Embodying the Way of Jesus: Our Mission & Ministry Objectives for 2026
A Story That Begins With Hunger
The Vineyard Movement began not with a strategy, but with a hunger, a longing to experience the life of Jesus described in the Gospels as a present, everyday reality.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, believers began asking a disruptive question: What if the life we read about in Scripture is meant to be the normal Christian life? Out of that question, a movement emerged committed to a lived, embodied faith—rooted in Scripture, alive to the Spirit, and active in mission.
At its heart, the Vineyard exists for one reason:
to embody the way of Jesus so the Kingdom of God can be seen, experienced, and extended on earth as it is in heaven.
That same story has shaped us here at Vineyard Hood River.
Our Mission at Vineyard Hood River
We are not a church that simply inherited a mission, we are a church that has been formed by it.
Through worship and prayer, relationships and repentance, obedience and faith, God has been shaping us into a people who know Him, walk with Him, and join Him in what He is already doing.
Our mission is not a new direction. It is a clarification of calling.
At Vineyard Hood River, our mission is to embody the way of Jesus in all that we do.
Rooted in His presence, transformed by His Word, and empowered by His Spirit, we live to make Jesus known and His Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
Discerning Our Focus for 2026
Earlier this year, our Elders invited congregational input, asking what the Spirit might be saying to us for the year ahead. As we listened, prayed, and discerned together, a clear hunger emerged, one that aligned with our Vineyard values and could be gathered into three areas: Holy Spirit Encounters, Discipleship, Witness
From that process, we believe the Holy Spirit has given us three Ministry Objectives to pursue in 2026.
Our Ministry Objectives for 2026
1. Holy Spirit Encounters & Empowerment
To cultivate a culture of expectation for encountering God’s Presence daily, relying on the Holy Spirit’s empowering grace to transform every area of life.
Galatians 5:25 reminds us that life in God begins with grace, “Since we live by the Spirit”, and continues through attentiveness and obedience, “let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
This objective invites us into a daily, relational walk with God, not striving ahead or lagging behind, but walking with Him in rhythm.
2. Discipleship & Family
To equip people and families to live out their faith every day, becoming more like Jesus in character, relationships, and purpose.
Colossians 2:6-7 paints a picture of discipleship rooted in grace, lived out daily, and formed in community.
Discipleship happens over time, in relationships, and bears the fruit of joy, not obligation.
This objective isn’t about adding more to busy lives. It’s about helping us practice the way of Jesus in the rhythms and relationships we already have.
3. Witness & Mission
To mobilize our church family to serve others with compassion, generosity, and courageous faith so that our local and global communities experience the whole gospel of Jesus’ Kingdom.
Acts 1:8 reminds us that mission flows from the power of the Holy Spirit. We are called to be witnesses, ordinary people who testify to what we’ve seen and experienced with Jesus.
Mission begins right where we are and moves outward, local, regional, and global, as we learn to notice where God is already at work and join Him there.
One Next Step
As we move toward 2026, we want to be clear:
No one is expected to do everything.
Everyone is invited to take one next step.
That step might look like:
Engaging one spiritual rhythm (Scripture, prayer, fasting)
Growing in one discipleship relationship
Participating in one expression of mission
This isn’t about doing more, it’s about becoming more attentive, more available, and more responsive to what God is already doing.
Becoming the Kind of People God Is Forming
What we’ve shared here isn’t a checklist, it’s a vision.
A vision of a church ordering its life around Jesus.
When we pray together, we become a people led by the Spirit.
When we grow together, we become a people shaped by love.
When we serve together, we become a people through whom the Kingdom becomes visible.
This is how heaven touches earth, through faithful people saying yes to Jesus in ordinary moments.
As we move toward 2026, our prayer is simple:
That Vineyard Hood River would be a church that knows Jesus deeply,
walks with Him daily,
and makes His love and power visible in our community.
The Vineyard Movement began not with a strategy, but with a hunger, a longing to experience the life of Jesus described in the Gospels as a present, everyday reality.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, believers began asking a disruptive question: What if the life we read about in Scripture is meant to be the normal Christian life? Out of that question, a movement emerged committed to a lived, embodied faith—rooted in Scripture, alive to the Spirit, and active in mission.
At its heart, the Vineyard exists for one reason:
to embody the way of Jesus so the Kingdom of God can be seen, experienced, and extended on earth as it is in heaven.
That same story has shaped us here at Vineyard Hood River.
Our Mission at Vineyard Hood River
We are not a church that simply inherited a mission, we are a church that has been formed by it.
Through worship and prayer, relationships and repentance, obedience and faith, God has been shaping us into a people who know Him, walk with Him, and join Him in what He is already doing.
Our mission is not a new direction. It is a clarification of calling.
At Vineyard Hood River, our mission is to embody the way of Jesus in all that we do.
Rooted in His presence, transformed by His Word, and empowered by His Spirit, we live to make Jesus known and His Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
Discerning Our Focus for 2026
Earlier this year, our Elders invited congregational input, asking what the Spirit might be saying to us for the year ahead. As we listened, prayed, and discerned together, a clear hunger emerged, one that aligned with our Vineyard values and could be gathered into three areas: Holy Spirit Encounters, Discipleship, Witness
From that process, we believe the Holy Spirit has given us three Ministry Objectives to pursue in 2026.
Our Ministry Objectives for 2026
1. Holy Spirit Encounters & Empowerment
To cultivate a culture of expectation for encountering God’s Presence daily, relying on the Holy Spirit’s empowering grace to transform every area of life.
Galatians 5:25 reminds us that life in God begins with grace, “Since we live by the Spirit”, and continues through attentiveness and obedience, “let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
This objective invites us into a daily, relational walk with God, not striving ahead or lagging behind, but walking with Him in rhythm.
2. Discipleship & Family
To equip people and families to live out their faith every day, becoming more like Jesus in character, relationships, and purpose.
Colossians 2:6-7 paints a picture of discipleship rooted in grace, lived out daily, and formed in community.
Discipleship happens over time, in relationships, and bears the fruit of joy, not obligation.
This objective isn’t about adding more to busy lives. It’s about helping us practice the way of Jesus in the rhythms and relationships we already have.
3. Witness & Mission
To mobilize our church family to serve others with compassion, generosity, and courageous faith so that our local and global communities experience the whole gospel of Jesus’ Kingdom.
Acts 1:8 reminds us that mission flows from the power of the Holy Spirit. We are called to be witnesses, ordinary people who testify to what we’ve seen and experienced with Jesus.
Mission begins right where we are and moves outward, local, regional, and global, as we learn to notice where God is already at work and join Him there.
One Next Step
As we move toward 2026, we want to be clear:
No one is expected to do everything.
Everyone is invited to take one next step.
That step might look like:
Engaging one spiritual rhythm (Scripture, prayer, fasting)
Growing in one discipleship relationship
Participating in one expression of mission
This isn’t about doing more, it’s about becoming more attentive, more available, and more responsive to what God is already doing.
Becoming the Kind of People God Is Forming
What we’ve shared here isn’t a checklist, it’s a vision.
A vision of a church ordering its life around Jesus.
When we pray together, we become a people led by the Spirit.
When we grow together, we become a people shaped by love.
When we serve together, we become a people through whom the Kingdom becomes visible.
This is how heaven touches earth, through faithful people saying yes to Jesus in ordinary moments.
As we move toward 2026, our prayer is simple:
That Vineyard Hood River would be a church that knows Jesus deeply,
walks with Him daily,
and makes His love and power visible in our community.
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