Requirements for Existing Churches Adopting into Vineyard USA 

1. Requirements of the pastor
   • Establish relationship with at least one Vineyard pastor within your region
   • Attend Area functions during the adoption process.
   • Read and listen to relevant Vineyard content. See the Vineyard USA Required Reading and Listening List
   • Fill out the adoption paperwork and process the change with the church.
   • Implement the following in the church, if not already in place:
     • Leadership development and training
     • A culture of Evangelism
     • Small Groups
     • The 5-Step Prayer Model

2. What is required of the church?
   • 100 people involved in the life of the church on a regular basis
   • Commitment to the process of adoption
   • Transparency of finances for evaluation
   • Provide Vineyard USA with a copy of any existing lease agreements for the fellowship and an addendum signed by any and all landlords which holds VUSA harmless from any defaults
   • Agreement of church’s governance structure (senior pastor, church council, board of elders, etc.) that they want to be adopted into the Vineyard
   • Commit to give the amount requested by the VUSA Board for support of VUSA (presently 3%)

3. As a church you are committed to do the following:

• • Have pastors and leaders who are people of character, maturity, integrity, and gifting.
  • Be in relationship with other Vineyard churches, including but not limited to attending:
    • Area meetings and events 
    • Regional and National Conferences
    • Training events 
    • Worshiping a few times at other Vineyard Churches  (if possible)
    • Connecting with a Vineyard pastor for relationship building and processing questions in person or virtually.
    • Be deeply committed to the priorities, values, practices, and mission of the Vineyard. 
• Have a working grasp of Kingdom theology and be doing the works of the Kingdom
• The Regional Leader will discuss all unreconciled past church relationships and the need to resolve them according to scripture. We would help them see their need for repentance and forgiveness as necessary means to move forward.
• Have Churches’ financial standing in good order and/ a plan to become more financially stable. 
  • Is the church’s debt less than two times their annual income?
  • Is the annual budget of the church roughly around 50% staff? If staff is a larger portion of the budget – what is the end goal? 
• Engage in the essential practices of  Evangelism, Discipleship, Leadership Development, and Diversity (EDLD) 
  • Be missionally focused, outward, and show a clear evangelistic process/fruit
  • Exhibit a clear culture of developing leaders for multiplication at each level of the church
  • Pursue racial reconciliation and diversity at all levels of ministry