About Grace
Statement of Faith
WE BELIEVE the Bible is the only infallible rule for faith and practice (Psalm 1). We believe in the plenary (complete) inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible’s original manuscripts (2 Tim. 3:16) and in God’s providential care to preserve a reliable copy of His Word through every generation (Matt. 5:18).
WE BELIEVE there is but one true God (Deut. 6:4), in three distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). We believe that the three Persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal (John 10:30).
WE BELIEVE Jesus Christ is eternal God, without beginning or end (Micah 5:2). We believe that Jesus, born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23), is fully God (Isa. 9:6) and fully man (Heb. 2:14), yet without a sin nature (Heb. 7:26). We believe that Jesus was crucified, died, and buried as a substitutionary atonement for our sins (1 Peter 2:24) and that He ascended bodily on the third day (Luke 24:46) and is seated at the right hand of the Father (Heb. 1:3). We believe that Jesus is going to physically return for His people (Matt. 24:30-31) and judge the world (John 5:22).
WE BELIEVE in Heaven and Hell (Matt. 25:46). We believe that the wages of sin is eternal death, but the free gift of God is eternal life (Rom. 3:23). We believe that after death there is no purgatory, reincarnation, or soul annihilation (Heb. 9:27), only eternal life or eternal damnation.
WE BELIEVE that man is born totally depraved (Gen. 6:5); that the entire being of man - mind, will and emotions - is infected and enslaved by sin (John 8:34); and that the unregenerate man is incapable of saving himself or even seeking for God (Rom. 3:11; Rom. 8:7), apart from the gracious work of the Holy Spirit (John 6:63).
WE BELIEVE that salvation is by grace through faith alone, apart from any works (Eph. 2:8-9), and that good works are the evidence of true salvation, not the cause (Ephesians 2:10).
WE BELIEVE that personal repentance of one’s own sins (Acts 3:19) and acceptance of Christ’s atoning work on the cross (Rom. 10:9-10) is the only way of salvation and that there is salvation in no other religion of men (Isa. 43:11; Acts 4:12; John 14:6; 1 Tim. 2:5).
Mission Statement
G - Glorify God by Enjoying Him. We believe that man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever (WCF), to proclaim His excellencies (1 Peter 2:9), and to praise the glory of His grace (Eph. 1:5-6). Therefore, the mission of Grace Community Church is to worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:24), [1] as our ultimate priority; [2] as a lifestyle (Rom. 12:1; 1.Thess. 5:16-18), not just a Sunday morning event; and [3] as a private exercise (Mt. 6:5-6), from which effective public worship overflows (Psa. 35:18; Heb. 10:25).
R - Relationship Versus Religion. The hallmark of biblical Christianity, that distinguishes it from all man-made religion, is a personal relationship with the one true God, through Jesus Christ His Son. The practical expression of this relationship is two-way communication: God speaking through His written Word, the Bible, and His people believing and obeying His Word, and speaking to Him in prayer. This being the stamp of authentic Christianity, the mission of Grace Community Church is to be a praying church, seeking God’s will, done God’s way, in God’s time.
A - Advancement of the Gospel. With the eternal destiny of family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers at stake, the church cannot be shy about evangelism. Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life (John 14:6) and the Christian Church has a responsibility to share that message. In obedience to the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19), the mission of Grace Community Church is: [1] to teach members how to effectively share their faith; [2] to reach out to our community with the love of Jesus Christ and a clear Gospel message; [3] to support other individuals and organizations involved in local outreach and foreign missions; [4] to send and support missionaries abroad, and [5] to plant other Gospel-centered churches.
C - Contend Earnestly for the Faith. In a world asking, “What is truth?” (John 18:38), Christians need to know what they believe and why they believe it, and be able to share the objective truth of God’s Word. In this regard, the mission of Grace Community Church is: [1] to teach the uncompromised Word of God from the pulpit, in the classroom, and in our home fellowships; [2] to teach God’s people how to read, study and apply God’s Word for themselves (2 Tim. 2:15); [3] to provide in-depth discipleship (2 Tim. 2:2); and [4] to teach solid biblical apologetics (1 Pet. 3:15).
E - Ethnic Diversity. It has been said that America is never more segregated than on Sunday morning. But the true church gathered before the throne of God, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues (Rev. 7:9), knows no cultural, ethnic or racial lines. Therefore, the mission of Grace Community Church is to be a melting pot of God’s people, desegregated and united under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Church Government
The Session. According to Grace Community Church’s Book of Church Order (BOCO), our church is governed by a board of pastors and elders called the Session. The Session is charged with maintaining the spiritual government of the church, for which purpose it has power: [A] To inquire into the beliefs and Christian conduct of the church members under its care; [B] To examine, ordain, and install pastors, elders and deacons; [C] To oversee the deacons; [D] To govern church finances; [E] To call Session, congregational or other meetings when necessary; [F] To govern the teaching in the church, the classroom, and home fellowships; [G] To govern worship; [H] To promote local outreach and world missions; [I] To order special collections for pious uses; and [J] To insure the proper administration of the sacraments. The Session may divide these functions among itself or, at its discretion, delegate members or committees to perform some duties, under the oversight of the Session.
Board of Deacons. The deacons at Grace Community Church are responsible for the conduct of many of the practical functions of the church which include, but are not necessarily limited to: [A] handling contributions; [B] administration of the benevolent fund; [C] maintaining close contact with missionaries and other ministries that the church supports, to insure those ministries’ needs and the church’s obligations to them are met; [D] overseeing the cleaning, maintenance, replacement and upkeep of church furnishings and property, including hiring and paying cleaning staff, carpet cleaners, or contractors who do work for the church; [E] setting up church work days when necessary; [F] purchasing all materials and supplies for the church; [G] serving as or appointing ushers to serve at the communion table; [H] providing for all logistical needs for church services, meetings, Bible studies, retreats, potlucks, banquets, concerts, plays, etc., including set-up, break-down, and clean-up; [I] taking requests from members requiring assistance in moving, meals for the sick, etc., and organizing help to provide for those needs; [J] keeping accurate administrative records of church expenses and all contracts. The deacons may divide up these duties among themselves or delegate some duties to member volunteers.
The Congregation. Whenever it may seem in the best interests of the church, the Session shall call a congregational meeting by giving advance public notice of at least one week. No business shall be transacted at such meeting except what is stated in the notice. The Session shall always call a congregational meeting when requested in writing to do so by one-fourth of the active members of a church. A quorum of a congregational meeting shall consist of one-fourth of the active members. Only active members in good standing, 18 years or older, are entitled to vote. The senior pastor shall preside as moderator of congregational meetings by virtue of his office. If it should be impracticable or inexpedient for him to preside, or if there is no pastor, the Session shall appoint one of their number to preside. A majority vote of those in attendance at the congregational meeting shall be required: [A] to elect church officers; [B] to buy, sell, or mortgage real estate property for the church; and [C] to secure a loan for church property.