Community
by Meghan James

Visiting a new church can be a daunting experience. As the child of a military family, I visited more than my fair share of new churches growing up, and it was generally something that I dreaded. I knew that I was going to have to be in a new class, with new kids and a new teacher, and I knew that everyone was going to start pestering me to talk about myself. My only hope, every week, was that perhaps we were going to check out a bigger church - then I knew I had a chance to get lost in the crowd and escape everyone’s notice.

Vail Christian Church is turning into one of those bigger churches. I know that those of you who have been in churches that count their membership in the thousands are laughing at me right now, but bear with me. We currently hold three services on Sunday morning and number at least 600 people in attendance each week. With those sort of numbers, it is easy for one or two individuals or families to get lost in the crowd.

There are some of you that are taking advantage of this. You come to church on Sunday morning, sit in service and then leave without really making an effort to connect with others. You may have been around for a while - you probably consider yourself a part of Vail Christian Church - but you like the anonymity that comes with the crowd. After all, there is a certain comfort to be found in anonymity - a safety in no one knowing your name or your story. But is being a face in a crowd what being a part of a church is about?

At Vail Christian Church, our answer to that question is a resounding NO! We firmly believe that church is about community - living life with others. There are verses throughout the Bible that confirm this fact. Perhaps one of the most well known verses on the value of community can be found in Hebrews 10:24-25, which reads “Let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.” It couldn’t be clearer that we as followers of Christ have certain responsibilities - to refine, to challenge and to encourage - and those responsibilities are best carried out in a gathering of like-minded people. The truth of the matter is, however, that there is no consistent and purposeful way to do this in a gathering of 600. This is why VCC places such a high value on community groups. Community groups are the answer to being a big church and still having the opportunity to live life with other people - and if you consider yourself a part of Vail Christian Church, then you need to be a part of one. There is no excuse - we have new groups forming all the time, so if you are not yet involved in one, contact Tim Sheaffer (tim@vailchristian.com; 520.722.1220).

Those of you who are new might be excited that we are big. After all, you have found a church that you can check out without feeling like you have “I’m New!!” tattooed across your forehead. I totally understand that, and I hope you enjoy checking us out. Know, though, that the bigness only lasts for so long! If you decide to make this your home, then we want you to find community - because community, after all, is what the church is about.

Events for Children:

Kids Night Out

March 27th from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Sunnyside School District
Ages 3 - 12 · Cost: $5 per child

ATTENTION VAIL CHRISTIAN CHURCH! This is our chance to serve our neighbors in the Sunnyside School District! Spend an evening getting to know kids and families who live in the area we are trying to reach.

For more information, or to serve at this event, stop by the information table on Sundays or contact Julie Biagi at julie@vailchristian.com.

Click here to check out children's ministry events for this summer and starting on April 26th you can register your kids on Sundays or online!

For more information, contact Julie Biagi.

Community Groups are the way we connect with each other, learn, grow and experience the fullness of life. Contact Connection Pastor Tim Sheaffer or click here for more information on Community Groups.

March 27th from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Sunnyside School District
Ages 3 - 12 · Cost: $5 per child

ATTENTION VAIL CHRISTIAN CHURCH! This is our chance to serve our neighbors in the Sunnyside School District! Spend an evening getting to know kids and families who live in the area we are trying to reach.

For more information, or to serve at this event, stop by the information table on Sundays or contact Julie Biagi at julie@vailchristian.com.

On February 1, 2009, Vail Christian Church launched a third worship service with a new look and style. Vail UNPLUGGED is a warm, relaxed, coffee shop environment designed to connect people to God through powerful acoustic music, meditation on scripture, prayer and Biblical teaching.

If you love to worship with softer music and contemplative liturgy, come worship with us at 8am!

As a community, we celebrate the new children in our midst. Even more than that, we take time out of our worship services to celebrate and commission parents who have choosen to raise their children to know the love and joy of Jesus Christ. That is what a Parenting Presentation is all about.

Contact Julie Biagi for more information or click here to register your family for this milestone event!