Who We Are


We are Bible-based Evangelicals, teaching straight out of the Word of God and adhering to
the traditional creeds of the Christian faith. At the same time, we are led and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
We are empowered Evangelicals.

About Us

Some of the things we value

  • The presence of God
  • Prayer. We like to pray. We need to pray.
  • Praise and worship. Jesus is worthy!
  • Teaching our children that God can use them no matter how old or young they are
  • Reaching out to serve the community, especially the poor and struggling
  • The biblical gifts of the Holy Spirit, given by a God who never changes. We live expectantly, inviting the Spirit’s work through all the gifts the Bible speaks of, including miracles, prophecy and physical healing.
  • Being part of the family at Vineyard USA

We're part of a family

Vineyard Church of Elgin is part of a church family known as Vineyard USA. Congregations in the Vineyard are autonomous; while there may be wide variety in worship, ministry, and any number of other things, we also share much in common due to our common heritage. Our values and distinctives are what unite us with the 600+ other Vineyard churches across the country and the 2,500 around the world. The Vineyard has been called one of the fastest growing church movements of our time.

Often using the term “empowered Evangelicals,” the Vineyard seeks to blend the best of Evangelical traditions (a focus on Christlike character and a deep regard for the Scriptures) with the best of Pentecostal/Charismatic traditions (welcoming the empowering of the Holy Spirit). We like to say that we are the “radical middle.” We stand on the Word of God, and we stand on the conviction that all the biblical gifts of the Holy Spirit are alive and active today.

What makes us unique

In the Vineyard, we believe that all church denominations and associations have a part to play in the wider Body of Christ. The Vineyard movement, birthed in the 1970s and influenced greatly by the leadership of John Wimber, has certain distinctives that define our personality in the wider Church and our unique way of doing life as Christians.

The already and not yet of the Kingdom

In the Bible, Jesus sometimes talks about the Kingdom of God being here, and within our reach. People are healed. Lives are transformed. Signs and wonders occur. At other times, Jesus talks about the Kingdom as a future reality, as our hope beyond this life. Sometimes people are not healed in the present. Intractable social issues remain. Jobs are lost, hunger continues, and suffering is real.

Our theology of the already and not yet of the Kingdom enables us to believe God for miracles (a theology of the miraculous) and to also trust God when pain is occurring (a theology of suffering). We believe that both are necessary for a healthy Christian spirituality.

Everyone gets to play

We believe that anyone can do the work of the Kingdom. We don’t have an elite or superstar leaders. We are all commissioned—men, women and children of every background.

Come as you are, but don't stay as you are

You’ll be loved no matter what state you are in when you come to the Vineyard. We believe that Jesus can love us all to health.

Naturally supernatural

We avoid all hype or emotional manipulation. Going about our lives naturally, we pray for healing and listen for God’s voice in all circumstances.

Equipping the saints

We will continually invest ourselves in training and equipping God’s people to do what Jesus did, equipping the saints for ministry (Ephesians 4:12).

Faith is spelled R-I-S-K

We believe the call to be the Body of Christ involves getting outside of our comfort zones. Adventurous faith is welcome in the Vineyard.

more vineyard distinctives