BeliefsPage

Grace Fellowship is a local church that seeks to glorify God as a part of His Church
universal. His glory is the ultimate motive behind everything we believe, teach,
practice and represent. We seek to glorify Him by loving Him and growing to know Him
greater in His true essence and nature, as revealed by His Word, the Scriptures. We
also seek to glorify Him by loving others, being used of Him to bring them to know Him
in growing relationships and to minister to them in His Name.

We believe the most important element of the local church body is the same as that
for the Church universal; a true, loving and faithful relationship with and allegiance to
its Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. We exist only for His purposes and glory, and
therefore seek to know and understand His word as our sole authority. We believe
that His word is revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures, the Bible.

Our doctrinal position is an attempt to define and outline our core beliefs and
understandings of the Bible. The following statements are not perfect, meant to
be comprehensive or exclusive of other wordings or views. They are intended to
help define direction and general beliefs for unity and common agreement. They
are subject to change and interpretation as guided by the Scriptures and led by
the Spirit.

We believe that the Bible is God’s written revelation of Himself. These Holy
Scriptures are perfect as originally given by and from God (“God-breathed”), and are
the eternal, inspired, inerrant, infallible, verbal and plenary very Word of God for man.
We agree with The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy as further explanation on
our view of the Scriptures. They are the sole authority and truth
for all men for all times for all matters of faith and practice. Properly interpreted,
they support or supercede all that follows.

We believe that there is but one living and true God, perfect in all His attributes, and
character, one in essence, eternally existing in three Persons – Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. He is the Creator, Sustainer, Controller, Judge and Ruler of all things and
beings. He rules and reigns in absolute sovereignty for His Divine purposes and glory
alone.

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God and God the Son,
both fully God and Man, was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary,
crucified, dead, buried, bodily resurrected and ascended into heaven, and is now
seated at God the Father’s right hand. He is literally coming again to gather His
prepared church to be with Him forever, to judge the world, lost men, Satan and his
demons, and to finally and completely establish His kingdom.

We believe that man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and
likeness. Man lost his original innocence and freedom in Adam’s sin of disobedience to
the revealed will and Word of God, incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death,
became subject to the wrath of God, inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of
choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from Divine grace. Sinful in our
natures, depraved and corrupt in all our parts as a result of the original sin and our
natural beings, mankind is hopelessly lost apart from God’s Divine grace. The purpose,
joy, and success of all men are ultimately found only in God’s plan and design, for His
glory alone.

We believe that salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of
Jesus Christ, the merit of His works and shed blood, and not on the basis of any human
merit or works. This salvation of man from deserved, spiritual and eternal death and
wrath is by God’s grace alone, through His gift of faith alone, and because of the
Person and work of Jesus Christ alone. The ongoing process of sanctification and the
future state of glorification are likewise provided and received by grace through
faith.

We believe in the doctrinal principles and positions taught, implied and expressed in
the Reformation theses of “Scripture Alone” (Sola Scriptura), “Christ Alone” (Solus
Christus), “Grace Alone” (Sola Gratia), “Faith Alone” (Sola Fide), and “God’s Glory
Alone” (Soli Deo Gloria), and are in agreement with The Cambridge Declaration by the
Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals in 1996.

We believe that our creed and specific positions on the above and many other
important issues are, for the most part, well expressed and explained in The London
Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689. It is neither inspired nor infallible, but it does
embody the basic doctrines that we believe the Bible teaches. We believe that all we
do individually and corporately should be by God’s grace alone and for His glory alone.

Although terms and phrases may imply very different meanings to various people, we
might summarize our positions as being Bible based and Christ centered with strong
beliefs in God’s Sovereignty over all things, and His grace in all things. We believe that
the Church universal is in need of a modern day Reformation, and that each local church
should have a confession of faith accepted by all leaders and participants. Realizing
that some terms are often misunderstood or stereotyped incorrectly, we might be
described as somewhat Reformed in doctrine, Baptist in practice and evangelism, and
Presbyterian in discipleship, and local church structure. Furthermore, all doctrinal
positions are subject to review to ensure that they remain as Biblical as they can be.

We believe in ministries that must relate to the scriptural purposes of the church. In
general, these Biblical purposes should glorify God, help His children grow, or produce
good for all people. In other words, we desire to be used of God in His particular
graces for His own children and in common graces for all people. We also believe that
truth takes precedence over tradition, people over programs, and spiritual success
(fruit) over secular success (numbers). Therefore, all of the ministries and activities
of the church should be designed, operated and reviewed to insure that such are
actually based upon God’s principles and purposes for His church. Some of the
particular ministries or purposes of the church are realized through:

* Worship
* Teaching & Preaching
* Prayer
* Fellowship
* Discipleship
* Evangelism
* Ministry & Service

We believe in core values that reflect and compliment the above statement, and point
to certain distinctives that help define Grace Fellowship in more specific terms. Some
of these include:

* God’s Word proclaimed as Truth; infallible, inerrant and sufficient.
* The Gospel of Grace as the foundation, formation and motivation of the Christian life.
* Authentic worship that exalts God, encourages His people and attracts those drawn
to Christ as Lord and Savior.
* Faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word supported by committed personal Bible
study.
* Every member participating in the ministries of...
• Up-Reach (Worship and Celebration)
• Out-Reach (Missions and Evangelization)
• In-Reach (Enfolding and Assimilation)
• Down-Reach (Discipleship and Maturation)
... Fulfilling the Great Commission by making disciples.
* Leadership development that mentors and matures leaders who diligently shepherd
the “flock of God” and consistently reproduce themselves.
* Intentional evangelism through training, relationships and church-wide events
designed to winsomely and accurately communicate the Gospel.
* Dynamic discipleship through life-on-life relationships in small groups that provide
prayer, Bible study & fellowship.
* Ministries of grace and mercy in the name of Christ toward any or all people in need.
* Consistent and focused individual and corporate prayer.
* Seeking to serve God’s purpose in this world by the power of the Holy Spirit, the
preeminence of Christ and the glory of God.

Grace Fellowship Community Church Statement of Belief

Doctrinal Position (What We Believe)

Purpose StatementPurpose Statement

Scripture

God

Jesus Christ

Man

Salvation

Doctrine

Creed

Summary

Ministry

Values