Our Mission
What’s our mission?
Presence…People…Power
Pursuing God’s Presence
Connecting People
Living by God’s Power
We get asked all the time questions like: Who are you? What is Grace like? What makes you unique? Why do you do what you do? Where are you going?
If I was going to use three words to describe our church it would be; presence, people and power. Here’s what I mean – we are passionate about God’s presence. We believe that it is our great privilege to live in His presence every day. We are a church made up of people. Normal people, connecting with each other, to become more like Jesus. And we need God’s power. We need His power to live life and to share His love with the world around us.
Presence…people…power. Regular people, coming together, pursing the presence of God, and empowered by Him to make a difference in the world around us. That’s who we are. That’s Grace.
Presence
Exodus 33:16 – How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.” (NLT)
I was reading my Bible just this morning when it hit me. I was in Exodus when Moses was leading the nation of Israel out of Egypt and to the land that God promised would be theirs. He had just been up on the mountain getting the 10 commandments from God and God said; “pack up your stuff and let’s keep going.” As Moses and God were talking, Moses said to God; “I don’t want to leave here unless You go with us. It’s Your presence that makes us different.”
That’s when it hit me…”that’s it!” It’s God’s presence that makes us different from every other religion. I remember growing up hearing Billy Graham saying over and over again that Christianity was a personal relationship with Jesus. I’m not sure when it changed – when Christianity became just a set of beliefs and religious practices – but that’s it. “A personal relationship with Jesus.” We are meant to live life in His presence. That’s why here at Grace we place such an emphasis on Worship – because we want church to be about God’s presence. But it’s not just at church services but how we live every day.
I want to be like Moses; “God if you don’t go with me, I don’t want to go. It’s your presence that matters.”
People
1 Peter 2:5; 9-10 – And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
…for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. (NLT)
The greatest thing about Grace Community Church is the people. We are a church of regular people. Normal people just like you. We have our share of successes and failures, joy and pain. And we have found that when we come together… to share life… that’s when we really start to change.
In 1 Peter 2, the church is compared to a temple. Peter says that the people of the church are like living stones being built together into a spiritual house. We are meant to do life together. That’s why we place such an emphasis on small groups here at Grace. We are trying to create environments where people, regular people, can come together and share life and try to help each other become more like Jesus.
Because Peter also says we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. He says that we are God’s people chosen to show others God’s love.
People…it’s who we are – regular people that have come together to try to become more like Jesus and keep doing what He started.
Power
Acts 1:8 – But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere. (NLT)
When Jesus launched the church, He told His disciples not to do anything until they received God’s power. He told them that the Holy Spirit would come and give them power to tell the world about Him. Today, 2000 years later, we still need that power. We need God’s power because we still carry on that same mission – to tell the world about Jesus.
At Grace, we believe that God still does miracles – so of course we need His power. But I also need his power to be a good husband, to raise my kids and to work in the office. I am called to show God’s love and be a witness wherever I go – whether it’s at my kid’s soccer game, serving at the church, or going down the Amazon River. I am a representative of Jesus and I need His power every day.
Here at Grace, we think that every person who is a follower of Jesus should be helping to tell the world about Jesus. Each of us has different experiences, different interests, different passions and different gifts. And it’s when we come together and work together in our unique ways, empowered by God that we become an unstoppable force that can change the world.
