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Community Life
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Looking for a
church?
At the
Vineyard you'll find more than Sunday services.
Being a member of our church is about
building meaningful relationships and belonging
to a community of Christians committed to one
another. While Small Groups provide the
foundation for Community Life, there are many
other things we do that bring us together as a
community. Some of the fun events are detailed
below. |
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Super Bowl
Party- An awesome afternoon and evening of
food, football and fellowship. We watch the game
on a state of the art 150 inch digital
projection screen. We serve a variety of food
(including desserts and gourmet coffees). This
event is not only for the church, but also to
the community at large.
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Annual Golf
Tournament- The Vineyard Church of Lewiston
sponsors the annual Vineyard Christian School
Golf Tournament in June. The format for the day
is an 18 hole scramble with a shot gun start,
prizes for low gross and low net foursomes,
closest pin, and longest drive. This tournament
is open to the wider Vineyard family and the
extended community. Members of our church
participate in this event each year. It’s a
great opportunity to have a day of fun playing
golf and enjoying the beauty of the Fox Ridge
course.
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Summer Church
Picnics- During July and August we take
advantage of the beautiful Maine coast line,
beaches and lakes to have church picnics. Some
of our favorite places to meet are Fort
Williams, Cub Cove, Crescent Beach, and Sebago
Lake. We gather Sunday afternoons and often
combine our picnics with baptisms on the beach.
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New England
Arts Festival- We host the annual New
England Arts Festival called “His Gifts and His
Presence.” The festival is dedicated to a
Christian renaissance in the arts. A variety of
local, regional, and trans-regional fine artists
and performance artists join together for a day
of artistic creativity and expression. The
festival is open to all and on a donation basis.
Artists sell their work, and there are prizes
for visual and performance categories. This is a
great event for appreciating and connecting with
Christian artists or for participating directly
if you are an artist. For more information check
out the New England Christian Arts Council web
site:
info@newenglandchristianartscouncil.org or
call: 207-773-9718
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Family Canoe
Trip- July marks
our summer family canoe trip. We take part of a
Saturday to canoe together down the Saco River
stopping for a picnic along the way. This is a
day for enjoying the outdoors in Maine and good
weather. Over 100 people took part last July and
we’re looking forward to another great event
this coming summer.
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Fall Harvest
Party- On the 31st
October the Vineyard Children’s Ministry,
supported by the Acts ministry, puts on a
Harvest Party for all the children of the
church, and those who want to attend from the
town of Westbrook and Greater Portland. The
party runs from 6.00 pm to 7.30 pm and includes
a wide variety of games, a moon bounce,
refreshments, prizes and lots and lots of
candy.
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Silent
Auction- VCFGP Teen ministry organizes a
silent auction in the spring to raise money for
their Extreme Mission outreach to Mexico that
takes place in July. Each year an amazing array
of gifts are donated by members of the church
and local businesses in the surrounding
community. This is a fun night and an
opportunity for the wider church to support and
seed into the Teen ministry cross-cultural
mission effort. Refreshments are provided.
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Noche De Paz-
Our annual
Christmas party Noche de Paz (“Night of
Peace”) usually takes place the first weekend in
December. We gather at the Italian Heritage
Center in Portland, and enjoy an evening of
wonderful music with the Jerry Berry Jazz Band
and Dan Merrill, eat delicious food, give away
door prizes, dance and celebrate the season
together. |
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Looking to Serve the
Community?
Jesus served
and taught us to serve. We recognize that we are
part of a much larger community and are
committed to serving that community with the
love of God. Some of the ways in which we do
that are: |
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Food Pantry-
The Food Pantry is a central part of our Mercy
Ministry and is now in its third year of
offering groceries weekly to those in need both
in the church and in the community around us.
This is a practical way in which the church
seeks to serve others with the love and
compassion of Christ. All those who serve in the
Food Pantry are volunteers from within the
church and the surrounding neighborhoods.
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First
Responders- Fall
of 2005 saw the birth of a new community
outreach as the church connected with the First
Responders of the city of Westbrook. We provided
breakfast and an evening meal for the men and
women of the Westbrook Police Department, and
the Westbrook Fire/Rescue Department. Members of
the church served these meals at the Westbrook
Public Safety building. We also invited Police
Chief McCarthy, Fire Chief Littlefield, and EMS
Director Jones to a Sunday service where we
honored the First Responders and celebrated
their commitment and dedication to serving all
of us who share in this community. We look
forward to more opportunities to serve and work
with the First Responders of Westbrook by
hosting CPR and Crime Prevention Courses.
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Car Care-
Each spring we spend a
Saturday doing “Car Care” for single moms. After
a long winter that can be hard on everyone’s
vehicle, it’s great to have the men and women in
the church who know their way around cars,
provide free oil changes and consultations
regarding basic car maintenance for single moms
in the community.
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Leaf Raking- Fall in New
England means leaves and more leaves! We take this
seasonal opportunity to show the love of Jesus in a
simple act of practical kindness by raking peoples
leaves for free. Members of all ages in the church
participate in this fun outreach to the community. |
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Nursing Home Caroling- We
visit Nursing Homes in the area and enjoy a variety
of activities with the residents which include among
other things, Pie and Ice Cream Socials, Christmas
Caroling and sing-a-longs. |
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Thanksgiving Baskets-
During November we provide Thanksgiving Baskets for
needy families in the community. Members of the
church donate food items, decorate and stock
baskets, and deliver them to families who otherwise
would not be able to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. |
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Wayside Evening
Soup
Kitchen-
We collaborate with other
churches to serve meals at the Preble Street Soup
Kitchen on the third Monday of every month. This is
another practical way in which we can help show the
love of God to others. This outreach is coordinated
through our Small Group Ministry.
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Long
Creek Youth Development Center- Opportunities to
visit and minister at the Long Creek Youth
Development Center are led by our Acts Ministry and
include concerts and chapel services.
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