Is it possible for people to really get connected and make friends in a church of nearly 1,800?

Thanks to an emphasis on small groups at Vine Church, the answer is an emphatic “YES!”

“Small groups are foundational to Vine Church in terms of the way we do ministry,” explains Staff Pastor Greg Darling.  “They are a place where people can connect, be in relationship and be there for one another when needed. We think that in the Book of Acts, the early church shares a beautiful picture of what the church can look like in terms of being there for each other: they shared everything and took care of each other, prayed together and worshiped together regularly. That’s the model.”

Darling says there currently are 68 small groups meeting each week, not including those specifically for youth. Small Groups typically meet in individual homes one night per week. The average group has about 11 members.

According to the Vine’s website, Small Groups are for everyone.

“Small Groups are for the members of the church and for those who have never even set foot inside our door; they are for those who have been following Jesus for decades and for those who are just curious and not sure what to believe; they are for college students, retired grandparents, and everyone in between. If you have a pulse, there is a Small Group for you.”

Darling adds that attending a Small Group is an important step in becoming active in the church.

“Small groups are for anyone that is wanting to get plugged in to Vine Church. It’s important for people who want to be a part of the church,” he says, noting that 63 percent of people who attend the Vine are in a Small Group.

At a group meeting, time is usually set aside for hanging out and getting to know one another (often with snacks), then the group leader will foster a Bible discussion on one or more Scripture passages.

But the key to Small Groups, Darling says, is making friends.

“Small Groups embrace the importance of real ministry happening through relationships,” Darling adds. “To me that’s one of the pinnacles of who we are and how we do ministry. Our small group leaders provide pastoral care that allows us to be a large church yet still have real relationships with people. Ministry happens through relationships and relationships happen in Small Groups,” he says.

Adam Testa, who attends Nathan Emrick’s Tuesday night group says Small Group has given him a sense of belonging.

“Small Group is an opportunity to get to know other people in the church on a more personal level,” Testa says. “Through my years at the Vine, I’ve been part of several small groups, and I still have close friends from each different one. It adds a true sense of community and helps prevent oneself from ever feeling alone.”

For those looking to join a group, church leaders suggest trying several groups to find the right one. Information on groups is available in the church lobby or at www.vinechurch.net/groups. Another opportunity to learn about groups is at monthly Discipleship Community gatherings.

“DC is the once-a-month meeting where the groups from a particular night meet together at the church instead of in the individual homes,” Darling says.

Each DC, which gathers either in the Vine Auditorium or the new North Building, combines several small groups together for a time of worship, teaching, taking the Lord’s Supper and a time to receive prayer.

“It’s a way of turning what feels like multiple Small Groups in the church into an intermediate-sized community where you know more people than just your group,” he adds.

The Discipleship Communities are multi-generational, so members of college-aged Small Groups, for example, can get to know older people in the church. Each DC is led by a pastor who oversees the Small Groups from that particular night. The topic covered during DC will serve as the basis for discussions in Small Groups during the following few weeks, Darling says.

Learn more about Small groups on our website at http://vinechurch.net/groups/

Article courtesy of The Southern Illinoisan; photos courtesy of The Southern Illinoisan and Vine Community Church.

It can be a confusing day for children. They hear in Sunday school or church programs that Good Friday was the day that Jesus was crucified, yet they wonder what is good about it. A Friday morning program at Carbondale’s Vine Community Church aimed at teaching children ages 5 through 10 exactly what makes Good Friday something to celebrate.

“These children have a day off of school, so there’s something special about the day,” Vine Church Staff Pastor Mike Berardi said. “We want them to understand what it is. When we tell them that Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday, it doesn’t seem very good. We want them to see why it is good and the saving grace that comes with it.”

Through a variety of small group sessions and activities, as well as two dozen volunteers, 65 school-age children learned not only about the day, but also about the basics of Christian faith.

Each session featured part of the Easter story of Jesus’ trial, death and resurrection paired with a short lesson and activity. One session explained the original fall of man as the basis for all sin. Another showed the children the difference between temptation and sin. In one room, leaders asked the children to draw out on paper a time where they had sinned. Assistants then shared how Jesus’ death washed away those sins by erasing a portion of each child’s drawing in the shape of a cross.

“I think everybody can think of a time that we did something we shouldn’t have done,” volunteer Crystal Phillips taught. “Those things are sins, but we’re showing today with these drawings that Jesus took the punishment for that.”

Staff Pastor Noble Staley taught the children about the resurrection.

“Resurrection means to bring something back to life when it’s dead,” he said. “Jesus did that. No other person has ever done that and because he did, we can have eternal life.”

Staley then tried to show the children what eternity is. He asked several children to pull string from a box until they thought the length was a good representation of eternity. Most of the children stopped after just a few feet of string.

“It’s such a hard concept to share with the kids,” Berardi said. “It’s even hard for adults to understand.”

Staley told the children they could continue to draw out string and still not get enough.

“We could just keep pulling and pulling forever,” he explained. “That’s how long eternity is. It’s a really long time.”

Church member Brian Davis led the session on how Jesus’ death brought about the Holy Spirit. Using flashlights, which the children got to keep, he shared a comparison.

“Flashlights help us see and know which way to go,” Davis said. “That’s what the Holy Spirit does for us. Living without Jesus and the Holy Spirit is like having a flashlight without batteries.”

In a closing skit, church member Kaleb Cook summed up the day’s lesson.

“It’s not just about Jesus’ death on the cross, it’s about all of the good things he did and the way he saved us,” he said.

One of the goals of the program was to teach the real reason for the holiday.

“On Sunday, when you may be getting some candy and finding some eggs and even maybe hearing about a bunny, I want you to know and remember that Easter is about Jesus’ resurrection,” Staley said. “That is why we celebrate.”

Berardi said the goal was to teach the children about Good Friday and Easter in a fun way.

“It’s challenging because of the spread in ages and understanding, but amazing to see how the kids can pick it up and understand what Jesus did and is doing in their lives. It’s fun to see how many kids are excited about this,” he explained.

It seemed that the program worked.

“We wanted to just go over the basics,” said Jennifer Quinn, children’s coordinator at the church. “It’s just two hours, but it has such a huge impact. I think the kids developed an understanding of the day and even though they do things that might be wrong, because of Easter, God loves them and forgives them.”

One of the children who attended the event, 6-year-old James Riffey of Carbondale said he learned from the sessions.

“I learned why Jesus died on the cross,” he said. “It was to forgive sins. I had fun and learned stuff.”

His mother, Nikki Riffey, said the event reinforced what James is learning at home.

“I think sometimes events like this can do a better job because it’s more interactive and involves other kids. They learn in a fun way,” she said.

When you ask people for the Sunday service times at Vine Community Church, the most likely answer will be “9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.” While those are the times the actual worship services start, Sunday service at Vine starts much earlier. In fact people start serving hours before the actual service ever starts.

In fact, the serving begins as early as 5:45 a.m. That’s when members of the facility team first arrive at the church. First, the doors of both buildings are unlocked. Then lights throughout the facilities are turned on and the team checks for bulbs that need to be replaced and any other maintenance issues. Rows of chairs in the auditorium are straightened and everything is double-checked to make sure the church building is ready. members of the Sunday morning cleaning team arrive. They begin by washing windows, making sure countertops and tables are clean and taking vacuums to the church carpeting.

At 6:45 volunteers arrive at the Walmart bakery, where they carefully load nearly a dozen large boxes of doughnuts and bagels into their cars. After transporting to the church, the boxes are unloaded and placed on large platters for the first service. Other platters are prepared and covered, tucked away in the Vine’s kitchen to be enjoyed following the 11 a.m. service.

By 7 a.m., members of Sunday’s worship team arrive and begin rehearsal of the day’s worship set. They work on such items as harmonies, the musical bridges between songs and prayerfully set about making sure that the attention of the music is not themselves, but rather God. The team consists not only of the musicians and singers on stage, but also a sound board operator and a video projection technician in the audio/video booth at the back of the sanctuary, both of whom also arrive at 7 a.m. to make sure their portion of the worship service goes smoothly.

As the worship team arrives, the aroma of freshly roasted coffee begins to fill the air in the building, as members of the church’s coffee teams also arrive at 7 a.m. and begin the task of brewing nearly 30 pots of coffee for the morning services—a task that takes just over an hour. While the coffee brews, a second java team—this one the coffee set up team—works to make sure those attending the services will find plenty of cups, creamer and sugar and all of the other items necessary for a perfect cup of coffee.

About 7:35 members of a second worship team arrives at the church and begin taking their places on the stage of the North Building. This team will handle worship for the youth worship services that take place at the same time as the regular services in the auditorium. Like their peers, the youth worship group practices songs and transitions, focusing on giving glory to Jesus.

By 8 a.m., a small group of people meets in the lobby or the auditorium, spending time in prayer for the days’ services, the teaching, the worship and for all who will be in attendance in the coming hours. A few minutes later, the video technician makes certain that all of the video monitors in the lobby and the cry rooms are turned on and that each is showing a loop of announcements and information important to churchgoers.

As the clock approaches 8:30, the building is practically spotless, the bands and technicians are prepared, the coffee and doughnuts are ready for attenders and plenty of prayers have been lifted to God for the day. Members of the parking lot team don their reflective vests to welcome and assist drivers find a place to park safely. Inside, the hospitality team welcomes individuals and families to worship, answering questions and distributing programs. Volunteers in the Kids’ Program area have readied each Adventureland room and await the arrival of eager children. Then once the serving is complete, it’s time for the service to begin.

By any account, John Gund was having a tough summer. The SIU senior in English education was away from home — like he has been most summers recently — working as a counselor at a Christian camp while practically all of his family members were suffering from a variety of health problems. Then, to top it off, the Wisconsin bugs had made a buffet out of John’s arms and legs.

“It was the hardest summer of my life,” Gund says.

He thought things would get better when he returned to Carbondale for his senior year. They didn’t. What looked to Gund to be a mosquito bite on one knee began to trouble him.

“I noticed that one of the mosquito bites on my knee was starting to hurt, and it was swelling up and starting to turn black in the center. I figured it was a spider bite,” he recalls. “Over three to four days it doubled in size every single day. It hurt worse than anything I’ve ever had before.

A trip to the physician’s office gave him an answer: he had been bitten by a brown recluse spider.

“The doctor cut out a piece—I had a hole about the size of a nickel and a half-inch deep or more in my knee—and shoved it full with gauze.”

Gund says not only was the bite infected and inflamed, but the flesh around the bite was dying. His doctor told him that sometimes a similar bite on the knee could lead to loss of function in the leg.

A member of Vine, Gund turned to God and others in the church for prayer.

“I really knew God could heal it. I was praying, my wife was praying, my small group leader was praying. A couple of the pastors prayed for me and nothing major was happening with it. Finally at Team Vine, I was planning on praying for other people, but just as I was hobbling up front, I knew God was saying for me to get more prayer. A couple of people began to pray for me and I immediately felt the Spirit start to come over me. It was really intense. I just overwhelmingly felt God’s presence.”

Gund says that instantly the pain was gone and when he removed the bandage, the hole was dramatically smaller and there was no sign of infection whatsoever.

He adds that his doctor “flipped out,” so he shared with her his belief that God healed his knee.

Today, all that remains is a small scab—and deepened faith.

“What I got out of this whole experience is how truly humbling and awesome it is when Jesus uses our weaknesses to further His glory and His kingdom. There is no greater joy that I can express than to be a part of that.”