Fall Fun Festival at the The Vineyard, 2009

The Vineyard Church of Conroe is hosting its 8th annual all-church Fall Fun Festival on Saturday night, October 31, 2009. It's a night full of games, food, fun and music - open to the entire Uptown District neighborhood and the surrounding areas.

This year, the hip-hop group, Chosen will be taking the stage, along with soul group the Lost Soul Review. There will be lots of games and prizes as well as the opportunity to get to know your neighbors. So make plans to be there and bring a friend.

Schedule Change at the Vineyard

After several years of having 2 Sunday morning services, the Vineyard Church of Conroe is going back to a single Sunday morning service.

If you're reading this announcement, you might be asking "why in the world would a growing church, with an average-sized chapel (with limited seating and even more limited parking) go back to a combined service?" Such a change raises other questions: Is the church really growing? If so, wouldn't it make sense to continue with the multiple services, so it wouldn't be as crowded? What will this mean to the different church departments? Doesn't multiple church services provide options for attendance? Conventional wisdom would say it doesn't make sense to go back to a single Sunday morning service.

But, this isn't a "conventional" church.

So, at 10:30 AM on September 13, we had our first service back together - all of us. After it was all over, there was an all-church Ministry Fair - highlighting the various ministries and ministry opportunities at the church. Yes, it was a packed house. Parking was in short supply. But, the spirit of unity and community took center stage. We were all together, in one place, at one time, experiencing the presence of God.

So, if you haven't been to the Conroe Vineyard in a while, maybe it's time to pay us another visit. Just remember, if you do decide to stop in, get there early. The best parking and seating go quickly.

The Little Lessons

This was submitted to Facebook by Misty Quintanilla, one of our members at the Vineyard Church of Conroe:

I had an amazing moment with God last night, and I really wanted to share. Let me begin by saying that as a mom of six, and a wife I don't feel I have much time to spend time with God, and when I do I'm so tired I talk the whole time and then fall asleep, so I usually don't feel I hear from God very often. The thing I've noticed over the years is that God speaks to me through my children. I have learned so much about the Father's love, simply by being a mother.

So, last night Kalin was really tired and did not want to go to bed, [big shock, right?] so I take her to bed and she is freaking out, throwing herself all over the place, screaming like I'm beating her! So I firmly tell her to calm down, its time for bed. At that she screams louder! something inside said let her scream, so I sat there and let her get it all out.

After a little while I say, " Are you done, Kalin?" She looks at me all sweet and then screams, NO!!!! So I just sat there and waited. At some point she climbed in my lap, and was crying and saying over and over I want to watch the movie. I never said to bad, or its time for bed, I just rocked her and rocked her. Very soon she fell asleep.

For awhile I watched her sleep and kissed her sweet face. I knew I could not lay her down right away, because if I did she would wake up screaming wanting me by her side. So after a liitke while I laid down and moved her to her spot on the bed. Before I knew it she was sleeping peacefully and I could leave the room.

So, when she first climbed in my lap, and was crying I want to watch the movie and I all I would do was caress her face, I heard God say, "This looks like me and you." For a minute I was shocked but then I knew exactly what he was saying.

So many times I have screamed and thrown my fit before God, things weren't going my way. He lets me flip out and then asked me calmly if I was done. I wasn't.... you get the picture. But the part that is awesome and speaks volumes, is that he always holds me as I cry. I'm certain he can't hear what I want , what he's supposed to be having me do! So, I cry and cry, and He simply rocks me because as a good Father he knows I need to rest and it is not yet time. Until finally I give up my fight and rest in his arms. And as I do, healing begins and new life! But He doesn't put me down just yet, because He wants me to be sure that He is always there. Finally when it is time He gently puts me down and MOVES me to where I am supposed to be!

Wow what a good, loving, gentle Father we have. I am so glad He took the 5 min. I didn't think I had to show me how much He cares. He is litsening, and His timing is always right!!


Thank you for sharing, Misty.

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Possible Elvis Sighting Follow-Up

Back on November 25, 2008, it was reported that Elvis visited the Vineyard Church of Conroe. Until now, it was only rumor. Today, we have proof. Elvis was there and we have his picture.

Eat your heart out!

Andy Park Stops By TVCC

Last night, the prolific singer/songwriter & worship leader, Andy Park, was at the Vineyard singing and talking about worship and compassion. Along with him were some of the best assortment of musicians the Vineyard movement has to offer. It was an amazing evening.

For one, it was an opportunity for me to meet the guy who wrote many of the songs I've used for worship at our church over the years. Like our pastor, Raymond said "he sang all your songs!" It's more like I've been singing his songs and people thought they were mine. He was able to say all the things I wanted to say and didn't know how. Getting to actually meet him was like meeting a pen-pal after years of writing.

It was also cool to hear Andy talk about something that was very near and dear to his heart - compassion for the poor and needy. Andy and his family are active sponsors of children throughout the world with Compassion International. I say Andy and his family, because two of his children are sponsors of children in other parts of the world. Compassion isn't just a program or just talk, it's something he believes and is involved in.

Andy showed a video of one person's experience of sponsoring a child had changed their life and then asked those present to consider sponsoring a child. I've seen the commercials. "The money you spend on coffee can change a kid's life." I cried like a baby. This was something my family could do. Many responded, including me and my wife. We now sponsor Fredy, the most adorable little boy, from Guatemala. We have coffee in our house that was grown in that country. We're talking about trying to go to Guatemala to visit him soon. But, you don't have to sponsor a kid to show compassion.

Andy said during his talk last night that when we give to others we find that is where our lives really begin. Today, on the way to school, a kid was trying to negotiate a doorway with a big, bulky school project. I didn't know him, but I asked him to let me help him. It was awkward, but I set down my coffee and took the time to help the kid who was clearly in need. I don't know that I would have done that last week. I guess compassion is contagious like that. Start looking to fill a need to fill. Sometimes they're only little ones. You never know. It might be a big deal for someone else.

The Vineyard Church of Conroe Goes Texan

For the second year in a row, the Vineyard Church of Conroe participated in the 2009 Go Texan Day Parade in Conroe today. Today, just as last year, we had a live band playing everything from 12-bar blues, gospel and our own brand of worship music on a float rolling through the streets of Downtown Conroe. We'll be posting pictures from the parade over the next few days on both this blog and on our Face Book page. We want to keep spreading the joy as we continue our attempts at being the visible community in Conroe and Montgomery County.

A Response From The Vineyard Southwest Region

We recently received this response from the leadership of the Vineyard's Southwest Region offices:

Dear Ashleigh,

It grieves me that this issue of the Southwest Connection has been so hurtful to you. I am truly sorry and ask forgiveness. Please know that is not our heart.

We do feel racial diversity is a calling from the heart of God and not a trend.

I welcome your feedback and want to be a learner on this. In hindsight, I can certainly see things I would have done differently in this newsletter. You have made some great points.

We are very glad you have found a great church home in Conroe.

Blessings,
Thora Anderson
editor

Please continue to give us feedback. Opening dialogue is truly where healing begins.

Addressing Cultural And Racial Diversity

Recently, in a publication called the Southwest Connection, a newsletter of the Southwest Region of the Vineyard Community of Churches, the quarterly issue was focused on Ethnic Diversity within the Vineyard Movement. This has been an area of concentration in recent years for a movement that has been mostly white throughout its 25+ years of official existence.

Our own Ashleigh Fox submitted a response to this issue. While her comments were focused on the entire publication, one particular section is referenced in her e-mail, which was sent to the Southwest Region offices. I've included one of the shorter articles below to provide context for Ashleigh's comments. It is followed by her response, in its entirety.

It is our desire, at the Vineyard Church of Conroe, to not merely give lip service or appear to be striving for diversity within our church for the sake of being hip, cool or just to say "we're a racially diverse worship community." Rather, our heart is to foster a community committed to understanding one another and an atmosphere for authentic healing. That is the attitude and heart that we bring to this discussion. If we somehow miss the boat, let us know. If we're on target, let us know that, too.

Here is the excerpt from the Southwest Connection:

Our Vineyard in Stafford/Sugar Land, Texas, is smack in the middle of the one of the most racially diverse areas in the U.S. (We are blessed that our communities in the southwest Houston area are for the most part harmoniously integrated.) For us to reflect this diversity and to continue to make a significant impact on our communities, we must become a multi-racial, multi-ethnic church.

Here are some of the things we have done/are doing toward that goal:

We have included members of various races among those leading the transition time from worship to preaching on Sundays. We have invited a member of a minority race to preach. We have included various races on the Senior Pastor's Council. We have utilized bilingual home groups. We reference events/historical figures of significance to different ethnicities in our sermons. For example, we drew special attention to Martin Luther King Day this year. Our Hospitality Team is racially diverse, and makes a special effort to reach out to the different races.

Year by year we enjoy more racial diversity, yet we have far to go.

Herschel Rosser
The Vineyard Church
Stafford/Sugarland Texas

This is Ashleigh's response:

To whom it may concern:

I am a member of The Vineyard Church of Conroe in Texas. I am an African -American woman and I have been attending Vineyard churches for about 4 years now. I've just read volume8, issue 1 of the Southwest edition of Connection and have found myself not only to be offended, but appalled that some of these articles were actually printed.

I feel that as a minority in a church, that I love, it is my responsibility to indicate the follies of such lines of thought as those I've just read. I feel that this was a clear indication that the Vineyard culture is headed down a road that could further alienate the people groups who are racially different from the majority.

Number one, every article was written by a white man. I understand that there are very few senior pastors who are minorities, however, this information given by a group of people who have ZERO history of racial diversity makes me feel less inclined to view them as an authority on the matter. I was a member for over a year at the Houston Vineyard and was also a member of a home group and never in my life have I felt more different then everyone else in the room. It is the main reason I left. Now, take into consideration that the senior pastor there just recently wrote an article that was printed in this same publication about the success of racial integration in that church. In my experience, the little diversity that did exist was very often the focal point of conversations between myself and other "white" members of the church, not by my choice. My color was often the only thing people saw when they looked at me.

My fear is that by telling other churches, within the movement, that a good way to increase diversity is to create home groups for people from specific racial backgrounds, more racial divides will be created. The only difference will be that they are WITHIN the church instead of outside of it. The last thing I would advise would be to seperate the only ethnically diverse people to a group of people who look just like them. Doesn't that defeat the purpose? It only says to me that you don't really want diversity you just want diverse numbers. But the segregation is still there. Which brings me to my next point…..

The thing that concerns me most in reading these articles is that, to me, it seems that The Vineyard USA isn't seeking a racially diverse congregation because it is a calling on them from God, but because, if they don't, the church will die. One thing that I have noticed is prevalent within the Vineyard movement is the need to be "cool" and "with the times." No one ever wants to fall behind and these articles read less like mission statements and more like a new trend, a fad to follow. It has more to do with the well-being of The Vineyard and less to do with what is right and godly or even as something people actually WANT to do.

I would say to the writers and editors of this publication; hope that few people of color read this, because it is not a welcoming invitation. If I were a person outside of the Vineyard and read these articles it would seem that racial integration is being used as some sort of marketing tool to bring people into the church. There were many assumptions made and generalities used, through insinuation mind you, that were offensive to me and to any thinking person of color who might read it. For example:

"As to (2), this will sound suspiciously like affirmative action and, like affirmative action; it involves both needed correctives and real risks. What this is saying is that you'll need to get minorities in your church onto the stage on Sunday mornings and into your leadership structure. Your worship team or your announcers can be great places to let people not of the dominant ethnicity in your church know that, if they continue to develop spiritually, they could lead in your church. If visitors see a wall of faces of the same color, it will be pretty difficult to convince them of this. Now, that said, the bad word that usually gets slapped onto affirmative action is the word "token." That's worth taking seriously, which leads to a tension. These folks have to at least minimally merit whatever leadership they're being given, or you'll find the stress both on them and on you is just too great. That said, how much spiritual authority do the announcers in your Sundays services have to have?"

That last line makes my stomach hurt. I understand that the way it reads may not, in fact, be what he had intended, but with a subject matter that is so sensitive, the way things are presented is very important. From an outside person it would seem that not only is he saying that it's okay to put people of color up front just for looks, but he is also insinuating that it may be difficult to find people of color who merit any position of leadership. My question is this; why has the church as a whole not gone in search of people (minorities) to fill pastoral positions the way they have with Caucasian pastors in the past? I know that in samller churches that is a difficult thing to accomplish, but Vineyard USA needs to set the example for the rest of the church plants.I cannot understand why the Vineyard is waiting for ethnically diverse peoples to waltz through the doors when what really needs to happen is an internal restructuring of what leadership looks like within the Vineyard. Intentionally go out and find qualified people of color to fill positions and change the face of the Vineyard instead hoping someone comes in that has some semblance of leadership ability or a calling to ministry at all. If that does not happen it will tell me that the people in leadership now really don't want things to change and that this is indeed motivated by something other than the desire to represent God's kingdom as He meant it to be.

Lastly, the last thing you want to do is to placate. I cannot tell you strongly enough how insulting it is to me when someone white says that in order to acknowledge and honor my ethnicity they are going to talk about Martin Luther King Jr. I find it follows that when a person does that they are very out of touch with what I am challenged with and the things that are important to me as an African-American. My advise would be to, instead of making the assumption of a minority wishing to hear a sermon preached about MLK, go out into the community and find out from the people that live it, what affects them and talk to them about that. Not only will that show that you care enough to learn about the culture but it will also educate the people in the congregation on what things they may not know or understand regarding other ethnicities. I have been blessed to find a church with a pastor who does just that. Though, to look at the numbers, you wouldn't think that diversity is happening quickly, the time I have been there has been inestimable. I AM the minority at my church, but I hardly ever feel it. This is due, in large part, to the fact the pastoral staff has made a commitment, to not only embrace other cultures, but learn and understand them.

I know that no harm was meant and I hope that my insight is utilized and not ignored. I have the utmost faith in what God can do in the Vineyard body, but He cannot do it if our hearts are not in the right place.

Blessings,

Ashleigh Fox

We definitely have a lot to talk about. Let's get it started.