Welcome to this weekend’s Sunday Online at Encounter Vineyard. Thank you for joining us and we hope that you enjoy being part of our online worshipping community.

As we continue through the August summer holidays, there is naturally a slightly quieter rhythm to the life of the church. Many are away, routines are different, and there is perhaps a little more space than usual to slow down, breathe, and reflect. Wherever you are joining us from this weekend - at home, away on holiday, or catching up later in the week - we are really glad that you are with us and part of our online church family.

This Sunday we continue our journey through Mark’s Gospel with a message called “How Do We Live a Life That Truly Matters?” It is one of those questions that reaches beneath the busyness and activity of life and asks what is really important. Jesus continually invites us to look beyond success, status and simply getting through the days, and instead to discover a life shaped by His presence, His purposes, and the things that carry eternal significance.

So, even in this quieter summer season, our prayer is that God will continue to speak to us, form us and draw us closer to Him as Mark brings this weekend’s message.

Thank you for joining us again, as together we keep looking to Jesus, keep trusting him, and keep believing that even in uncertain waters, he is forming something deeper in us and leading us forward.

Welcome to this weekend’s Sunday Online at Encounter Vineyard. Thank you for joining us and we hope that you enjoy being part of our online worshipping community.

As you will know, we have not been recording online in our normal way for a number of weeks now, due to a combination of sabbatical and our media team being on summer holidays. However, most of us are back now and for the next few weeks we are back online!

As we make our way through the Gospel of Mark, we are having mini-series within the whole series. A few weeks ago, Mark started the mini-series called ‘Faith in the Storms’ and if you want to catch up on previous messages you will find our Sunday recordings online. Today, Mark is continuing the series with a message called ‘How do we overcome Offence and Opposition?’

For those we have not yet seen since returning from sabbatical, we want you to know that it is really good to be back! We return grateful from the rest and refreshment of sabbatical with a renewed sense of anticipation for all that God has ahead of us. And as we continue our Faith in the Storms series, our prayer is that wherever you are and whatever season you may be walking through, you will be reminded again that Jesus is present in the boat, faithful in the storm, and able to speak peace even when the wind is still blowing.

Thank you for joining us again, as together we keep looking to Jesus, keep trusting him, and keep believing that even in uncertain waters, he is forming something deeper in us and leading us forward.

Welcome to this weekend’s Sunday Online at Encounter Vineyard. Thank you for joining us and we hope that you enjoy being part of our online worshipping community.

Mark and Karen are back from their sabbatical and Mark kick’s off our segment called “Faith in the Storms” as part of our Mark’s Gospel series with a message called “How do we keep believing when the wait feels endless?.”

There will be no life group questions this week. Feel free to listen on the website or below.

Our preaching team will continue to lead us through our series in Mark's Gospel where week by week we encounter Jesus afresh - His words, His actions, His compassion, His authority, and His invitation to follow Him.

Today, both in the building and online we have Trevor Tinlin speaking as they bring a message called ‘Mission & What Matters!’

Welcome to this weekend’s Sunday Online at Encounter Vineyard. Thank you for joining us and we hope that you enjoy being part of our online worshipping community.

After seven and a half years of ministry, leadership, preaching, and pastoral life at Encounter Vineyard we are now having a short sabbatical. We pray that this will be an opportunity for rest, renewal, reflection, and time with the Lord, as we prepare for the next season of ministry together.

Whilst we are away, church life continues very much as normal and is being left in very safe hands. Malcolm Hayes, the co-chair of the trustees, the trustees, leadership team and staff team, will continue to lead and serve with their usual faithfulness and wisdom, and we know the church will continue to flourish.

Our preaching team will continue to lead us through our series in Mark's Gospel where week by week we encounter Jesus afresh - His words, His actions, His compassion, His authority, and His invitation to follow Him.

Today, both in the building and online we have Steve Hodgetts speaking as they bring a message called ‘How are we loving others like Jesus?’

Thank you for your prayers during this sabbatical season. We are deeply grateful for the love and support of this church family and look forward to re-joining you soon. Until then, may you know God's presence, peace, and blessing, and may this be another wonderful weekend as we worship, learn, pray, and encounter Jesus together.

Our preaching team will continue to lead us through our series in Mark's Gospel where week by week we encounter Jesus afresh - His words, His actions, His compassion, His authority, and His invitation to follow Him.

Today, both in the building and online we have Susie Wiltshire speaking as they bring a message called ‘What is your spiritual gift?’

Our preaching team will continue to lead us through our series in Mark's Gospel where week by week we encounter Jesus afresh - His words, His actions, His compassion, His authority, and His invitation to follow Him.

Today, both in the building and online we have Malcolm Hayes speaking as they bring a message called ‘What is the Sabbath?’

Talk from Mark's Gospel series...

Welcome to this weekend’s Sunday Online at Encounter Vineyard. Thank you for joining us online, we hope that you enjoy being part of our online worshipping community.

After guest speakers and last weekend’s Church at the Farm we are now back online for our weekend celebrations. Today, Mark will be bringing the message ‘Who can follow Jesus?’ as we return to our series in Mark’s Gospel.

After today’s celebration, Mark and Karen are going to be on sabbatical for the next month and Mark will not be preaching for the next 5 weeks. We have a great team of speakers lined up over the next month who will be bringing the next series of messages as we work our way through Mark’s Gospel. If you want more information about Mark and Karen’s sabbatical then do please read this weekend’s Saturday Contact or check the homepage of the website.

Please do check the website or Saturday Contact to see all that is happening here at Encounter Vineyard. There are a number of significant dates to take note of in the coming months and well worth getting in the diary.

We hope that you enjoy worshipping and celebrating with us today.

Welcome to this weekend’s Sunday Online at Encounter Vineyard. Thank you for joining us online. We hope that you enjoy being part of our online worshipping community, although this Sunday, things are a little different.

Today we have John Glass speaking. John and his wife Marilyn have been part of Encounter Vineyard for a little while and a friend of Mark’s. John has been in ministry for many years, was General Superintendent of the Elim Pentecostal Churches for 16 years and from 2014-2018 was Chair of the Evangelical Alliance. He was also awarded the Lambeth Cross by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 2017! He is a well-known author and speaker.

Today’s message continues our journey in Marks Gospel as John brings the message ‘What to do when life doesn’t go as expected?’ Please check out your inbox later during the day for the link to today’s message. You will also be able to find the message on the homepage of our website.

Please do check the website or Saturday Contact to see what is happening here at Encounter Vineyard. There are a number of significant dates to take note of in the coming months and well worth getting in the diary.

We so look forward to joining with you as we celebrate today.