An explanation of how we launched STEPS in 2007

INTRODUCTION  
Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God.

Are our lives full of faith? Faith in Jesus to save us. Faith in Jesus to save others. Faith in God to provide. Faith in the Holy Spirit to come and heal the sick? Or are we following Jesus in style but not substance? I want to share with you an occasion in the life of the Vineyard here, and therefore in your life and my life, when we can demonstrate some measure of faith. Today is an important day in the life of this Community of Faith. It is time to think about the steps we have taken and the steps we wish to take in the future. 

STEPS

We have walked a few steps along a journey. But we sense God calling us on to take further steps, steps of faith into the exciting unknown but into places we would love to go. Our imaginations are fired by projects: from his heart to our hearts; from our hearts to the hearts of those around us. In life people reach significant points on their journeys. Points at which things change and they need to take turn and go on a different way.  The 1st day at school, 1st day driving a car, the day we leave home.  People often start out in adult life by renting a flat and then maybe they buy their first house and as life gets busy and perhaps if they get married and have children they may buy a larger home.

The people of Israel had been on a long journey. They had reached one of many important decision points. God told King David to prepare to build a permanent temple – to replace the tent they had used for hundreds of years.

I don’t want to draw too strong a parallel with the people of in this story except to say we too have reached a pivotal point. We have come to a decision point on the journey – this way or that?

1 CHRONICLES 29  

The story starts at the end of the previous chapter where David encourages his son to be brave and to go for it. In the early part of Chapter 29 David identifies that this house is a work for God not for man. That must be true for us too - it has got to be his idea and his plan, not ours.

David then goes onto talk about how he is going to give to this project (although he would never see its fulfilment) and challenges the leaders to give too. They do - generously - and that inspirses the people with joy. Then David is able to pray this wonderful prayer in verse 14:

Our next major step is to invest in a building which will help us explore the exciting possibilities of reaching out to our generation. Not at this stage a building for meetings like this but a building for resource, to provide a base from which to build.

People are brewing many a “Project from the heart”. There is so much we sense the Lord would have us initiate, so much that we want to join in with. So much we would love to see happen. For now, it is very restricted. Which is why we have reached a point when we need to change direction a bit.

STEPS STORY 

Let me tell you a story. The steps we have taken and which we think we are to take in the future.

Working from the Flowers’ home. Part time office, housegroups and minicabs. Starting to gather. Growing an identity.

Starting with 4 families of 4, 16 adults and children in total.

Renting desk space at Ronald Blue and then desk space and storage at Flowers McEwan Ltd . Forming values and priorities. The challenges of growth.

Around 75 people call the Wharfedale Vineyard their church. Many, many children everywhere. 4 or 5 housegroups in various homes. Hiring David Lloyd Club, Sunday 3 at the Mansion, the Gathering in hotels, our first formal staff appointments. Beginning ministry with the poor and into our communities. Gathering from around the region. Church in a van.

Renting an office (Providence House) for office and storage. Regular bookings first at Leeds Grammar School and then most weeks at Carr Manor High School .

Putting words into practice, the challenge of creativity, spontaneity and innovation in a more regularised environment.

Committing ourselves to meeting weekly. About 150 people now call the Wharfedale Vineyard home. A dozen housegroups and a wide variety of other activities: Minicab groups, Soul Sista, [Sanctuary], 24-7 prayer room, Reach Out, church planting comes onto the agenda.

Isn’t this now a time to build, a time to release Kingdom activity, a time to release the stored up resources in this place? Shall we do that?

To buy a building which will accommodate and enable some more of the projects which God has stirred in our hearts.

We will come back to this when we look at Projects from the Heart a little later. For now let’s just take a few steps further into the unknown and look where this leads us.

Next: Gather to scatter   

It is good to get together. To chat, catch up, worship in a larger group, learn and minister to one another. A time when we can enjoy “bigger” things – for adults, young people and children. An opportunity to invite friends and family. An occasion when we can be observed as a larger community.

This usually happens at weekends and usually weekly – but we could be flexible with our own gathering space.

Church is not just this, it is just one expression and primarily we gather in order to scatter. We gather together so that we can learn and receive and be equipped. Then we scatter and take Jesus into the communities in which we live, the places in which we work and into the networks to which we connect.

As we grow we will need a larger facility in which to gather – one in which we can hold a large meeting, run children’s work, eat and drink and celebrate.

Future: Multifunction site

Won’t it be fun to have a site where we can gather to scatter and also provide many points of access to our communities? A place where we can meet together in numbers but also do so much more together, for our neighbourhoods and for people in need. This might include:

• Conference facilities

   

• Rehab centres, halfway housing

   

• Young peoples’ facilities (skate parks, climbing wall, sport etc)

   

• Reach Out base for food, clothes, resources

   

• Accommodation/retreat space

   

• Medical and therapy centres – professional services, counselling, pampering

   

• Library and media resource centre

   

• Café/restaurant

   

• Studio, music, arts and crafts centre

All the above but with a further function, that of a resource and support centre for many other communities of faith planted out of Wharfedale Vineyard and with different levels of autonomy and independence.

A hub for administration and leadership equipping that can enable the Kingdom of God to emerge in many and various forms all over the region – dealing with legal and financial processes, providing a source of training and information, supplying pastoral oversight and resource. Releasing hundreds, maybe thousands, of people to get on and “do the stuff.”

1. We rent facilities for specific events – ww, Gathering, Vine – what we call weekend use

    

2. We rent office and storage space – what we call midweek use

    

So far we have taken our part in growing this community of faith without having to invest too much in structure, facilities, buildings.  At this point our urgent need is to find better midweek facilities. Providence House is our current base and although it is cheap to rent it is completely inadequate to the task in hand.

But from now on, not just for the next few weeks, but for the remainder of the life of this church there will be an ever-present need to invest in and develop the infrastructure that will enable us to join in with the kingdom work to which God invites us.

We want to see God’s Kingdom come. We see this happen by reaching the lost and the lonely with good news and we can do this better by having a great, enabling, resource centre.

Imagine a place which enables - the poor to be fed, the sick to be healed, and relationships restored. Imagine a place which enables - children and young people to have fun and learn about Jesus. Imagine a place which enables - training, equipping and ministry into our communities and neighbourhoods.

The place we have in mind could do all that, but to get it and put it to work is beyond us. The BIG IDEA is that God has called us to take a great big step of faith and then watch him provide what is needed.

We will revisit “Steps” from time to time in the future – when we have to consider major decision points in the life of TWV which will need injections of money, time and energy.

WORDS

As we have pondered and prayed about taking this particular step I have been encouraged on the way with several words or prophecies given to me by people in the church (as well as by advice and counsel from others who have walked this road before).

Richard Littlehales, about a year ago, emailed me to say that he thought it was time we started looking for a building. This was a long standing discussion we had been having amongst the trustees. I felt this was from the Lord, so we started the process.

In January 2006 Clair Taylor shared a picture about two groups of people at the Vineyard. They were pushing a very large boulder. Some were working hard and had their shoulders to the boulder thinking that they were needed to just push really hard and get the boulder up the hill. Others had a different perspective, that the boulder was perched on the top of the hill and needed a push just to get it rolling down.

In January 2007 Gilly Meredith shared a word that God’s pockets are full and he is waiting to empty them for us. Like a father and son, he is waiting for us to start spending well, stepping out, taking a risk, and then he is more than able and willing to provide plentiful resources.

Michelle’s Spring & Winter word/picture.

So we are encouraged to be bold and to take a big step. The biggest yet but not the last. One that will enable us to take even bigger steps in the future.

TIMETABLE

We may lose this property but will do the same elsewhere if so. Need to move swiftly – I have been speaking about this coming for some months. Now we need to act.

I have spent the last year working with the general leadership team, the trustees and the group of people wise in property matters. They have all agreed to pursue this. A couple of weeks ago I shared this story witht he wider leadership team and again we felt that this was the Lord and we should go for it.

Today I am sharing the story with you and asking for you to pray and consider your support - including financial.

Although next Sunday, 1 April, is The Vine and we will be focussing on dedicating several children and baptising some young people, it will also be our targetted Giving Day - an opportunity for you to give yourself a deadline. We will have a Giving Station where you can post your pledges and gifts and where the children can make their gifts (I really want them to know what is going on and be able to paly their part in what God is doing).

At weekly worship the week after (8 April) we will announce the results!

If the Lord is gracious and provides generously, as we pray he will, then we will finalise the purchase of the building and could well be in occupation by the summer.

IMAGES

I want you to have a strong picture in your mind when  we talk about Steps - about the part of this journey which involves investing in infrasturcture and, from time to time, in buildings. Here is the image we have made the main one:

• What does this make you think of?

   

• What steps do you want to take?
• What steps do you want the church to take? 

And then you will become familiar with the footprints:

There is an accompanying brochure/poster with much of this information on. You can stick it up on a wall if you like. With it will be some forms and other inserts with more information.



If you would like one and are not on our address list, please call the office  and we will be delighted to send you one. You can download the forms from the website or we can send you further supplies.

An Invitation

This brochure/poster is basically an invitation for you to join us making this step.  It contains a letter from Alison and me:

God has decided, in his wisdom, to bless us with growth. Slow at first but building up in recent years. He has brought many wonderful people to share this journey, step by step. Although we would love to see much more, we have been privileged to see God at work restoring lives and rescuing the lost.

We believe that the next step is quite a large one. One that will take us into new territory. One that will enable us to do more of what we feel God has called us to: feeding the poor, praying for the sick, reaching those who are lost, equipping and training people to live as followers of Jesus, planting new churches. Mainly it is a step forward in enabling us to share with even more people the wonderful person of Jesus. We believe this is part of our calling to expand the Kingdom of God .

This is the first time we have made such a public step forward. It is the first time we have needed to seek financial resources on this scale. However, we feel that God has brought us to a point where, if we wish to step forward, we will need to stretch. A step of faith, a leap of faith perhaps. John Wimber used to say that faith was spelt r-i-s-k and that is what this feels like.

But in fact, we are trusting that God will do something extraordinary to enable this to happen because we can’t do it ourselves. When it happens it will only be by the grace of God. But we believe it is time to take a big breath and to step forward into a new era for the Wharfedale Vineyard and we invite you to take this step with us.

THE BUILDING

One of the reasons I have taken time in going down this route is because I am aware that as soon as we buy a building it will inevitably make a geographical statement – it will say the Vineyard is here and, by implication, not here.

But Wharfedale Vineyard is a regional church and the life of this community goes on primarily away from any building. That’s why we use the Vine graphic when we are talking about church, not one that focus’s on one place.

However, we have to be realistic and accept that those who live nearer the building will find more day to day use for it than those living further away. Nevertheless, it is important for everyone to understand that the purposes this particular building will serve will be to provide resource and enabling for the whole of our community.

The building we are looking at for this particular Pivotal Point, is just a red brick, square, two storey office block, next to a series of major arteries in and out of Leeds . It is just a shell, 4 walls – these days industrial units are used as play centres and bowling alleys; old churches are used as factories. You buy a new house and change it all round to do whatever you want to do.

You can see pictures and more details on the website.

MONEY

This is not about regular giving – the money that many of you generously give to the Vineyard that pays for our ongoing running costs; salaries, hire of buildings like this, Reach Out programmes. WHat I am talking about is an additional offering. Giving extra money  which will almost certainly involve a sacrifice for most of us.

Nothing great was ever achieved by people giving what they could afford.

A major component of “Steps” is, and will be, giving. Doing church costs money and investing for the future like this costs extra money.

In this particular instance:

£720,000 to do the complete job, buy the building, pay fees and taxes, complete the fitting out.

£535,000 purchase price.

I feel the Lord has given us a financial plan of raising £350,000 in up front gifts and then sufficient pledges to repay the mortgage over the following 4 years.

It’s his money remember…

This will result in personal challenges in our discipleship, following of Jesus. That is why I started by talking about faith. Do we have a faith that will stretch as far as our bank accounts?

Please note that this giving will be as anonymous as possible.  You don't need to put any information about yourself with your gift at all. What information there is will only be seen by Anne Button as  she keeps the books and banks the funds and by Dennis Laws insofar as Anne is unavailable.

I won't know who has given nor how much. It is between you and the Lord.

Also, we plan to give away 20% of everything we receive. Won’t this be fun? Recognising the Lord's generosity to us by in turn being generous to others will be an ongong part of what Steps is about.

3 Forms:

 

• Giving – lump sum

   

• Giving – regular over 4 years

   

• Pledging – lump sum

   

• Pledging – regular giving

   

• Interest-free loans
  
  
• Plus a standing order form
  

Sally Wallace

Ben Newman

We believe this next step will help make it happen and we will see God's Kingdom Grow.  We can't wait to see projects from the heart become a reality.

The next thing for us was how much to give.

We both have a different viewpoint on money, I personally was a bit worried I may be too rational and pragmatic and Kate’s view was she may just be ridiculous.  So we decided to both think and pray about it separately.

I went for a long bike ride and prayed and at the end of that day we came back together and shared our thoughts on a figure, it was exactly the same, we felt God was confirming and in the decision so we are going for it.

Anne Button

When I first started working for Wharfedale in Dec 2005 we had use of a desk up at David’s company – Flowers McEwan’s offices in Chapel Allerton. This was a good arrangement and as a general rule I could go to work and have sole use of the desk. Occasionally we had to co-ordinate who was in when, so that there was space for us all but this was rare. Then early in 2006 we moved to the current Vineyard Centre. This seemed like a big step, having our own office building – not sharing with Flowers McEwan any more. However, over the course of the last year we have grown to more than fill the building. The current office has a meeting room downstairs which has been taken over as a storage facility for the equipment which we have to run events like the Vine and weekly worship. Upstairs, we have the prayer room (which now has to double as an office during the rest of the month) and two offices. We have 4 – 5 desks and 9 part time staff. Just before a staff meeting, when everyone comes in before hand to get some jobs done we are limited to standing room only! I find this exciting – looking back at how God has allowed the church and what we do to grow.

However, those of you who know me, or who have ever been into the church office will know that although I do love my job, it is very busy. I have had a few offers of volunteer help which I haven’t been able to properly take up due to lack of space. Some volunteers are very flexible with when they can come in and help, but others cannot be. I would love for there to be enough space in our office for volunteers to be able to come in and have space in which to help us – and to not have to turn anyone who wants to help away!

The building that we are looking at on Northside Business Park may not be exciting to look at – but it is a blank canvas for us to work with. I don’t tend to be a big ideas person – my practical nature tends to kick in early on in the ideas process and think of all of the obstacles in the way. However, when I first looked around Northside with Nigel and Nik I was full of ideas of what we could do. Meals for the homeless, mums & dads groups, leaders meetings, worship practices, equipping days – the list just ran on. When we left the building there was a rainbow overhead – a reminder of God’s promises to us.

A real feature of this building is that the downstairs is a big open space. We could use it for medium-sized meetings, not Sunday mornings, but potential for Passover Meals, Gatherings and Socials. The beauty of it for me would be that I would not need to call around a list of venues and then organise transport for the equipment needed and payment for the venue. I could just check the bookings calendar!

It would also make it easier for the staff team to serve this community of faith, and the wider church to a greater extent. The first floor of the building has 4 separate office spaces which would give us a greater opportunity for privacy and confidentiality and an open area for team meetings. Currently we all tend to go into the prayer room or downstairs when we need to make a private phone call about a pastoral or financial matter or want to have a meeting without disturbing others. We are often very busy dealing with a lot of separate issues and don’t have the space to process our own thoughts.

Having this sort of office space means that as the church grows we would have additional capacity to support what God is doing.

For me personally – I believe that God is in this process and that the trustees and leaders have made wise and Godly decisions to get to where we find ourselves today. Matt & I have prayed about what God has asked us to give and how it might happen. We didn’t agree on the amount to give at first, but we just kept praying and asking God what we should do. For me, the most important thing in deciding what to give is that we listen to God and trust that he will provide as we step out in faith.

Hannah Ripping

One of the reasons why I wanted to work for The Wharfedale Vineyard was because I could see that David and Alison had a real obvious love and value for young people. They always used language that was inclusive and always said that they planted the church as a family - with Josh and Sam.

The youth service in Leeds failed its OFSTED last year, and service providers for young people are failing all over the country, this means that young people are being failed themselves.

To hear young people being valued by David and Alison the way they do is refreshing and encouraging.

I hated church when I was a young person, and if it hadn’t been for my youth leaders I wonder how would be here now.

We, that’s T4:12,( the young people) have met in homes for the past four years, that will still continue but the new offices could broaden the opportunities to meet young people, and for young people to meet each other. 

Working with young people and children is a vital part of our mission and I think at TWV we do a pretty good job, but there is so much more.

There is only so much that can be done in homes and the opportunity for more space would allow for new things to happen that can’t now.

The three things I would love to develop are café, chill and clubs. My dream is that young people (not just churched young people but those who have never experienced what church and God is about) know the new centre as somewhere safe to come, and be part of the church knowing that the people of the church love and care and respect them for who they are.

Bring it on!!!!!!!

We are finding it difficult at the moment to make progress and we need the release and the enabling which a mid-week facility like this will give us.

Mark 1:15

What does it look like when the kingdom of God is near? When you sit in the 24/7 prayer room looking at all the pictures and words it describes a community of faith doing the stuff, extending the Kingdom of God, a spiritual “house” that is way bigger than any premises we could occupy. That is what it can look like.

Someone drew this on the wall of the 24-7 prayer room.

PROJECTS FROM THE HEART

Here is a selection from what people have been talking about.  Some of the things we would love to see as a demonstration of the kingdom of God through this building:

Just a selection – what is on your heart?

WHAT CAN I DO?

Like the leaders – as they have led the way.

Pray, share with a close friend – if you are married, with your spouse. Find out how much the Lord wants you to give to Steps. Wait a while and ensure that he confirms that in your heart.

It may be £5, £50, £500, £5,000, £50,000 or more. You may not have it at hand.

But the Lord may call you to give something that will require a step of faith and/or sacrifice from you. As you step out and see him provide it will be wonderful to see him at work in your life and in the life of this community.

Fill in the relevant form and post it into the office asap.

Or go on-line and do it.

Remember that 1 April is our Giving Day .

WHAT CAN I PRAY?

• That God’s will is done and that we will play our part.
• That God will bless the various people working on this project:
  • Nigel Tapp, our property agent;
  • Ian Dowling, our trustee with financial responsibilities;
  • David Flowers, as he leads;
  • Glen Salt of Blacks, our solicitors;
  • Our soon to be chosen mortgage lender;
  • Mr Davy, the vendor and his agent, Anthony Jackson of Towlers; 
• That no one else will try and buy the building.
• That sufficient funds will be raised.
• That God will protect and bless the church at this time.

CONCLUSION

The Lord gave us much to do in 2006. We are called to step up again and work to extend the kingdom some more in 2007 and beyond.

• I don’t want to dress up anything we can do and call it God

   

• I want it to be obvious, so that it can only be God not us

   

• When we see God at work in each of our lives and in our lives together we will be able to step ahead again in faith and see his kingdom come again and again

We will need to be bold, we will need to invest time and energy and money.

And in rescued and changed lives we will see his kingdom come.