experience a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the friendship needed to develop Christ-like character and the training required to fulfill God's purposes. To facilitate these goals, we encourage the development of honest and open relationships in which understanding, instruction, and accountably occur naturally.
SERVANT LEADERSHIP. We believe Jesus put the authority to lead the church into the hands of pastors, yet this authority is exercised through persuasion not position. Godly leadership brings change through humility, selflessness, and a Christlike example.
AN UNLIMITED GOD. We believe God still works in supernatural ways to help his children. Therefore, we seek God to do signs and wonders (miracles) through the spiritual gifts imparted to His people. We exercise these gifts in a natural supernatural way--with honesty and realness.
REALNESS. We aim to develop a relaxed atmosphere in which we talk, dress, pray, and act naturally. We wish to do nothing for "religious effect" or pretense but rather to relate to one another in an honest, simple and real fashion when seeking God. We value transparency and openness in relationships.
THE FAMILY: We see parents as God's primary disciple making tool for children and the home as the training ground for authentic ministry.
CULTURALLY SAVY: We seek to be contemporary in our stylistic concerns so that our culture can respond positively to the message we bring.
Our Mission
REAL people demonstrating God's love in REAL ways.
R- Relational: We value deep relationships.
E-Experience: We experience God in our lives.
A-Authentic: We are honest about our struggles.
L-Life Changing: Our goal is a changed life.
REAL people demonstrating God's love in REAL ways. .
engaged in local and global acts of CARISM.
Our Method
Deliberate Acts of Carism St. John Assisi: "I believe in preaching the Gospel. Sometimes I even use words."
Our church began New Eve 2001 with a simple act of love. We brought refreshments and flowers to the nurses of University Hospital who gave up their holiday to serve others. We believe that the world is hungry for fruit not seeds and that our practical demonstrations of God's love speak louder than words. Our words are certainly vital to convince others that Jesus is whom He said He was-God and Christ-but it is our actions that earn an audience.
Our Association
The Vineyard Church Syracuse-East is a member of The Association of Vineyard Churches of America-an association of churches that are known for being culturally relevant and relaxed in style. To find out more about the AVC, its tenets of faith and history please see their website.