Maryann Kephart
I had the privilege of meeting Maryann over 10 years ago when The Vine was just a dream she was exploring. At this point, Visit Ministries was not yet even a dream. I was newly working as the Director of Operations over Youth Venture, when I received a call from Maryann asking for more information about our centers. She came into town for a weekend and I gave her a tour. She asked plenty of questions and left with whatever resources and information I could find. That interaction impacted us both in ways that I would not understand until many years later.
She was one of the first people I encountered outside of Foothills who was interested in opening a teen center and was one of the earliest seeds planted in my heart which eventually bloomed into Visit Ministries. It wasn’t until we launched Visit over 10 years later that I heard from Maryann again. When she heard about Visit Ministries launching she reached back out to let me know about the teen center she had launched and the impact we had in helping her to get started. I heard her story of launching and the amazing ways The Vine was impacting the young people of her community.
Below is a little of her story. I encourage you to also click on the link below to visit her website and learn more. I would also encourage you to consider supporting The Vine with a donation. They do not have the backing of a large church as some other centers and rely heavily on the support of individual donors to keep their mission going. You can find information about giving on their website at https://thevinecoloradosprings.org.
-Jeremy Miller
Hello! My name is Maryann Kephart, and I am co-founder of The Vine. I am married, with 4 adult children and 5 grandchildren. I started working with youth in 1997 as a youth small group leader for my church. They made such an impression on me; their desire to build a relationship with Christ and their community, their fun spirit and resiliency, their need and desire for adults they can trust so they can share what’s in their heart and in their mind. That was the beginning of my experience with youth and God captured my heart for this age group. This took me on an adventure of spiritual growth, personal development and opened many opportunities to prepare me for more than I could have asked for or imagined!
The Vine started in my living room with Bible study. My husband and I would prepare dinner and a study for a group of 6-8 high schoolers every week. We’d eat around the dinner table, listen to each other's life happenings and then open the Word. Katie, my co-founder, was finishing her commitment with a ministry she had become part of to be able to serve overseas long term. That plan was interrupted when God affirmed time and time again as she served with them, that she’d return to Colorado to open The Vine. In 2013, we began true outreach with The Vine. The Vine exists to connect the youth of Colorado Springs to Christ. We do that by first having volunteers that are disciples of Jesus. And also students that are being discipled. We have Bible Study night, in which we still have a home cooked meal served around a table to share life’s happenings. On our fun nights our goal is to develop relationships with the students that walk through our doors. We now function out of a double storefront, set up like a home. Games section, living room, kitchen (where like our homes, most gather for great conversation), gaming area, art area, and homework station. We have foosball, pinball, basketball, air hockey and ping pong games that are used unceasingly. We have students that are regulars to our Bible study that are natural leaders who have taken ownership of the space. These students will greet a new student and introduce them around making them feel at home. There is real life happening in the lives of these youth and our leader’s are willing to walk it out with them, offering wisdom, encouragement, a listening ear, and a caring heart. This is how youth are connected to Christ, in relationship with peers and adults who are connected! We also offer leadership development, mentoring, service projects and summer outings. We enjoy the youth, and want them to know just how loved they are!
