South Bay Vineyard - A Month of Progress

Last month the new church plant in SanDiego, CA, led by my friends the Lancasters and the Selfs had their first service. South Bay Vineyard is up and running, and doing fine. They started with 47 people and have had visitors every week since. Here's what their newsletter had to say:

With the launch behind us we have begun the work of building a community of believers that impact the larger community around them.

We are building on the three values of Service, Acceptance and Power. It is becoming more evident every week that these reflect the basic needs of this culture.

There is so much need and people are willing and ready to serve others and help meet those needs if you just point them to something concrete to do. People want to make a difference but they aren't sure how... and they usually want to do it in the context of community... with like-minded friends. So we serve through the local food bank and other practical activities that impact people.

And I'm finding that the most basic desire is to be accepted and loved for who you are. More and more I see the young people here open up to the simplest act of love. I continue to be amazed at this 'fatherless' generation and how much they desire to simply be accepted and to be embraced.

And then there is the desire to see God move in supernatural power. Our heart cries out for it... we want to believe that He has the power to change lives... our life... but our faith is weak because we haven't seen it. But when somebody experiences God in a supernatural way they are different... their faith is increased... and they begin to think, "maybe there is hope for me."

That hope is our goal... God is for us and I believe that San Diego is ready to believe it.