While there are lots of ways to connect at Mercy, small groups are at the heart of what we do. We have a variety of groups to choose from, whether you are looking to make friends, grow spiritually, or serve the city. Mercy Growth Groups are a place to grow spiritually in community. Mercy Connect groups allow you to make friends over common interests. Both have Online, In Person, and Hybrid meeting options for the fall.

Our Connect and Growth Groups are meeting primarily online. Stay tuned for more information on groups meeting in the winter 2021 season.

Alpha is launching soon! Alpha is a place to explore the Christian faith with others. It is low pressure environment to explore the big questions in life. The best way to invite people to Alpha is to sign up yourself and bring a friend; the majority of guests try Alpha due to a personal invitation. Led by Mikosa Taylor.

Mondays | Starting January 18 | 7:15pm | Zoom

Why does everything have to be a fight? It’s exhausting, isn’t it? From daily chores to bigger life-defining decisions, most parents dread engaging in power struggles with their children. It leads to discontent, lack of respect, distanced relationships; and often more nagging from parents. The nagging isn’t cultivating wisdom, is it? But how do you stop the constant arguing? Join Shelly Rosene and Carolyn Givens to explore the power of questions in parenting.

Wednesdays | January 20 – February 10 | 8pm | Zoom

In this class, we will focus on understanding racial differences through 3 themes (History, Identity, Community) and together we’ll ask “Who is God?” and “Who Are We?” in response to each of these themes. Each class will be a mix of interactive discussion and teaching. If you’ve taken the class before, this iteration of the class will have some updates and additions to the previous content. This core class is required for those interested in being on the leadership team at Mercy. Led by Ruthie Johnson.

Wednesdays | January 20 – February 3 | 6:30-8pm | Zoom

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a highly effective therapy model that aims to heal the root pain behind many common mental health problems (ie, anxiety and depression). Many spiritual leaders have also realized it is much more than that. It is seen as a deep form of prayer that can calm the often chaotic thoughts and feelings we carry, making room for us to meet and be healed by the Holy Spirit. Led by Corey Busch, a practicing IFS therapist and Mercy member, this class is for anyone who has struggled with mental health as well as for anyone interested in deepening their connection with God through a new prayer process. You will learn the basic ideas behind IFS, and you will have the opportunity to experience the IFS process in a safe, professionally facilitated space.

Wednesdays | January 20 – February 10 | 7pm | Zoom

Starting January 24, we’re offering a family-style, in-person MercyKids Church. At 9:30am, gather in the Cafe, one family per table to talk about what the Kingdom of God is like. We’ll watch Holy Moly, have some discussion questions and activities, and then we’ll pray together.

For those participating online this season, we’ll continue to provide videos for Pre-K and Grade School-aged students on our Facebook page or the MercyKids YouTube channel at 9:30am on Sundays.

On Sunday, January 24, we are launching a hybrid Sunday morning service experience. Both the in-person and online service start at 10am.

To attend in person, please sign up to ensure we remain within our capacity numbers and for contact tracing purposes, if needed. Masks and social distancing are required. We will not have MercyKids or MercyYouth programming during the service, nor are we serving coffee at this time. Read our full Indoor, In-Person Worship Service COVID Protocols for information on what you can expect for the in-person service.

To attend online, join our interactive Mercy Online service at https://live.mercyvineyard.org/ or watch on demand on our YouTube channel.

Our Online Cafe is a virtual connection opportunity after our interactive livestream service. Join Mercy staff in a Zoom call starting at 11am on Sundays to be welcomed, engage with the sermon and receive prayer in private Zoom breakout rooms.

If you’re interested in the intersection of faith and science, learning more about Covid-19 and vaccines, this class is for you!  This course is 3 weeks, during which there will be presentations as well as break out times to talk and discuss these topics. Led by Margo Hutchison & Joy Doan.

Wednesdays | January 27 – February 10 | 7:30pm | Zoom

For people who are considering taking the next step of involvement at Mercy, the Membership Class is an interactive discussion of what it means to be make a deeper commitment to our Mercy community through membership. This core class is required for those interested in being on the leadership team at Mercy.

Wednesday | February 24 | 6:30-8pm | Mercy

This class explores our culture’s current information landscape and how to interact with information from a mindful, Christian perspective. We’ll discuss various tips to help you fact-check what you find and read online. We’ll also talk about different reasons why this work matters for Christians and how to bring your faith and Christian identity to online spaces.

About your instructor: Rachel Wightman has been a librarian for over ten years, specializing in teaching students to find and evaluate information in ethical ways. She is currently the associate director for instruction and outreach at Concordia University, St. Paul. Prior to moving to Minnesota in 2012, she spent two years as librarian and missionary in Kampala, Uganda. She is passionate about giving people tools to evaluate information and teaching others to understand our current online culture and landscape. She believes it is especially important for Christians to understand and mindfully engage in online platforms.

Wednesdays | February 24-March 3, March 17-24 | 7:30-9pm | Zoom

Visio Divina is a form of prayer that helps us say “yes” to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit by allowing God to speak to our hearts and imaginations through encounters with art. Join us for an hour each week as we navigate the Lenten season. Led by Cassie Smith.

Wednesdays | February 24-March 3, March 17-24 | 8-9pm | Zoom

For people who are considering taking the next step of involvement at Mercy, the Membership Class is an interactive discussion of what it means to be make a deeper commitment to our Mercy community through membership. This core class is required for those interested in being on the leadership team at Mercy.

Wednesday | March 3 | 7:30-9pm | Zoom