10th Anniversary Charter Celebration

On Sunday, March 2nd, Vine & Branches Lutheran Church & Childcare celebrated the 10th anniversary of becoming a chartered church of the LCMS. Our celebration included a worship service, a delicious luncheon with a 10th anniversary cake, member-made treats, time to fellowship together, and, to conclude, a special anniversary program highlighting our history, mission and vision for the future here in Aldie, VA.

During our anniversary program, Ray, one of the 4 family founders of our Aldie, VA church and childcare community, led us through a slideshow of our history and the many God moments throughout at Vine & Branches.

“God and Jesus have been in the boat with us every time we faced a storm or headwinds and it got rocky. We knew that He was in the boat with us. We have had a lot of God moments that got us over those challenges and over those hurdles to get us to where we are today.” – Ray

Special testimonies were shared, from members of our Aldie, VA Vine & Branches Church & Childcare community.

“We were overwhelmed by the group’s spirit and zeal for the church’s outreach mission, and we just really felt called to make a difference out here in Aldie, VA although we didn’t live here yet. So we decided we were all in and we went through and participated in the planning activities… there were so many activities from the point of chartering to our first worship that contained God moment after God moment.” -JoAnne

During our program, children played and laughed together, making forts under tables and sneaking some extra treats from the buffet tables.

“Did you know that behind every piece of drywall and insulation in our Vine & Branches Church & Childcare building, are names and prayers written by adults and children with pens, markers, crayons–you name it!” -JoAnne

Some of us shed a few tears of joy, and many of us had huge smiles on our faces as we reminisced on all God has done here at Vine & Branches.

“I just love this church because it’s not a big church. We get to actually have an intimate relationship with everyone. We actually get to know you and care about you… We love each other.” -Balinda

In June of 2018, we opened up our Childcare center, and our Childcare has been a big addition to our Aldie area Vine & Branches family! Here we get to see children and families growing together in God’s Word, and we also get to witness them sharing Him with the world. We have an incredible opportunity to impact the next generation of believers through our Childcare center! What a witness to the world, to hear children praising the Lord because families choose to trust us with their children’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual growth in this space.

“When I was about eight months pregnant, I set out on a mission to find the best childcare in the area because I was going to be returning to work and wanted to make sure our son was in good hands. I toured numerous places locally and Vine & Branches was actually the last place I toured. When I left that tour, I just I knew that was where we needed to enroll him. I had this overwhelming feeling that this is where our children needed to be. And honestly, it was the best decision we could have made for our children. They are loved on and cared for, just as we had hoped for. I truly believe that we found the best childcare in our ared. He had the most amazing teachers here at Vine & Branches. The staff loves and cares for these children just like they were their own.” – Meredith

“The curriculum here at the CDC is incredible. My son started kindergarten in the fall and was beyond prepared for his first year of elementary school. It’s been just amazing to watch them grow and learn, and every day we’re amazed. They come home from Vine & Branches Church & Childcare and share Bible stories they learned in school or sing songs they are learning in chapel, and they are confident to lead prayer at dinner every night.” -Meredith

From the moment I first visited Vine & Branches, I felt a deep sense of Christ’s love, especially through Miss Lieschen and the other teachers. Miss Lieschen is a beaming, bright light of Christ the minute that you walk inside the school. Every morning, our toddlers run into the building, excited to be with their teachers and friends. And I always ask our three year old Noah, ‘What are you most excited about?’ He’ll say,
‘Well Mom I can’t wait to hug Miss Basma, or, ‘I can’t wait to sing songs with Pastor Chris,’ or, ‘Mom, I can’t wait to learn about Jesus.” -Brittany

What’s God’s got in store for us in the next ten years? Pastor Chris Conkling led us in a conversation about our vision for the future, including a potential community garden, ideated by Melinda and other members, and tended by church members and children from Vine & Branches Childcare.

Pastor Chris discussed the vision of hiring another Pastor, a Director of Christian Education, and expanding programs for our growing youth. And as he spoke, he held a shovel.

“As we saw with, building this property, you need a shovel. You need a lot of shovels, actually. You’re trying to dig out and find all the things in the in the dirt that prevent growth. You want to make the ground fertile. You want to make sure you have the correct topsoil. You’re cultivating the land for growth… My goal is for everyone in this room to have a picture holding one of these shovels as we break ground and expand our ministry. That’s going to happen when we stay connected to the Vine, when we stay rooted in Christ, when we grow together in His Word, and when we show Him to the world. So, we’re going to keep listening to the Word. We’re going to listen to Christ. We’re going to go forward and see what He has in store.” – Pastor Chris Conkling

Over the past 16 years, with God’s guidance and our congregation’s dedication, Vine & Branches has progressed from four families meeting together in their homes, to a new start mission church plant, to a chartered, operational church, to a thriving church with a childcare center at the heart of its mission, to be rooted in Christ, grow in God’s Word, and show Him to the world. We worship, learn, serve and grow together in a beautiful building and 9 acre campus in Aldie, VA. Since becoming a chartered church in 2015, Vine & Branches has baptized 58 individuals and confirmed 98 children with 3 more this year!

“Reflecting on our journey, I’m reminded of Jesus’s words, ‘I am the vine. You are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit,’ John 15:5. This is the core of everything we’ve experienced here at Vine & Branches. Our role is simply to remain in the Vine, connected to Him.” -Brittany

“It seems like just yesterday that we dreamed of worshipping with families who did not have a church home. We envisioned a school filled with children and their families curious about Jesus Christ, who joyfully grow in God’s Word and show Jesus to the world. We imagined community groups stepping into our church building, using our facility for worthy causes, and encountering Christ on our campus. God answered all our prayers and turned all these dreams into reality.” – Ray

We are disciples here at Vine & Branches Church & Childcare in Aldie-disciples who are Rooted in Christ, Growing Together in God’s Word, and Showing Him to the World.

“On this 10th Anniversary of our chartering, we look forward to the future with optimism and great anticipation for what God has in store for us.” – Ray