After nearly a decade of having church in a portable location, Vintage Church in Randleman, North Carolina, is celebrating its new, stationary location.
Vintage celebrated its first service February 4, 2018, in its new location, a former grocery store in the town of 3,400 inhabitants. The new location is situated directly across the street from Randleman Middle School, Vintage’s old location. Randleman sits just outside Greensboro and is a blue-collar town made up of lower middle class with “mild diversity.”
The church began with 12 people who “started with a dream in a living room in 2007,” said Rev. Matt Smith. He was part of that original 12.
Following the move into its current location, Vintage began to grow exponentially. Attendance is now around 1,000 each weekend, and “the church is unleashing more ministry in its community than ever before,” Smith said. “We have shifted the perspective on church. No longer is the church a place you go. It is the people we are.
“Vintage has become the ‘go to’ church in our community,” said Smith. “We have built relationships that open the door for us to discover needs and meet them. This is especially true with the guidance counselors at the local schools. We have paid countless utility bills for single moms and stepped in to give aid to many other families in need in various ways. Our Thanksgiving meal initiative is a huge way we have made a difference. In 2017, we had over 200 volunteers hand deliver a meal to nearly 300 homes. One of the most fruitful [ministries] is a Celebrate Recovery program that is rapidly growing and reaching dozens who are finding hope and healing.” (Celebrate Recovery is a “Christ-centered recovery program” for those affected by addiction.)
The most important work growth happening at Vintage is life change.
“Hundreds of new faith decisions have been made, including 52 that have gone public with their faith through baptism since April,” said Smith.
When asked why the church has grown so quickly, Smith is humble in his response.
“I think our leaders have been boldly obedient, and God has honored that,” said Smith. “It’s not the building, lights or location. It’s the power of his presence. There’s nothing more attractive than that. Jesus said he would draw all people to himself (John 12:32). That’s what we are witnessing.”
Vintage exists to “inspire people to live and love like Jesus.” The church is truly leveraging its current location as a tool to enhance that mission.
