Going where the spirit moves you

Oct 22 2007 by Liz Hands, The Journal

A PINT and a prayer might seem like an unusual combination.

But while most mainstream churches limit their congregations to a few sips of communion wine, one group is mixing spirits with spirituality to widen its appeal.

The Tyneside Vineyard church conducts twice monthly services at the Chillingham pub in Heaton, Newcastle, for believers who want to enjoy a drink while they worship.

Leaders of the church Nicola and David Bass, from Heaton, said they chose the venue to appeal to people who want a less formal style of church service. The couple, who are both teachers, even give worshippers a drink on the house as they arrive.

“We wanted somewhere where people were already coming and that they could relate to,” said David, 31.“To appeal to people who are Christians and people who would not call themselves Christians.”

His wife Nicola, 30, said the evenings were an attempt to encourage people who felt intimidated by more formal church services.

“We want to take away every possible barrier to stop people coming,” she said.

“It’s all about them feeling comfortable. People our age are not going to church any more, they are not becoming Christians, so we just wanted to do church a different way.”

And the approach seems to be working.

They started using a room at The Chillingham in January and found the evenings so popular they had to increase their regularity from one to two nights a month. The services are busy and many of those attending are in their twenties and thirties.

Jacqui Heptinstall, 25, a support assistant at a primary school, also from Heaton, said the pub atmosphere was particularly welcoming.

“It is very relaxed and you don’t have to be formal,” she said. “We just want to come together and be friends together. And have a drink. A really important part of church is socialising.”

Her husband Jim, 25, who is a doctor, said that the venue appeals to people who do not necessarily consider themselves to be religious.

“We get lots of our friends who would not say that they are Christians coming here and loving it,” he said.

Live music and a sophisticated PA system add to the impression of a young, relaxed approach and many of the congregation take advantage of the chance to enjoy a pint. But David was keen to stress that the evenings retain a more traditional religious message.

“We still teach the Bible and would not water anything down,” he said.

The Vineyard movement sprang up in America in the 1970s at the tail end of flower power and was distinctive for its modern style of worship.

Churches are organised on a local basis overseen by a national governing council. Vineyard services often include a strong musical element – Bob Dylan was reported to have attended the church – and many groups have live music.

And the pub is not the only unusual venue the group has used.

They recently rented out space in Newcastle’s St James’s Park to host a series of evenings aimed at encouraging more people to get involved.

The pub services are held on the second and fourth Sunday every month.