Compassion Vineyard is a church initiative exploring what it means to follow Jesus today in Strathalbyn, South Australia. We want to come alongside the community with compassion, care, and generosity.
We are part of Vineyard Churches Australia and the international Vineyard Movement, who live to see the Kingdom of God breaking into the present day. Compassion Vineyard is an evangelical charismatic church that values sharing and showing the good news of Jesus through the Word and Spirit.
The overarching Vineyard mission is to create "outposts of the kingdom of God," worshipping God, caring for the poor, healing the sick, and doing the work Jesus did. Compassion Vineyard is one such 'outpost'.
At Compassion Vineyard, we want to be the hands and feet of Jesus's mission in Strathalbyn and beyond. We want to demonstrate His kingdom through our words, actions, and lives and then teach others to do the same.
So what was Jesus' mission?
When Jesus lived on earth, His mission was to share this good news about God’s Kingdom. He came to announce that God's reign and rule over the earth are being restored so that everything can be made new. Where hurt, pain, and brokenness will be wiped away. Despite this good news and the good things He did, Jesus was killed by the very people He came to serve. The good news though! His death dealt with what causes the world's brokenness - sin. Breathtakingly, God brought Him back to life so that everyone can experience a glimpse of the beautiful new life God has planned for us in eternity. God then released His Spirit to dwell within and among Jesus’ followers, to lead and guide them in continuing His mission until Jesus returns, finalising the Kingdom coming.
Until then, the mission of Jesus’ followers remains the same as it was for those who first Him: to both show and tell people the good news of God’s kingdom and the freedom of life that it brings.
Before we explain the vision of Compassion Vineyard, let's look at God's vision for the world...
God’s vision for the world and everything in it, as we learn in the Bible, is to make all things new. This means wiping away all the hurt, pain, and brokenness in His good creation. It’s about restoring God's reign and rule over the earth so everything can be as it was meant to be. Jesus referred to this state as ‘the Kingdom of God.’
When Jesus came to earth, His mission was to share this good news about God’s Kingdom. He informed people about the coming Kingdom and demonstrated it by healing the sick, raising the dead, and restoring dignity to those marginalised by society. Despite His efforts, He was killed by the very people He came to serve. Remarkably, God raised Him from the dead. Through His death, Jesus addressed the root cause of all brokenness—sin. And through His resurrection, He paved the way for us to experience a glimpse of the beautiful new life God has planned for us in eternity.
Jesus, who is God’s own Son, chose not to spread this news to the world alone. Instead, He taught his closest friends, His disciples, and sent them to carry on the mission. But He did not send them alone. God released His Spirit to dwell within and among Jesus’ followers, to lead and guide them in continuing His mission. Jesus also promised that He would return one day to complete God’s vision of making all things new.
So, what's the vision of Compassion Vineyard?
In our little community patch in Strathalbyn, we want to see the renewal of minds, hope restored, and lives changed.
As part of the Vineyard movement, we see Jesus' teaching on the Kingdom of God as an overarching theme in scripture, and that it ties together our core values and beliefs.
Locally, we see this practically outworked through the people of Compassion Vineyard living out our mission and vision, demonstrating our values in the community.
Our values, our 'CALL', living in the Strathalbyn community: