Leah and Ben Wenger say yes when God tells them to go.
And in the unlikeliest of times, when Leah went from full-time to part time as Family Life Pastor, which oversees the youth curriculum at all Vineyard locations, God told Ben and Leah to plant a Vineyard Church in Mahomet.
“Life was easy,” Leah said. “But when God says, ‘Go,’ and we have just seen blessing after blessing, favor after favor, we just say yes.”
The Wengers approached lead pastor, Happy Leman about the possibility of taking the lead on a Vineyard in Mahomet. Leman, who has wanted a church in Mahomet for years, was excited to get the ball rolling.
The Vineyard in Urbana has become a multi-site church with campuses in Sullivan, Danville, Paxton and Charleston. The Vineyard uses the Urbana model and resources to support the smaller churches.
Each multi-site service begins with the local pastor and worship team leading the service. Three of the four Sundays, the congregation views a live feed from the main campus so all congregations are connected by the same message.
On the fourth Sunday, the local pastor preaches.
“Each church has a different feel because it’s unique to that place, and Mahomet will have its own feel too,” Leah said. “What we value is local church. We want a group of people who love Mahomet, and want to focus on, embrace the people and reach people who don’t know Jesus.”
After approaching Leman, the Wengers put their house on the market, and had two offers within two days. They bought and sold within five days.
“It just confirmed that God’s hand is on it,” Leah said.
Leah, a lifelong Vineyard member, grew up and graduated in Mahomet. She had to grow up fast while taking care of her younger siblings. Leah was excited to break free of her childhood life and study at the University of Illinois.
“My world was crazy and chaotic,” Leah said. “But on the inside, Jesus pulled me out of what was crazy. I always had this desire to be good. Be the good Christian girl. It really wasn’t until the last few years that I understood the grace of Jesus and what He did. I’m thankful for the protection.”
While in college, she volunteered at the Vineyard on Wednesday nights to work with sixth grade girls. She followed the group straight through the program for the next five years.
Leah married Ben right after her senior year of college. After Ben finished his fifth year of college, they moved to Kansas City for his job.
“It was the first time I had to look for a church,” Leah said. “Nothing felt like home.”
At the Vineyard in Kansas City, Leah interned and enrolled in the Vineyard Leadership Institute program while she was a nanny. Leah never intended to become a pastor during her training.
“I felt like God said, stack your tool belt,” she said. “Just learn some things along the way.”
When Leah’s visited Champaign for her mother’s funeral in 2008, she was approached by an Executive Pastor at the Vineyard about becoming a youth pastor in Urbana.
“They know my history,” she said. “But he was able to see past the things I thought would keep me out of ministry.”
Leah said over time the nagging feeling of coming home to work in the Vineyard would not leave her. She came to Urbana for an interview.
Once she was hired as the High School Youth Pastor, Ben had to leave his great job in Kansas City and they sold their home. The couple slept on a friend’s couch until Ben secured another position.
“In the natural, it was stupid,” she said “For Ben this was the first time his faith was tested.”
Because the Wengers felt blessed in the Kansas City move, they also feel God will bless the Mahomet move and the Vineyard Church in Mahomet.
Vineyard leadership held an interest meeting at the Mahomet Public Library in July to answer general questions and to share their vision for a local church.
With a substantial Mahomet resident membership at the Vineyard in Urbana, Wenger felt people were really excited about the new location, uncertain about the vision or wanted to continue to attend the Urbana campus.
“I think that’s great,” Leah said. “I love Urbana. We’re one church.”
Shortly after the interest meeting, the Vineyard also visited the Sangamon River Music Festival to hand out free water, and to connect to the Mahomet community.
“We just wanted to be a presence where people feel loved and cared for,” she said.
There are currently six small study groups from the Vineyard which meet throughout the week in Mahomet. Twenty-five Mahomet residents also meet at Wenger’s house on Tuesday night for the School of Kingdom Ministry.
The Vineyard will also host a fall fest, which includes hayrides and a bonfire on Oct. 12 from 4 to 7 p.m. at a member’s home.
“We just really want to know people and to be known,” Leah said. “Every person has that need.”
Vineyard leadership is currently looking for a site to host a Sunday night gatherings. As the Vineyard reaches new attendees, they will begin to plan for a more permanent Sunday morning service location.
“Most church planters go into the wild with nothing,” Leah said. “We have all the tools. Because we’re such a big family and we are one church, when one is in need, we’re going to help them. I have no doubt that we are going to take care of each other as one church in many locations.”
Wenger said a Mahomet location will not only serve a need in the Mahomet community, but will also draw people from surrounding small towns who drive longer distances to go to church in Urbana.
In a Mahomet community saturated with churches, Wegner had questions about why God would want to plant a church in Mahomet.
“Why us? Why now?” she said. “There are a lot of people in Mahomet who don’t know Jesus. I think you could have a church on every corner, in every home and there still wouldn’t be enough. Until every person knows Jesus, there will never be enough churches.”
