What We Believe
Who we are as a church:
At Grace Community we recognize that many passages from the Bible outline what the church is to be and do. However, Jesus made two statements that summarize it all: The Great Commandment and The Great Commission. These two commands summarize the purpose for our church.
The Great Commandment
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind... Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40)
The Great Commission
"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20)
These two passages are key for us, and lead us to reach out intentionally, worship wholeheartedly, share life together genuinely, grow in our faith actually, and serve others responsibly. These five things give us our purpose and lead us to our mission and values:
Our Mission
To help each person grow in God's grace.
Our Values
We believe that if we can help each person grow in God’s grace, we will create in this community of faith:
- A genuine, contagious love for Jesus and a focus on His life as our guide;
- A strong, Biblical basis for what we do and who we are;
- A focus on prayer, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide each of us where we need to be;
- A dynamic, inspiring, relevant...and quality...worship experience;
- The discovery of each person's spiritual giftedness and the effective use of those gifts in ministry;
- Intimate fellowship and sharing through small groups, drawing closer to God and each other through Bible sharing, prayer, fellowship, and outreach;
- A network of mutually supportive Christians, diverse in giftedness but united in vision.
- A church structure that inherently gives permission for the creation of a variety of ministries.
- A place where faith in Jesus Christ is deepened and ministry is unleashed.
Other core beliefs:
About God
God is the creator and ruler of the universe. There is one God, eternally existing in three co-equal persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
About Humanity
Humans are created in the spiritual image of God, to be like God in character. We are created to be in relationship with God, but we are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called sin. This attitude separates humans from the relationship with God we were intended to enjoy.
About Salvation through Jesus Christ
The only way to restore our relationship with God is by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, lived a sinless life on earth and voluntarily paid for our sin by dying on the cross to take our punishment. He rose from the dead and will return to earth to rule forever. We will exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally united with God by personally choosing to trust in the free gift of God's grace offered through Jesus Christ. God's saving grace — not our human effort — is the way to a Christ-filled eternity.
About the Holy Spirit and the General Church
The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, draws sinners to Christ and equips and gifts believers for personal growth and service in the church and in the world. The church is the community of believers who have made Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior. Through fellowship with the Holy Spirit, the church's role is to bring people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and serve the needs of a hurting world under the Spirit's leadership and power.
The Bible
The Bible is God's eternal Word to humanity. It was written by human authors under the supernatural inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth and the sole basis of our beliefs. It is the authoritative rule and guide for our lives.