Mike Biggs

Impact Report - Multiplying Healthy Leadership

We’re so thankful to have a growing and healthy leadership community within our church, and that’s made possible because of your generosity

As team leaders, Andrew and Rosie have ultimate responsibility for this vital area of church life. We know that a growing leadership community is essential in a growing church like ours, so if you are exploring a call to lead please do get in touch with your site pastors or ministry leaders. 

We’ve got capable, gifted leaders in every area of church life—kids, youth, worship, and small group leaders. Most of those people are dedicated volunteers choosing to give their time to serve in the church, and we’re really grateful!

We believe that God has prepared good works for each of us to do (Ephesians Chapter 2:10). For many, that includes a call to serve others by leading. We consider developing people’s call to lead a real privilege and we take that opportunity seriously. 

Here is an overview of things that support people’s journey into servant leadership in the way of Jesus:

We’ve got a Leadership Lab, which happens once a term. It’s a full morning to explore the first steps to leadership from a biblical perspective. It focuses on Christ-like character and the convictions we have as a Vineyard Church. 

We have Vineyard Leadership Essentials—this is nationally resourced, and locally hosted here in Birmingham. It’s a two-year journey to develop and invest in the leadership calling for many people in our church community.

We also have Leadership College, which is for those that can give a day a week to investing in their leadership. 

We also have termly All Leaders Meeting events for in-service training and the staff team make time to coach, support and oversee all the leaders in each area of ministry. 

All of that happens because people choose to generously give to support the work of the Church. 

We’re also really grateful that the reach of the training is extending beyond Birmingham.

Linked to this post you’ll see a video from David and Faith Paterson. They are planting a Vineyard Church and leading a charity called Yes Uganda. They see Birmingham Vineyard as their sending Church and they connect with the leadership training that we run through Vineyard Leadership Essentials and the coaching that we make available online.    

So thank you for all the ways that you invest in the growth and the health of our church through giving and supporting leadership development.

 

Impact Report - Compassion

A year of change and blessing for Compassion at Birmingham Vineyard!

Last March, Maddy Bunker started  as the Compassion Coordinator for Birmingham Vineyard. Her vision is to encourage the development of a culture, throughout the church, where people take initiative and are released in demonstrating Christ’s compassion. This can be carried out by projects working within the church or by individuals working alongside others in the community.

Our Foodbank continues to provide emergency food and toiletry parcels to partner organisations in the city including Waits who work with victims of domestic violence and the Refugee and Migrant Centre. We recently gave 40 bags to the Womans’ hospital for women who are leaving hospital having had a baby who have very little at home.

Growbaby in the city centre and at East Birmingham continues to meet needs of many families by providing clothing, nappies and equipment. Some of the exciting moments are when members of the team pray with people and we hear of people finding peace in their situations.

 

For Christmas we ran a toy appeal which collected over one hundred toys that were given to families coming to Growbaby in December, as well as a local charity.

Tuck in Tuesday provides a meal once a week in Northfield and has about 15 guests each week. They recently provided furniture for a guest in need.

Last year we also ran our first employability workshop at the University of Birmingham school for 14 year olds with 22 volunteers. One of the teachers said afterwards that it was lovely to see the children glowing with confidence. 

If you’re part of this story because you donate money, food or children’s equipment, or because you’re on the team then thank you so much!

If you want to get involved or find out more have a look at our website or get in touch with me, Maddy Bunker.

Barford Street Parking Update

We’ve made some changes to how our City Centre car park on Barford Street is managed, this will help us make better use of it throughout the week and bring in a little more money to help fund all of our ministries and sites! Check out below to see the details:

Will I have to pay to park on Sunday?

—

No!

Parking at all of our sites is free on a Sunday, and there’s nothing you need to do! The detail below is only relevant for our Barford Street (opposite the City Centre site) carpark during the week. On the weekends each of our sites have free parking, and you don’t need to put your number plate into anything to make that happen!

So what’s actually happening then?

Since buying the Barford Street carpark 10 years ago we’ve been renting spaces out to neighbouring businesses, but we find that during the week it is often less than half full. So to try and steward our investment well, we’ve decided to put the carpark on RingGo during the week. Guests of Birmingham Vineyard will always park free, so we have a tablet in the main entrance that you can pop your number plate into if you ever visit during the week.

How Do I park for Free?

On a Saturday or Sunday - Just park! We have so many events over the weekend that we’ve disabled the system on Saturdays and Sundays, the barrier will be down and the Welcome team for the event you’ve come to will open it for you. No need to put your registration into the tablet, as the system is off.


On a weekday - If you’re here for something at Birmingham Vineyard, simply pop your number plate into the tablet in the main entrance (there’s also one in the office) and you’ll have free parking all day.

Can I use the carpark whenever I like?

On a weekday you’re welcome to use the carpark, even if you’re not here for a church event. Simply follow the instructions on the signs and pay for however long you’d like. Again, we aren’t renting the space out over the weekend as we want to keep the carpark free for whatever event we’re hosting.

What if I forget and get fined when I shouldn’t have?

We don’t want anyone paying if they were here for a church event! If you do forget to put your number plate into the tablet during an event and get sent a fine, let us know when it was and what you were here for and we can get it reversed.

I have another question!

Great! Pop us an email (info@birminghamvineyard.com) and our team would love to help.


Blessings,
The BV Team

Impact Report - Kids & Families

In our Kids & Families ministry we are all about connecting with each other, encountering God, supporting parents, and teaching children good theology.

This is expressed through Sunday Kids groups, parenting courses, and a Stay & Play group, to name just some!

Each Sunday we run Kids ministry at all of our sites and services, consisting of eight different Kids groups led by a wonderful team of volunteers. We now also have volunteer Kids Coordinators at South Site and East Site, who help look after the team and keep an eye on the ever-increasing number of children! 

 

Recently a volunteer and parent expressed that they often prefer to stay and be with the Kids rather than be in the service with the rest of the adults - Kids groups are a fun, spiritually encouraging and rewarding place to be!

Our Friday morning Stay & Play at our Barford Street venue is also flourishing. We welcome around 20 families each week, building community with local parents (most of whom wouldn’t otherwise step into a church) and providing a space for the kids to have fun, learn important skills and be together.

Thank you to all of you who give, enabling us to create spaces where kids can connect with God for themselves and have fun with others at the same time - it’s so precious.

If you want to be a part of this story, whether that’s through giving, serving or praying, please get in touch with Lauren, who oversees our Kids & Families ministry at laurenm@birminghamvineyard.com

Impact Report - Students & Young Adults

As a church, we are passionate about students and young adults. Our vision is to empower them to be the salt and light of the world, as Jesus calls us to be.

We are committed to creating a welcoming space where they experience a deep sense of belonging, both in Christ and within our church community.

We long to see the Students and Young adults of our community to grow in their relationship with Jesus, build meaningful connections with one another, and deepen their faith. Our desire is to equip them to actively live out their faith, boldly sharing God’s love and the good news of the gospel on university campuses, in workplaces, and in every area of their lives.

In September, we hosted our Students and Young Adults Big Welcome, where around 50 students joined us. Since then, our community has been growing and thriving!

At Christmas 50-60 students and young adults came together to celebrate and in January, two students took a bold step into leadership by starting a small group! Many of our young adults are leading small groups, and our students are on fire for Jesus - boldly sharing the Gospel on their campuses.

Last year, we took 70 students and young adults on our weekend away, and we’re expectant for what God will do at our next weekend away this March! Across all our sites, we have many students and young adults connected, and an incredible 90% of our SYA community is actively serving in teams.

We are so grateful for everyone who gives their time, energy, and resources to make this happen. Your generosity - whether through serving or giving - enables us to be the salt and light to students and young adults, so they too can go out and do the same.

Want to be part of this story?
You can join the team or give financially to support what God is doing through Birmingham Vineyard. Together, we are shaping a generation passionate about Jesus and His Kingdom!

Impact Report - Welcome, Hospitality and 'Front of House' teams

The ‘Front of House’ teams (welcome, hospitality and coordinators) exist to make church the most welcoming place it can be. We aim to greet everyone on the door and offer them a hot drink, but also to make them feel comfortable, connect them with relevant people like small group leaders or people with similar interests and answer any questions they may have.


Over the last 6 months, around 66 people have connected officially with the church (about 10% of the total of people who call Birmingham Vineyard their church), with even more visiting regularly to see if it’s the church for them. The Welcome and Hospitality teams play an incredibly important role in welcoming people, but they also create a welcoming culture across the church. We regularly have feedback like that from a young woman who recently visited one of our sites and subsequently brought her whole family along for Christmas,

““The church is so welcoming and friendly, I didn’t think it would be like this!” ”

Each site has its own Front of House team, with about 68 people involved in this area across the church. Some are small group leaders who love making coffee on the weekends too; others may not even be sure about what they believe yet. Welcome and hospitality teams are incredibly friendly (as you’d expect!) and great places to get involved with if you’re new to church and faith. 



We are so grateful to those who are part of the team already and to those who give financially, helping us make refreshments and resources freely available to all visitors. 

If you’d like to be part of this story, you could consider donating financially to Birmingham Vineyard or joining the team. You could also be a part of the wider story, that a truly hospitable church is one where everyone is happy to welcome new people each week and to love them like Jesus did.

Impact Report - Alpha

We are passionate about seeing people come to know Jesus and grow in their faith. That’s why Alpha plays such a vital role in our church. Alpha provides an amazing space where people can ask questions, explore faith, and encounter God in a welcoming and open environment.

In mid-October, we launched our latest Alpha program with four unique tables to meet the needs of diverse groups in our community:

  • Farsi-speaking table

  • Cantonese-speaking table

  • Student table

  • English table open to everyone

This structure allowed us to reach people from different cultural and demographic backgrounds, creating a vibrant and inclusive Alpha experience.

We have seen God moving powerfully through Alpha this season:

Several non-Christians joined the program, many of whom were introduced to Jesus for the first time.

Our Iranian community table has experienced remarkable growth, with two participants deciding to give their lives to Christ this month. This transformation is a testament to the work God is doing through Alpha.

We are deeply grateful for the dedication of our volunteers, your generosity , and the prayer support of our church family. Without you, this life-transforming ministry would not be possible.

We look forward to seeing how God continues to move through Alpha in the coming year.

Impact Report - Finance

We’re so thankful that we are a church where God is working.  Good things are happening in every small group, Sunday space and ministry. We see care and community, answered prayers, discipleship and growth. This month we’ve started another two new small groups and we’ve celebrated baptisms at every site. In each service we have people who are coming to follow Jesus and find a spiritual home in this church. 

“Become part of that story of generosity that will invest in what is happening now and will impact those yet to come.”

This is only possible when people choose to give a proportion of their income each month to support the mission of the church. Each month 133 families or individuals choose to give as an act of worship. This enables us as Birmingham Vineyard to do everything we do. 

That means that a committed core of people are paying for every cup of coffee, every resource used in kids and youth, every space we hire or when we pay other expenses related to ministry. Giving enables every hour of team members paid time to serve in upfront roles or behind the scenes.

If you are one of those people then a huge thank you for your generosity. If you're not yet, then we’re sure that you are grateful and we know you’ll have been blessed (benefited) from someone else’s generosity. The invitation to everyone is to “pay it forward.” Become part of that story of generosity that will invest in what is happening now and will impact those yet to come.

We are a church of 400-450 adults and at least 600 including children and youth. Can you imagine what God might do if we all played our part in this story of generosity? Needs would be met, ministry would multiply and we’d have the resources to do everything we’re called to do. When we give to the local church we have an exceptional level of financial accountability. You get to see the impact of your giving every single week.

“We’re praying for an increase in giving in 2025 so we can invest in the mission of Birmingham Vineyard which is expressed through each site and ministry.”

In 2024 we set a budget that involved spending some of our church savings to enable ministry to grow. We also had some significant additional costs this year in a range of areas from ministry to buildings and other large bills (increased utilities etc). As we approach the end of 2024 our projected regular income is approximately £550,000. Once we have claimed back gift aid from the UK government that figure increases to approximately £650,000.  

We’re praying for an increase in giving in 2025 so we can invest in the mission of Birmingham Vineyard which is expressed through each site and ministry.

To make this specific, we’re praying for an additional £100,000 income in 2025’s budget. That can come from a combination of an increase in monthly regular giving and one off financial gifts. 

Numerical growth and financial growth need to keep in step if we are to keep healthy as we grow. The Bible describes giving like sowing seeds, we’re investing for a greater harvest. When we have the right resources, needs are met, ministry multiples and we see the Kingdom of God advance.

One strategic development is that we believe our site pastors need some dedicated employed time to support the growth and health of the sites they lead. This won’t be full time but it's not right for it to be done in free time (as some do at present). 

“When we have the right resources, needs are met, ministry multiples and we see the Kingdom of God advance.”

We’ve also appointed Liisa Wiseman as our Operations Manager. This is the right appointment at the right time. If we can take some administrative and operational burden off sites and ministries then pastors and ministry leaders can focus on the central leadership job of health and growth. They are called to make disciples, mobilising people and teams, expressing care through groups, reaching people and raising leaders.

If you consider Birmingham Vineyard your church community, we are asking you to prayerfully consider the next step in a journey of generosity.

So, what’s your next step? 

Initial - Make a start

Maybe you’ve never considered that your giving can make a difference. The heart and attitude is more significant than the figure, as “where our treasure is our heart will be also.”  Matthew 6:21 

Planned - Make it regular 

It makes it much easier to steward and plan our church budget when we see planned giving. 1 Corinthians 16:2

Faithful - Make it part of your budget & a percentage of your income

Biblical giving is proportional and God never singles out big figures but the generous hearted who trust him in the journey of generosity.  Luke 21:1-4

Radical - Make it a way of life

Be expectant the Holy Spirit will lead you.  2 Corinthians 9:6-11

If you have any questions about the governance and handling of church finances you can reach out to our trustees. Learn more here.

You can also talk to your Site Pastor or any member of the staff team.

If you’d like to start giving or make changes to your current giving plan you can visit the Giving Page on our website.

Exciting staff team announcement!

We are delighted to announce that Liisa Wiseman will be joining our staff team as our Operations Manager.  

The trustees see the Operations Manager role as a strategic appointment for us at Birmingham Vineyard, as we look to strengthen our central support for the planting of sites and the resourcing of the church’s ministry in wider Birmingham.

Liisa has extensive experience in the charity sector having served as the director of Adavu, a regional charity tackling modern day slavery and supporting its survivors. Liisa and her husband David along with their three sons have been involved at Birmingham Vineyard for over 10 years and are currently serving and engaging at East Site.

We are excited to welcome Liisa to the team, starting the 25th November of this year.

Impact Report - Worship

Our worship and production ministries exist to help people follow Jesus by leading them in worship, and facilitate accessible and distraction-free spaces whenever we gather. If you’ve ever been led in worship, if you’ve ever heard anything through a microphone, or if you’ve ever seen a slide or video, these ministries have made it happen!

We have a team of 74 amazing volunteers who lead worship sets and make our gatherings happen across our four sites every Sunday, as well as spaces for youth, young adults, alpha, and any other space where worship happens or tech is used. That means that our ministry has reach into every area of our church.

By your generous giving, you make it possible to support two part-time staff members (myself and Nathan Catley) focussed on these areas, and this year have two interns supporting these areas too. Additionally, your generous giving enables us to empower all of these areas with the gear that they need, which is important, because music gear and production gear is not cheap at all!

We’re so grateful for your continued support in financial giving, and without it, our ability to lead worship and facilitate spaces for people to engage would be significantly affected.

If you want to be part of this story, you can pray, you can serve on one of our teams, or you can give, by going to bvc.so/giving

Thank you for your generosity!

Impact Report - VCUKI

Birmingham Vineyard is part of a growing family of churches called Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland (VCUKI).  There are currently 140 church locations and each year an average of 5-10 new sites or churches are planted. As a church we manage our budget so that we can give generously to the work of Vineyard Churches. That giving enables Vineyard Churches to serve and strengthen local churches and it helps the planting of new churches.

This happens through a wide range of excellent conferences and events, fantastic theological training and a huge range of resources for crucial areas of church life like worship, kids and youth. VCUKI has a key focus on the oversight and health of pastors. Healthy leaders lead healthy churches so nationally VCUKI offers each pastor opportunities for soul care, coaching, spiritual direction and formation. There is also pastoral oversight, training and ongoing leadership development in many forums locally and nationally.  

We believe in Jesus and we believe in the importance of the local church to reach people and to make disciples. Your giving means we can invest in the health and growth of many churches across the UK and Ireland.

If you’ve not engaged with some of the great resources that VCUKI  has produced, take some time to explore these. 

Some excellent resources: 
Vineyard Training platform
Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland website
Theology Training modules 

Event websites:
Vineyard Leaders Gathering (for leaders and those aspiring to lead)
Cause To Live For (for young adults)
Dreaming the Impossible (for youth)

Impact Report - Sozo

One of the ministries we offer at Birmingham Vineyard is Sozo. ‘Sozo’ is a Greek word meaning “to save or make well or whole” and Sozo ministry is a unique, inner-healing prayer ministry, which allows the Godhead of Father, Son and Holy Spirit to release people from the impact of wounds and lies that hinder them from walking in their true kingdom identity, calling and freedom.

Our wonderful Sozo team is made up of 4 trained lead members and 1 trained support member. In the last year, they have delivered 62 appointments with both members of Birmingham Vineyard and people from other churches across the region.

These appointments, with fully trained and experienced Sozo practitioners, usually last about 2 hours and have a profound impact on those who book and attend them. 

One person said, “I am so grateful to the people who sat and prayed with me and led me through being released by the Lord from a feeling of oppression that was really holding me back. I walked out of that appointment with a huge burden lifted and such a sense of lightness and freedom, which hasn’t left me since.”

“Past traumas have been healed and I feel liberated from anxiousness and overwhelming feelings that used to take over. I have no confusion but more discernment for decisions I make on a daily basis.”
— A Sozo Attendee

This wonderful team delight in bringing freedom to the many people to whom they minister, and you can book an appointment on the Birmingham Vineyard Website, under the ‘Sozo’ section of the drop down menu. Also if you are interested in being trained up and joining the team of this wonderful ministry, you can contact Jo, at jorh@birminghamvineyard.com

Impact Report - International Partnership

Did you know that there are Vineyard churches all over the world?

In fact, there are three healthy Vineyard churches in Malawi, Africa that Birmingham Vineyard have a special relationship with. Chippo and Janet started a small group in 2017 which grew to become Malingunde Vineyard. Matsimbe Vineyard was soon planted out and then Nduala Vineyard too. There are currently two small groups in other villages we hope may grow into church plants.

The main focus this year for Malingunde Vineyard has been Kingdom ministry seeing 183 people come to faith, 224 healings and 24 baptisms! Rhodess and Janet lead a women’s ministry of about 25 women and have been teaching how they can use their gifts and abilities to nurture those around them.

 

Matias and Loveness lead Nduala Vineyard. Matias lost his job last year and his family was struggling, so Malingunde Vineyard supported them financially to start a small business.

“‘I thank God for being supported and trained through our Vineyard family. In the past I was not open to other leaders, so to be able to grow and now lead with transparency has helped me to work well in a team. I am enjoying things being much easier working with my fellow leaders.’ ”
— Matias

Due to your generosity Birmingham Vineyard is able to relationally and materially support these Vineyard churches. Through their ministries over 500 people came to faith this past year and 744 people received healing, children are being sponsored to attend school, widows and orphans are receiving care and support, whilst leaders are receiving monthly training.

Please pray that through these growing churches people will come to know Jesus and be discipled as they follow Him. If you’d like to learn more about our partnerships in Malawi you can contact Tom Husbands at thomashusbands@dalitsotrust.org or speak to Bill Dixon or Tom and Kat Densham.

Staff Update - A New Adventure For Jeff

Last year at the Vineyard Leaders Gathering God began to speak about him having a new adventure for me. Over the past year, I've been praying, talking to Andrew and Rosie and trying several different doors to see what God might have for me. One of the doors I tried was Teach First. I was accepted into the program, so from September I will be training with them and working full-time as an RE teacher in a secondary school in Perry Bar. 

I will miss being a part of our awesome staff team. However, we very much feel that this is where God has led me and I am looking forward to a fresh challenge and a new adventure.

I am going to continue to be a site pastor alongside Becky at South Site, though I will need to take a break from preaching and some of my other responsibilities there for a while. But I will be consistently present on Sundays and available pastorally for people. 

Grace and Peace,

Jeff

A note from Andrew and Rosie 

Often in moments like this people can speculate and ask what’s the real story here? Well, let me be crystal clear for you all. Rosie and I love, trust and respect both Jeff and Becky. They are an exceptional couple and Jeff's been honouring of us by including us in the whole journey of discernment before coming to this decision. We want you to know that we're fully supportive of Jeff as he makes this move. He makes this step with our thanks and with our love and blessing.  


Jeff is very natural at living out his faith and this change gives him the chance to be salt and light in a new workplace. That’s the call that most of you have and he’s stepping into that adventure from September. 


Jeff's calling as a leader in God's Church remains, though his employment is changing. In his staff role Jeff has done an excellent job giving oversight to small groups, training, pastoral care and working to plan preaching series that serve the whole Church. As a team we’ll be looking to how those areas will be covered in the months ahead. 

Please join us in praying for Jeff and Becky in this next phase of their leadership journey and for South Site and everyone involved in serving and leading here at Birmingham Vineyard.

Blessings,

Andrew and Rosie

Impact Report - Youth

- ACCESS - DOWNLOAD -

- UPGRADE - TRANSFER -

The vision of BV Youth is for youth to access Jesus and the church easily, to download Jesus into their hearts with everything that He offers, to be upgraded by the power of the Holy Spirit for transformation, and to go and make disciples by transferring the Good News to others!

On Sundays, we have around 30-40 youth across all sites! On Fridays, we consistently have 30-40 youth coming AND inviting their friends! At our last Network Camp (sleepover at the church), we gathered 50 youth with around 5-6 of them who were new to church!

We have so many spaces for youth to grow in their relationship with Jesus but also have spaces where they can invite their friends! 


After taking our youth to DTI in the summer and DTI road trip (a mini 1 day DTI) we have seen amazing growth in the youth, both in numbers and in their faith. Recently we had to cancel the talk at one of our Friday night youth gatherings because the youth wanted to continue worshipping and being in the presence of God! We had one hour of worship, and young people were still hungry and thirsty for the presence of God. God is doing something in their lives! God is moving in this generation, using and transforming them.

It is so exciting to see so many people stepping into leadership, setting aside their time to create welcoming spaces where they care for and invest in our youth.

“I love seeing young people grow in their faith and go deeper in their relationship with Jesus. And it’s a privilege to be in that journey with them.”
— One of our Youth Leaders

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO GIVE, ENABLING US TO CREATE A SPACE for Young people to ACCESS, DOWNLOAD, UPGRADE, TRANSFER

If you want to be a part of this story , whether that’s through giving, serving or praying, get in touch with Narek who oversees our youth ministry::

Nareka@birminghamvineyard.com


Impact Report - Small Groups

Small groups are an essential part of all we do at Birmingham Vineyard as we seek to follow Jesus, live life to the full and make a difference.

Other than Sundays they are the main place that people find community. As well as being the main way we deliver pastoral care and discipleship.

Our society has an epidemic of loneliness, where people feel over connected but not seen or known. We think small groups done well are the solution to this. They are places of authentic friendship, where you are known, encouraged and supported.

Each week we have around 300 people attending small groups. In short if you aren’t in a small group, you are missing out! We now have 38 groups, across the city, so there should be one near you.

Early last year we set out the goal of starting one new group a month, and over the last 12 months we have seen 17 new groups started and have trained over 40 new small group leaders.


It is so exciting to see so many people stepping into leadership, setting aside their time to create welcoming spaces where they care for and investing in others.

Your giving enables us to deliver training as well as provide discipleship resources for our groups. Thank you to all those who invest their time, talents and treasures in this ministry by giving to the church, attending, hosting or leading one of our groups.

Impact Report - Sites & Multiplication

Our Sunday services are environments where we encounter God together. Several hundred people gather across our 4 weekly Sunday services, which each have their own feel and flavour. We’re united in our commitment to worship Jesus, centre on His Word and welcome the work of the Holy Spirit to help us become more like Christ. Drawing from diverse ages and backgrounds, we’re learning each week to love God and love each other. In a fragmented world, that’s a powerful picture of faith, hope and love in action.

Each of our services is led by a great team of site pastors, and they are actively training new site pastors and teams who will launch new sites in other communities in Birmingham.  We’re committed to planting more groups and sites where people can encounter God and learn what it is to follow Jesus.  

We are fortunate to own one of our Sunday venues and have a small mortgage on the car park. We hire all the other spaces we meet in. Our fixed costs for venue hire, maintenance and utilities are about 50k per annum.

Every time you serve, pray and give, you are investing directly in the story of God expressed through this church! 

Impact Report - Compassion

It’s been an extremely exciting year for Compassion at Birmingham Vineyard!

Our Foodbank is run by Lucy Beneton. Last year we gave out over £6000 worth of food and vouchers either directly through our Foodbank Champions or via partner agencies like Birmingham Solihull Women’s Aid and the Edge Academy. 

Our Growbaby has expanded. We now have two drop-in sites, one in the City Centre and one in the East. Ruth Allen, who runs our East site Growbaby has seen a huge rise in the number of families visiting them - since setting up, they’ve helped 188 families with over £8000 worth of donated clothes, equipment and basics like nappies and toiletries.

Rick Hill and his team in Northfield have been running a warm spaces community meal since the start of the fuel crisis in 2022, with around 20 people now coming and being welcomed and fed each week. We’re also partnering with Safe Families to support volunteers looking after ten different families with complicated needs.

If you’re part of this story because you donate money, food or children’s equipment, or because you’re on the team then thank you so much!

It is an incredible privilege to be able to witness to the love of God through practical help and offering prayer through Compassion ministries! If you’d love to be part of that story, have a look on the giving pages of our website or get in touch with the team about volunteering!

Impact Report - Kids & Families

In our Kids & Families ministry we are all about connecting with each other, encountering God, supporting parents, and teaching children good theology.

One of the ways that this is expressed is through our Sunday Kids groups.

Each week we have an average of 82 children coming along to groups, across all four services, led by over 45 volunteers.

These children are not just the church of tomorrow, they’re the church of today, with time spent each week worshipping Jesus, learning about God and the Bible, and spending time in prayer and ministry (alongside the games, snacks and crafts, of course!).

Kids is such a rewarding ministry to be a part of, bringing so much to the children’s relationships with Jesus, but also to the team members.

“Being on the kids team has been a fun new adventure for me, it is wonderful to feel a part of teaching the children about God and seeing their faith journey. One particular moment stood out to me, when asking a group if they would call themselves a Christian, one girl said "yes" and the other said "no you're not!" To which the first girl said "I am now!" A wonderful moment to witness!”

Thank you to all of you who give, enabling us to create a space where children can both be discipled and have fun together, amongst so many other things!

If you want to be a part of this story, whether that’s through giving, serving or praying, you can get in touch with Lauren, who oversees our Kids & Families ministry at laurenm@birminghamvineyard.com

Staff Update - Farewell Aaron!

Our Assistant Pastor Aaron, who oversees our youth, will be moving on in May to take on a new role with The National Youth Agency. We are so excited for Aaron to take on this new challenge and be using his giftings on a national scale. 

Aaron's stepping out of this role will leave a gap. Can we replace Aaron? No, because he's unique, and in that sense irreplaceable! We will; however, want to ensure that Youth has the right leadership and resources going forward.

We'll be looking for someone else to join the staff team to build on the work that Aaron has led. There is a plan in place to make sure Youth can carry on as normal during the process of Aaron leaving and finding a new person to lead the Youth ministry. Currently there are no planned changes in terms of Youth provisions at BV so Friday and Sunday Youth sessions will continue to happen as normal. The leadership team are praying and closely following the Lord’s leading as they seek direction for the future. In the long term, we are a growing church, and the Youth ministry will continue to shape and evolve over time as God leads. 

We want to end this by saying a huge thank you to Aaron and his family! We are hugely grateful for all he has brought to the young people, the team and the church as a whole.

For more info check out the FAQs below: 

1. So, what has prompted this?

Any change can always spark speculation. Let us be crystal clear this is not because Aaron has had any form of falling out or disagreement or some ongoing dispute with Andrew, Rosie or the church leadership. Nor is it because Aaron has had some kind of moral failure. 

Aimee and Aaron have felt for a few months that God has been stirring them that something is going to/needs to change for their family. Aaron was closely listening to God to see if it was time to move on from his role, it became clear whilst going through this process that the move is one which is needed/right for now. His new role will allow greater home-working and more predictable work hours, which is important for him at this stage of family life. We see this and want to release Aaron with our love and blessing.  


2. When will Aaron be leaving?

Aaron will be leaving in early to mid may once my three-month notice period has come to an end.

3. So what does this mean for the future of Youth?

We know that God has good things in store for BV Youth. There is a plan in place to make sure Youth can carry on as normal during the process of Aaron leaving, & finding a new person to lead the Youth ministry. The leadership team are praying & closely following the Lord’s leading as they seek direction for the future. We will keep you updated to more specific & practical things, but we want you to know there is a plan in place for the short term.

4. What is the process for finding a replacement?

The job will be advertised in the coming months so internal and external candidates can apply. The hope is that the position will be filled prior to DTI, but the outer date for requirement would be that a new person will be in place by September

5. Who do I contact about youth stuff?

Aaron is still the main point of contact until he concludes his employment. Before he leaves we’ll give clarity about leadership and who to contact with questions etc. We’ll make sure this is clear. We’re also so grateful that the existing youth leaders remain present throughout this transition. 

6. Will Aaron still be around at BV?

Firstly, Aaron & his family love BV. They have been part of this wonderful community for 8 years and have formed many deep friendships. One of the challenges that they have really noticed is the distance from their home to church. Something Aaron is aware of is giving space to the person who will be taking on the new role, so they don’t feel undermined or uncomfortable with Aaron still around. For now, they are taking some time to pray and think about where God would want them to be as a family.

7. What does this mean for Youth?

For now, there is no change in terms of Youth provisions at BV. Fridays & Sundays will continue to happen as normal. In the long term, we are a growing church, and the youth ministry will continue to shape & evolve over time as God leads.