Mission :
Jesus Christ had a mission. He came from heaven knowing his purpose. In fact, he launched his public ministry with these words: "At last the time has come! The Kingdom of God is near! Turn from your sins and believe this Good News!" (Mark 1:15NLT) He brought the Kingdom of God to the earth. In his words and works, he taught and demonstrated the love of God the Father for all people everywhere as he healed the sick, delivered the oppressed, ministered to the poor, and forgave the sinner. Jesus then entrusted his disciples with the task of carrying his mission forward after his ascension to the Father. He gave them marching orders in the Great Commission, and then promised his followers that they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as radically different people on the earth. Since the day of Pentecost, the church has been a missional community, re-presenting the Kingdom of God all around the globe.missiont, he launched his public ministry with these words: "At last the time has come! The Kingdom of God is near! Turn from your sins and believe this Good News!" (Mark 1:15NLT) He brought the Kingdom of God to the earth. In his words and works, he taught and demonstrated the love of God the Father for all people everywhere as he healed the sick, delivered the oppressed, ministered to the poor, and forgave the sinner. Jesus then entrusted his disciples with the task of carrying his mission forward after his ascension to the Father. He gave them marching orders in the Great Commission, and then promised his followers that they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as radically different people on the earth. Since the day of Pentecost, the church has been a missional community, re-presenting the Kingdom of God all around the globe.At the Vineyard, we who call ourselves Jesus’ followers have an earnest desire to partner with the Holy Spirit in continuing Christ’s mission in east-central Illinois. We are a community of believers who take our faith seriously—we are hungry to know God and experience his truth, love, and power in our lives—but we also want our church life to reflect a casual, relaxed style free from religious hype. (We feel comfortable worshipping in jeans to contemporary music, maybe even drinking a cup of good coffee during our church services.) We want to share our faith by what we say and what we do. We want our kids to experience the joy of obeying and serving God themselves. And we desire to see our neighborhoods and cities impacted by the Kingdom of God as the lost hear and believe the Gospel, the poor are fed and clothed, the sick are healed, and the addicted and oppressed are set free.