The information below will tell you about our History as a church.
Please Contact Us if we can be of any more assistance to you.
In the fall of 1988, Chuck and Liz Wolfinbarger moved to Franklin
and attended the Vineyard in Cincinnati that was led by Steve Sjogren.
After spending some time at the Cincinnati Vineyard, Chuck and Liz felt
led of God to begin a Vineyard in the Mid-Miami Valley. Being from this
area, they felt a special love for the people of the Mid-Miami Valley.
The Vineyard Movement was about 10 years old then.
It began in California with Ken Gullikson and then John Wimber
led it into a worldwide movement of renewal, evangelism, and church planting allowing regular Christians to do
the ministry rather than professional ministers.
In 1989, The church was officially started. It began by starting our first small group that met in this home.
We started our first Sunday night service in Nov. 1989 in the Franklin Square office complex.
This is also when we started our ministry of taking food to the poor of the area.
On Nov. 4, 1990 we had our first Sunday Morning service.
In March 1993, we opened the Vineyard Downtown. It is a store where
people can shop for clothes, food, and small household appliances, but everything is free. We have helped thousands since its opening.
In August 1993, we moved to the Adessa Auto Auction. We also took over the summer
lunch program that fed needy children during the summer.
In January 1998, we merged with the Northview Brethren Life church, became the
Vineyard Community Church, and moved into our current building.
We spent the next few years remodeling, and adapting the building for our use.
We then opened the Vineyard Cafe on Christmas Eve in 2001.
On January 6th 2008, we dedicated the Vineyard Clinic.
The Vineyard Clinic serves people of Franklin and the surrounding
areas who have a job but have no insurance by providing free, basic health care.
In June 2008, we got the deed for our current building and property.
Plans are now being worked out for a future expansion building.
September of 2009, we moved our Vineyard Freestore from its old location. The new location houses the Help Center and the Youth Center.
After remodeling the new space, we re-opened the Vineyard Downtown Help Center side on
November 21st, 2009, as work continued on the Youth Center side.
On May 25th, 2010, we opened the Vineyard Downtown Youth Center side! The Youth Center
is open after school to the kids in the community and our youth use it for their services.
After school tutoring is also done at the Youth Center.
We are a part of the Association of Vineyard Churches in the USA. There are now over 1500
Vineyard Churches worldwide.
