New Here?
Thank you for visiting our website. We know it can be intimidating to visit a church for the first time. So, we've tried to make Vineyard - West Philly as "user-friendly" as possible. We're also happy to answer any questions that you might have. Feel free to contact a member of our church staff using the "Contact Us" link at the top of the page.
In an effort to direct your navigation towards content that will be most useful to you, here is a brief description of the information you can find on our site:
Sundays: This tab contains information relevent to our weekly services, including what to expect at a typical service, our offerings for kids, a synopsis of our current talk series, and an archive of past messages.
Connect: Check out this tab if you are interested in getting to know people at the Vineyard. It lists activites that are designed to help people get connected with the variety of programs and groups that we offer.
Learn: Interested in exploring faith? Want to learn more about a specific topic? We offer a variety of classes, retreats, and discussion groups. Check out this tab to find out more about those offerings.
Serve: We offer a variety of volunteer opportunities within our church. These include Vineyard initiatives purposed to serve the Philadelphia community, partnerships with local organizations, and programs that support the church. If you'd like to get involved, check out this tab to find an opportunity that suits you.
Talks: If you're interested in hearing a talk from last week or even last fall, click on the Talks Tab. You can find out how to subscribe to our podcast or download a sermon from our website.
Are you a member of Facebook? Click here to find us on Facebook.
What to Expect
We know it takes some guts to visit a new place for the first time. It's common to wonder things like "Will anyone talk to me?", "Will I know what's going on?", "Will I have to do anything embarrassing?" At Vineyard Community Church, we really want to be as warm, welcoming, and "user friendly" as we can be for first-time guests. So, to put your mind at ease, here's what you can expect if you decide to drop in for a visit:
Welcome
When you first walk in the doors, someone friendly will be there to say "Hi" and offer you a program for the service. Our program contains a brief rundown of what you can expect during the service that day. You also might notice that most people are dressed casually (jeans, t-shirts), while some are more dressed up. Feel free to dress in a way that you will feel most comfortable. Near the doors, you'll see our "welcome table." Here you'll find a helpful person who can answer any questions you might have. Across from the welcome table, you'll notice our hospitality area. Help yourself to a cup of coffee or tea before the service begins. We want you to feel at comfortable and at home.
Opening Song & Announcements
The service will begin with an opening song promptly at 10:00 a.m.. Following our first song, we'll share a few announcements.
Sermon & Prayer
After announcements, one of our pastors will start to speak. These talks generally last around 30 minutues. Our goal is to make them inspiring, practical, and relevant for those listening.
The speaker generally concludes the sermon by praying for the whole congregation. If you're interested, there will be an opportunity to receive further prayer from someone who is on a team of folks who are trained in praying for others. The speaker will offer further instructions along those lines, at the conclusion of the talk.
Communion & Worship
Each week, we take communion together. Communion is a Christian ritual that we engage to remember and celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. If you're not sure what you think about Jesus, you won't be pressured to take part. This is the one part of our service designed for people who have decided to follow Jesus. If you're not in that place, that's okay! As the band is playing, it's a great time for personal reflection.
Worship continues with about 25 minutes of songs sung to God. The words to the worship songs will be projected on a screen so that you could sing along even if you've never heard the song. During this time, feel free to stand, sit, sing, clap, raise your hands, stick them in your pockets, or simply sit back and take in the music. Our hope is that you will be able to connect to God during this time, not that you will do any particular thing.
Offering
During the worship time, we'll take an offering. So you might see a little green basket come by. When you come as a guest, please don't feel obligated to give. The offering is a way for those who come on a regular basis to support what the church is doing.
X-tra Cup
Immediately following the service, feel free to stick around for Xtra-Cup. Take a few minutes to grab another cup of coffee or tea, catch up with friends, and get to know someone new!
Vineyard Kids
At the Vineyard, we are passionate about creating a program for children that gives them a safe and structured environment in which they can fully explore and express their creativity as they learn about God. Our volunteers are dedicated to making sure that church becomes a highlight of the week for the children who are involved. Safety is important to us too. All of our children's workers are required to have a criminal background checks and all children are required to be signed in and out by a parent or guardian.
Young Sprouts Nursery // Our nursery is staffed throughout the duration of the service and available for children aged 3 months - 5 years old. Please visit the VineyardKids table, which is located near the entrance to sign-in your children and find out more information about VineyardKids.
VineyardKids // During the announcements, elementary-aged children (ages 6 - 12) are dismissed to join their teachers for a VineyardKids lesson during the sermon. Please pick-up your children in the foyer through the doors to the left of the stage during communion, as elementary-aged children re-join the adults for worship. Children in the VineyardKids program should be signed-in before service begins at the VineyardKids table, which is located near the entrance of the service area.
Current Series
The Incomparable Jesus, January 8 - February 19
What is the big deal about Jesus? So many people struggle to find a good answer to this question. The list of possible answers to it can be overwhelming. Was it Jesus’ teaching that made him stand out? How about his moral example? Was it his way to God? His revolutionary spirit? In this series, we will examine what is truly unique and incomparable about Jesus and why it continues to matter to veterans of a life with Jesus, those who are skeptical, and everyone in between.
Directions
We hold our Sunday morning services in the chapel of Spruce Hill Christian School, located on the corner of 42nd St. and Baltimore Avenue in Philadelphia (4115 Baltimore Avenue).
We are easily accessible by public transportation. The #34 green line trolley runs down Baltimore Avenue and stops at 42nd Street, directly in front of our meeting space. If you prefer to drive, you can find detailed directions here. Street parking is generally available on the surrounding blocks.
Our Vision
Vineyard Community Church - West Philly seeks to make our great city even better by joining in Jesus' ongoing work in our world, so that all people may have spiritually-connected, purpose-filled, and satisfying lives.
Giving at the Vineyard
To access Vineyard's online giving page, please click here.
Everything VCC does is made possible through the generosity of its members, attendees, and friends. In fact, VCC receives 99% of its annual budget from offerings and donations from people in or connected to the church. These contributions fund all our activities and expenses, ranging from the utility bills to church ministries and community outreach. Without the generosity of our members, attendees, and friends, it would be impossible for us to carry out our vision of “making our great city even better.”
To access our online Generosity Commitment Form, please click here.
Ways to Give
Sundays
Every Sunday we receive an offering after the sermon. Simply fill out the information on the envelope found in your bulletin and drop it in the basket as it is passed.
Online
Online giving at VCC is an easy and powerful tool to financially support the church through credit cards or e-checks. Online giving is free and secure, managed by our church database, Fellowship One. With online giving you can give one-time gifts or set up recurring donations, depending on your giving preferences.
To give online, click here. Click the link to our online giving portal and create an account. If you wish to make a donation, you can provide your credit card or check information and select the frequency of your gift. VCC currently accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and ACH “E-Check” donations. While all these are great ways to give to VCC, e-checks are the preferred way of using online-giving.
Most banks allow you to automatically cut and mail a check to the VCC office through the bill pay function.
Keeping Track of Gifts
VCC sends out electronic giving statements every quarter, as well as at the end of the year to help you keep track of your giving. You can also use our online giving portal to keep track of your donations to VCC, including cash and checks. Even if you do not choose to give online, you can use the portal to create an account that will allow you to monitor your paper donations.
To see your past giving history, create an online giving account on our website. You do not have to make a donation, instead send an email to so our administrator can link your account to your online profile. After this happens, you can log into the portal and see your giving history since January 2009.
All contributions are 100% tax-deductible. A giving envelope must be completed for cash gifts so that they can be tax-deductible.