We’re a growing church in Milton Keynes, welcoming people from across the city and beyond.
The name of our church community is rooted in the story of the Bible, a story that starts in a Garden and ends in a Garden City. It’s a story of God rescuing and redeeming broken people and renewing broken cities, and we believe we’re called to be a church that embodies this story in every corner of Milton Keynes.
It's also a name that is synonymous with the history of our city and how, when Milton Keynes was first conceived, it was deeply shaped by the Garden City Movement of urban design. Today, it truly has become a ‘city in a forest’, and we sense that this name is more than symbolic, it’s a prophetic statement that speaks about the kind of church we’re called to be and the kind of role we are to play in our city.
We want to be a church for the city, rooted and invested here, as we seek the welfare of the place God has called us to be. Whilst still early days, Garden City has become home to around 120 adults and children from across Milton Keynes and beyond. As we look to the future, our desire is not simply to build another church, but to become a church that makes a tangible difference here in Milton Keynes, one grid square at a time.
We are a church committed to impacting our city for Christ, one grid square at a time.
Our values describe the kind of community we want to become as we practise the way of Jesus together.
We want to be a people who live in the reality of God’s presence, becoming like Jesus. Seeing His Kingdom come in and through our lives becomes possible as we learn to live in His presence, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The way of presence leads us away from striving to abiding. When we abide in Christ our lives bear much fruit, showing ourselves to be His apprentices.
We want to cultivate interior lives that engage in habits and practices that sustain and support the kind of radical life Jesus invites us into. Our apprenticeship to Jesus is about learning to take intentional steps to follow Him and live lives that are being transformed as we practise His way in the context of community.
We want to develop lives of selfless love where we make room for one another – regardless of race, religion, education or socio-economic background. We want to create a culture that is characterised by welcome, warmth and hospitality, where church isn’t seen as a place we go to, but as a family to which we belong.
We live in a culture where spirituality cannot be separated from generosity. The teachings of Jesus implore us to give to those in need, committing ourselves to an ethic of generosity. The Scriptures say that God loves a cheerful giver, not because the church’s needs are met, but because God’s heart is made glad when we depend on Him to provide all that we need.
We have a conviction that God is at work to heal and remake the whole earth. Our own lives are a part of that renewal project and God invites us to join with Him in the ongoing work of making all things new. To follow Jesus and join Him in His mission is to become agents of renewal in our neighbourhoods, industries and our city as a whole.
We are not called to focus our energy and resources on our church alone, instead we want to see all that can be achieved in one person or one place multiplied, ultimately through the planting of new churches. We are convinced church planting is the most effective way to reach new people and it's our desire to plant churches across our region and beyond.
Throughout history, Christian communities have embraced a shared Rule of Life, a framework of spiritual practices and rhythms designed to help people grow in their journey with Jesus. A Rule of Life is like a trellis: a structure that supports healthy growth, guiding us in the right direction.
Rhythm of Renewal is a set of daily, weekly, and monthly practices that shape our shared life together. These rhythms help us grow as a community by learning to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did.
Steve and Tammy have been leading churches together for over 25 years. In their early twenties they planted their first church, Daventry Vineyard, before going on to plant Central Vineyard in Northampton.
During their time at Central Vineyard they also helped plant Kettering Vineyard and Nene Valley Vineyard. Then in the summer of 2022 they stepped down from leading the church and moved to Milton Keynes with their family to plant Garden City Vineyard.
Garden City Vineyard is led by Steve and Tammy Gee, together with a growing team of trustees, staff and volunteers.
Steve and Tammy are licensed by Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland and have delegated authority from the trustees to run the day-to-day operations with a team of staff and volunteers. Our board of trustees provides legal accountability and oversight.
The trustees can be reached at trustees@gardencity.mk
We are part of a global family of churches known as the Vineyard, with over 2,500 churches found across five continents. The Vineyard began in the late 1970's and much of the our early history, theology and DNA was shaped by the late John Wimber and his desire to see ordinary people equipped to continue the ministry of Jesus today.
Vineyard churches share a passion for encountering Jesus through worship, a deep compassion for the poor and a commitment to the Bible as God’s truth for our lives. The first Vineyard church in the UK was planted in south-west London in 1987. Since then, the Vineyard has grown to more than 150 locations across the UK and Ireland.
Locally, we have a strong relationship with some of the other Vineyard Church's we have a shared history with, as we seek to collaborate, share resources and plant churches together. We also value our relationships with churches across our city through the Restore:MK Leaders Network.
We also partner with Vineyard Leadership College, and hosting the Vineyard Discipleship Year, as we invest in the next generation of leaders, playing our part in equipping and releasing people to serve the church locally and further afield.
