Join us this Sunday at 11am for our celbration service.
Join us afterwards for a bring and share lunch
The Vine at a Glance
-
We would love to welcome you in-person this Sunday at 11:00am.
The style of worship at the Vine is contemporary and informal. The range of music is wide and varied from lively and loud praise to quieter worship songs. Worship is led by members of the worship team and often comprises of drums, keyboard, guitar or Ukele. Everyone is encouraged to take part no matter how off key you might think your voice is.
At the Vine, we try to use language that is appropriate to the situation. So if someone is reading an account from the past it may have thee' and thou's in it but for the most, we use contemporary language and we read from a number of Bible translations including the Christian Standard Bilbe (CSB), the New International Version (NIV), the Message,
The New Living Translation (NLT), and even the KJV.On most weeks we have Shiners our Sunday Morning Childrens work, find out more about our what to expect at our Sunday Morning Meetings
The best way to keep up-to-date with changes is by subscribing to our Newsletter or join us on social media.This weeks service will not be streamed but you can catch up on previous services on our Watch Again page or watch on our Youtube Channel
-
We are now providing:
- In person Sunday Services that are also available online.
- Shiners our childrens work runs during the service
- Online Sunday Night Prayer via Zoom
- In Person and Online Midweek connection groups via Zoom
- Assist One-to-one Support
- Post Office Outreach
- Library Service
- TST Kids club for primary age children- also see our Facebook page
- The Gathering Place - Wellbing group
- Assist Dementia group.
Some events and groups will have adaptions to accomodate Covid-19 guidance
- In person Sunday Services that are also available online.
-
Can we Assist you?
Who we are:
Assist is a set up to facilitate support to those who have no one else to help them during times of difficulty or crisis. Have you ever felt you needed someone to speak to but didn't want to bother anyone? Do you feel isolated or lonely and you want someone to talk to? Perhaps you don't know where to turn for advice or help.
Maybe you are bereaved, recovering from illness or struggling with debts or living with Dementia. Whatever the issue we are here to help and if we can't help we will find someone who can.Contact Assist on 01522 370164 and contact@assistlincs.org.ukIf it is a life-threatening emergency please call 999. If you are having a mental health crisis click hereVolunteers:
We have a range of volunteering options with the library and Assist, contact us to find out more contact@assistlincs.org.uk
Vine Life
Don't leave it too late
Q: What do William Shakespeare, Jane Fonda and Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius have in common?
A: Not a lot other than they are all cited as being the originators of notable quotes on the subject of being ‘too late’.
Being too late nearly meant that this article did not make its way to the village magazine. Where has the time gone, a few moments ago it was the first of the month and now it is deadline day, maybe I should have taken the opportunity to write this days ago. 
We all put things off and risk being too late. In life, opportunities knock softly, often too softly for us to hear amidst the cacophony of daily existence.
It's a lesson I am all too familiar with. My brother and I drifted apart many years ago and after several years he tried to contact me by text. I always held onto the hope of reconciliation. I intended to respond, I told myself, "One day, I'll reach out. One day, we'll bury the hatchet." But "one day" never came. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. Life got in the way, or rather, I let life get in the way. I convinced myself there would always be more time, more chances to mend fences and bridge the divide between us. Then came the call that shattered my illusion of endless tomorrows.
My brother was gone, snatched away by fate before I could utter the words I'd rehearsed a thousand times in my mind. The regret hit me along with the thoughts of what-if and If-only. It was a harsh wake-up call, a stark reminder of the fragility of time and the importance of seizing opportunities before they vanish forever, or as William would put it:
Better three hours too soon than a minute too late. - William Shakespeare
Not all ‘too lates’ are quite as final, but more often than not, at least in my experience, when we put things off, we miss out and pretty soon we can be comfortable as we are or are reluctant to change and settle for second best, cue Ms Fonda:
It's never too late - never too late to start over, never too late to be happy. - Jane Fonda
The Good Friday story tells of two thieves crucified with Jesus. One of them at the brink of death turns to Jesus. Jesus’ response: “Today you will be with me in paradise”. Within the Vine there are people that grew up in Christian homes, those who didn’t and had not considered God until there teens or twenties and some who were considerably older. Each, no matter what stage of life they were in found a God who accepted them as they were, it is never too late for God.
In the tapestry of life, we are free to do or not do, procrastinate, or act, until it’s too late that is. Let’s not be defined by the regret of what could have been but rather by the courage to seize the moment and make it count. Take note of Marcus:
Tomorrow is nothing, today is too late; the good lived yesterday. Marcus Aurelius.
Hope is...
There is some uncertainty as I wrote this article for the village magazine; it might not arrive through people's letterboxes before Easter, but then life is full of uncertainty. We're surrounded by it, and life can be a real struggle. Ignoring what's happening around us isn't an option – that would mean denying our reality. But without hope, we might end up feeling down and overwhelmed. The ongoing living costs are hitting us hard, and many are making tough choices to avoid drowning in debt. We've just had a Budget that promised savings but left many uncertain about when or if we'll be better off.
Hope is a funny thing. It doesn't materially change the situation we are in, but it does have the ability to change us, to change the way we perceive the situation and react. Václav Havel, who led Czechoslovakia out of communism and through the transition to the Czech Republic, knew his fair share of uncertainty and the need for hope. He said, "Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out." I think deep down, we all want to make sense of our lives and the events of the wider world we see on the news.
For the disciples, Jesus' crucifixion made little sense; it brought grief and despair. Following the events of Good Friday, it must have seemed like there was no way out, no hope. Dreams shattered; purpose lost – everything felt meaningless. Some just walked away; others hid themselves away. I wonder if that reaction resonates.
But here's the thing: It wasn’t the end. The period of despair was temporary. You may know the story of Jesus conquering death, and being The Resurrection. The story continues though. He walked alongside those who were giving up, helping them return and sing the song of life, overcoming death and bringing sense to the events of their life.
Today, Christians across the globe continue that walk with Him. They take comfort from the understanding that God is working out His purpose in the world, and through the Holy Spirit in each believer; this is our hope. All of this is tied to the story of the one crucified for us, who rose on Easter Sunday and empowered his disciples to tell the story of God's wondrous love for humanity and the world.
Whether this article arrives before Easter or after, all the churches, including the Vine, would love you to join them to find out about this hope that we share, that makes sense of the world, regardless of how the day turns out.
I pray this Easter that you will discover the hope you need to make sense of life so that the present moment is less difficult to bear - Amen
Featured Events
That Saturday Thing (TST)
TST Returns in person.
TST is a twice Monthly event for Primary
Age Children from 5 years.
Fun, Games & activities 2-3pm first
and third Saturday of the month at the
Vine Centre Cherry Willingham.
All volunteers and staff hold current
DBS certificates.
TST online videos are available too
Assist
Assist is a free and confidential service for people over 18 years of age who need support.
We take referrals from healthcare professionals, other agencies, relatives, friends, neighbours or you can contact us yourself.
Our volunteers are formally approved, trained, trustworthy and reliable.
Sunday Services
We meet every Sunday for vibrant worship, fellowship and relevant teaching.
Church may not be how you imagine it; put away your preconceptions and come along.
11:00 Service.
Services are also streamed online.
Third Tuesday Book Club
TTBC is back, contact for more information.
For women who love to read a good book, and talk about it with friends!
It’s on the third Tuesday of each month at the Vine Centre.
The Gathering Place
A weekly Wellbeing space.
The Gathering Place is open to all.
As the name suggests it is a safe
welcoming place to drink coffee, connect,
and take part in a range of wellbeing
activities or just come and 'be'.
Nothing is pressured and
The Gathering Place is run by Assist.
1-3pm Wednesdays at the Vine Centre
Our Partners
TST Online Videos
Building houses
Join Alice for a TST Online story and Craft about where you should build a house
Zacchaeus
Join Alice for a TST Online story and Craft about Jesus, a short man and a tall tree
Man on the road
Join Alice for a TST Online story and Craft. What would you do if you found an injured man on the road?
Daniel and the lion
Join Alice for a TST Online story and Craft about Daniel and the lion.
