“At Vista Church, it doesn’t matter so much where you are spiritually, but where you want to go,” says Vista Church Pastor, Van Fielden. That type of open-minded, helpful mentality is the foundation for the 500 member, non-denominational community church.

Since 1992 Vista has been serving the Southeast Orlando community, connecting its members with God and each other to strengthen households, neighborhoods and lives. Casual in dress and contemporary in worship style, Vista puts a high value on friendship, neighbors and truth in everything they do. “We’re not a church the way most people would think,” says Fielden. “More than the typical services and initiatives, we’re a community of friends and neighbors, making an extended family with members of all backgrounds, vocations and interests.” And it’s these members who help create and shape what Vista is and what they do.

As a church, Vista does everything they can to stay as organic as possible. “Well, the church is like a body. It functions with a lot of parts, each with a distinct purpose that come together to create the whole,” says Fielden. “We’re at the point now where we have all of our parts in place and enough human resources where we have the opportunity to ask ‘What are the things in the community that mean something to us?’” Often, they lend their facility for community events to help those that need a meeting space. From neighborhood association meetings to school plays, dozens of area groups use the facility when they don’t have one of their own. They also host various food drives and coaching seminars, amongst other events. “For us, it’s not about being institutional,”Fielden says. “We’re purposely organized to incorporate all forms of church organization into our group. It’s not a matter of the leadership telling the people where their heart is - that should, and does, come from the people and that’s where we’re at now.”

Instead of investing resources on keeping dozens of programs afloat, Vista events and causes come from suggestions members write on notes or talk directly to Fielden about. “It’s all about growth and change and not being stagnant,” he says. “We’re here to help facilitate, guide and connect our members; but, they know what’s important to them and how they want to support each other so we encourage them to shape their experience with us and with God.”

Vista has recently taken community support one step farther and adopted another church into their ranks, The Harbour Church, formerly based in Waterford Lakes. Harbour was near collapse until support from Vista came along this past April. “We probably wouldn’t have made it if they didn’t take us under their wing. Logistically speaking, it was just so taxing to run and our core members were becoming smaller and smaller,” says The Harbour Church Pastor, Matt Blowers. Founded seven years ago, Harbour went through several growth spurts before beginning to lose momentum in the Waterford area. “Van offered us the opportunity to join with them until we can build our core back up and return to Waterford Lakes, which we hope to do within the next two years.”

“We didn’t have to adopt Harbour. In fact, there was no real reason to do it other than the fact that we wanted to help them be successful,” says Fielden. “They don’t contribute to Vista at all financially and we don’t ask anything from them except that we have a friendship down the road.” Blowers is incredibly thankful for the opportunity. “You don’t see this too often and we’re so thankful to have this opportunity,” he says.

But, for Fielden, and Vista Church members, it was just the right thing to do. After all, at the end of the day everything they do goes back to that helpful, community-minded mentality. He says: “What I want people to get out of this above all else is that their life journey ends up in the right place.”

Article by Corey Gehrold