During the months that Carlos Rosado worked with a forty-person core group from Hollowell Brethren in Christ Church in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, on the idea of a church plant in northern Maryland, he found himself returning time and again to a familiar verse in the gospel of John: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Upon reflection, Carlos realized that this was his vision for the new congregation he had been called to plant: connecting people to Jesus Christ and to one another. In that moment of revelation, The Vine Brethren in Christ Church was born.

A church planter at heart (“I feel that’s my gifting more than leading a congregation,” he confesses), Carlos first felt the call to establish a new church in 2001 while serving as youth pastor at the Fairview Avenue Brethren in Christ Church in Waynesboro. As a member of the church planting board, he was assigned to “scout” potential locations in northern Maryland, and one day found himself in Smithsburg. “The Lord spoke to my heart and said, ‘We need to plant a church here,’” Carlos recalls.

He took his vision for a church in Smithsburg with him when he moved into a pastoral role at Hollowell BIC Church in 2003. Working with senior pastor Blaine Lougheed, Carlos cultivated a core group of partners committed to turning the idea of a new church into reality.

Five years later, in June 2008, The Vine celebrated its second anniversary with a commemorative Sunday service. Now ministering to a group of 55 or so regular attendees, Carlos sees the congregation maturing in faith. “There’s a tremendous amount of prayer going on,” he says. “We pray for one another, for the community, and for the vision of The Vine to be manifest.”

Carlos notes a spiritual hunger in his congregation. “They want something alive. They want change,” he says. The Vine, Carlos says, appeals to a predominantly younger crowd—a contrast to many of the other churches in the local area which reach a much older demographic. The vibrancy of The Vine shows up in the ways the young church is reaching out to the local community: hosting a kid’s carnival in Smithsburg’s Memorial Park; handing out free food and balloons during the town’s Pride Day; and singing Christmas carols as part of the town’s annual holiday parade. The church has also gotten to know community leaders, including the mayor, the chief of police, and many local businesspeople. “We are excited to see this church in the community,” Carlos confirms.

Despite its growth and positive impact in the community, things haven’t been easy for Carlos as he’s tried to grow The Vine. The church has faced problems in meeting local zoning regulations and has struggled to bring in new people. Through it all, Carlos has relied upon God for the strength to persevere. “God can do the most miraculous things,” he readily admits. “In times of difficulty, I turn to Him and say, ‘We know that you want us here. We know that things will just work out.’ In my anxiousness, I want Him to hurry up—but God always works in His time.”

Through your church’s participation in Cooperative Ministries, you have partnered with church planter Carlos Rosado in turning the vision God laid on his heart into an energetic, outward focused congregation in northern Maryland. Thank you.