It was a privilege 4 months ago to be standing on the stage with
you as we celebrated Mark and Steph Helvagin, who had LED you
so faithfully over so many years, as your pastors.
And we are delighted to be here today, participating in this key
moment in the life of your church as we commissioned Chuck
and Taran to lead you into the future.
Over the years, Debbie and I have had the privilege of
working quite closely with Chuck and Taran, especially on the
Vineyard leadership team and on the core of that team as two of
our four associate national directors.
And their contributions to the movement are incalculable.
We have admired their leadership, their passion for
the Kingdom of God, their heart for the church, the way they
faithfully serve Jesus, and they are very dear friends of ours.
And we're excited for you as you move into this coming chapter
together, convinced that the Lord has some great things in
store for you on this very significant day in the life of
this church. I want to spend some time today
thinking about the church. I wonder what you think of with
that word church when you hear that.
Some of us might think of a particular building or an
extended family or coming together for Sunday services,
worship, teaching, ministries that reach out to others.
Some of you may be very new to all this, having only stepped
into a church recently. Maybe this today is your first
time and you may have perceptions about what churches
are and what they do. I love how Webster's dictionary
describes the church. The church is God's creation and
design. It is His method of providing
spiritual nurture for the believer and a community of
faith through which the gospel is proclaimed and His will is
advanced in every generation. As I've thought about how
Vineyard churches all over the UK and Ireland might reflect
this description, over the years, I've read my share of
books. I've attended many seminars and
conferences. I've had countless conversations
with other pastors on growing healthy churches.
I've also looked at examples of great churches, including Verso
Vineyard, and have been inspired and encouraged.
But I'm convinced that the best examples of the type of church
God wants to build are actually to be found in a book, A book
with which some of us will be familiar, and particularly in
one of the books within here, the book of Acts. 40 years ago,
before Debbie and I ended up in the Vineyard, I was working in
Nottingham for an organization that looked after homeless young
people, and my heart broke as I heard stories of how some of
them felt that church was not a place they thought they would
ever feel welcome. They would never even dare to
set foot. I think somebody once said they
thought they might catch on fire just coming into the presence of
God or coming into the presence of a people who were apparently
so holier than thou that they would be excluded.
And I remember thinking, would there ever be a church where
those friends could ever find a spiritual home?
Where anyone, no matter what their life experience, their
background, could belong to a community of faith and be
transformed by the love of Jesus?
Where people from privileged backgrounds like me could get
involved in caring for those in need, where people encountered
God in worship, in prayer, through the gifts of the Holy
Spirit. Basically all the things that we
read about in the book of Acts, particularly in Acts chapter 2.
And so we're going to look today at a short passage together,
which just in a cameo summarizes what was happening in the very
first church. That was a church in Jerusalem
2000 years ago. We see the things that the
believers did, which we are also called to do now.
It doesn't include everything a church should be, nor does it
describe actually the ideal church.
As a significant portion of the New Testament shows, the early
church was very far from perfect, with many of its pages
devoted to correcting where things were actually going
wrong. But there are characteristics
which the early believers exhibited in the Book of Acts
which we can learn from today. It might be easy on a day like
today to focus on what you hope Chuck and Taryn might do as they
take on the mantle of leadership.
As your pastors, you will have expectations about how they will
shape Verso Vineyard's future as they bring their energy, their
experience, their anointing, their passion to this role.
And of course, some of today is about that.
But as we look at the characteristics we find among
those early believers, can I encourage you this morning not
to think of Verso Vineyard as being a church Chuck and Taran
are responsible for, or as a church that you go to, or as an
organization which should do the things the Bible describes as
things churches should do. But rather, think of it as you
and you and you and you and you and you.
You are Verso vineyard. So what the church does and is
is essentially what each of you do and are.
The church ultimately is simply an expression of each and every
one of its members. As we look at what the early
believers in Jerusalem did, what we might call Acts from Acts,
let me encourage you to consider at least one of these Acts that
you can personally invest in more than you currently are in
the coming weeks and months to help this expression of God's
church grow even more into the church God is calling you to be
in this new season. So if you have a Bible or a
device, you can turn to Acts chapter 2.
Let's look at this together. Acts chapter 2 and verse 42 and
following. They devoted themselves to the
apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of
bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with ore at
the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
They sold property and possessions to give to anyone
who had need. Every day they continued to meet
together in the temple courts, they broke bread in their homes
and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and
enjoying the favour of all the people.
And the Lord added to their number daily those who were
being saved. So what can we learn about the
characteristics of the early church which might shape us
today? Well, first of all, the church
in Acts was characterized by acts of devotion.
We read there that the early church devoted themselves to a
number of things, to the apostles teaching, to
fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
The first thing they devoted themselves to was the apostles
teaching, which at that time was yet to be written down, of
course, but became the beginnings of the New Testament.
Today we have the Bible, the treasures of which are deeper
than we could grasp in a lifetime of reading and studying
it. Encouragingly, recent research
shows that in the UK Bible sales have grown by 87% in the last
five years, and that is in the context of falling interest in
non fiction books. So it's amazing, 87% in five
years. The Lord is stirring something
up here and these sales are partially driven by many being
bought by Generation Z or Z who seem to be seeing the value of
this ancient text providing answers in this uncertain and
ever changing world. Whether you have a paper copy or
you have it on your phone or you have it in some other format,
the more we ingest the content of the scriptures, the more we
will understand God and the best way to live.
I'm really enjoying using the Bible app, which is the quickest
way on my phone to find or read a passage.
I've done the Bible in one year being read to me by David Suchet
and then with Nicky Gumbel commenting on it a few years
ago. Actually, that app, if you never
used it, I'd encourage you. That app revolutionized the
regularity of me personally engaging with the Bible.
So I've always been someone who read the Bible in chunks
somewhat sporadically, but with this app, like 365 days, it was
like, I mustn't get behind, I'm going to stay with this.
And I actually only missed one day in the 365.
It was really revolutionary. So if you're a bit sporadic, I'd
encourage you. That is a great one to get.
I currently enjoy Lectio 365 with different contributors
leading devotions based on themes and Bible texts.
And there are other tools out there, but I really would
encourage you. I love the Bible Project as
well. That's awesome.
Devoting ourselves to the teaching of the Bible is a lot
more, of course, than reading it and understanding it.
It means living out God's truth. A biblical church is a church
that is filled with people who, as the apostle James says, are
doers of the Word and not hearers, only people who apply
the Bible to their daily lives, not just the bits that they're
comfortable with. And just imagine, what would St.
Albans, Hatfield and Hemel and Hertfordshire look like in a
year's time if everyone in this church devoted themselves to not
just reading the Bible, but working to understand what it
means not just as an intellectual exercise, but
actually as a toolkit for life? If the members of Versa Vineyard
embodied the characteristics that this book encourages us to
grow in, Secondly, they devoted themselves to prayer.
Prayer is the main way we connect with God in our personal
relationship. It is also vital in seeing God
move powerfully among us as a church.
Richard Foster said this in the ongoing work of the Kingdom of
God. Nothing is more important than
intercessory prayer. Prayer releases God to do what
He wants to do in the church, the city, the nation, and beyond
in a way that no amount of effort ever can.
Without prayer, we'll miss out on the incredible unleashing of
the power of God propelling the work we do to achieve
supernatural results. The time spent alone or with
others praying multiplies the effectiveness of the hours spent
doing. A church which is devoted to
prayer will see God answering prayer in just incredible ways.
You think back to like the Hebrides, the Hebridean revival.
2 elderly sisters, Peggy and Christine Smith.
One was blind, the other was crippled by by arthritis, had a
vision of the churches crowded with young people and they began
praying that God would move there in the Outer Hebrides.
And then a small group of church leaders joined in.
Many people came to faith. The towns in the Isle of Lewis
and all over the Hebrides were utterly transformed.
Prayer is so powerful. So the first two acts from Acts
are devotion to the Bible and to prayer.
Secondly, the church in Acts was characterized by acts of
evangelism. Evangelism is simply a word
which means sharing the evangel, the gospel, the Christian
gospel, the good news of Jesus. And as individuals responded to
that invitation, they joined the church, verse 47 here, and the
Lord added to their number daily.
Those who are being saved. We see throughout the book of
Acts the church getting out there, talking to those who
don't know Jesus, communicate in the gospel through their
actions, sending teams to other cities, other countries, and
God's invitation to us is the same.
And though for Verso Vineyard it may not be daily, the reality is
that the Lord is adding to your number regularly.
Those who are being saved, for instance, through events like
Love Your Street in the summer. Over that month, I understand
you racked up someone carefully counted 1836 hours of service
and mission activity including barbecues, litter pics, coffee
dates, creating opportunities for conversations, invitations
to church, and praying for people who didn't know Jesus.
And I'm told that the a number of people came to faith through
that time. We celebrate every individual
finding faith in Jesus and with you.
We long to see many more people come to know Him.
Thirdly, the ACT. The church in Acts was
characterized by acts of worship as they shared meals together.
Verse 42, they devoted themselves to the breaking of
bread as an act of worship at the Last Supper.
Jesus said, do this as often as you eat it in remembrance of me.
The Lord's Supper is celebrated to remind us of what Jesus has
done for us and to look forward to what He will do, and verse 46
extends that description. They broke bread in their homes
and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.
Praising God verse 42, remembering Jesus verse 46 and
praising God worship. You know, it is possible to do
all manner of things that the church is supposed to be doing
and yet lose focus on who the church is all about, somehow
forgetting Jesus in the process. He said, you know, do this
remember, remember Jesus. This is all about the most
beautiful and wonderful person in the universe, God the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit, and worshipping Him is our highest
priority. And you're a church that's known
for its worship. We've enjoyed a wonderful
example of that this morning. A number of your team have not
just blessed this church, but at the wider Vineyard movement, as
some of them have served at events like the Vineyard Leaders
Gathering and you've hosted live recording recordings of worship
as you did last year. But like the church in Acts,
your vision isn't just to kind of make good music, sing nice
songs. It is to create places and
spaces to host God's presence and create songs that are an
outworking of your encounters with God.
The church in Acts was characterized fourthly by Acts
of Wonder, verse 43. Everyone was filled with awe at
the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
They were filled with awe because the experience of being
in that church was awesome. Signs and wonders, miracles
happened in the early church and not just through the apostles,
but through many of the believers.
We read about people being healed, even people being raised
from the dead, people being miraculously set free from
prison. On one occasion.
The presence of the Holy Spirit was so powerful, the place where
they were meeting shook. It's not surprising that people
were filled with awe and wonder. And I know that you've seen God
move powerfully here at verse. So for instance, a number of
people being healed over the years.
For instance, in July, someone here shared this.
I pulled a tendon in my left foot over a year ago and it's
been especially bad for the last week or so, limiting my
activities. Yesterday I was really
struggling to get to church, both physically and mentally.
I didn't want to go, but from years of experience knew that
when I feel like that I need to be here.
After a really great talk we were encouraged to let go and
shout the name of Yahweh, during which I felt the Lord telling me
to stand on tiptoe, something I haven't been able to do without
pain for a year. And after doing so I realized I
had in capitals no pain in my foot.
Hallelujah. She says it is still pain free
today. Amazing things are happening,
but there is so much more we have yet to see.
The church in Acts was characterized by acts of
hospitality, the passage tells us in verse 46.
Every day they continued to meet together.
They broke bread in their homes and ate together.
They met together in the temple courts and in their homes.
The large setting and the smaller settings because
churches a lot more than just being together for a couple of
hours on a Sunday. Through Verso groups, people
have been supported through meals and care and prayer.
Care during emergency and other schedule operations.
Losses. New babies.
One group member whose group organized the baby shower for
them shared this. As I don't have any family here
in England, this meant more to me than I can easily put into
words. The group went out of their way
to plan everything, make it special, and celebrate this new
season with me. I felt so loved, cared for, and
seen. Their kindness reminded me that
even though my family's far away, I am not alone here.
I'm incredibly grateful for the time, effort, and thought they
put into making the day so special.
Special and for the sense of family and belonging our group
has given me. Whether it's sharing a meal
together, putting on a baby shower or simply chatting to a
new person on a Sunday, hospitality can have a huge
impact. We don't know exactly what it
was like when the believers got together in the early church,
but we know that the church consisted of people of every age
and experience because we're told that whole households came
to faith and also there are people of different generations
and also different backgrounds coming together.
The church in Acts was characterized also by acts of
generosity. Says in verse 44, all the
believers were together and had everything in common.
They sold property and possessions to give.
The church had caught a glimpse of God's amazing generosity in
His Son Jesus and responded with what can only be described as
extravagant generosity. If there was a need, if they had
it to give, they gave. We see later in Acts that people
still owned houses and land, but from time to time voluntarily
sold them and generously gave the money to the church.
Now your journey as a church has been marked.
By extravagant generosity. This amazing building, 1 of the
finest church buildings in this nation, exists because of the
extravagant generosity of its members over many years.
God into the funding of all you do as a church is testament to
your generous giving, as is your having sent out and resourced
church plants and sites over the years.
God is an extravagant giver. Many people in the church in the
book of Acts were extravagant givers and as his church learns
to give like that, the favour of God will be upon it.
The picture that Luke paints in this passage is of people
holding their own material wealth with an open hand such
that when they saw a need they met it.
Verse 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone
who had need. As churches in the western world
go, Verso Vineyard is a church where this is happening.
For instance, through Verso care, almost 1500 individuals
and 500 families have been supplied with food and over 350
families have visited kit. This Christmas over 100 families
including over 200 children were served in the Christmas Toy
shop, giving away over 1500 individual gifts that were
opened on Christmas Day. One mum came to the Christmas
shop with her daughter. A little girl mentioned that it
was Christmas Jumper Day but she didn't have one because her mum
couldn't afford one. The kit shop had pre loved
jumpers and had one the perfect size for her along with a new
sparkly Christmas hat. So this five year old stood
proudly in front of the mirror, tears in arise and said, you've
made this the best day ever. Now I'm going to be like
everybody else at school. Thank you.
Generosity is a hallmark of Verso Vineyard, And as you step
into this next chapter as a church, I believe the Lord is
inviting those of you who are not yet financially committed to
get involved in acts of generosity.
Can I encourage you to begin with giving a portion of your
income regularly to this church and then give to other needs as
you feel LED on top of that? The church in Acts was also
characterized by acts of unity. In verse 4242, they devoted
themselves to fellowship. Verse 44, all the believers were
together and had everything in common.
I think I just spotted the word together three times in that
little passage. I think it's at least 2, but I
think I spotted 3 as I was reading it just then.
They really shared their lives. You know, the Greek word for
fellowship comes from another Greek word, coynos, which means
common or sharing. Fellowship is not just about
making small talk over a cup of church coffee.
It is opening up our lives, getting under each other's
masks. It's one of the reasons everyone
here is encouraged to be part of a small group where you can get
to know and be known by a group of people who share life
together, deeply knowing and caring for one another.
Unity doesn't necessarily mean agreeing on everything.
You know, just as here at Versa, there will be many different
experiences and views. We read later on in the book of
Acts that the early church didn't necessarily agree on
everything, but they were united by their shared belief in Jesus
as so they made every effort to seek harmony, to seek unity.
Unity doesn't mean uniformity. You know, even within the
overall vision and life of Versa Vineyard, there are different
physical expressions of that life here in Saint Albans, in
Hatfield, in Hemel, a Verso local to you.
There's diversity, geography geographically, as it were.
But there's something very beautiful about the church's
diversity where you find people of different backgrounds,
experience, ethnic groups coming together.
Like I said in my introduction that people who don't really fit
in a church can find a home here at Versa.
That's the miracle of the church.
Not just this church, but the church, the wider church, and
where there is unity, God loves to bless.
One of the ways the enemy attacks the church is by sowing
division and dissension. I would encourage you all to do
all you can to unite around what is most important and do all you
can to protect the unity which God loves to see and is
delighted to bless. Now the church described in this
little passage grew like wildfire out of Jerusalem.
That church spread across the globe.
Later in Acts, those who opposed the church, alarmed at the
disruption it caused, described it as having quotes turned the
world upside down. Wouldn't it be wonderful if
those who oppose or ignore the church across this land would
one day be alarmed at the disruption Verso Vineyard, other
Vineyard churches, and churches of every denomination were
causing? So much so that they described
the Christian Church as having turned England upside down.
God wants every follower of Jesus in every church, including
this one, to be characterized by.
And can it come up on this thing there?
Acts of devotion, acts of evangelism, acts of of worship,
acts of wonder, acts of hospitality, acts of generosity,
and acts of unity. In this time of change for you
as a church, there are some things to hold on to, good
stable things to hold on to, and perhaps today there's one or two
particular errors as you look at that list, you feel the Lord
prompting you personally to grow in.
As we look at that list on the screen, let's just take a
moment, just a moment with the Lord to ask Him.
Would you, each of you, ask Him which of those things He is
asking you to deepen in your own life in this next season?
If you ask Him, he will speak to you.
There's something. He's challenging you.
I'm just prodding you in. I'm not sure I'm doing that the
way that all might have me do it.
Let me encourage you all to take a step into that this week and
consider how you will play your part in what God is going to do
with and through your church in this new chapter.
God bless you all. So we are now going to
Commission Chuck and Taran. So Chuck and Taran, if you'd
like to come up here, someone can move this table.
Debbie's coming as well. Chuck those out of the way.
Well, they're all right. OK, OK, sure.
Whatcha great to see you? Wow, this is so, so precious.
Well, Chuck and Taran, as your national directors, we are
commissioning you. We're installing you as senior
pastors of Verso Vineyard. It's evident to us and to all of
us who've been part of the discernment process.
It's been quite a journey. It's been quite fast, you know,
this time last year, goodness me.
But the Holy Spirit has clearly spoken and it's his desire that
you be set apart and that for this work that the Lord has
called you to. Much prayer has gone into this
decision and we know that this is God's idea and it's our job,
all of our jobs to recognise. And we're going to be laying
hands on you. We're going to be commissioning
you with our blessing. And we're now going to ask you,
Chuck and Taran, a number of questions in the presence of God
and this congregation and which we invite you to respond.
Chuck and Taran, do you sincerely believe that you've
been called by God to become the senior pastors of Versovignon?
We do. Chuck and Talon will you, to the
best of your ability, faithfully carry out this calling we.
Will will you commit yourself to the outworking of what God has
called this community of faith to be?
And do we? Will as you lead this church,
will you be accountable to the trustees and submitted to the
leadership of the wider Vineyard family?
We will. If this is your church, we now
want to invite you to commit to being part of this next leg of
Versa's journey and to support Chuck and Taron as they lead you
in it. So we'd like to invite you, if
you would, to stand if you're able.
As we make these commitments together.
The words will come up on the screen.
And if you wish to, then please respond with we will.
So Verso Vinia, do you recognize Chuck and Taryn's call to be
your senior pastors? And will you commit to
supporting them as they lead this church?
Oh yes. OK, sorry, will you do what the
Lord asks of you, contributing to your your unique gifts,
experiences, and resources to help this beautiful expression
of the body of Christ be all that the Lord has called it to
be? Chuck and Tarry and we have
seen, if I may just step across here, your dedication to serving
the Lord as you have led Catalyst Vineyard and serve the
wider Vineyard movement. Vineyard churches across the UK
and Ireland, as well as the wider body of Christ beyond
these nations have been the recipients of great blessing
because of the tireless effort you have invested in God's
Kingdom. We recognize that the Lord has
called you to step into the role of Versos senior pastors and we
wish you every blessing as you take this step of obedience and
faith. God is on a mission to extend
His beautiful rule, His perfect Kingdom, His will being done on
earth as it is in heaven, and to reconcile every individual on
the planet back to Him. And as each of us comes into
submission to His mission, He gives us a Commission.
He is about His work, and we get to join in.
In Matthew 28 we have what is known as the Great Commission.
The Great Commission. Jesus said to his followers, go
and make disciples of all nations.
Go where I lead you. Go to the particular people that
I've called you to and make disciples.
Communicate the gospel not just with words, but with every
action, every conversation, every waking moment.
Be an ambassador of Christ Jesus.
Jesus continued teaching them to obey everything I've commanded
you. Whether those you minister to
are already believers or prodigals returning to faith or
unbelievers, the task is actually the same, to teach them
to obey all that Jesus commanded his disciples to do.
Always submitted to God's revealed will in the Scriptures.
Equip the Saints for service. Release people to use their
gifts for the extending of God's Kingdom.
Lead them as under shepherd, under shepherds of your portion
of the flock of God, always mindful of the incredible
privilege entrusted to you, the care of the flock which He
purchased with His own blood. And then Jesus concluded by
saying this. And surely I am with you always
to the very end of the age. And as long as we are doing what
God calls us to do, we can rest in the assurance that he's with
us. He's with you every step of the
way. So today, Chuck and Taran, we
recognize your Commission to lead Versa Vineyard.
We join the Lord in commissioning you as Versa
Senior Pastors. Rest in the knowledge that God
has called you. He will be faithful in equipping
you and anointing you to do this.
King David commissioned his son Solomon with the daunting task
of building the first temple, and we can parallel his words to
Solomon here. As you continue the building of
this church. One Chronicles 28, verse 20.
Be strong and courageous and do the work.
Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is
with you. He will not fail you or forsake
you until all the work for the service of the temple of the
Lord is finished. Can I invite?
We've got a pastor and a trustee joining us.
You come up as well, one of the pastors, trustee.
I think we've got a couple of people.
Why don't we have your guys come from Scotland?
Yeah, James and Torn. Why don't you come up as well?
Be lovely to have folks who are with you up there for all those
years, just with us in this. So let's lay hands on them, pray
for them. Father, Lord, with joy and
delight, we give you thanks for the gift that you have given us
in Chuck and Taron as a church. Lord, before we even prayed,
before we even knew what to ask for, before we even got our
heads around the change that was coming, Lord, you answered in
abundant generosity. We thank you for the giftings
that Chuck and Taron bring. And our prayer, Lord, is that
you will knit our hearts together in the way that Paul
prayed over the Colossians. That we will be united in
purpose, Lord, That we will all grow in the the fruit of the
Holy Spirit. That our interactions together
will be with love and joy and peace and patience and kindness
and gentleness and goodness and faithfulness and self-control.
And that Lord, as you knit us together in love as one, that we
will work together to do your mission.
Lord, thank you for answering our prayers so abundantly.
And thank you for the giftings that Chuck and Taran bring.
We honor you Lord, and praise you because you are building
your church in Jesus name, Amen. We thank you, Lord, for the
experience you've given them the wisdom you've given them the the
gifting over many years through thick and thin.
And we ask Lord that you will not only continue to bless them
and to use them, but the the reach, the extent of their
leadership and blessing to the church may increase across this
part of the country. And no doubt beyond that.
You will encourage, you will strengthen, you'll build people
up. You'll find and train and and
Commission new leaders of all ages, of all types and
backgrounds of alongside to enrich the church that is so
precious to all of us. Give them peace.
Give them a sense of your presence with them, lift off
pressure that comes from themselves and from others with
it isn't from you, and give them great delight and great joy in
doing this together with the team here.
Amen. I had a picture and it made me
smile and it was you guys in the middle of a big party.
And I don't know if you've seen that Christmas game where people
line up lights and they breathe and they say a word like happy
Christmas down a row and it and it and it hits every light.
And, and then and my sense as I sat in the picture, I was like,
what you're saying? And I I just sensed this season
is going to be a season of joy. It's going to be a season of
celebration, of lightness, of spirit, and there's going to be
no weight on your shoulders in that sense.
The Holy Spirit, it's got the weight, A season of deep
community and friendship like you've not known before.
And, and also my mind was taken to Ezekiel 37 and that vision of
the dry bones. And there was a rattling.
And there's a rattling in our midst, in our world right now.
And I sense the Lord in that picture as you were breathing
down that line of lights. Actually, what it was is you are
stewards of the Holy Spirit and the breath of God.
And I want to prophecy over both of you that you would.
You know it deep in your spirit. You know that the Spirit of God
is the only thing that grows his church.
And he trusts you, Chuck and Taran, with that.
He trusts you. And so I just want to speak that
nothing will ever like turn you to the left or the right from
that place. That you would continue just to
be stewards of the breath of God in this place.
And that you would breathe the Spirit of God in this church and
outside of these walls. And that hundreds and thousands
in that valley of dry bones would rise up and be found in
Christ Jesus once again through your leadership in this place.
So we bless them now in the name of Jesus, to be who they are, to
stand strong in who they are, because they stand strong in who
you are, in Jesus name, Amen. Chuck and Taran, we have loved
you and before the Lord. Today we release you into God's
hands and into this new church family.
So go with our blessing, go with our blessing and the blessing of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Go in strength and peace and joy
and know that we are with you in heart and in prayer.
And from our family to your next church family, go and have fun.
In the name of Jesus, have fun. Says in Luke, Jesus came out of
the wilderness in the power of the Holy Spirit, and so we just
pray for that in this next season.
The power, the power of the Holy Spirit be upon you my friends,
the power of God in Jesus name, Amen.
Signs and wonders. You go for a second.
No, we pray for a season, a season of signs and wonders
emanating from this place. Lord, we ask for nothing less.
It is how we were born at the vineyard, was born into signs
and wonders. And Lord, we pray for an
increase of that. We pray for souls to be saved,
bodies to be healed, demons to be sent packing.
Lord, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ for a seasons of
signs and wonders. And I would remind you too that
at the early, early days, Carol Wimber when they started the
Vineyard movement, she said God's leaders are his greatest
gift to the church. And that is who you are.
And this is the line in which you have been born into.
And we bless you with all the blessing that God has poured out
on this movement from one end of the earth to the other.
And it's not that we're the best, but we are who we are, and
we are proud and thrilled to be that.
And we bless them. We bless them with the anointing
that was there from the very beginning, to preach the gospel,
to plant churches, and to see signs and wonders everywhere
they go.