Our Philosophy

GRACE CHURCH IS A PLACE WHERE ...

1. THE ORDINARY MEANS OF GRACE ARE CENTRAL

One of the primary tasks of the elders is to keep the ordinary means of grace central in the life of the church.  It is through the Word, sacraments, and prayer that God's people are united to Christ and nourished, in Him, unto eternal life.  The unadorned means of Word, sacrament, and prayer are spurned by the world as a foolish waste of time.  They are viewed by pragmatic church growth experts as ineffective.  However, we understand the Word, sacraments, and prayer to be the very means by which the Holy Spirit unites sinners, through faith, to God's crucified and risen Son.

2. CHRISTIAN HISTORY AND TRADITION ARE VALUED

Someone once said that the future never needed the past more than it does today.  We believe, in a profound manner, that this is true of the Christian Church.  Indeed, when the Church loses touch with her past, she easily forgets who she is and why she exists.  This is precisely what we have seen develop over the past half-century in evangelical America.  The contemporary church has experienced a real loss of identity and a loss of connectedness to her roots.  This ahistorical mindset has resulted in levels of superficiality and ignorance that the church has never known in America.

Since according to the Scriptures, the Christian faith "was once delivered to the saints," (Jude 3) and, therefore, does not change with every passing generation, we believe that we have a lot to gain from 2000 years of Christian history and tradition.  To turn a cold shoulder to our rich theological and ecclesiastical heritage demonstrates the arrogance of the modern age.  Indeed, there is much we can learn from those who went before us.  Our Reformation Heritage Conference is held annually to cultivate a greater appreciation for our Protestant and Reformed roots.  Furthermore, our corporate worship on the Lord's Day is an expression of our appreciation for the rich liturgical and musical heritage that has been handed down to us through the ages.        

3. GOD-CENTERED WORSHIP IS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY

At Grace, worship is considered the highest priority of the Christian Church.  The session continually encourages the members to worship in a three-fold manner, namely, in public, family, and private worship.  Indeed, we believe that:

“God is to be worshipped everywhere, in spirit and truth, as, in private families daily, and in secret, each one by himself; so, more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or willfully to be neglected or forsaken, when God, by His Word or providence, calleth thereunto” (Westminster Confession of Faith: XXI. 6). 

We promote the simple Christian life, that is, one where private and family worship are central in everyday home life, both richly preparing the entire household for a more God-centered observance of the Lord's Day.                

4. EVANGELISM / MISSION IS IMPORTANT

We understand evangelism and mission to be more than an event facilitated by a church or the handing out of a gospel tract.  True Gospel proclamation primarily entails, first of all, the reading and preaching of the Scriptures in the public assembly of God's covenant people on the Lord's Day.  Secondly, the gospel is proclaimed when God's children respond obediently and actively - in deed and word - to the Scriptures, thus making them salt and light in a world of decay and darkness. (Matthew 5:16) 

The end goal of our evangelistic endeavors, whether at home or abroad, is not simply to get people to pray the sinner's prayer.  Rather, it is to lead people to committed church membership and a lifetime of repentance and faith in Christ through the ordinary, yet life-transforming, ministry of the Word and sacraments.     

5. THE BODY OF CHRIST LOVES ONE ANOTHER

The Lord Jesus Christ says, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."  (John 15:12)  At Grace Church there is a significant amount of reciprocal love and encouragement that takes place between our members.  We praise the Lord for the unity and love that we are experiencing in the life of our congregation.  We firmly believe that as Christ and His Word remain central, God's people will stand faithfully with, and for, one another.