Mansfield has a religious tradition that has it earned the title “The City of Churches,” but a new approach by one certainly qualifies as unconventional: every Sunday night a group of people gather at a house in Mansfield to study the Bible and have a beer.
“It’s BYOB, but it’s not a beer fest,” qualified Pastor Tim Campbell with Life Vineyard Church of Mansfield.
The house, also known as the Life House, is the headquarters for Life Vineyard Church of Mansfield and the home of a married couple, is 82 Sturges Avenue. The Bible study starts at 7 p.m. every Sunday evening.
Campbell shared that 20-25 percent of Richland County’s population is affiliated with a church. The population, according to Richland County’s 2010 census, is 124,475. “This means there are close to 100,000 people currently not going to church. We’re trying to connect with the other 80 percent,” said Campbell.
Campbell said he was raised in church, but as he got older, he walked away because he believed it was not relevant anymore. He said as soon as he could make the decision to leave church, he did. He then led a lifestyle in which church was not an interest.
When he was 35-years-old, Campbell began attending Berean Baptist Church and taking on what he described as leadership roles within the church. He then started attending Vineyard Leadership Institute (VLC), where he further developed his leadership skills. During this period in his life, he said he thought “there has to be more to this [Christian life].”
Shortly after attending VLC, he was accepted into the Church Planting Residency Program where he received intense training. In September of 2013, he was sent out as his own entity, and it was around that time that he met Jim O’Brien.
Jim O’Brien and his wife, Jen O’Brien, have always been involved with Christian ministry together. They met in college at a bible study that Jim reluctantly attended. Like Campbell, he had become disenchanted with the church. After his experience at the Bible study however, which was here in Mansfield, he said he fell in love with Jesus. He was mentored by a local pastor, went to seminary, and eventually married to Jen. During this time, the couple said they were being “wooed out of the box,” of conventional Christian religion.
When Jim O’Brien met Campbell, they were both ready for a change. After what they described as a divine appointment, they agreed to partner in ministry. Shortly after this agreement, they planted Life Vineyard Church Of Mansfield and started Sunday night “Beer & Bible Studies.”
“We’re trying to show a different way of doing church. At the beer and Bible study we really just try to get to know the person of Jesus. There is no deep theology. We keep it real simple,” said Campbell.
Chelsea Means, a bartender at Martini’s in downtown Mansfield and a local artist, the Beer and Bible Study said the events have changed her perspective.
“My perspective has changed in the aspect that I can ask questions and they give me patient and explanative answers. They have discussions, they don’t preach. We have dialogue together and open discussion. It’s so different from anything I’ve ever seen and it’s awesome. Especially when I don’t come from a religious background at all,” said Means via social media.
In the future, Life Vineyard Church Of Mansfield would like to offer a variety of ministerial programs. They entertain ideas like community movie nights, after school programs, and holiday meals. They also dream about having these Life Houses all over the city.
“There are little pockets of these all over the county but there’s no manual. It fits differently for everyone,” said Campbell.
To this comment, Jen O’Brien added, “Yeah. People are just hungry for relationships. They don’t want to be part of the church label. It’s really organic.”
Life Vineyard Of Mansfield is affiliated with Vineyard USA, a network of over 1,500 churches worldwide.
Join Life Vineyard Church Of Mansfield on April 19 for an Easter egg hunt at the Life House. They will also be having a sunrise service on April 20 at the house. To learn more about Life Vineyard Church Of Mansfield, visit their Facebook page. Beer & Bible Studies start at 7 p.m. at 82 Sturges Avenue in Mansfield.
