FAQ
At Vineyard Covington, we have a broad and inclusive approach to our Way of Life rhythms. We want to create space for people to belong before they believe as we learn how to follow Jesus on mission together.
As people in our church family move closer to areas of leadership, there are some areas of theological alignment that are important so that we are operating out of unity and with personal integrity. We believe that clarity is kindness, and hope that his FAQ section helps address some of the questions that have consistently come up. If you have a question that is not addressed here, send us an email and we can connect.
Updated August 2023
Why does Vineyard Covington not have a worship gathering every Sunday?
Our rhythms look a bit different than some other churches. For some churches, the effort it takes to put on a service every Sunday can lead to burnout for those serving. It can also lead to a consumeristic mentality among people that attend. To address this, we started with one large worship gathering per month. In September of 2023, we expanded that to two worship gatherings per month. On Sunday mornings without a worship gathering, we offer men’s and women’s prayer groups that meet in homes.
Our hope is to invite people to follow Jesus as an integrated way of life in community and not just a once a week event. We value our other communal rhythms equally with Sunday worship gatherings. Learn more about our rhythms.
What is Vineyard Covington’s position on women in leadership?
The Vineyard Movement encourages, trains, and empowers women in all areas of leadership.
We believe that God calls and gifts leaders within the church as He chooses and that this is not limited by gender, age, ethnicity, economic status, or any other human distinction (1 Cor. 12:11; Gal. 3:28). The role of the church community is to discern God’s gifting and calling for leadership and also to discern the maturity and character required for leadership (1 Tim. 3:1-13). In the community of Jesus followers, leadership centers around serving the body of Christ in humility and self-sacrificial love (Matt. 20:25-28).
In the Vineyard, every area of leadership is open to both men and women who have the desire for humble service to the community of believers and whose God-given gifting and calling for leadership has been recognized and affirmed by the church community.
The Vineyard is actively working to break down barriers that prevent women from fully using their gifts and living out God’s call on their lives and to build a community of churches in which the whole body of Christ is actively serving to the fullness of their ability.
You can find the Vineyard’s full position paper on this subject at: vineyardusa.org/library/one-in-christ-men-women-together-in-ministry/ .
What is Vineyard Covington’s position on LGBTQIA+?
Vineyard Covington falls under the authority of Vineyard USA and believes that the term “marriage” means the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, and that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other.
With that in mind, we aim to offer a heartfelt welcome, hospitality, inclusion, and humble accommodation to the LGBTQIA+ community. That means everyone is welcome.
While Vineyard Covington is not considered ‘open and affirming’, we make every effort to be ‘welcoming and including’. Our prayer is for Vineyard Covington to be a community where everyone has a safe space for exploring the Christian faith and following Jesus, no matter what.
We repent of the terrible homophobia which has marked the attitudes of too many of us who call ourselves Christian toward those who are gay or identify with the LGBTQIA+ community, and we call our fellow Christians to do the same.
We make every effort to have a humble and self-aware posture, knowing that far too many LGBTQIA+ people have been damaged through relationships with the Church. We do not practice any sort of reparative therapy (we do not attempt to ‘change’ someone’s orientation) and our pastors and counselors are open to conversations with individuals and families as they navigate questions about gender and sexuality in healthy, grace-filled ways.
While anyone, regardless of orientation or identity, is welcome into our church, Vineyard churches (including Vineyard Covington) hold a traditional theology and practice regarding marriage (our pastors do not officiate at same-sex weddings) and leadership (our leaders and pastors commit to practicing a traditional sexual ethic).
Our convictions will lead to uncomfortable tensions for many, though we believe these tensions are inherent to the unity in diversity that marks those who belong to Christ and the Christian community. Our position means that someone who is fully open and affirming will feel tension at Vineyard Covington regarding leadership involvement and marriage.
It is our goal for Vineyard Covington to be a community that can hold tensions, sometimes disagree, but always treat one another as beloved children of God.
Does Vineyard Covington value racial healing & justice?
We believe the sin of racism is evil and has been a source of pain for so many for too long and the church is to exist as a community of healing and reconciliation.
Jesus modeled a vision of the Kingdom of God coming to earth setting all things right and meeting people in the places of pain. Our prayer and energy is geared towards addressing this in our city and beyond through partnerships with like-minded churches and organizations committed to racial healing and justice.
For more info and resources check out Vineyard Justice Network.
Does Vineyard Covington have any paid staff or leaders?
Yes, the three co-lead pastors are each paid a part-time salary to lead Vineyard Covington. Besides staff, we frame our budget around the 3 aspects of our vision: mission, transformation, and family. For more details on how we budget or spend resources and money, feel free to send us an email.
Contact us
info@vineyardcovington.com