Children's Ministries
VCC offers classes for crawlers through 4th grade at all our Sunday services.
A middle school Sunday class is held the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month.
Teens meet the first three Wednesday nights of each week at 7:30 PM.
The children's ministry is led by Tirzah Hammond, who is the school nurse for Southwest Licking Local School District.
Each class is led by a teacher who has undergone a background check.
Worship
There is a team of vocalists and musicians that lead the congregation in weekly worship. This team provides an opportunity for those gifted vocally and musically to put their gifts to use in the context of the church.
Our worship style is primarily contemporary, with an occasional mix of traditional songs.
Kindness Outreaches
Often called "servant evangelism", Kindness Outreaches are when we express the love of Jesus toward our community through simple acts of kindness. This may be by offering a free car wash, giving away free cold drinks on a hot day, providing coins and a newspaper for those at a Laundromat, and other such acts of kindness.
Connect Groups
Instead of a mid-week worship service, we offer a variety of small groups that meet in homes and various settings throughout Pataskala and surrounding areas. Some of these groups are Bible study groups, some groups focus on a particular topic, some are specifically for men, or women, or specifically focused on prayer. Others may center on sports or activities such as scrapbooking.
The Connect Groups run on a semester system, so each semester provides a different offering of groups. If interesting in involvement in a group, see the Connect Groups link on this site or call the church office at 740-927-3315 for more information.
Community Service
VCC is always looking for practical ways to serve our community. We believe we are to work to spread the Good News and to work for the common good. This year we have participated in our community's annual liter pick up day, assisted the City of Pataskala with newsletter distributions containing information helpful to area residents, and renovated the basketball courts at Foundation Park in Pataskala. We are beginning to look ahead to 2010 and more similar projects. If you would like to participate in future community service projects, please contact us to express your interest.
Missions
Vineyard Christian Church currently supports two foreign missionaries and a local mission that reaches out to international students at Ohio State University (International Friendships, Inc.). We encourage our members towards hands-on involvement with International Friendships by serving as English conversation partners, picking up students at the airport, assisting students to find housing, hosting students for Thanksgiving and other holidays, etc.
We will occasionally provide opportunities for those interested in going on short-term mission trips.
The Acts 4:34 Fund
Acts 4:32-34 says, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them."
In order to attempt to live out these verses in our assembly, we have established The Acts 4:34 Fund. The start of verse 34 states "There were no needy persons among them." This fund enables those in our assembly who would like to contribute money to assist those struggling financially to do so with the confidence that every dollar given to this fund will go directly to those in need. This fund is for those who are members and regular attenders of the church.
In addition to the Acts 4:34 Fund, we also budget a yearly amount to help those in the Pataskala community who may face difficult circumstances financially. We desire to help as many people as we can. If you know of someone in need of emergency assistance, please call our church office for more information on how we can help.
Pro-Life Ministries
VCC is strongly committed to working to promote a culture of life. We believe that the starting point for those concerned with issues of justice is
a concern for the unborn, because there is no more fundamental issue of justice than the right to life. We currently support the work of Heartbeats of
Licking County, a pro-life pregnancy center in Newark.
We encourage our members toward volunteering with Heartbeats of Licking County and other life affirming organizations.
Vertical Fusion Youth Ministry
The teens (8th-12th graders) meet the first three Wednesdays of each month from 7:30-9:00 PM at the church, 9286 York Rd SW. The night includes games, food, music and teaching. On the 4th Saturday of each month, there are activities at the church for both middle schoolers and high schoolers.
Links to other ministries
www.vineyardusa.org - Our association of churches website
www.kingdomrain.net - A Vineyard USA sponsored site with many interesting articles
www.heartbeatinternational.org - A pro-life organization with national and international affiliates
www.heartbeats-olc.org - A pregnancy help and medical clinic serving Newark, Pataskala and surrounding areas
www.internationalfriendships.org - Organization serving international students at The Ohio State University
