The Glory of God
We believe God’s glory to be His greatest purpose, the theme of the Scriptures and the foundation of our theology, worldview and practical living. We agree with the great confessions which declare that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
The Supremacy of Christ
We exalt Jesus as the central character of the Biblical story, as the One Who lived, died and rose again to reconcile sinners to a holy God, as the standard of our sanctification, and as the forever-King on the throne.
The Authority of the Bible
By faith we are committed to the truthfulness, authority and sufficiency of the Bible. Therefore we will ask and seek to answer our core question, “What does the Bible say?” We are willing to shun any methodology, philosophy, or church tradition in order to be radically biblical.
The Exposition of Scripture
We endeavor to proclaim the message of the Scripture text in its biblical, historical and grammatical context to address the needs of our lives today. Expository preaching is the standard for our pulpit ministry and the hope of a healthy church.
The Significance of Doctrine
Every Christian is a theologian – either a good one or a bad one. We want the congregation of Grace Bible Church to be rooted and grounded in the Truth. The New Testament places great weight on the importance of doctrine for the growth of the church, and so do we. We will not rely on man-centered programs for spiritual growth, but on the sound teaching of the Bible.
The Power of the Gospel
We preach Christ who is the power of God unto salvation. The gospel is the substitutionary life, death and resurrection of Jesus on behalf of blind, helpless sinners. The power of the gospel enables godliness in every area of our lives: marriage, parenting, employment, recreation, entertainment, conflict resolution, forgiveness…everything!
The Heritage of Theology
Because we are committed to the teaching of the Bible, we are characterized by conservative, historic doctrine that embraces the foundational tenets of the Protestant Reformation.
Sola Scriptura – based on Scripture alone;
Sola Gratia – by grace alone;
Sola Fide – through faith alone;
Solus Christus – in Christ alone;
Soli Deo Gloria – to the glory of God alone.
The Sufficiency of Grace
Grace is undeserved favor that we receive from God through Christ, the Fullness of grace. We are humbled by the doctrines of grace…saving grace…sanctifying grace…sufficient grace…eternally securing grace. We desire to see grace permeate our church’s teaching, our worship, our service and our relationships. Come - grow in grace with us.
The Reverence of Worship
We gather to worship our worthy God who has redeemed us. We deeply enjoy our corporate worship as participants in praise; however, we refuse to allow worship to become entertainment. The primary emphasis in our music is congregational singing which we believe most appropriately highlights the unity of the redeemed in praise of God’s grace. Our music includes old and new songs with rich doctrine in a classical or conservative style. We seek to cultivate a spirit of reverence as our worship engages the mind to understand God’s character, the will to obey God’s Word, and the heart to be moved by God’s work.
The Work of the Spirit
We long to better understand the necessity of the Holy Spirit as the primary, active presence of God in our lives. We recognize the Spirit’s power to bring about the new life of regeneration and to continue the sanctifying work until we are made like Christ. We embrace the sweet liberty of the Christian life, but we also realize the strict duty of daily submission to the Spirit lest we fulfill the lusts of our sinful nature.
The Responsibility of Membership
The church is a body made of many parts which must contribute to the effective working of the whole – making membership a weighty responsibility. At Grace Bible Church, we seek to fulfill the numerous New Testament commands that unfold the nature of believers’ relationships to “one another.” Attending Grace is not “coming to get” but “committing to give.”
The Leadership of Pastors
The pastors, also called elders in the NT, are to lead the church by teaching and shepherding the congregation. Leaders bear a burden of giving account to God, while the congregation bears the burden of recognizing and submitting to the biblical authority of the pastors/elders.
The Service of Deacons
The word “deacon” means servant, reminding us that the church is to be served by deacons. While all Christians are called to serve one another, the role of deacon is a key serving role filled by qualified men. To be a deacon is to humbly accept the lofty privilege of lowly service.
The Role of Family
We believe the church to be the bride of Christ and the great prize of redemption’s plan. We are first, foremost and forever – the redeemed. Marriage and family, while serving as rich means of grace presently, are both illustrations of a more glorious relationship that ransomed sinners enjoy with Holy God by grace. Our church will seek to support all believers in their God-given roles within the family. Because God has commissioned parents with the discipleship and discipline of their children, our youth and children’s ministries will emphasize parental responsibility.
The Mandate of Evangelism
Our plan to evangelize our community begins with every believer’s witness to the merciful salvation of God by living a life that reflects the righteousness of the redeemed and by being ready to give an answer for the hope of salvation. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you are the outreach “program” of the church. We reject the heresy of hyper-calvinism, but equally shun the heresy of easy-believism. Christ calls sinners to repent and to believe the gospel (Mark 1:15), and we advance the kingdom by doing the same.