How The Vine Began: Two Friends, Prayer, and Fasting

Every ministry has a beginning. Ours didn't start with a building, a budget, or a big plan. It started with a math tutor, a mom, and a lot of prayer.

It started at a daycare

In 2010, Katie and Maryann were working together at a daycare in Colorado Springs. Maryann was looking for a math tutor for her daughter, and Katie said yes.

Somewhere between the homework and the conversations that followed, an idea began to take shape. They saw middle and high school students who needed more than another activity. They needed a place to belong. A place where adults knew their names, where hard questions were welcome, and where they could meet the love of Christ in a real and personal way.

So they did the only thing that made sense. They started praying about it.

Praying across the miles

Then life took Katie far from Colorado Springs. She spent 14 months doing missions work in Florida and Africa.

The distance didn't stop them. Night after night, Katie and Maryann met online and over the phone to pray. There was a lot of fasting. And all throughout 2011, God kept giving them ideas.

Looking back, those evening calls were the foundation of everything The Vine would become.

From a small Bible study to an open door

In the spring of 2012, a small Bible study began. A year later, in April 2013, The Vine officially launched.

From the start, the mission was clear: to connect the youth of Colorado Springs to Christ's love by providing a safe and fun environment for discipleship and building community through partnering with the church.

More than thirteen years later, The Vine opens its doors two nights a week. On Tuesdays, students share a home-cooked meal, worship together, and dig into Bible study. On Fridays, they hang out, play games, and simply get to be kids, with Christ-centered, background-checked adults always present.

Every student in 6th through 12th grade is welcome, regardless of background, social standing, or denomination. And everything is free.

Why “The Vine”?

The name comes from John 15:5, where Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.”

We believe students who stay connected to Christ bear fruit, and that every branch belongs. We don't produce changed lives on our own. Our job is to create a place where that connection can happen.

The passion that draws people in

Katie and Maryann's passion is contagious. Rudi M., a former board president, put it this way:

“What attracted me to it was the passion Maryann and Katie showed when they shared the vision... I bought in and joined the board but it wasn't until I attended a Bible study recently that I got a real revelation of what they were doing. These kids were so sincere... The Vine is not so much a charity as it is a discipleship machine. It is helping to raise the next generation.”

That passion hasn't faded. Students tell us the leaders know them by name, even after they graduate. They answer texts and calls, take students to coffee, drive them to and from The Vine, and run fundraisers to keep everything free.

Still carried by prayer

Prayer started The Vine, and prayer still carries it. Every meal served, every question answered, and every student who walks through the door for the first time is an answer to prayers first prayed over the phone more than a decade ago.

Be part of the next chapter

The Vine has always depended on people who believe in this vision: volunteers who show up, churches who partner with us, and givers who keep the door open. Giving has been down this year, and your support matters more than ever.

Here's how you can help:

Pray for our students, volunteers, and families.

Volunteer your time on a Tuesday or Friday night. Get involved

Give to keep every meal, outing, and retreat free for students. Give online

The Vine is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 46-0910447), and your gift is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Read more stories from our students and families on our Changed Lives page.