Vineyard Church

[02hodgsol]

Perhaps you could define the difference between a denomination and a group/organisation of churches?  There is, I fear, no such thing as a non-denominational church, nor is there a non-political church.....to say that you are focussed only on 'following Jesus' and having a relationship with Christ is in itself a political and tendentious statement.

a denominational church, is what your average church is....baptist, methodist, c of e, pentecostal. non-denominational churches, imo, dont like to get caught up in the traditions/politics that theses denominations sometimes consist of.
It is however important to stresss that denominations get their teaching - therefore traditions - from biblical references.

I understand your point about making political statements, but if a church is truely focussed on reaching those in need, and caring for others, is it about politics?

[reeves4england]

a denominational church, is what your average church is....baptist, methodist, c of e, pentecostal. non-denominational churches, imo, dont like to get caught up in the traditions/politics that theses denominations sometimes consist of.
It is however important to stresss that denominations get their teaching - therefore traditions - from biblical references.

I understand your point about making political statements, but if a church is truely focussed on reaching those in need, and caring for others, is it about politics?

Think you're fighting a losing battle on this one. Any organisation of any kind has politics in how it runs itself and how it engages with other organisations etc... churches (denominational or free) are no different

[Ironside]

a denominational church, is what your average church is....baptist, methodist, c of e, pentecostal. non-denominational churches, imo, dont like to get caught up in the traditions/politics that theses denominations sometimes consist of.
It is however important to stresss that denominations get their teaching - therefore traditions - from biblical references.

I understand your point about making political statements, but if a church is truely focussed on reaching those in need, and caring for others, is it about politics?

Yes, yes it is. Politics is the new religion. Withoult religion, we have no politics. Funny that I personally thing politics is evil...

[Hammer]

Cheers guys.

I asked because my 12 year old daughter has been to the Trowbridge one a couple of times recently with one of her close friends. Out of the blue tonight she has gone to one of their "get to know you" evenings. I was just wondering if they are a group to have any worries about.

Hi Wiggy.

I attended one of the "get to know you" evenings last August. I, like yourself, had certain trepidations as opposed to concerns yet I attended with the view that "the proof of the pudding was in the eating". As others have commented, the politics and compartmentalism of "traditional" religious denominations can be a little off-putting, to the extent that many people are seeking pastures new, in order to re-establish a more personal relationship with God. I rather enjoyed the experience though and fully expect to re-attend at some point in the near future. Those present seemed very sincere, welcoming and quite accommodating to someone who had previously upheld and subscribed to the "established" schools of thought.
I do have one major gripe though, which, I suppose is to be expected. Quite simply, there weren't enough bar staff. Oh......and the condom machine in the gents was faulty.

[wiggy]

Setting the usual bollocks aside for one post, this has turned in one of those awkward parenting moments, which may well end up with me having a row with the mum of my daughter's best friend.

This all started with a text from my daughter yesterday simply asking if she could go to her friends for tea and then go to church, I replied yes and asked what time she would be brought home, to which the answer was 9:30pm.

Around 10pm I phoned my daughter to check where she was, for her to say she was still in Trowbridge at the home of one of the church members, and that she was "being prayed for". I said to pass a message to her friends mum that I wanted her home ASAP - she was dropped home at 11pm.

As a parent I would expect all teenagers to dabble with religion at some point in the same way that they would vegetarianism. What pisses me off is the fact that her friends mother didn't feel it necessary to explain to us what was actually happening last night. This wasn't a 45 minute service/meeting in a hall, it was a 3 hour session in the home of one of the church members focussing entirely on my daughter as a new member. That is a hell of a lot of pressure on a 12 year old, however clever and single minded she might be.

She won't be going again unless her friend's mum can make a very strong argument for how this is "normal" church activity.

[THE FLASH]

Setting the usual bollocks aside for one post, this has turned in one of those awkward parenting moments, which may well end up with me having a row with the mum of my daughter's best friend.

This all started with a text from my daughter yesterday simply asking if she could go to her friends for tea and then go to church, I replied yes and asked what time she would be brought home, to which the answer was 9:30pm.

Around 10pm I phoned my daughter to check where she was, for her to say she was still in Trowbridge at the home of one of the church members, and that she was "being prayed for". I said to pass a message to her friends mum that I wanted her home ASAP - she was dropped home at 11pm.

As a parent I would expect all teenagers to dabble with religion at some point in the same way that they would vegetarianism. What pisses me off is the fact that her friends mother didn't feel it necessary to explain to us what was actually happening last night. This wasn't a 45 minute service/meeting in a hall, it was a 3 hour session in the home of one of the church members focussing entirely on my daughter as a new member. That is a hell of a lot of pressure on a 12 year old, however clever and single minded she might be.

She won't be going again unless her friend's mum can make a very strong argument for how this is "normal" church activity.

If it was my daughter i would go with her to set my mind at rest.....if i believed or not.

[WR5]

If it was my daughter i would go with her to set my mind at rest.....if i believed or not.

this

[Barry Scott]

A young and pure mind is far easier to indoctrinate than an adults'. The church has done very well with focusing on the young and impressionable, don't give them a helping hand with their brain washing.

What you describe sounds fucking weird and keeping you out of the loop only adds to the strangeness of why it needs to be secretive.

[wiggy]

A young and pure mind is far easier to indoctrinate than an adults'. The church has done very well with focusing on the young and impressionable, don't give them a helping hand with their brain washing.

What you describe sounds fucking weird and keeping you out of the loop only adds to the strangeness of why it needs to be secretive.

TBH I am furious - I had enough sense to not say anything to my daughter last night beyond making it clear I wasn't happy with her being out late on a school night and explaining that I was upset at not being told this was in a strangers house.

Chances are that when I talk about it with her tonight she will say she doesn't want to go again. Finmgers crossed on that!

[Barry Scott]

TBH I am furious - I had enough sense to not say anything to my daughter last night beyond making it clear I wasn't happy with her being out late on a school night and explaining that I was upset at not being told this was in a strangers house.

Chances are that when I talk about it with her tonight she will say she doesn't want to go again. Finmgers crossed on that!

I think most parents would be furious, it makes me furious and I have no kids! It reads like an introduction to a cult or something! ( I know it's not, but the whole incident seems strange.)

[reeves4england]

Sounds very irresponsible of the other parent involved not letting you know what was going on - I think they'd be the person I'd have a gripe with.

[Flashheart]

Indoctrination should be a crime.

[yeo]

All sounds a bit scary and Christian fundamentalist.There surely should be some sort of parental consent rule for this sort of thing.Glad I don't have kids,who'd have thought there would come a time where you have to worry about your kid going to Church..

[Luci]

All sounds a bit scary and Christian fundamentalist.There surely should be some sort of parental consent rule for this sort of thing.Glad I don't have kids,who'd have thought there would come a time where you have to worry about your kid going to Church..

I'm with you on this - doesn't sound quite right to me!

[Flashheart]

The Association of Vineyard Churches, also known as the Vineyard Movement, is a neocharismatic evangelical Christian denomination[2] with over 1,500 affiliated churches worldwide.[1]
The Vineyard Movement is rooted in the charismatic renewal and historic evangelicalism. Instead of the mainstream charismatic label, however, the movement has preferred the term Empowered Evangelicals (a term coined by Rich Nathan and Ken Wilson in their book of the same name) to reflect their roots in traditional evangelicalism as opposed to classical Pentecostalism. Members also sometimes describe themselves as the "radical middle" between evangelicals and Pentecostals, which is a reference to the book The Quest for the Radical Middle, a historical survey of the Vineyard by Bill Jackson.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Vineyard_Churches

*shudder*