We are meeting exclusively online on Sundays until Sept 13. To catch our time together head over to our Facebook page. We will be broadcasting a live feed starting at 10am. Tune in for worship in music, prayer, inspiration, and simple connection. The broadcast will remain up on our Facebook page afterwards as a video in case you miss the live feed. We’re going to keep it organic, intimate and simple. Nothing flashy, nothing fancy. Just simple connection with God and each other. Sounds good, right?!
On Sept 13 we will begin to meeting in person again, while remaining online for those who need that option. Read more about how we are starting up our in-person gatherings here.
We are hiring again! This time we have two part-time positions open:
To Apply:
Please forward a cover letter and resume to:
Should you be invited to participate in the next stage of the hiring process, we will be asking for a reference from a current or recent leader or employer.
Applications will be accepted until March 23, 2020Revised date: April 6, 2020.
Thank you, Vanessa!
For the past five years Vanessa Lewis has been our Administrator and when Lillian retired two years ago she also became our Bookkeeper. She will be resigning this Spring. We are so grateful for the way Vanessa has served with diligence, faithfulness and love in these positions. She’ll be missed in the office but we’re excited for this next step in her journey!
NOTE: This post was originally published March 5, 2020. Due to uncertainties surrounding Covid-19 we have extended the application date from March 23 to April 6, 2020. Thanks for understanding.
There are some changes in our Kids and Youth ministries that we’d like to keep you informed of. Beyond the obvious challenges Covid-19 has presented us (not meeting together on Sundays as well as postponing all kids and youth group activities – read about that here), we have recently had a change in leadership.
After having served faithfully since last summer, Andy Arthur has stepped down for personal health reasons. Andy has done a fantastic job with both our kids and youth. Also, volunteers have expressed appreciation for his organization and diligence in equipping them with what they need to see successful and thriving programs for our kids and youth. Thank you, Andy, for all this, and we wish you peace, grace and healing for the road ahead. You’ve done well!
Thankfully, Dustin and Dynel Davidson have stepped in to be our Interim Directors of Kids and Youthministries. Dynel will be overseeing the kids and Dustin will be working with our youth. They both will start immediately. Having Dynel and Dustin step up right now, is a real gift and will help to ensure our kids and youth will have as little disruption with Kid’s church and Youth Groups as possible. At present we are planning on posting permanent positions for these jobs later in the Spring.
These are certainly interesting times. We want to update you on some active steps we’re taking to care for our community and plans being made in a season that can be quite unsettling for many. In the midst of these stormy waters we say, like the Psalmist before us, that the Lord is a “solid rock under our feet; breathing room for our souls” (Ps 62). We can stand firm and protected amidst what can feel like crashing waves and not be shaken. Even in those times when we are swept away by a wave of insecurity or instability, we can always find our way back to the solid rock and find space to breathe. Phew.
Sunday Gatherings Cancelled
As of this morning (March 17), the Government of Manitoba recommended that “all gatherings of 50 people or more should be cancelled”. This is to help contain the Coronavirus in a strategy to help “flatten the curve”. More specifically, it will provide some level of protection for the most vulnerable among us as well as some relief to what could quickly become an overburdened health care system. We will follow the direction of the health officials in this matter.
Starting this Sunday (March 22) we will not be gathering at 782 Main St as normal. This will be for at least the next three weeks (up to and including April 5). In addition, we will be cancelling our Youth, men’s and women’s groups for the same time period. House Groups will gather based on their own discretion. We ask that you take all the proper and necessary protocols that our health authorities are recommending: Don’t attend if you’ve recently travelled internationally or are feeling sick. If you do gather, don’t share food, do practice social distancing and do wash your hands properly! Please watch for updates on the duration of this cancellation.
But Wait – there are Options…
Instead of meeting in person, we will be meeting online. We will be preparing a simple live-streaming service so that we can still gather together to worship, pray and be encouraged by a meditation from scripture. This will be done on Facebook. You can go to WCV’s Facebook page to access this. Watch for more details about this in the coming days.
Caring for the Vulnerable
In an effort to care for the most vulnerable among us, as well as to care for those who do not have access to internet, we will have a small team of people present at 782 Main St to meet with, pray together, and offer a small bag of lunch for those who come not knowing we’ve cancelled Sunday gatherings. We want to ensure that those who are less-privileged than us who are reading this, are cared for as we are able.
Additionally, we want to take this opportunity to encourage you to notice who may be falling through the cracks of care.
Do you or someone you know need:
A visit?
An encouraging phone call?
Prayer?
Food?
A ride to an appointment?
Help with shopping?
Toilet paper?!
Something else?
Let’s think about our neighbours and fellow community members with the eyes of Jesus and respond as needed. If you have specific needs, or you know of someone else who does, let’s be the hands and feet of Jesus in this time. Go for it! Practice safe social distancing, and wash your hands a lot, but go for it! This is what the church has always done in times like these.
You can always call the office or contact anyone on the Leadership Team if you’re not sure what to do, or if you need some assistance yourself.
I’m Bored / Scared / Lonely…
In times of isolation, you may find yourself with a little more time on your hands. Right now there are many resources popping up to bring encouragement, peace and teaching to the people of God. Here are a few:
Music. Vineyard Worship has been posting live worship sessions. They’re simple, beautiful and intimate. You can access them on their Facebook Page here.
Prayer. There are a number of churches and organizations helping people connect with God in a variety of ways. Vineyard Ann Arbor has made Fixed Hour Prayers using Phyllis Tickle’s books available. You can select the Central Time Zone and the appropriate prayers for that time of day will be displayed.
Community Prayer Nights. Currently we are still planning on having our community prayer nights (unless the recommendations for groups gathering shrinks below 50 people). Watch for details about when and where these are.
Teaching on Philippians. N.T. Wright mentions that Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians from jail and in a time of great unrest and personal crisis. He thinks that Philippians may be timely to this season of alarm and unrest. He is making his online course, “Paul and His Letter to the Philippians: Small Group Edition“, available free of charge for the next three days (starting today). Email Andy for more information on how to enrol. Sara Epp – thanks for the tip!
Do you have any resources that are helping you? Leave your recommendations in the comments below!
Giving
Lastly, we want to be upfront and honest about our financial situation. We are currently behind budget for the year, carrying a deficit of $15,600 (as of March 15). Cancelling Sunday Gatherings likely won’t help. Can we encourage you to keep regularly giving to the church? For the next few weeks we won’t have baskets to pass around, but we do have online ways to give. E-transfer is the best. Simply send tithes and offerings to vanessa@wcvchurch.ca.
Thank you for your faithfulness in this matter.
May the peace of God which nobody can completely understand guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Our dear friend and long-time WCVer, Kenny Lacquette passed away on February 20, 2020 at St. Boniface Hospital. He was admitted earlier in a state of “general decline”.
Kenny was an active member of our community since near the beginning. Drop-in, the School of Justice, Freedom House, Flatlanders and Sunday mornings were all enlivened by his smile, laughter and camaraderie. He even made a trip to Nepal to visit the Vineyards there.
He will be missed.
A memorial service will be held. We’re just working out the details and will let you know as soon as plans are finalized.
It’s with great sadness that we need to let you know that our dear friend and brother, Richard, has passed away. He died in his sleep early Monday morning. Richard was a dearly loved and long-time member of our community. His smile, laugh, faith and presence will be missed. Our deepest condolences go out to his many family members, but especially Edna, his wife of 47 years.
There will be a Wake held at 782 Main St on Tuesday March 3, 7 – 10pm.
Funeral Service, Wednesday March 4, 11am at 782 Main St. There will be a feast to follow. Afterwards he will be laid to rest in Traverse Bay, MB.
If you’d like to contribute to the feast, please contact Jocelyn Armbruster, or the office.
If you have pictures of Richard, the family would appreciate having them. Please send them to Andy.
This year throughout the season of Lent (from Ash Wednesday until Good Friday) we will be exploring Philippians 2:1-11. This passage is such a beautiful and poetic description of one of the major themes of Lent: letting go. In our pursuit to follow Jesus (be disciples, work out our salvation, etc) we are to be imitators of Jesus. This means that we are to follow in Christ’s footsteps and, as Paul enjoins, to have the mind of Christ – the same attitude – follow in his footsteps.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
We are hosting a workshop designed to help us understand our responses to traumatic events and how to establish good boundaries in traumatic relationships. Understanding our own and other people’s responses and the way they deal with difficult news or situations as well as learning what appropriate boundaries might be are two topics that will be covered in this evening workshop.
We’re bringing in Jaymie Friesen from MCC to facilitate this event. Jaymie is the Abuse Response and Prevention Coordinator for MCC in Manitoba and comes to us with experience in helping churches and communities deal with the impacts of betrayal of trust, sexual misconduct and other similar topics. You can read her bio here.
Exciting news! We have identified three areas in which the Winnipeg Centre Vineyard church community needs more support and have created three positions that will help meet those needs. We are looking to expand our staff team with the following Pastoral Resource positions:
1) Community Care & Development. The purpose of this position is to provide leadership for the development and care of House Groups, Triads and volunteer engagement in WCV. Expectations include promoting, developing and envisioning participation in life-building relationships for those who call WCV home as well as creating systems and processes that promote a flourishing volunteer culture.
2) Neighbourhood Engagement & Outreach. This position is responsible for the care and development of Winnipeg Centre Vineyard’s (WCV) relationships with the neighbourhood including the Street Parish, outreach activities and Care Portal.
3) Enfolding & Hospitality.The purpose of this position is to care for all aspects of welcome and hospitality in Winnipeg Centre Vineyard (WCV). This position is responsible for creating, envisioning and tending pathways for new people to become part of WCV. Additionally this role cares for people in difficult or transition stages of life.
These positions are all part-time. We are open to one person filling all three positions if they have the gifts and skills for doing so. Alternately, we may have one separate person for each position. We are excited to see what God wants and who God brings to meet these needs.
Should you be invited to participate in the next stage of the hiring process, we will be asking for three references, one from each of the following categories:
Current or recent leader you have served with.
Spiritual mentor.
Team member or co-worker.
Applications will be accepted until February 9, 2020.
UPDATE (Feb 10, 2020): Please note we are no longer receiving applications for this posting. Thanks.
It’s that time of the year again… when folks from all across our country gather in Edmonton for the annual Vineyard Prayer Summit.
Here’s the purpose:
Since 2003 the Canadian Vineyard family has gathered together every year to simply seek the face of the Lord and worship Him. Come join us this year and take the opportunity to devote two days for this very purpose.
Summit: February 28 & 29 Symposiums: February 27 (Suhail is speaking at one of the Symposiums)
Check out the website for more information including registration, location, schedule, etc.
Who wants to go? If you are planning on going we’d like to know about it – please let Ang Falk know.
We’re hiring! We are looking for a part-time Custodian (20 hrs / week). This position requires a friendly, clean, tidy and efficient person who would love to serve our community by keeping our building clean. This position includes janitorial and set-up responsibilities as well as some security services.
If you’re interested, please read on. If you know of someone who might be a fit, please forward this posting to them.
For the next few months we’re going to be exploring what it means to have Emotionally Healthy Relationships (EHR). In the Fall we worked through the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (EHS) both on Sunday mornings and during Wednesday evenings when we hosted the course. This was a great success.
Where the primary focus of the EHS series was on learning to love God well, this series on Emotionally Healthy Relationship will focus on loving others. It’s the second part of the complete package of what Jesus said were the most important things (Mark 12:30-31).
We’ve got a number of great speakers lined up to help us through this material. We’re praying that God will continue to work health into every part of us – both emotional health and spiritual health – which we’ve learned are inseparable. We won’t be doing the EHR course right now, but are looking at good options for the future (as well as doing the EHS course again).
We’re having another New Year’s Eve party this year. Like last year it will be at Andy & Beckie’s home (see the image below for the address). Everyone’s welcome and it’s friendly for humans of all ages. There will be fun and games, fire and a sauna. Bring a snack to share (and a bathing suit & towel if you want to try the sauna). It starts at 7pm.
