Welcome to Exeter Vineyard Church
We are a church based in and around the lovely city of Exeter, in the South West of England.
We think of church as a family. So, like a family, church isn't something you ‘do’ or ‘attend’, it's something we’re part of at all times.
This means our highest priority at Exeter Vineyard is to create a loving, supportive and fun community with God at the centre and us all learning to involve him in all areas of our everyday lives.
We also know that God has given the Church a mission, so we’re always looking to be people who bring God’s kingdom to the world around us.
Our Purpose
Our purpose is best captured by the Biblical idea of ‘discipleship’.
Discipleship is the transforming process that God wants to do in every person, no matter their age, stage or experience.
It is the journey to become more fully alive; to be shaped into the person God created us to be, someone who reflects the character of God and lives a Jesus-sized life.
Discipleship happens gradually and takes time. It is unique and individual, and there is always something new to learn.
We define being a disciple as someone who is increasingly growing in these three areas:
- A life centred around an amazing, loving relationship with God,
- Where this reality saturates every area of our whole life,
- And this transforming power overflows into the world around us.
What We Do
We want to build our church around discipleship.
We think there are two elements that are essential to this process - community and formation. All our activities try to engage these elements.
Community is to do life with others, in real and healthy relationships with people who accept and support us.
Formation are the practices and ways of thinking that help us see and respond to God in our everyday life
Hubs
Instead of a Sunday service, Hubs are our prime expression of ‘being’ church. Hubs are welcoming small groups of people who are all on a discipleship journey together. It can help to think of Hubs as mini-churches that meet to ‘be church over a meal’.
Whole Church
Twice a month we meet as a whole church family to celebrate who God is and what he is doing!
Our Family Meal, on the first Sunday morning of the month, is a brunch where we have musical worship, hear encouraging stories and practice a spiritual activity.
Connect, which happens (usually) on the third Saturday, is an hour of sung worship and prayer. We want to encounter God in the moment and practice how to hear him and pray for each other.
Under 18s
Young people are fully part of our church and are involved in Hubs and our whole church activities.
We also do monthly activities for young people, split into different age groups. These are fun times to help build a community of friendships and practice connecting to God. Get in touch for more information.
Compassion Ministries
We have a number of teams that work to help others. The Crosslines team provide a weekly hot meal for the homeless and vulnerably housed community. Roundabout collects and distributes good quality clothes and equipments to families in need. The Refugee House team work with two other local churches in the Governments refugee resettlement scheme, so far helping two Syrian families move from refugee camps to start a new life in Exeter. We also champion the work of Home For Good, helping to support and encourage people considering or engaged in fostering and adoption.
Getting Involved
If you would like to find out more about Exeter Vineyard then drop us a line on this form or on the email at the bottom of the page.
If you want to get a feel for what we’re like then you’re welcome to join us for one of our whole church activities. Check our calendar for what’s going on.
Finally, if you want to join our church family, you can complete a form here that puts you into our secure database and allows us to connect with you. You can choose options to say you would like more details about different areas of our church.
Our Team
Dave & Sarah
Dave & Sarah lead the team at Exeter Vineyard. They met while studying art in Exeter and have been involved in Exeter Vineyard since it started. They took on the role of senior leaders in 1995 in some sort of divine hijacking of their own plans! They have two children. Dave is a Spurs fan and loves kebabs. Sarah is very artistic and enjoys peace and quiet.
Alan
Alan is our Assistant Pastor with a focus on our gathered activities and online service. Alan also works as a head teacher of a local secondary school. He is married to Jane and they have two grown up boys. Alan is a fan of F1 and definitely drinks too much tea.
Adam
Adam is our Assistant Pastor with a focus on Hubs. He also oversees our under-18 activities. He works for us one day a week and spends the rest of his week as a Marine Biology researcher. His speciality is micro-plastics and their effect on the environment (spoiler: it’s bad). He has a Phd, so technically he’s a doctor, but don’t show him any suspicious rashes or expect help if you’re choking. He is married to Hannah and they have two cats.
Rachel
Rachel is our Operations Manager. She works 2 days a week, making sure everything works smoothly behind the scenes. She is married to Alex and they have two teenage boys and one overexcited dog. Rachel is the master at getting the coolest clothes in charity shops.