The Vineyard finds its roots in the unique period of the 1970's when a seeking generation met a sovereign movement of God.  This generation that included a counterculture and anti-establishment dynamic sought a living faith, marked by simplicity of structure, vitality of contemporary music, personal experience of God's love, and an invitation to make a real difference in a lost world.  As the calling and cause of Christ fell afresh, hundreds of thousands of lives captured what traditions had often lost.  Building on the foundations of this fresh movement of God, in 1974 a fellowship began in West Los Angeles with Kenn and Joannie Gulliksen which was lead to take the name of the "Vineyard" (Isaiah 27:2-3; John 15:5.)  God worked through many mistakes as well as successes as people were willing to take risks to become more like Jesus and authenticate the Good News of the Gospel.  Several couples went out and began other Vineyards in California, with similar priorities of worship, relationship, healing, training, and giving.

In the early 1980's John Wimber (located in Anaheim) became the spiritual father of this emerging movement of associated fellowships, and God imparted to John a vision for thousands of new fellowships as well as renewal to the larger church.

As God's Spirit continued to bless and shape this vision, John and the Vineyard's ministry emerged into one of the largest and most long-standing ministries of renewal to the church worldwide in recent history.  The Association of Vineyard Churches (A.V.C.) serves as the support and structure which unites and strengthens the planting of new churches.  (There are presently about 600 Vineyard Churches in the United States and 600 abroad.)  As the movement continues to emerge, the conviction remains that God's desire is not primarily for us to build the Vineyard but to seek His Kingdom, to love the whole church, and to bless what He's blessing.

Here in West Los Angeles, the Westside Vineyard continues to mature as a community who share in the unique calling to know God and make Him known by revealing His Kingdom in our own time and place.  In 1991, Associate Pastor Brad Bailey, who along with his wife Leah was born and raised on the Westside, accepted the position of senior pastor.  The recent years have been marked by both expansion and the emergence of a new generation. After twenty years of ministry without a facility, in 2000 the Vineyard Westside purchased the 17,000 square foot Bruno's restaurant located at the intersection of Centinela Avenue and Venice Boulevard. The Vineyard grew as many lives, who God was already at work in, began to find the Vineyard community in discovering and developing their relationship with God. In this same season, a new generation of lives and leaders began to emerge. This lead to multiple Home Groups of young adults and eventually the addition of Joel Moses as Pastor to the Emerging Generations. In 2002 this new “community within a community,” referred to as the Altær community, began leading a weekend worship gathering (the Altær service.) Even more recently (2006) Communidad Vina began as a Spanish speaking congregation under the pastoral leadership of Jimmy Reyes. As the Westside Vineyard continues to grow, a team of staff and leaders is expanding to help equip the lives of all those involved as we rise to fulfill God’s calling for our unique time and place in His-Story.

The foundations for a long and deepening presence on the Westside are increasing all the time.  More than ever we celebrate our experience of God's faithfulness and fruitfulness in our midst.

In that day-sing about a fruitful vineyard:  I, the Lord, watch over it; I water it continually.  I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.  Isaiah 27:2-3

"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