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 History
Church in the Vineyard Have you ever taken a chance? Have you ever expressed a longing for something more? Have you ever discovered, amazingly, that you’re not alone? A thought becomes a conversation and a chance becomes a journey! In 1985 a small group of adults in the Kennett Square/West Grove area began having a conversation. Through sharing their thoughts and longings in a Bible Study setting, they committed to taking a chance by starting a new church in the community. They were convinced that God had a plan for this young church in Southern Chester County and the journey continues today at Church in the Vineyard. The church was originally called Grace Community Fellowship. After meeting at various locations during the early years, the church began leasing property in 1991. Just as the founding members were convinced that God had a unique purpose for this church, God also provided a very unique setting. Grace Community Fellowship began setting down roots in the midst of a vineyard. A parcel of land on Route 896, had for a time, served as a working vineyard on which a farmhouse and a winery were located. After the vineyard closed, the land was subdivided and the owner offered the winery building up for lease. The members of Grace Community Fellowship entered into a lease-to-own agreement that culminated in the purchase of the building in 1995. Again it was a chance conversation in an unusual setting that led the leadership of Grace Community Fellowship to hear about a possible pastoral candidate to lead their church. One founding member of the young congregation ran into an old friend at the Exton Mall in December of 1993. The friend was pastor of Calvary Fellowship Church in Downingtown, PA. In the conversation, a need was expressed for a pastor to lead Grace Community Fellowship. In response, they were told about a young man with ties to Calvary Fellowship who was in his last year of seminary. And so, Chip Roper was first introduced to Grace Community Fellowship. Chip grew up outside of Coatesville, PA and attended Calvary Fellowship Church with his family. His parents were instrumental in the beginnings of that church. Their home was a temporary meeting place until the church moved to a township building in the Exton Area. From there, they merged with a like-minded group in an area Fire Hall and eventually into a permanent building in the early 1980’s. Chip has little memory of church being held in his home, but he does recall, as a young boy, the excitement of hearing the fire alarm go off on Sunday mornings. As a boy Chip dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot. As a teenager he thought playing music in a band would take him where he wanted to go. As a young man, armed with a business degree from West Chester University and hopes of an MBA from Wharton, he had plans to achieve financial security. From fighter pilot to musician to businessman, Chip’s underlying ambition was “freedom without limitations.” Chip’s plans were soon to be rearranged. He had been trying to balance the time spent working on his education with the demands of starting his own business as an electrician. He also continued to play music with a band on nights and weekends and was learning the responsibilities of being newly married to his wife, Audrey. It was an overwhelming period in his life. Chip remembers having a conversation with a successful businessman and discovering that for all this man’s achievements, he was still dogged by insecurities. Chip began to question where he placed the importance and priorities for his own life. He knew there had to be more and on some level he always knew “the more” had to come from God. Chip credits 1989 and 1990 as being turning points in his adult life. A Bible verse in the New Testament, John 17:3, took on special significance. Jesus states, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Chip was struck with fresh understanding that the time to know God is now, not in some distant time or in some future place. Freedom without limitations comes by knowing how much God loves and cares for His people right now and is personified by Jesus Christ. This realignment of thinking spun out a change in Chip’s relationships, his ambitions, and in the message he wanted to convey to others. He became involved in a youth ministry at his local church and when the suggestion came that he consider going to seminary, he was ready. Chip and Audrey left their homes and families in 1991 and moved to the suburbs of Chicago where Chip was enrolled in Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Both he and Audrey looked forward to this season of experiences that would prepare them for what would lie ahead. Chip and Audrey knew only one person in the Chicago area. And though he was only an acquaintance of the family, this single connection provided employment for Audrey while Chip was going to school. Chip graduated with a Masters of Divinity from Trinity in 1994 and later received his Doctorate from Biblical Theological Seminary in 2004. But it was the December prior to his graduation from Trinity that Grace Community Fellowship first heard about a young divinity student named Chip Roper. When the leaders of Grace Community Fellowship contacted him, Chip had all ready been considering the Kennett Square area as a starting point for a church plant. Interviews and visits soon followed including Chip’s presentation of his plans and vision for the young church. In April of 1994, Chip was offered the position of pastor. He graduated from seminary in May and began to pastor his first church in July. Now with a building and a new pastor, the members of Grace Community Fellowship began to search for a new name that would be more easily recognizable and appealing. So they took their search out into the community for feedback. They gathered some clipboards and did surveys outside a local grocery store to hear the opinions of a wide variety of shoppers. The name that gained the most interest was Church in the Vineyard. Interestingly, this name wasn’t only popular among churchgoers, but was also found to be intriguing to those who did not belong to a church. This was an important discovery for a church with a mission of maintaining Biblical truths for the encouragement and teaching of believers as well as providing outreach and invitation for seekers. The church was re-named and the former winery property was remodeled. This building that had previously lacked even a mailing address was slowly being transformed into a home for Church in the Vineyard. The large basement area was cleared of an amazing accumulation of discarded items, walls went up to form nursery and office space, a stage was constructed in the sanctuary, and later a portable building was added for children’s classrooms. And though the building never took on the look of a polished, traditional place of worship, the leadership and members of CTV were discovering that one of their biggest strengths was in their creativity. Visitors don’t have far to look before discovering one of the most thoughtful statements about the unique plan and purpose of Church in the Vineyard – a fresh and creative expression of the historic Christian faith. Pastor Chip Roper’s definition of unique is not to point out what makes Church in the Vineyard different, but instead, what makes it balanced. Rather than treating the gospel message as a separate element, Pastor Chip, along with CTV’s platform, worship and drama team, strive to create a thoughtfully intentional and focused worship service from beginning to end. “Yes, we have a band, skits, and multi-media presentations in our worship service, but that’s not what makes us unique,” says Pastor Chip. “It’s the blending of all these elements together to present the whole picture.” It’s also the inclusion of a “realness and vulnerability” during worship service by a pastor who readily admits that he too is on a journey of discovering God’s best for his life. Pastor Chip states, “Our vision of maturity is way beyond just giving people information.” He firmly believes that whether people are merely curious, or new Christians, or long time church members that “we’re all looking for the same thing. We all need or want more of the life God wants to give us.” It’s the belief that people share the desire for the same destination but are unique in their starting points that stirs Chip and the rest of the CTV program staff, to take the truth of the gospel message and give it different levels of articulation. Pastor Chip believes that for those new to the church the message must be explained in terms they can understand. Far from considering this a sacrifice, he believes it is good for more seasoned spiritual citizens to think of their faith in every day language. Chip considers Christian maturity to be multi-dimensional. While leading new Christians to greater understanding, he is also striving to create opportunities and experiences for long time Christians. Oftentimes, “our knowledge exceeds our living,” says Pastor Chip, “so if I can move a mature believer into new levels of experience in finances or service or in reaching out to others, then this grows and matures this person beyond just giving them information.” He is also aware there are some people who have had a negative encounter within a church. Pastor Chip believes Church in the Vineyard can be a place to rebuild and re-experience a rich and rewarding life in community. He also tries to come at different learning styles with a consistent message … the idea of connecting the message of God’s grace to the way people see themselves. In other words, it’s shaping a person’s self-image with the truth of God’s love. It’s with this aim in mind that Pastor Chip states, “The gospel is not the same old story…it’s our story.” As this statement increasingly became an important part of the vision for Church in the Vineyard, it seemed clear that the church had a responsibility to provide certain types of resources to an ever-expanding community. Southern Chester County has experienced double digit growth since the 1980 census. Something is going on here. People are attracted to this area and because of this, we are uniquely positioned to share a hope and a vision. Because of the influx of families to the area, the members of Church in the Vineyard also find themselves uniquely positioned to offer a strong children’s program that involves both kids and their parents. Diane Runge served as Director of Children and Youth Programming. Diane and her husband Scott were very early members of Church in the Vineyard. While living in Cochranville, they were making a long drive to attend Calvary Fellowship Church in Lionville, PA. Again, a conversation had a long-term impact. The pastor at Calvary suggested that Diane and Scott visit a new church in the West Grove area where a young man, formerly a member of Calvary Fellowship, was just starting out. Diane and Scott visited what was then called Grace Community Fellowship on Chip Roper’s second Sunday as pastor. They returned again bringing a number of friends along with them. Diane recalls that they nearly doubled the size of the church when the group walked in that second Sunday. “There were eight to ten people meeting in a corner. It’s striking that I would find that appealing, but I knew God wanted us to stay.” Diane and Scott were soon involved in helping this small church establish an identity in the community. Diane discovered an unexpected interest in Christian theatre. Not only did she find joy in acting, but also in writing and directing. During this period, Church in the Vineyard put on several dinner theaters and holiday productions for the community. Eventually, Diane moved into a leadership role in the children’s program. Though she was hesitant at first, she asked God to build a passion for her work with kids, and God honored her request. Diane has combined her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education with a director’s delight in theatre and creativity into unique programming for children at Church in the Vineyard. Diane originally began searching for a teaching format that would actually bring families together. She wanted to give the children and their parents something that would be “relevant, engaging, and appealing.” When she came across a music CD produced by Northpoint Community Church located near Atlanta, Georgia, she was so impressed that she contacted Northpoint and asked if she could observe their children’s program. She was thrilled to learn that Northpoint was actually planning their very first conference. Leaders from the children’s program have been attending this conference for years. The result of CTV’s association with Northpoint Community Church in regards to children’s and youth programming is a genuinely clever and creative presentation each Sunday celebrating a right relationship with God. This is accomplished by keying the kid’s participation around virtues and principles while using the Bible as the source of wisdom and truth. Learning is enhanced with energetic music, use of drama, fun characters, and small group teaching led by an enthusiastic and committed group of adults. While appealing to the hearts and minds of children with Biblical teaching, the staff are also appealing to their senses by creating a “hip factor” environment. This means appealing to a young person’s sense of comfort and culture. The bottom line is that kids want to attend on Sunday mornings. CTV offers programming from pre-school through Senior High. The younger kids programming is called The Greenhouse for preschoolers and Workshop 2:52 for elementary kids. The focus is primarily on discipleship, relational-learning, mentoring, teaching, and small groups. Small group settings provide opportunities for adult mentoring and encouragement to do life God’s way. Diane’s dream of bringing together children and their parents was also realized and continues on in a once-a-month program on Sunday morning called Kidstuf. This is a wild and wacky hour of zany, kid-friendly characters demonstrating the month’s virtue by skits, songs, videos, and slapstick comedy. Kidstuf is an event where children come and bring their parents…a shared experience resulting in dialogue between family members. The Ardor leaders have watched attendance in the children’s program at CTV nearly quadruple. Parents are pleasantly surprised at the relevance and creativity provided each Sunday morning. Children are engaged and enthusiastic and feel comfortable in celebrating the truth of Biblical teaching. Families are coming together to learn about faith and character. Also, Kidstuf is used as an excellent entry point for outreach to families in the community. Several years ago, with development and growth in membership and programming at Church in the Vineyard consistently increasing, the leadership was convinced that they needed to begin looking for room to expand. Architectural studies were made and it was determined that the church could not reach it’s growth potential at the current site. A group was commissioned to search for a parcel of land on which to build. In November of 2000, the church voted to purchase sixteen acres of farmland on Route 796 in Jennersville. The church took ownership of the land in November of 2001. With easy access to a highly visible piece of property in a fast developing area, Church in the Vineyard has secured a building site that will allow nine of the sixteen acres to be developed. Ground was officially broken in January of 2004. The outside of the new church is designed to fit in with the style and character of Southern Chester County. The interior is designed around the personality and programs that make up Church in the Vineyard. There is gathering areas in a spacious lobby with café tables. A large group space was designed for children’s programs. An open office space was planned along with conference rooms. Eventually, two auditoriums will be built to accommodate a very community-friendly church building. When Pastor Chip was asked to reflect on the history of Church in the Vineyard. “God wants this church here,” he said, “it wouldn’t have survived without Him.” The staff, the leadership, and the members of Church in the Vineyard are grateful to all those who have gone before…those who shared their hearts…their desire for something more…who have taken a chance…joined in a journey…and shared the vision along the way. As for the future, Pastor Chip hopes that “when people in this local area think of church, they will think of Church in the Vineyard.”
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