Smoky Hill Vineyard Church — Attraction in Centennial

Before the Vineyard, when we were still Lutherans, church was a moderately annoying family outing that occurred only once a week. I'd sit there for an hour, bored out of my mind but I always knew it would be around an hour. When my mother's post-divorce spiritual exploration brought us to whatever shopping center this church was once located in to sit in those metal folding chairs, this radically changed.

At the Vineyard, I literally never knew when church would be over or how much trouble I would be in when we got in the car. While the Vineyard service included the standard features of any other church, the neo-charismatic elements added a wildcard element. It was only finished when the Holy Spirit told everyone to get off the floor, wipe away the drool and tears, and go home. This was some two, three, or four hours later. This was a long time ago, when the Vineyard fellowship was still blossoming out of Anaheim California, not sure if a church service is a more standard event these days.

There was no behavioral happy-medium in this situation that I found the scene equally terrifying and hilarious. Not feeling the music, nor wanting to sing, clap, raise my hands in the air or close my eyes while pretending to feel the holy spirit, It was difficult to know where to look because in every direction something weird was happening that might make me laugh. People bobbing, swaying, running in place, some even flapping their arms speaking in tongues, sobbing, and laughing hysterically.

Inevitably I would glance toward either of my younger brothers. Judging from their reactions to the scene, they felt the same way as I did. The Vineyard was not at all fun but it was definitely funny. Trying not to laugh only made it worse, resulting in snorting and tears streaming down our faces, and until we're nearly rolling on the floor with everyone else.

Unlike when parents swoop up their unruly children and leave a restaurant to save everybody from embarrassment, my behavior and that of my brothers did not phase my mother. It only further illustrated how urgently we needed God. She glared at me throughout the service, waiting until the drive home to get on with the verbal reprimands.

"Why do you have to mock everything that is beautiful?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You're making a huge joke out of church. What would Grandma and Grandpa say if they saw you acting like that?"

"Like what?"

"Oh come on, you know what I mean. Rolling your eyes and making stupid faces. Having one kid like you is bad enough and your brothers copy EVERYTHING you do!!"

The grand finale was usually a spanking, no ice cream cone, and getting grounded for a period of time depending on when I stopped talking back. After those summer of twelve hour weekdays in the basement of an illegal daycare ran by a mean lady who kept 30 kids in her basement and then another summer spent getting molested by a 17 year old Smoky High school student hired to babysit us, I really wasn't feeling those Sunday mornings at the Vineyard.

My personal relationship with Jesus Christ continued to decline after my mom remarried and we became Charismatic Catholics. I am resolute in my decision to spend an...

I was involved with several different ministries since 2001, became a regular attender around 2009, I loved Thompson teaching style, and Russell's style of worship, but the leadership and the people were very cliquish. I was told to leave the church after struggling to meet the church expectations. I struggle with a form of autism and the church couldnt accept me because of my difficulty with social situations. I was told if I ever came back the church would have me arrested for trespassing. I attempted to get hooked up with some small groups, but the groups were very stuck up and refused to accept people who werent exactly like them. I would recommend everyone avoid Smoky Hill Vineyard. They claim they love people but the leadership has a hard time connecting with regular church attenders and are always asking for money to survive. I've known people who have been let go because the church continually struggles with...

This is an OK place to go this place represents the Rocky Mountain foods and has a food pantry on a weekly basis there you have to be cautious of course because the ladies that run this this organization this food bank are very shall we say prejudiced the woman that runs this her and her son seem to think that everything goes through them and that they are God true of course I know for a fact several reports been made about the way they treat certain people out there also noticed in my last visit out there with some friends that we ended up being in there early enough to get a low number but wound up literally having to wait in line until after the volunteers got served before we were served with the whole time the lady that run the organization giving us the evil eye as if we were some kind of terrible people so if you can get around the prejudism it's a...