It's Working

For over 250 years, Watch Night has been celebrated as a rich and diverse tradition of Christians anticipating the new year. But what is watch night? It's believed the first watch night services were held by Moravian Christians in Eastern Europe on December 31st 1733. Two decades later English Pastor John Wesley incorporated watch night services into the Methodist Church. Over the next 100 years, watch night services grew in popularity throughout the United States in both white and African-American congregations. On the eve of President Abraham Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation, free and enslaved African-Americans held watch night services throughout the country on December 31st 1862. Today, Christians from around the world gather to watch for and welcome God's presence in the new year. As a diverse Community who follows Jesus, we at Vineyard Columbus also share in this rich tradition. This New Year's Eve, Pastor Charles Montgomery preached a message titled “It’s Working”... A message on identifying and recognizing your growth through God, whether you see it or not.