Trent Vineyard – Sunday 7 June 2026

“It’s too big for me.” Those were the words of my wife while sitting down in this church in a warehouse. Having said that, those were the only negative words said about this church in Nottingham, England.

Sorry, there’s no photos of mine of the inside, I was taking part in worship, didn’t want to take pictures of anyone without their permission and I only take out my phone in worship to look at a Bible app. Here’s a picture of the outside in magnificent grey and white.

We had come down from Huddersfield on Friday evening for a visit to my Brother’s house in Leicestershire, but we stayed in Nottingham as out eldest daughter live in Nottingham and this church is on the tramway between the city centre and their house. We went to the 9:30 service as it give us time with family afterwards.

We got off the tram and walked back to the church building. Finding it is easy, as the tram to Toton Lane goes past the buildings on the right before the Gregory Street stop. Another landmark if you’re looking out of the Games Workshop buildings for those looking out of the other side of the tram.

We entered by the door nearest the road. This is not the main entrance, which is on the side of the building opposite the car park. We were met at the door by a cheerful looking lady and shown in. The room is big, very big. It does not look like a warehouse, but more like a conference centre, with a stage on the left-centre of the long wall containing musical instruments, a keyboard, acoustic and electric guitars and bass guitars, plus their amplifiers, as well as the drums in a plexiglass box. This stage will be in front of you if you use the main entrance.

We had a grandchild with us, so we looked for, and found someone with a lanyard. Who took her to where the 0 to 10 year olds met, in a different building, they have a whole campus, my wife went to sign her in, they take child safety very seriously, and I went back to the side of the road where they have a lounge area where hot and cold drinks are served, with full barista coffee service, and doughnuts. I got myself a cup of water and found a seat. The two side screens of the three behind the stage started a countdown from five minutes, and a man got up to warn people still milling around or queueing for coffee that the service would start promptly. During the countdown my wife joined me on the seat and at 10 seconds to go the band members took to the stage and picked up their instruments. The side screens now became where the song lyrics were projected and close ups of musicians during instrumental sections of the songs.

The music was in the style of the folkish/rock style of Bethel or Hillsong, though I didn’t recognise any of the songs which were easy to pick up. Perhaps the Vineyard churches write their own. Volume wise it was loud, but not too loud that you couldn’t hear yourself sing or the people around you, I think they judged it just right.

I think they got everything right. No long list of notices, a sermon, on giving, the first in a series, which didn’t feel as long as it actually was and we left with the feeling that this is a place where God is at work. Great stuff.

After the service my wife told me about the childd#ren’s meeting. They have their own praise band for appropriate songs.