Important covid-19 announcement

With the news of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 …...

Please do not attend Church if you have any of the main Covid-19 symptoms. If you have access to a lateral flow test at home and can do a test before visiting this would be much appreciated.

Even though the wearing of masks is not compulsory within a church setting, we are strongly advising the wearing of masks on a Sunday.

As per Government advice, one of our existing Covid secure measures is to open the doors to the hall to allow fresh air into the space and help remove the air that contains virus participles and helps prevent the spread of Coronavirus. For those of you at Overton Grange last week you would have noticed this made the room a tad cold! We will continue to open the doors this week so please do come dressed appropriately to church - maybe even bring a blanket / hot water blanket with you! We will have some heaters in the room.

If you do have any Covid related questions please do not hesitate in getting in contact with the office by emailing admin@suttonvineyard.org or speak to Jon Dowdeswell at church on Sunday.

Many thanks

Places and Spaces Prayer Meeting

As a church, we felt we were called to pray for the places and spaces available in Sutton and a place we could call home. We have been drawn to the Secombe Theatre and we continue to pray into this and ways to progress conversations with the council regarding the theatre along with other potential venues.

Join us online and in person as we we continue to pray and seek God's guidance. This time we will be praying online and in person at the same time on Sunday 5th December at 6.30pm. We will be also praying outside the Council Civic offices and not the Secombe theatre - Meet at Trinity Square, outside Waterstones on the High Street.

Sign up here: https://suttonvineyard.churchsuite.co.uk/events/uthq2zve

We need everyones amens!

For more information email prayer@suttonvineyard.org

Meet The New Youth Pastor

If you are the parents of Engage or Ignite young people, come and meet Hannah R our new youth pastor for a relaxed parents-only evening with Cheese and Wine.

We will have the opportunity to chat and hang out together, have some fun and enjoy each others company. There will be non-alcoholic options available and a variety of cheese, crackers and snacks for you to enjoy. Hope to see you there!

When: Sunday 21st November 7.30pm to 9.30pm

Where: Stayton House, 93 Stayton Road, Sutton, SM1 2PS

Sign Up: https://suttonvineyard.churchsuite.co.uk/events/ltlkoq8i

For more information email hannah.raden@suttonvineyard.org

Trustee Information Evening

We have a brilliant team in place and we're looking to add a couple of members in the coming months to join us. This evening is an opportunity to find out about whether serving as a trustee could be for you!

Join us on Monday 22nd November at 8pm at the Dolphin. We'll have an informal talk to explain what we do and why and then open up for a Q&A.

We're on the lookout for all kinds of experiences and skill sets, so please don't rule yourself out before coming along and scoping it out.

Coming along commits you to nothing - we'd love to see you there! Sign up here: https://suttonvineyard.churchsuite.co.uk/events/41c49edo

For more information email contacttrustees@suttonvineyard.org

Secombe Theatre Prayer Meeting

Join us as we continue to pray for and at The Secombe Theatre.

As a church, we have felt called to pray for the spaces and places available in Sutton, and have been drawn to the Secombe Theatre. As we find ways to progress conversations with the council, let's continue to pray together!

We will be praying online through zoom 6.00pm-6.30pm, and then outside at the Secombe Theatre from 6.45pm-7.15pm.

Please sign up by clicking here https://suttonvineyard.churchsuite.co.uk/events/rimqj4ml

If you sign up to an online ticket you will be sent a zoom link to join us closer to the time.

For more information email prayer@suttonvineyard.org

Update from Trustees

Dear Church,

We are writing to inform you that Jason is taking two months off with immediate effect. The pastoral events over the last couple of years that we communicated in September to key leaders have put a huge emotional strain on those involved and a break from work is vital for Jason's mental wellbeing. This period of rest and recovery has been professionally recommended and Trustees are fully supportive of this. 

Some might wonder why Jason preached on Sunday. This was carefully considered and the feeling is it is incredibly life-giving for him and not something that is a trigger for his mental health. 

As Trustees, our primary concern is Jason's wellbeing and we hope and pray that Jason recovers by taking the time and space needed.

We are incredibly fortunate to have Bev (Senior Pastor) and a brilliant staff team in place around Jason, who will be ensuring the Church runs as usual. We're sure you'll also be understanding of the adjustments that will need to be made to put in place the appropriate support and leadership to ensure the Church continues to prosper.

We have also received notes of support from Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland, including Andy and Bethan Chapman, our Regional Leaders.

"Bethan & I have known Jason & Bev for over 10 years. We love them as friends and fellow Vineyard pastors in London. We all do well to listen to good advice, and so to us it is good that Jason is listening to and following the advice that he is being given. We know that you will be praying for Jason and for Bev, and we are joining with you in these prayers. Grace & peace to Jason & Bev, and to you all."

If you have any questions or concerns, please do reach out to contacttrustees@suttonvineyard.co.uk

Our excitement for the church at this time and what God has in store for us is unwavering. We ask that you join us in holding Jason, Bev and the family in your thoughts and prayers, as we rally around them at this time.

Trustees
Jonny Page, Tom Miles, Clare Hardie, Aredi Pitsiaeli, Sam Worsley 

Light Party

After a year where we were unable to run it, we are thrilled to welcome back the return of our Light Party! It’s a fun-filled, light focussed alternative to Hallowe’en for Children aged 3-11, and a wonderful way to celebrate together as a church and with our community. There will be snacks, games, crafts, glow-sticks, a bouncy castle, and an area for under-5s with soft play! Our wonderful Kids team will be on hand to welcome you and help you have the best time.

We would love to encourage everyone to come dressed in their brightest clothes! Due to covid safety our numbers are limited, so make sure to sign up as soon as possible.

Click here to sign up.

Flourish and Feast

Flourish had it’s first in person gathering 2 weeks ago. It was a lovely evening with over 40 Sutton Vineyard ladies there.

We feasted on pizza, drank Prosecco (or Flourish’s very own signature mock-tail), worshipped together and listened to an awesome talk by Bev and prayed for each other. It was amazing - here are a few quotes form the ladies who attended.

‘It was so lovely to meet up with a group of women of all ages and stages! Great to have a chance to chat and worship together...’

‘A great opportunity to speak with women I had seen but never properly met before’

‘I just wanted to thank you for putting a lovely event together for us ladies - you made us feel very special and blessed!’

The Flourish team are busy praying and planning for the next event. We can’t wait to let you know the details!

The Bereavement Journey Course

Working through grief and the loss of a loved one takes a long time.  

This 6 week course is for anyone who is bereaved, whether recently or dating back several years, although attendance is recommended after the first 3 months of a bereavement to benefit most from the material.

The course is run in person and each week will involve two short talks, each followed by an opportunity for discussion in groups of 6-8. 

Topics covered:

  • Attachment, separation and loss

  • The impact and pain of bereavement

  • Adjusting to change

  • Anger and Guilt

  • Coping with others' reactions

  • Moving forward healthily

  • And an optional 6th session on the Faith Perspective

If you have any questions or for more information, email Bereavement@suttonvineyard.org

Sunday Morning Prayer

It's of key importance that we pray for our Leaders and for our Sunday meetings together.

On Sundays we welcome new people and each one of us has a fresh opportunity to encounter the presence of God.

Join us to pray together at Overton Grange each Sunday before a Service. We meet in Room A1 (first room down the corridor to the left of the entrance) from 9.45am until just before the service starts.

For more information email prayer@suttonvineyard.org

Secombe Theatre Update

The Lord nudged us earlier this year about the spaces and places we meet. Many of us have met and prayed about this, the last few months. The Lord then directed us to explore the possible use of the Secombe Theatre in Sutton.

We were refused access to the site until some of us met and prayed. A few days later, we were given permission by our local authority to view the inside of the Theatre.

Some staff were able to explore the site and pray within it. It has great possibilities for us as a church. A vision we have always had, seeming to come to life as we look at it. A place where thousands of people in our community meet within it for community life and that would also be a permanent venue for our Sunday, services, youth and children's ministry.

The Lord made clear the way for us to explore this opportunity.

First, we pray, and then we take the practical next steps that arise. We know our next planning step is a feasibility study and assessment of the site, and Jon Dowdeswell, our operations manager, is initiating and overseeing that for us

So now it is time to pray again.

You are invited to join us to pray on Sunday 3rd October - online at 6pm for 30 minutes or in-person at 6.45pm at the Secombe Theatre. Please sign up by clicking on the following link https://suttonvineyard.churchsuite.co.uk/events/7ro0ycae

Youth Pastor Update

We are excited to inform you that we have just appointed our new Youth Pastor.

Hannah Raden, originally from Essex, currently living in Dublin, will move to join our church community, mid to late November.

Please be praying for Hannah. It is not just a big move for her, but also from her husband Marko. Marko is Serbian and due to the UK EU membership changes has to apply for a visa before he can move to Sutton with Hannah.

This means Hannah will be living away from her husband until his visa comes through. So please pray for Marko's visa, that it is not delayed and is granted expeditiously.

Vineyards Leaders Gathering

From 2022 the Vineyard National Leaders Conference is moving to form the winter to the spring and changing its name to the Vineyard Leaders’ Gathering.

The event will be filled with times of worship, teaching, ministry and seminars, as well as the invaluable relational spaces that we have all missed so much over this last year.

It will be continue to be held at Trent Vineyard in Nottingham and in order to increase capacity, will take the form of two separate but identical events over the week beginning Monday the 25th April.

We would love you to join us for Part A which runs from Monday 25th to Tuesday 26th. It is always a deeply encouraging and Spirit filled time, with friends and fun!

You can find out more details and how to book your ticket by clicking on the following link. https://www.vineyardgathering.com

Let us know you have booked a space by emailing admin@suttonvineyard.org

Youth Update

What a start to the Autumn term we have had in Youth! We kicked things off with our transition to Youth event for years 6 and 7 where we played games, ate a lot of pizza and gave our newest young people a chance to see what Youth at Sutton Vineyard is like! 

We then relaunched Youth on a Sunday morning, seeing the return of our Engage and Ignite groups. In Engage, we have been looking at a series on “Who is Jesus?” in our Sunday morning sessions whilst Ignite had a session last Sunday all about Serving - in which they put words into practice by getting stuck into some litter picking around the school grounds.

Last Friday, we celebrated our Youth relaunch with our “Welcome to Youth BBQ!” We had so much fun eating burgers, laughing and chatting with each other and, of course, playing a highly competitive game of Splat! 

COMING UP we have our Youth Weekend - a residential at Stayton House where we have fun playing games and completing challenges whilst going deeper in our faith and offering times for teaching, worship and ministry. You can sign your young person by clicking on the following link https://suttonvineyard.churchsuite.co.uk/events/7zzhivj7

CAP Money Course

Money affects everyone and whatever our financial situation, it has the potential to cause us stress.

Our next Christians Against Poverty Money course starts on Tuesday 5th October. This free three week course that will teach you budgeting skills and a simple, cash-based system that works so you can budget, save and prevent debt. Whether you feel pretty organised or it’s like a lucky dip every time you try to withdraw cash from your account, this course will help you take complete control of your finances.

Topics Covered:

  • How to Build a Budget

  • Balancing a Budget

  • The CAP money System

  • Using Cash

  • Saving

  • Debt Reduction

You can sign up to the course by clicking on the following link https://suttonvineyard.churchsuite.co.uk/events/ldjolg9l

If you have any questions or for more information, please email cap@suttonvineyard.org

New Wine Summer 2022

New Wine is Back!

Next summer we’ll regather as a family to celebrate everything God has been doing in our lives, churches, and communities.

We’ll encounter him afresh together and take his blessing back home – to see the nation changed. With impactful teaching, worship, Holy Spirit ministry, community, connection, and transformational encounters with God.

There will be programmes for all ages, with New Wine Kids groups and LUMINOSITY for 11-18s.

As a Church we will be going Week A from Sunday 23rd July to Thursday 28th July.

You can find out more information and book tickets by clicking on the following link https://www.new-wine.org/events/united22/

Let us know you have booked a space by emailing admin@suttonvineyard.org and we can put you in touch with other Sutton Vineyard members who are going.

Discovering Prophecy Course

During the months of lockdown, UK Vineyard Churches were offered the opportunity to participate in some online training in understanding and practising the prophetic .

Many of us at Sutton Vineyard found these Zoom sessions really helpful and encouraging. As a result we have launched our own Prophecy Appointments once a month. You can book a slot by visiting www.suttonvineyard.org/prophecy

There is now a new opportunity for members of Vineyard Churches through a new online course called "Discovering Prophecy" led by Mark Iles and Kevin McStay of Winchester and Carlisle Vineyard churches.

It runs monthly beginning on Monday 4th October and provides a biblical foundation for the prophetic as well as practical opportunity, which is really helpful .

Full details can be found on the following Eventbrite link

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/discovering-prophecy-online-prophecy-training-course-2021-22-registration-163417958513

Sunday 5th September

A new opportunity

This coming Sunday, 5th September, is something special and a milestone in our return to in-person services. You might not have ventured back for an in-person service with us yet. We miss you and want you to know that we will help you access our services when you are ready to do so. 

No sign-ups!

Since March last year, it is our first Sunday service with a full provision for adults, Youth, and Kids, where no one has to sign in to access the services. We continue to provide safeguards, such as asking people to wear masks when singing and seating for people who want to maintain social distancing.

Exciting things; DTI video, praying for parents, ALPHA

So Sunday 5th, we will be watching a video made from our Youth and their time at DTI last month. We will hear about significant events in the community SVC has organised for September. We will pray for Alpha, our parents and teachers, and those in education as schools re-open after the summer.  

Faith Works: A new series

We begin a new series, with the book of James. James wrote his book to Christians dispersed under persecution to help them pastorally and discover the power that God has for them at such times. We start this series believing the Lord has the same blessing and resources for us as we gather together as his people.  

Livestreaming

And if you are unable to join us in person yet, our services remain live-streamed, and we will pray for you online as we pray for those in the room.  

Support

If you want to return to in-person meetings but need support or have questions, please do let us know. Our teams are here to support you.