The Vineyard, A Community Church sits on Hilltop Avenue in Kingston, Massachusetts, a few minutes off Route 3 in Plymouth County and a short walk from the Kingston MBTA commuter rail station. Founded in 1985, the church is one of more than 600 congregations that belong to the Association of Vineyard Churches. It is known across the South Shore for its contemporary Sunday worship, a busy food pantry called Careworks, and a long-running missions partnership with church plants in Spain and Portugal.
Sundays on Hilltop Avenue
The Sunday rhythm at The Vineyard begins at 9:30 a.m. with a half hour of prayer in the Adult Education Room. The Sunday Celebration Service follows at 10:00 a.m. and runs about an hour and a half. Each week, attendees experience about thirty minutes of live contemporary worship music, a brief period of announcements, and a Bible-based message, followed by a closing invitation to receive personal prayer ministry at the front of the sanctuary.
Two sets of offering bags are passed during announcements: a solid-color set for general tithes and offerings, and a striped set directed to the Careworks food pantry. Visitors are invited to fill out a Connecting Card found in the seat pockets and turn it in at the Welcome Center in the foyer or in the JOY Boxes at the back of the sanctuary. Seth Andreson, the church's senior pastor, usually delivers the message, with occasional teaching from other staff or guest speakers.
The sanctuary has a cry room at the back for nursing mothers to follow the service live, and staffed classrooms are provided for children from age three through fifth grade. Teens and young adults are welcome to move upstairs to the Teen Room after worship for a lesson and games, though children are also welcome to remain with their parents throughout the service.
At 7:00 p.m. on Sunday evenings, the same building hosts Igreja Brasileira Vineyard, a Brazilian-Portuguese worship service for the Portuguese-speaking community in the area. Sermons from both the English and Portuguese services are recorded and posted on Vimeo.
From the Round Room to a Church of Their Own
The Vineyard was planted in 1985 by Don and Nancy Andreson, who moved to the Kingston area with their four children to start a new congregation. Don had just earned his Master of Divinity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and was a Princeton graduate who had previously founded and run a media and electronics firm. Both Don and Nancy had spent two years as missionaries in Africa under Africa Enterprise, based in South Africa.
The first gatherings were held in a large Round Room attached to the Andresons' own home. As the body grew, the church moved through progressively larger spaces in town before building its own facility on Hilltop Avenue, complete with a sanctuary, offices, classrooms, and meeting rooms. Don and Nancy remain actively involved locally and internationally. Don also serves as the Area Pastoral Care Leader in the Association of Vineyard Churches, and both sit on the executive team of The Iberian Partnership, a multi-church Vineyard missions effort focused on Portugal and Spain.
Their son Seth Andreson now serves as Senior Pastor. A songwriter and worship leader, Seth was co-featured with Sleepy Ray McDonald on Vineyard Music's "Jesus, I Believe You" and served for five years as the Association of Vineyard Churches Eastern Region worship overseer. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Leadership from Newburgh Theological Seminary, is a graduate of the Vineyard Leadership Institute, and completed a one-year certificate at Sustainable Faith School of Spiritual Direction in New Haven, Connecticut.
If3: Invite, Connect, Equip, Engage
The Vineyard summarizes its purpose with the simple acronym "If3," drawn from Jesus' words in Matthew 28:18-20 about going, making disciples, baptizing, and teaching. The four movements of the acronym are:
- Invite - reaching out to those who do not yet follow Jesus.
- Connect - bringing people into the body of Christ through baptism and fellowship.
- Equip - training disciples to do everything Jesus commanded.
- Engage - sending disciples out again on mission.
The church's stated values follow the Vineyard tradition. Jesus is the head of the church and the Holy Spirit is its administrator; relationships are primary, not instrumental; the body is called to be a ministry of healing and mercy; and the leadership seeks balance and integration in everything they do. The Vineyard also emphasizes dependence on the Holy Spirit, concern for the poor and hurting, and a desire to see God's kingdom advance locally and globally.
Careworks: A Food Pantry with a Wider Mission
Careworks, the Vineyard's outreach ministry, runs the Vineyard Resource Center out of the same Hilltop Avenue building. It is open Mondays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., accepting donations of food, gently used clothing, and household items.
Each month, Careworks receives a 4,000-pound food delivery from the Greater Boston Food Bank on the first Wednesday at 7:30 a.m., supplemented by donations from Cumberland Farms, Roche Brothers, community food drives, Mayflower Church, and the Plymouth Food Bank. Volunteers help unload boxes weighing up to fifty pounds and restock the pantry shelves.
Beyond food and clothing, Careworks provides emergency financial assistance when funds allow, social service referrals, and prayer. The ministry's name stands for Community Assistance and Resource Evangelism, and its stated aim is to create an avenue to demonstrate God's love and grace to the poor or those in crisis by providing food, clothing, household items and financial assistance while pointing people to Jesus. In a recent annual report, Careworks tallied more than 1,800 families served, over 10,000 bags of food distributed, and prayer offered to roughly four out of every five clients.
John and Karen Hernandez oversee the Resource Center and Celebrate Recovery Ministry and have attended the Vineyard for more than twelve years. Both completed the Vineyard Leadership Institute and serve on the Leadership Oversight Council.
Iberia: A Long Partnership with Spain and Portugal
The Vineyard's international focus is on the Iberian Peninsula through the Iberia Partnership, a coalition of twelve Vineyard churches in New England. The relationship with Spain dates to February 1992, when Don Andreson joined a small delegation of pastors on an exploratory trip at the invitation of Phil Strout, now National Director of Vineyard USA. At that time, the Vineyard had no presence in Spain, and evangelical Christians made up roughly two-hundredths of one percent of the population.
Since then, nine Vineyard churches have been planted in Spain, and in 2015 the first Vineyard church was planted in Lisbon, Portugal. The partnership, originally known as Partners for Spain and later as IAM, was renamed the Iberia Partnership to reflect the wider reach. More than one hundred individuals from the Kingston church have traveled to Spain to minister over the years.
The church supports one full-time missionary on the peninsula and contributes to the needs of several Iberian congregations. Associate Members of the partnership give monthly to the work, and trips are regularly organized for congregants to participate on the ground. Children in the church are also involved in praying for Iberia.
Life Groups Across the South Shore
Beyond Sunday worship, The Vineyard runs a network of Life Groups meeting in homes across the South Shore. Each group gathers around shared meals, scripture, prayer, and honest conversation.
- Bridgewater meets Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at 55 Conant Street, hosted and led by Steve and Kathy Lovell.
- Marshfield meets Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 102 West Street, led by Rick Gemme and Doug Wicks and hosted by Rick and Barb Gemme.
- Buzzards Bay meets Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at 66 Puritan Road, led by Joe Giamo and Phil Weingart and hosted by Bob and Beth Kerr.
- Hull meets as a separate Life Group, with details available through the church office.
The Kingston-area Table Young Adults Group, for adults roughly twenty to early thirties, meets Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at 11 Alpine Run Road in Kingston. The group centers on shared meals, scripture, honest conversation, prayer, and learning to hear God in everyday life.
Walking Through Divorce, Grief, and Recovery
The Vineyard hosts two extended support ministries that run as multi-week seminars rather than weekly drop-in groups. DivorceCare, led by Robin and Cathy Grote, is a thirteen-week video-based program for adults experiencing separation or divorce. Sessions cover topics such as anger, loneliness, depression, new relationships, KidCare, and forgiveness. Robin and Cathy also run the Welcome Center most Sundays and co-lead a Life Group in Bourne.
Grief Recovery is an eight-week program based on the work of John W. James and Russell Friedman and led locally by Beth Kerr, a certified Grief Recovery Specialist. The program meets in two-hour weekly sessions and addresses the many kinds of loss that produce grief, including death, divorce, loss of health, major financial changes, retirement, moving, and pet loss. Donna Nelson, also trained and certified by the Grief Recovery Institute, serves as a facilitator.
For those working through other hurts and habits, the church's Celebrate Recovery Ministry, overseen by John and Karen Hernandez, offers a Christ-centered twelve-step pathway. The Hernandeze have extensive experience in recovery and serve on the church's Leadership Oversight Council.
Women's Ministry at Two Tables
The Vineyard's Women's Ministry is intentionally intergenerational, with programming for women at every life stage. An in-person Women's Bible Study meets at the church on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. on alternating weeks, working through books such as Susie Larson's Your Beautiful Purpose and led by Sandra Gutierrez and Leavitt Andreson. A Women's Bible Study on Zoom meets Wednesday mornings at 10:00 a.m., hosted by Kathy Lovell.
For more structured community, the ministry runs two Seasons of Life groups. Season of Building gathers women raising children at any stage, from young children to teens, college students, and young adults stepping into independence. Season of Harvest brings together women whose children are grown, whether they are welcoming grandchildren, mentoring, volunteering, pursuing new projects, or transitioning into retirement. The Vineyard also holds special events, classes, and retreats throughout the year.
The Alpha Courses, listed among the church's ongoing offerings, provide a low-key introduction to the basics of the Christian faith and are open to anyone exploring questions about Jesus.
Worship, Prayer, and the Media Team
The Vineyard's Worship Ministry leads the congregation in music during the Sunday service and at special events. The team rehearses on Tuesday evenings and serves on Sundays, with members committing to one week per month. Musicians, vocalists, sound-board operators, and video projector volunteers are all needed. Prospective worship team members meet first with the Worship Pastor, Seth Andreson, for an hour-long conversation about vision and priorities, followed by a one-on-one evaluation of musical ability.
Men meet for prayer at the church on Friday mornings from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., and Sunday mornings include the 9:30 a.m. prayer gathering in the Adult Education Room before the main service. A Prayer Ministry is listed among the church's ongoing avenues of service.
The Media Team handles the technical side of Sunday worship, running the sound system, projecting lyrics, scripture, and announcements, recording the weekly sermon video for local television, and maintaining the church's Vimeo and Facebook presence along with sermon and audio podcasts.
Finding Your Way to the Vineyard
The Vineyard meets at 8 Hilltop Avenue, Kingston, Massachusetts. Sunday morning parking is available in the church lot, with overflow parking a short distance up the road at the nearby elementary school when needed. From Boston and points north, drivers take the Southeast Expressway (I-93) to Route 3 South in Braintree, follow Route 3 to Exit 18, turn right, and take the first left. From Cape Cod, drivers take Route 3 North to Exit 18, turn right off the ramp, and take the second left (the first is Route 3) onto Hilltop Avenue. The church is also within walking distance of the Kingston commuter rail station, via Copper Beech Drive.
Sunday services are livestreamed at 10:00 a.m. on YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo, with recordings posted afterward on Vimeo and Facebook. Online giving is available through PayPal for general tithes and offerings, Careworks gifts, Iberia Partnership support, and event registrations.