“I planted the seed in your hearts…but it was
God who made it grow.” -- Corinthians 3:6.
Just
like the bible verse, Vineyard City Church located at 175 Potomac Ave., is
preparing to plant for its next season to give back to the community.
The
church is maintaining its Grow in Grace Community Garden that not only
contributes beauty to the community but also provides a way to learn the
fundamentals of gardening. This project also teaches the children various
lessons including mathematics and recycling.
Steven Schenk, pastor at Vineyard City Church, stresses
community and says the church spends more time together than just on Sunday.
“God put church on earth to bless people outside the
church,” said Schenk.
The
church also works with volunteers from Buffalo State College, counsels Jericho
Road patients and helps West Side Ministries with their mission to make
refugees comfortable.
Schenk
brought his enthusiasm from California, where he and his family relocated from
six years ago.
“I absolutely love what I do,” said Schenk. “It’s
awesome, I love working in a small church. The people here really take their
faith seriously and they try to face the problems of the world. Over the course of working in the West Side I’ve seen people
who are caught in the throes, but I see a lot of rewarding things too.” By Shari Ingles and Maureen Vitali
