In October, 2000, Jim and Megan Pool moved to Royal Oak from Evanston, Illinois to start a community of people that would seek and follow Jesus together. A team of 6 others gathered around them, from Evanston, Grand Rapids and metro Detroit. At the Evanston Vineyard, Jim and Meg had seen what God could do when a community of people passionately pursues Him, and they saw similar potential here in the Royal Oak area. Starting with three folks in October 2000, the church held their first monthly gathering in October 2001 and went to weekly Sunday gatherings in February 2002. The community moved into its present location in downtown Royal Oak in January 2007.
We love to introduce people to a living, loving and powerful God. We believe God is real, that He’s alive, and not only can we know Him, we can be in relationship with Him (which is what He seems to really love). We also know God is loving and gracious. He isn’t mad at us, nor does He hate us. We’ve experienced this love ourselves and love to share it. We also believe God is powerful. He is able to bring about real and lasting change in our lives, in our relationships and in our world. And He asks us to join with Him in the work. We’ve found that we most clearly see and encounter this God in Jesus and that the best way to get to know Him is in community. That’s why we’ve started this church – to learn together – and why we really love Jesus. We believe Jesus is patient, not pushy, and so we try to be the same.
We believe that God reaches out to all people regardless of their background, age, sex, color or music-style. Since God made the world so diverse, His church must be also. Of course, the reputation of Jesus and the Church isn’t all that great these days. Most people think of church as a place that wants their money and where they’ll be made to feel guilty for how they lead their life. We try to be different. We want to be a community that welcomes anyone and everyone to come and seek God, regardless of their past experiences with Jesus or the Church. Jesus is able to meet people right where they’re at and relate to them regardless of what they think of him. We try to be like Jesus.
Friday, January 18, 2008
What Can You Expect?
"What is a service like?"
“Come as you are and you’ll be loved.” On any given Sunday there are all kinds of people in our church building. You’ll find us wearing normal clothes, using regular words (not a bunch of religious jargon), and laughing a lot. We try to take God pretty serious, but not ourselves too much. We worship together (singing songs to God), remember Jesus' life and death (with communion), study the Bible together (applying it to our daily lives), and pray together (talk to God). We try hard to relate to God in real ways, not be religious or follow rules. We're working hard to cultivate an environment where normal people can meet with God. And we definitely won't pressure you to do something you're not authentically ready to do.
The whole thing lasts about 90 minutes. We sometimes start a few minutes late (people always want to catch up with one another), so we sometimes go a few minutes after noon. But there's always coffee (and other drinks) and tasty snacks both before and after the service.
And on your way out, you can leave your pocket change to help us serve the poor, or grab a bag of items to keep in your car to bless the homeless.
“Come as you are and you’ll be loved.” On any given Sunday there are all kinds of people in our church building. You’ll find us wearing normal clothes, using regular words (not a bunch of religious jargon), and laughing a lot. We try to take God pretty serious, but not ourselves too much. We worship together (singing songs to God), remember Jesus' life and death (with communion), study the Bible together (applying it to our daily lives), and pray together (talk to God). We try hard to relate to God in real ways, not be religious or follow rules. We're working hard to cultivate an environment where normal people can meet with God. And we definitely won't pressure you to do something you're not authentically ready to do.
The whole thing lasts about 90 minutes. We sometimes start a few minutes late (people always want to catch up with one another), so we sometimes go a few minutes after noon. But there's always coffee (and other drinks) and tasty snacks both before and after the service.
And on your way out, you can leave your pocket change to help us serve the poor, or grab a bag of items to keep in your car to bless the homeless.
Getting Connected ...
"How can I get involved?"
We always encourage guests to visit us for a few weeks; get a feel for things, get to know someone (we’d expect the same if you checked out another church). This will really help you figure out if God is calling you to join with us on the adventure of life with Jesus.
The first Sunday of every month we have a lunch for new guests called Next Step. This is a great time to meet the pastor, others new to the church like yourself, and also some church leaders. On top of a free meal, we try to laugh a lot, get to know one another, let you know a little about the church and see if we can help in any way.
We recommend that you consider checking out one of our many home groups. Home groups are small groups of people who get together to share life, have fun, study the bible, explore questions, pray and usually eat good food, in the context of developing authentic relationships. Look for one that suits your schedule, location, or interest.
Also consider getting involved in a ministry. In the Christian life we both receive and give. Ministries are opportunities to give back – to serve God, the church and the world in ways that are life-giving, and that connect with your passions, talents and experiences. Talk to one of the ministry leaders to find out more about how you can get involved.
For those interested in more, consider attending our New Community Class. New Community is where we learn about what ownership in the Royal Oak Vineyard Church is all about. We explore the story of our history, our vision for the future, some ins and outs of life in our church, and what commitment to ownership is all about. New Community is held twice a year.
Also, it should be said, for those demonstrating aptitude, inclination, character and commitment, there are a number of ongoing opportunities for developing leadership and oversight in the church. As Jesus said, “Whoever can be trusted with little, can also be trusted with much.” (Luke 16)
We always encourage guests to visit us for a few weeks; get a feel for things, get to know someone (we’d expect the same if you checked out another church). This will really help you figure out if God is calling you to join with us on the adventure of life with Jesus.
The first Sunday of every month we have a lunch for new guests called Next Step. This is a great time to meet the pastor, others new to the church like yourself, and also some church leaders. On top of a free meal, we try to laugh a lot, get to know one another, let you know a little about the church and see if we can help in any way.
We recommend that you consider checking out one of our many home groups. Home groups are small groups of people who get together to share life, have fun, study the bible, explore questions, pray and usually eat good food, in the context of developing authentic relationships. Look for one that suits your schedule, location, or interest.
Also consider getting involved in a ministry. In the Christian life we both receive and give. Ministries are opportunities to give back – to serve God, the church and the world in ways that are life-giving, and that connect with your passions, talents and experiences. Talk to one of the ministry leaders to find out more about how you can get involved.
For those interested in more, consider attending our New Community Class. New Community is where we learn about what ownership in the Royal Oak Vineyard Church is all about. We explore the story of our history, our vision for the future, some ins and outs of life in our church, and what commitment to ownership is all about. New Community is held twice a year.
Also, it should be said, for those demonstrating aptitude, inclination, character and commitment, there are a number of ongoing opportunities for developing leadership and oversight in the church. As Jesus said, “Whoever can be trusted with little, can also be trusted with much.” (Luke 16)
The ROVC Leadership Team
Kevin Casteel (second from left) - Missionary to Detroit at LOGOS Church. Kevin has a longing to see people of different races come together, to see Jesus' prayer in John 17 and Paul's exhortation in Ephesians 2 become a reality in metro Detroit. So we've sent Kevin and his wife Lucy to serve as missionaries at our Detroit partner church, Lamb of God Outreach Servants, to stimulate reconciliation and diversity, facilitate their worship team and serve in any other way he's needed.
Rebecca Chadwick (at right) - Children's and Women's Ministry. Rebecca is a metro Detroit native. Not only does she have a passion for mentoring women and seeing kids become real followers of Jesus in their everyday lives, she also loves Africa.
Jessica Renaud (at left) - Hospitality. Jessica loves to create environments where people feel welcomed, at ease and at home. Jessica comes from a lone of home-made BBQ sauce makers; she's comfortable in the kitchen and she knows what it takes to run it like a tight ship. With Jess' team, the coffee's always hot and the eatin' is good!
Karen Morrish - Prayer Ministry. Karen longs to see people set free to discover wholeness and the full life that Jesus has for them. That's her son, Ethanael, and her husband (Mike) is not pictured.
Jim Pool - Pastor. Jim grew up in metro Detroit. He then went off to college, graduating from West Point and serving in a couple of years in the Army (jumping out of airplanes from time to time, no less). Realizing his primary call was to serve Jesus, not Uncle Sam, he moved off to Chicago, for graduate work at Trinity and getting involved at the Evanston Vineyard. There he met the love of his life, Megan (not pictured). Claiming he'd never come back to Detroit, Jim and Megan moved here to start the church. They both love hiking, coffee, movies, good food and lots more besides. And now they love their three kids, too!
Tom Quinlan - Worship. Tom loves to worship. In fact, he loves music. Tom isn't afraid to get dirty fixing up his house. And he has a passion to encourage people, bring people together and raise up the next generation of worshipers, bringing glory to the God who so graciously saved him.
Reuban Richmonds - Welcome Team, Board Member. Reuban's a Buckeye. Reuban's got a quick mind that is great at developing and planning and problem solving. He also loves to help guests feel at home and connect them to others with whom they might share an interest. He even throws a pretty good spiral. Wife (Kash) and son (Jeevan) not pictured.
Randy Walker - Youth. Randy co-leads the youth ministry with Jim and Megan Pool. He loves youth and is a total natural at relating with them. His open heart and "get real" attitude are big draws.
Paul Williams - Outreach, Evangelism, Treasurer. Paul is a Detroiter and, like Jim, a graduate of Trinity and alum of the Evanston Vineyard. That's where they met and it is from there that Paul joined the church planting team. Paul loves technology, but even more he has a passionate desire for God and to see people come to know and love Him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
