“God is doing something outside the box in the heart of Gold Country just across from Lotus Park, you’ll find a faithful church community that has been a spiritual home for many individuals and families since 1957. With its roots in the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) tradition, Mother Lode Church built a legacy of faithfulness that has stood the test of time. Mother Lode’s history has been rich with stories of transformation and dedication. Its members have worked tirelessly to support local missions, provide for those in need, and nurture a vibrant community of believers in Jesus Christ. 

Back in 2022, Mother Lode church leaders approached another EFCA church in the area who has really proven to be innovative and effective in reaching a new generation. Following the Great Commission, Vintage Grace has a reputation for its focus on building joy-filled communities of faith and making disciples that grow and multiply. Their approach resonated with the heartbeat of Mother Lode’s leadership, and as a result both churches began exploring how they might collaborate.

In early 2024, after months of prayerful consideration and numerous discussions, Mother Lode Church and Vintage Grace decided to unite their efforts. This decision was not made lightly; it was a journey marked by careful planning, mutual respect, and a shared vision to be a church of disciples who make disciples.

Matt Cain, a resident church planter from Vintage Grace’s “Family of Churches” network (FOC), was voted in as the lead pastor in April of 2024, and since then a marriage-like relationship between both Mother Lode and Vintage Grace has begun to become a reality. The two-becoming-one called for a recent name modification and as this church launches into this next season it will be known as Vintage Grace Mother Lode.

The vision is clear: to honor the rich heritage of the past while embracing the fresh, joy-filled approach of Vintage Grace. We can’t wait to see all He has in store for both the old and new, the faithful and those yet-to-believe.

We encourage people to enjoy God together.

We are passionate about building joy filled communities of faith, who is very existence inspires individuals to live in abundant Christian life, made up of three key relationships: a deepening relationship with God (R1), a life changing relationship with others (R2), and an engaging relationship with those to believe (R3).

1. More Joy in Jesus
‍It’s easy to settle for less with our tempting world, but we believe there is more joy in Jesus than anything else. Simultaneously, our Joy cannot be dictated by difficult circumstances but rather the fact that if we live it’s for Christ, and if we die it’s our gain. We believe that true happiness is found in a lasting relationship with Jesus.

‍2. Biblically Saturated
‍Everything we do as a church is informed by God’s Word. We care about the author’s intent, the logic and flow, and proper application. Our heart is that as the church is saturated in Scripture you become Self-feeders who form your life around His Word.
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‍3. Communitas
‍More than simply belonging to a group, we are a community formed around a common mission. Each Sunday we are SENT as everyday missionaries to be the living proof of a loving God.

‍4. Living Proof
‍We are culturally embedded everyday missionaries: God did not create us to isolate ourselves, but rather to live in the world (not of it), so others might see the hope we have in Christ!

‍5. Embrace Inevitable Tensions
‍The fallen world and sometimes the text itself bring up tensions. We are NOT God, so we can do our best but won’t fully understand all of His ways until Heaven.