Vineyard Gospel Ministries

TESTIMONIALS

REBECCA'S STORY:

Free at Last!
As I drove by all the traditional churches on Sunday morning, I felt angry. I had been a Christian for 30 years, yet inside I felt that there was something more to God than just…”church.” At least church the way I had come to know it, a stuffy, strict, confining, social club. Either you were in or you were out. I have to be honest, sometimes I felt bound up, like a bad pair of panty hose. I wanted to be free. Free to dance, to sing, to shout, and to lift my hands up to God without anyone shaking a finger to say… “tisk, tisk, not necessary!”

I wanted to find a church that would give to those in need… without judging or condemning. I wanted a church that would accept ALL PEOPLE, ALL RACES, one that would aim for diversity, rather than shun others that do not look like them. I wanted a church that was truly centered on Jesus, and not chicken dinners and traditional events. I did not need another Sunday school lesson. I did not need another 150 year old song. I needed Jesus. I needed a spiritual breakthrough. I needed power. I needed people who talk the talk and walk the walk! I needed to matter and not just be number 57 on the member list. I wanted to be a part of something bigger than this traditional church “system” that I knew for 30 years!

Well, now I am! God led me here, and I have been with Vineyard Gospel Ministries for almost a year. Let me tell you that this is the most important decision I have ever made for myself. John 8:36 says “Who the Son makes free, is free indeed!” He has set me free. Free from the chains of tradition and religion. I feel so alive. I feel empowered. Now, I go into the community and tell others about Jesus, I dance every Sunday, and I only wear panty hose if I want to! I am growing spiritually; I am loved, and accepted for who I am. And I know I belong here, at VGM. And as I pull in each week, I think…”Now this is how church is supposed to be!” It’s REAL people, reaching up, and reaching out!

MARSHA'S STORY:

Are you scared of the dark? Move into the Light!
“Just let me die,” I begged God. He didn’t. So, I decided that I would just take my own life. I had considered running my car off the road and into a tree, and I had stood in a bathroom with a handful of pills trying to convince myself to take them. I did not care anymore. I just wanted the pain to go away. And boy, there was so much pain! I felt like I was drowning in it. My Father died when I was 10, and the trauma of that experience had led me into a deep, dark place of pain. And I blamed God for it all. Then one night, I was lying in bed; I felt like I was dying inside. Streams of tears rolling down my face, and overcome with feelings of loneliness, abandonment, anger, and pain I said something like: “God, I have begged you to let me die, and you won’t. I can’t go on like this anymore. Please… help me. I know that I blamed You, and I said I hated You, and I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do.”

Nothing happened. No hymns began to play; no angels entered the room, no glory clouds, and no sudden feelings of “everything is OK.” I went to sleep in my pain that night, the same way I had done so many nights before. But, God heard me. Through an invitation to church by a friend, God answered my cry for help. I had an experience with God in that church that day, that words cannot explain. I was covered in His love, and I was overcome by His power. I decided to live for Him. I was 16 years old that day, and I am sad to tell you that I did not make it. I thought I had to be perfect after that, and eventually, I walked away from God, and all that I had experienced. It wasn’t the church… it was fine. The sermons and programs were great. The people, loving and kind. But I needed more. I needed a leader. I needed a teacher. I needed a mentor. I needed a community of other people like me to help me walk out this walk. I did not grow up in church and there were so many things that I did not know or understand.

Now, I understand that God does not expect me to be perfect. In fact, a decision to become a Christian is about admitting that you are not perfect, and that you don’t have all the answers, and you need Him to help you, to guide you. Nevertheless, for 12 years I continued to try to do it on my own, to live this life my way. In the dark. Afraid, lonely, and empty of all emotion except guilt, shame, anger and pain. But I never forgot the moment I was touched by God. And after 12 years, I crawled my way back to God and said, “I can’t, but I know You can.” I never looked back. I returned to Him broken inside. There was not much left of me at that point. The last 12 years had led me into even darker places. Even still, He accepted my lump of a life, and every day, He continues to mold me into something beautiful.

In the place of those dark and depressed feelings, He gave me peace, joy, love, and purpose. My Pastor played a key role in leading me to the place I am now. Because of VGM, I have been equipped to overcome every obstacle. I can better understand the Bible now, and I know how to apply its Truth to my life. The first and most important thing I learned here at VGM is that God loves me, even when I mess it all up. I needed someone to tell me that. Maybe you do too. That one Truth changed my life. It enabled me to continue on, knowing tomorrow would be better than today. I am so thankful for Pastor Chris Edwards and VGM for helping light the way on my journey to know Christ in committed way. John 8:12 says: Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” You too can come out of the darkness, and into the Light! Let your journey start here, at VGM. Take it from someone who knows… Life is better in the Light!

WHAT VGM MEANS TO US:

VGM means the WORLD to us! We moved to the Richlands area a couple of years ago and joined a local church. We knew that there was more to being a Christian, but didn’t know what it was we needed nor how to get it. So we started looking at other churches and saw the banner for a new church. That church was Vineyard Gospel Ministries and we are elated to be a part of it! Before, it seemed like we were always running trying to keep up with Jesus, but now our thirst has been quenched and we feel like we are right next to him! You can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit at every service. This is a church that is ON FIRE for God and wants to do nothing but please Him!

Coming to VGM has changed our lives completely! We used to go to church based on our schedule, but now our schedule is based on the church. Since we have been coming here and growing in the Word and understanding our purpose for God’s Kingdom, we WANT to go to church and we WANT to be there for events and we WANT to help on cleaning day. We want to do all that we can to glorify God.

We have also been attending the Friday night LIFEgroup, and that is just as exhilarating as the services! We have grown in our understanding for the Word of God and are learning how to be Christians and how to ward off the things of this world. It is a great time of intimate fellowship with other Christians. And the friendships we have made are priceless. We are so thankful that God has led us to VGM and we can’t wait to see what He has in store for us here. Give VGM a try, and you will see what we have been boasting about!

Contact us for more information about VGM.
Learn more about who we are and what we believe.
Question, concern, or comment? We want to hear from you!
God is waiting, and so are we!



TESTIMONIALS REBECCA'S STORY: Free at Last! As I drove by all the traditional churches on Sunday morning, I felt angry. I had been a Christian for 30 years, yet inside I felt that there was something more to God than just…”church.” At least church the way I had come to know it, a stuffy, strict, confining, social club. Either you were in or you were out. I have to be honest, sometimes I felt bound up, like a bad pair of panty hose. I wanted to be free. Free to dance, to sing, to shout, and to lift my hands up to God without anyone shaking a finger to say… “tisk, tisk, not necessary!” I wanted to find a church that would give to those in need… without judging or condemning. I wanted a church that would accept ALL PEOPLE, ALL RACES, one that would aim for diversity, rather than shun others that do not look like them. I wanted a church that was truly centered on Jesus, and not chicken dinners and traditional events. I did not need another Sunday school lesson. I did not need another 150 year old song. I needed Jesus. I needed a spiritual breakthrough. I needed power. I needed people who talk the talk and walk the walk! I needed to matter and not just be number 57 on the member list. I wanted to be a part of something bigger than this traditional church “system” that I knew for 30 years! Well, now I am! God led me here, and I have been with Vineyard Gospel Ministries for almost a year. Let me tell you that this is the most important decision I have ever made for myself. John 8:36 says “Who the Son makes free, is free indeed!” He has set me free. Free from the chains of tradition and religion. I feel so alive. I feel empowered. Now, I go into the community and tell others about Jesus, I dance every Sunday, and I only wear panty hose if I want to! I am growing spiritually; I am loved, and accepted for who I am. And I know I belong here, at VGM. And as I pull in each week, I think…”Now this is how church is supposed to be!” It’s REAL people, reaching up, and reaching out! MARSHA'S STORY: Are you scared of the dark? Move into the Light! “Just let me die,” I begged God. He didn’t. So, I decided that I would just take my own life. I had considered running my car off the road and into a tree, and I had stood in a bathroom with a handful of pills trying to convince myself to take them. I did not care anymore. I just wanted the pain to go away. And boy, there was so much pain! I felt like I was drowning in it. My Father died when I was 10, and the trauma of that experience had led me into a deep, dark place of pain. And I blamed God for it all. Then one night, I was lying in bed; I felt like I was dying inside. Streams of tears rolling down my face, and overcome with feelings of loneliness, abandonment, anger, and pain I said something like: “God, I have begged you to let me die, and you won’t. I can’t go on like this anymore. Please… help me. I know that I blamed You, and I said I hated You, and I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do.” Nothing happened. No hymns began to play; no angels entered the room, no glory clouds, and no sudden feelings of “everything is OK.” I went to sleep in my pain that night, the same way I had done so many nights before. But, God heard me. Through an invitation to church by a friend, God answered my cry for help. I had an experience with God in that church that day, that words cannot explain. I was covered in His love, and I was overcome by His power. I decided to live for Him. I was 16 years old that day, and I am sad to tell you that I did not make it. I thought I had to be perfect after that, and eventually, I walked away from God, and all that I had experienced. It wasn’t the church… it was fine. The sermons and programs were great. The people, loving and kind. But I needed more. I needed a leader. I needed a teacher. I needed a mentor. I needed a community of other people like me to help me walk out this walk. I did not grow up in church and there were so many things that I did not know or understand. Now, I understand that God does not expect me to be perfect. In fact, a decision to become a Christian is about admitting that you are not perfect, and that you don’t have all the answers, and you need Him to help you, to guide you. Nevertheless, for 12 years I continued to try to do it on my own, to live this life my way. In the dark. Afraid, lonely, and empty of all emotion except guilt, shame, anger and pain. But I never forgot the moment I was touched by God. And after 12 years, I crawled my way back to God and said, “I can’t, but I know You can.” I never looked back. I returned to Him broken inside. There was not much left of me at that point. The last 12 years had led me into even darker places. Even still, He accepted my lump of a life, and every day, He continues to mold me into something beautiful. In the place of those dark and depressed feelings, He gave me peace, joy, love, and purpose. My Pastor played a key role in leading me to the place I am now. Because of VGM, I have been equipped to overcome every obstacle. I can better understand the Bible now, and I know how to apply its Truth to my life. The first and most important thing I learned here at VGM is that God loves me, even when I mess it all up. I needed someone to tell me that. Maybe you do too. That one Truth changed my life. It enabled me to continue on, knowing tomorrow would be better than today. I am so thankful for Pastor Chris Edwards and VGM for helping light the way on my journey to know Christ in committed way. John 8:12 says: Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” You too can come out of the darkness, and into the Light! Let your journey start here, at VGM. Take it from someone who knows… Life is better in the Light! WHAT VGM MEANS TO US: VGM means the WORLD to us! We moved to the Richlands area a couple of years ago and joined a local church. We knew that there was more to being a Christian, but didn’t know what it was we needed nor how to get it. So we started looking at other churches and saw the banner for a new church. That church was Vineyard Gospel Ministries and we are elated to be a part of it! Before, it seemed like we were always running trying to keep up with Jesus, but now our thirst has been quenched and we feel like we are right next to him! You can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit at every service. This is a church that is ON FIRE for God and wants to do nothing but please Him! Coming to VGM has changed our lives completely! We used to go to church based on our schedule, but now our schedule is based on the church. Since we have been coming here and growing in the Word and understanding our purpose for God’s Kingdom, we WANT to go to church and we WANT to be there for events and we WANT to help on cleaning day. We want to do all that we can to glorify God. We have also been attending the Friday night LIFEgroup, and that is just as exhilarating as the services! We have grown in our understanding for the Word of God and are learning how to be Christians and how to ward off the things of this world. It is a great time of intimate fellowship with other Christians. And the friendships we have made are priceless. We are so thankful that God has led us to VGM and we can’t wait to see what He has in store for us here. Give VGM a try, and you will see what we have been boasting about! Contact us for more information about VGM. Learn more about who we are and what we believe. Question, concern, or comment? We want to hear from you! God is waiting, and so are we!
HOME - ABOUT US - CONNECT - TESTIMONIALS - CONTACT US
	©2007 Vineyard Gospel Ministries. All right reserved. Site: By His Design, LLC