Does a VineLife Community need a pastor?
Although all Communities are different and they decide individually how they want to do things, we do not encourage calling people, "pastors".
In the VineLife Network, we have an Ephesians 4 Team of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, available to assist and encourage all of our Communities. We believe that the Holy Spirit can use any believer to teach or encourage the group when it gathers.
In the ‘simple’ church model, everyone is expected to participate and be looking for ways to use the gifts the Holy Spirit provides (see 1 Cor. 14:26). There is usually a facilitator of the group (although it doesn't need to be the same person that facilitates from meeting to meeting). We believe that even a new believer could start a Community in their home or workplace without feeling like they need a trained professional to come and lead it. We find that the lack of a specified “pastor” encourages every person in the group to look for answers by searching the Scriptures and looking to the Holy Spirit, rather than depending on the “pastor” to interpret.
