The Story of Vintage Church - Diving IN

1. Prayer
Life-giving God,
heal our lives,
that we may acknowledge
your wonderful deeds
and offer you thanks
from generation to generation
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

2. The Church Calendar
November 14

3. The righteous (faithful/just) flourish like the palm tree,
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
In old age they still produce fruit;
they are always green and full of sap,
showing that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no
unrighteousness (unfaithfulness/injustice) in him.
PSALM 92:12-15

4. Vintage: Diving IN
the STORY of the PEOPLE of GOD…

5. VINTAGE’S STORY: short version
DeSoto/Olathe – KU – Arts Center – Central – Building
Planted – Independent – UP/IN/OUT

7. DIVING IN
TO OUR
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH ONE ANOTHER

8. DIVING IN
TO OUR
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH ONE ANOTHER

9. UNITY
we long for a spirit of unity
even as we acknowledge
how members of our community
often see things differently

10. 2 CORINTHIANS 13:11
Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice!
Strive for full restoration, encourage
one another, be of one mind, live in peace.
And the God of love and peace will be with you.
COLOSSIANS 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love,
which binds them all together in perfect unity.

11. UNITY
- Unity ≠ Uniformity
- Disagreement ≠ Disrespect
- Difference ≠ Divisiveness
- Jesus invited Matthew the Tax Collector
and Simon the Zealot to be on his team;
if they can learn to live/love amidst
major ideological and political
disagreements, so can we

12. DIVING IN
TO OUR
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH ONE ANOTHER

13. EQUITY
we embrace “equal worth,
equal opportunity, equal expectation”
for all who participate with us
in lives of Christian discipleship
Definition:
the quality of being fair and impartial

14. GALATIANS 3:26b-28 (NRSV)
…in Christ Jesus you are all children of God
through faith. As many of you as were baptized
into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave
or free, there is no longer male and female;
for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

19. DEACON’S CONCLUSION
What the Bible condemns it rightly condemns
(i.e. rape, sexual trafficking, uncontrolled
sexual desire, sexual manipulation, etc.), but I
am no longer convinced that what it
condemns is inherently the same thing as
same-sex activity practiced (or desired to be
practiced) in the context of
a faithful covenant marriage

20. DEACON’S CONCLUSION
I do not believe scripture categorically
condemns such a thing, as I don’t think its
writers even had it in mind as a realistic
possibility; they could not condemn
what they could not conceive of

23. We acknowledge the dignity
and worth of all human beings,
all of whom equally bear
the image of the God
who created and loves them

24. We open the full life of the church to anyone who wants
to participate with us in lives of Christian discipleship
(attending, volunteering, giving, taking communion,
being baptized, becoming a member, serving in
leadership/staff roles, and getting married)

25. …(and we) encourage our pastoral staff to openly,
respectfully, and lovingly share their inclusive/
affirming perspective on this subject,
and release them to perform their
pastoral responsibilities accordingly

26. We hold all followers of Jesus to the same
level of expectation re: Christian discipleship,
without special/extra requirements for
any person/group (e.g. lifelong celibacy
may be voluntarily chosen by the individual,
but is never considered mandatory)

27. EQUITY
- All are made in God’s image
- Attendance is open to all
- Membership is open to all
- Baptism is open to all
- Communion is open to all
- Marriage is open to all
- Serving/leading is open to all
- All are invited to know/follow Jesus

28. DIVING IN
TO OUR
RELATIONSHIPS
WITH ONE ANOTHER

29. WELCOME
we try to model a culture
of Christian hospitality,
welcoming neighbor and stranger
even in the midst of difference
and disagreement

30. ROMANS 12:13, 20
Share with the Lord’s people
who are in need. Practice hospitality…
If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
1 PETER 4:8-9
Above all, love each other deeply,
because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

31. Helping homeless
families with children
achieve and maintain
permanent housing
MISSION

32. Benediction
God of life and of growth,
make us as those who flourish like the palm tree,
as those who grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Plant us in your house; make us flourish in your courts.
In old age may we still produce fruit;
may we always be green and full of sap,
showing that the Lord is upright; that God is our rock,
and there is no injustice or unfaithfulness in you.
Amen.