Our History
The Farrelly family have been part of the Vineyard since 1993, having first come across it through their music in 1986. When we joined South West London Vineyard all those years ago we knew that one day we would be going off to start doing something within the Vineyard family with our friends.
In 2000 Noni went on the staff of South West London Vineyard to head up their children’s work. In 2002 Peter left the army to work for Vineyard churches UK. When Peter left the army we bought a house in Hinchley Wood, having fallen in love with the area during the previous year, as we headed up a small group that met in a house in Kingston to look at Jesus and all that he did. We would walk around Kingston thinking what a wonderful town it was and how it would be a fantastic place to hang out with people who wanted to know more of the story of Jesus and want an amazing place to plant a church.
In 2003 it became clear that Peter and Noni and their family were being called to plant a Vineyard church in Kingston, so it was with much excitement that the plans began to unfold for this new venture. This meant Noni had to leave her job at South West London Vineyard and at the start of this venture she worked part time as a school nurse, from September 2009 she has worked part time for Kingston Vineyard. Peter left his job with Vineyard churches UK in 2005 and now works full time as a bursar at a prep school in Battersea.
In September 2003 the folk from South West London Vineyard prayed for us one Sunday morning and we were launched. It is the most exciting and fun thing that any of us have got to do for ages. The children think it’s pretty cool and we love the idea of getting to know lots of people in Kingston and the wider area. We love introducing them to Jesus and showing them how wonderful and amazing he is and how wonderful and amazing his church can be. All of us have incredible stories of how he has made such a difference to our lives and we can’t wait to share them with people who are interested.
How did the Vineyard begin?
The Vineyard began in 1974 with Ken Gulliksen leading a small Bible study in Los Angeles. It quickly grew making it necessary to start other house-groups and a Sunday service called The Vineyard. In the next few years, thousands of people received Christ or various forms of ministry during the Sunday service as well as in the small house-groups.
Shortly after that, many went out to start other Vineyard churches in California, each having the emphasis on worship, relationships, healing and training. Soon there were five churches led by Ken Gulliksen.
As all this was happening, John Wimber was leading a rapidly growing church called the Church Calvary Chapel in Yorba Linda; which also grew out of a house-group. By this time a number of pastors had gathered around John and they began to buy into his vision; amongst them was Ken Gulliksen. In the spring of 1982, John Wimber and several other pastors joined with The Vineyard. A short time later it became clear that God had called John to oversee, pastor, train and encourage the other pastors under him.
In 1987 the various Vineyard churches formed a formal church association called the Association of Vineyard Churches (AVC). The churches are self-governing, but are overseen and encouraged on a voluntary basis by Pastoral Overseers. Prior to 1987 there had been a number of very successful Vineyard conferences run in the UK. However it was not until 1987 that John Wimber released John & Eleanor Mumford to start the first Vineyard church in the UK, the SW London Vineyard.
On the 14 March 1996 John Wimber released the UK as a national grouping of Vineyard Churches in its own right and John & Eleanor were commissioned as National Directors of the Association of Vineyard Churches (UK) – now known as Vineyard Churches UK.
Vineyard Churches UK continues to steadily grow: 12 in 1993; 31 in 1996; 65 in 1999; and 79 in 2002.
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