Our Doctrine

Where does the Vineyard fit in the spectrum of Historic Christianity?

For a full statement of faith and doctrine, please click here.

The Vineyard stands firmly in the center of orthodox teaching.  On the spectrum of Christian churches:

We are orthodox     
The biggest circle in which we can call people Christian is Orthodox.  The Vineyard lines up with what the Church has historically taught about fundamental doctrines concerning the trinity, the person of Christ and the way of salvation.  The church has been very consistent over 20 centuries.  Its beliefs are laid out in the early creeds.  The Vineyard is Orthodox.  We love what the church has said.  (see Creeds below)

We are evangelical
Within the big circle of Orthodoxy is a smaller circle called Evangelical.  Evangelicals are people who draw values from the 18th century revivals that took place in England under Wesley and Whitfield, and in this country, Jonathan Edwards; they stress certain things, such as the biblical priority of being “born again”.  Evangelicals take their basic doctrine right from the Bible.  It’s our authority.  If it’s not in the Bible we are just not interested in doing it.

We are empowered evangelicals with a Kingdom foundation
We believe that the Holy Spirit is still doing the same stuff that he did 2000 years ago.  It’s the presence of the Kingdom of God that Jesus ushered in.  We desire to combine the best of Protestant theology and practice and leave behind the worst.  This means that we are grounded in orthodoxy, but are applying that truth to our culture today.  We deeply desire the presence of the Holy Spirit, but do so in a way that is not hyped or used to manipulate people.  We express ourselves to God in intimate worship, but also feed the poor and go to the nations.


The Creeds of the Church

We join with centuries of historic Christianity in our upholding of the creeds below.

The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;  the third day he rose again from the dead;  he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic (universal– the whole)  church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.

The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.  He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets.  And we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.  We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.  And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.  Amen.

The Chalcedonian Creed
Therefore, following the holy Fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one essence with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form on person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the Fathers has handed down to us.

This Week’s Calendar

Click above for a list of groups meeting this week.

Upcoming Events

We meet every Sunday at 10:00 am
to worship God together, and throughout the week in home groups all over the city. Please click the link to the left for a complete schedule of home groups.

Our Community

At VCC, we believe that church is not a function: it is a family. Our religion is only as alive as we are, the people that pursue it. So, rather than acting as an organization, we want to act as an organism. We have no time for casual contacts and meaningless formalities. We are a fellowship on an adventure towards the stuff of God. Church means worshipping God together, studying the Bible together, fixing our cars together, hiking together, eating together, playing together, praying together... enjoying the warmth of the Holy Spirit in all parts of our lives together, not just in appointed meeting times.