A very warm welcome to this week’s Sunday Online at Encounter Vineyard. Thank you for joining us, we hope that you enjoy being part of our online worshipping community.

We are so glad you are part of the Encounter Vineyard family. There is something beautiful about knowing that, across homes and lives and stories, we are walking this journey of faith together — finding and following Jesus in the ordinary and the extraordinary moments of life.

This weekend marks another turning of the page — not just another Sunday, but the beginning of the season of Lent. For forty days, the Church around the world slows down, recentres, and prepares its heart for Easter. Lent invites us to pay attention again. To wake up to God. To clear space. To notice where our hearts may have drifted and to gently return to the One who has never drifted from us.

It also feels significant that as Lent begins, we are launching our new series, Awaken. Over these coming weeks, we’ll be exploring what it means to awaken our faith, our prayers, our hope and our expectancy. This Sunday Mark is speaking on Encountering Jesus — because awakening doesn’t begin with better habits or stronger effort, but with meeting Him afresh. When we encounter Jesus — not just as an idea, but as a living presence — everything begins to stir.

We really hope you enjoy worshipping with us this weekend and that you are blessed, strengthened and renewed for the challenges of the week ahead.