Still in the early stages of church planting, the Vineyard Church of Mahomet has already outgrown the space available at JT Walker’s, and will hold their next service on September 7 at Sangamon Valley Christian Church.
Regular Sunday morning church services will continue to be held at the Sangamon Valley Christian Church, but a short term agreement between the church and the Vineyard Church has been reached so that the Vineyard can hold their September service there at 4 p.m.
“They’ve been super kind by opening the doors to us,” Vineyard Pastor Leah Wegner said.
While JT Walker’s served the Vineyard’s needs for a season, Wegner is excited to implement traditional services for children at Sangamon Valley Christian Church. Staff will be able to electronically check-in children before they arrive at their designated classroom to sing songs, participate in Bible lessons and make a craft.
The Vineyard Church of Mahomet began to test the waters in Mahomet last summer as they began offering monthly worship services at Walker’s. At that time, their goal was to reach 100 residents who were not a part of the Vineyard Church of Urbana. In July, the Vineyard Church of Mahomet had 115 new attendees, and Wegner said the number has continued to grow since then.
Wegner stepped away from her position as Family Life Pastor of the Urbana campus on September 1. With a baby due in November, this gives her a little over six months to find a permanent location for their Easter launch date.
Wegner attributes the rapid growth of the Mahomet branch to her team of 14 members.
“Sometimes I can’t believe they are still running so hard,” she said. “They don’t miss a meeting. They don’t skip a beat. I ask them all the time, ‘Are you guys still loving it?’ And they tell me that they’d tell me if they were tired.”
With weekly meetings and Tuesday night dinners, the crew also plans children’s services, teen opportunities, technology and worship.
“We continue to grow, and more people want to be a part of it,” she said. “I’m very grateful. They are so gifted in so many different ways.”
The Vineyard Church of Mahomet is also constantly looking for ways to reach out to the community. This summer they hosted a Backyard Bible Club located in Thornewood Subdivision for 39 kids.
The teens also hosted a free car wash at Hatchers this summer, and the group walked behind the Sangamon River Music Festival Parade to pick up trash left behind.
“People were blown away,” Wegner said. “We think it’s such a small token. But people told us no one has ever done this.”
“We’re here to make the community better,” she continued. “We’re really here because we want to make a difference and do something important.”
Wegner and the Vineyard of Mahomet staff kicked off their weekly team meeting, “Revolution” Wednesday. She was surprised to see 47 youth in attendance, and knows that they will also need to find a more permanent solution for the youth ministry as the year rolls on.
Just as the Mahomet branch follows the curriculum and themes of the Urbana campus, the Vineyard will bring Mom2Mom to Mahomet this fall. This year’s theme will revolve around “Might Moms,” and how moms are empowered by Christ.
“We really want to be a place that can resource, equip and empower moms,” Wegner said.
But for Wegner, much of the church planting process has been about personal relationships and assimilating to the community. While the town’s population has changed since Wegner first lived her as a young girl, Wegner still feels the small town vibe that runs through backbone of Mahomet.
She likes the small school system, which makes athletic event attendance accessible, and that groceries are carried to the car for customers. Even moreso, she enjoys meeting new people on a daily basis, having a conversation with them about their life and talking about her life, too.
“The longer we’re here, and the more people know we want to stay and serve, the more they are open to having a conversation,” she said.
