A Spirit-Filled Church on Expressway Drive
Vineyard Church sits on Expressway Drive in Virginia Beach, Virginia, a short drive from the heart of the city and the coast. Since 1994 it has been a non-denominational, Spirit-filled community known for contemporary worship, practical Bible teaching, and a clear pathway for newcomers to find a place to belong. The church belongs to the wider Vineyard movement through Vineyard USA, while remaining self-governed in its own local rhythms and ministries.
The doors open each weekend to a congregation that has grown from a handful of founding members into a multi-generational family. Visitors are met with the simple invitation that defines the place: come as you are.
Sundays at Vineyard
Two identical Sunday services meet at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. in the main auditorium on Expressway Drive. Each gathering runs about an hour and blends modern worship, high-energy music, and a Bible-centered message aimed at everyday life. First-time guests are welcomed by a Greeter Team at the doors and helped to their seats, with an Information Team on hand to answer questions about next steps, small groups, and upcoming events.
Visitors can grab a coffee before service, fill out a Connect Card to share a bit about themselves, and pick up Message Notes that follow along with the sermon. The atmosphere is described as relaxed and friendly, and the music leans contemporary rather than traditional.
For those who cannot attend in person, services are livestreamed on YouTube, Facebook, and a dedicated online campus called Vineyard Live. Past messages are also available as a podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and written notes for each message can be read online.
The Founding Story and the Meade Family
Vineyard Church was launched in 1994 by Founding Pastors Sharon and Andy Meade, who followed a vision God gave them for a different kind of church. They and a small group of believers started the church in Virginia Beach and have shaped its identity for three decades. Sharon and Andy raised their family in the area and have three sons, a daughter-in-law, and grandchildren who are part of the church community.
Pastor Sharon Meade's life and ministry were honored at a memorial service after her passing. The church family gathered to celebrate her faith, her love for people, and the ways she poured into the community, leaving a legacy that continues to shape Vineyard's culture of welcome.
Today the pastoral team includes Andy Meade as Founding Pastor, along with Samuel Meade and Parker Mathias, who serve alongside him in teaching and leadership. The staff is rounded out by ministry coordinators who oversee the church's day-to-day ministry areas.
A Place Built for Families
Vineyard Kids
Vineyard Kids is the children's ministry for newborns through fifth grade. Children are grouped by age into a nursery (birth through 24 months), preschool, and elementary classes, where they experience age-specific worship, Bible lessons, and small groups designed to help them learn who God is and who they are in Him. The nursery is currently available during Sunday services.
Parents new to the church can fill out a family form ahead of a visit to smooth out the check-in process, and a Facebook group connects Vineyard parents year-round. Weekly video resources are available for at-home use for both elementary and preschool ages. Children with special needs are welcomed, with the Kids Coordinator available to talk through accommodations before a first visit.
Entrance Youth
Entrance is the youth ministry for students in sixth through twelfth grade. The name says what it does: students are invited to encounter Jesus, grow in community, and learn to do what Jesus did.
Entrance meets on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for games, music, teaching, and small groups divided by age and gender, each led by background-checked adult leaders. The teaching is built around the questions teenagers actually face: who God is, what difference He makes, who they are, and how to make wise decisions. There is also a Sunday morning youth service and a quarterly outreach event called Invite Night.
Students are encouraged to serve as leaders today rather than waiting for tomorrow, with Growth Track pathways designed for teenagers to develop leadership while serving on Sunday and Wednesday teams.
Small Groups and the Freedom Conference
Small Groups are the connective tissue of Vineyard Church. Groups meet throughout the Virginia Beach area for men, women, couples, students, hobbyists, athletes, and anyone else looking for community. They typically run in fall and spring semesters and are the primary place the church helps people find what it calls freedom, the second step in its four-part path.
Twice a year, in spring and fall, the church holds a Freedom Conference to celebrate what God has done through Small Groups. Over two days, attendees experience worship, prayer, and messages from multiple speakers on topics like breaking past struggles, finding healing, and walking in God's purpose. The conference is open to anyone who wants to encounter Jesus in a fresh way, whether or not they are part of the church.
Growth Track, the Dream Team, and Internships
Newcomers who want to go deeper can join Growth Track, a four-step process that meets after each Sunday service. Step One covers the history and vision of Vineyard and how to become a partner. Step Two focuses on leadership development. Step Three helps participants discover their personality, gifts, and purpose. Step Four connects them to a serving team on the Dream Team.
The Dream Team is the church's volunteer army, organized into teams that include A-Team (administration), Campus Support (set-up, parking, facilities), Greeter Team, Growth Track Hosts, Information Team, Legacy Team (giving), Prayer Team, Production Team (lighting, video, audio, online experience), Small Group Leadership, Vineyard Kids Team, Vineyard Students, and Vineyard Worship (vocals and instruments). Many serving roles require a background check and, for worship, a development training process.
For younger adults exploring ministry as a vocation, Vineyard runs an Internship Program designed to provide exposure, experience, and education in a church setting. Interns gain real-world ministry experience, build leadership skills, and may earn college credit, with past interns describing the program as a foundation for their calling.
What Vineyard Believes
Vineyard Church embraces historical Christian teaching across all doctrines, using contemporary language and modern music to communicate them. The church affirms belief in one God eternally existent as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; in the deity, virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension, and personal return of Jesus Christ; and in the Bible as the inspired, unique, and only infallible authoritative Word of God.
Salvation is taught as a work of divine grace received through repentance and faith, with regeneration by the Holy Spirit described as essential. The church believes in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, including the gifts available to believers today. It also affirms the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost.
Prayer, Fasting, and a Yearly Rhythm
Prayer is woven through the church's weekly calendar. A Saturday morning prayer gathering called Pray First meets every week at 9:00 a.m., and the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. brings the church together for a special midweek service.
Each January, Vineyard leads the congregation through 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. Teaching on the practice includes four types of fast: a Complete Fast, a Selective Fast such as the Daniel Fast, a Soul Fast that reframes habits like social media or television, and a Partial Fast. The purpose is to draw near to God, hit the reset button on the soul, and renew from the inside out.
Missions Locally, Nationally, and Around the World
Outreach at Vineyard is structured in three concentric rings. Local Missions partners with ministries across Virginia, including a yearly Serve Day when thousands go into the community to bless others through practical projects chosen by their Small Groups. National Missions helps launch and grow churches across the country through Vineyard USA. International Missions partners with organizations that plant churches worldwide so that every person has the opportunity to hear the Gospel in their native language.
Getting Connected
Anyone who visits can take a next step at their own pace: join a Sunday service, fill out a Connect Card, sign up for Small Groups, attend Growth Track after a weekend service, or explore the Dream Team. Water baptisms are held at the end of each Small Group semester, and the team provides everything needed including a baptism t-shirt to keep.
Giving is supported online through the Church Center App, by text message, by stock donation, by check mailed to the Expressway Drive address, or in offering envelopes dropped in the boxes by the auditorium doors. Prayer requests can be submitted online, and the Church Center App keeps the entire Vineyard community in one place for groups, registrations, and giving.