A lot has happened since a handful of us gathered to pray and dream in the summer of 2017 about a new church for Oxford. We’ve moved venues (quite a few times!), learnt how to do church on zoom during a pandemic, and we’ve had many people come and some go. Most importantly we’ve learnt a huge amount about trusting that God’s love for people is greater than ours, and that in following Jesus, listening to and honouring the Holy Spirit, we will see God’s church and kingdom grow.

Back when we started God drew us to a passage from the Bible (Isaiah 43: 17-19). We sensed God was inviting us to begin a Vineyard church, and join in with the new thing that he was doing in the wider church here in Oxford. We believe that there’s more of the new still to come and that we are moving into a season we’ve been longing and praying for, when we will see ‘streams of living water’, God’s spirit bringing life to dry places. We’re more expectant than we’ve ever been for all God wants to do in Oxford and we’re excited that Hope Vineyard has a part to play.