After more than two decades as a beacon of hope and support for Windsor residents, the Vineyard of Faith Lutheran Church (VOF) and its 125-member congregation face an uncertain future.
The month-to-month lease on this large sanctuary, several outbuildings and 5.32 acres of land expires in August for this campus located at 167 Arata Lane near exit 499 off Highway 101. The owners want to sell, and without the $2 million required to buy the property, members must consider other options.
“One thing is clear. Our top priority is to stay together and to continue serving the community as a congregation in Windsor. We also have a possible option, graciously offered by the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Healdsburg, to join them,” said Congregation President Shirley Schallon. “If we have to downsize and relocate, we are exploring lease opportunities for smaller commercial space inside town limits.”
The congregation is praying for a miracle. “After all, with a name like Vineyard of Faith, we continue to trust in God’s leading and are putting ourselves in his hands, while believing that if he wants us to stay here, angels of mercy may still be found to help us. We are putting our faith in his leading, while also saying thy will be done,” Schallon said.
The church was built in the 1990s when 800 families worshiped in three consecutive services each Sunday, requiring a big sanctuary auditorium to accommodate up to 600 people at each meeting. However, like other denominations have experienced in recent years, membership and attendance has steadily declined as families moved away, birth rates fell and members went to their rest.
At the same time, VOF continued to extend its benevolent reach into the community by offering a variety of essential services including, English as a Second Language classes, and Friday evening shop classes for youth teaching auto mechanics as well as other life skills while enjoying contemporary music, fireside gatherings and fun activities. Several scouting organizations also met regularly at the facility.
There were programs for everyone. A community garden was established. Today there are monthly food distributions to those in need, and annual holiday dinners free of charge to everyone. Weekly prayer meetings and Bible studies are well attended, and a host of other outreach efforts, such as filling boxes with toys, art and educational supplies for underprivileged Central American children, are still being done.
VOF has also been a site for an Avance parent-child early education program providing weekly three-hour classes for low-income Latino parents with children under age three. In addition, a daycare center for preschoolers was on the drawing board for the future.
“What has made our church family special over the years is the loving, friendly, caring and sensitive fellowship spirit shown among our members as well as with visitors and guests. We come together when anyone needs support. As a network of believers in Jesus Christ, everyone knows that he or she will be taken care of, as we also strive to take care of the community at large,” Schallon added.
Jim Bothwell serves as the interim, transitional pastor for VOF. He devoted 18 years of service as pastor of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Healdsburg, and 11 years at the East Bay Calvary Lutheran Church in San Lorenzo before retiring in 2011.
“Vineyard of Faith members will determine their future, and like them, I’m praying for a plan that will be acceptable to this congregation while enabling them to continue to serve God and the people of Windsor,” Pastor Bothwell said.
According to Schallon, “Our first choice is to stay where we are, and together as a congregation. We just need to find a way to do this. Support for purchasing the 167 Arata Lane property would be one possibility, finding a suitable and affordable space somewhere else in Windsor is another. Those interested in helping us continue this ministry in Windsor can call me at 838-2555.”
Gary Quackenbush is a Windsor resident and writer with his own public relations consultancy. He is the founder of the Windsor Care Network and a former CEO of the Windsor Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at [email protected].
