values

It is one thing to know what a church believes. It is another thing to know what a church values. Here are five things we want you to know about our church:
 

Core Value #1: A safe place to grow

Maybe you’ve been hurt by the church. Maybe you have doubts or questions. Maybe your life or marriage is in trouble. Church should be a safe place where you experience God’s unconditional love and can be honest about your struggles. 

We don’t shame people, exploit people for what they can contribute, or push people to serve in ways that aren't spiritually healthy. We believe that first you come to church to receive and grow, then you find ways to serve and bless others in response to how God is ministering to you.                                                                                                                                             

Core Value #2: Worship and preaching aimed at Gospel transformation

Worship and preaching should be aimed not just at your head but also at your heart and your hands. A Christ-shaped life is not just about believing the right things. It is about experiencing transformation in our desires and our actions through a deeper grasp of the gospel. 

Worship connects us to a story that is much bigger than our own lives. Preaching digs into the Bible to challenge how we view ourselves and the world. Through the rhythms of worship and scripture we experience God’s grace reshaping and renewing us.                                                  

Core Value #3: A multigenerational church where young, old, and people in between all matter

Young, old, and in-the-middle are all important parts of the body. We want to encourage doing life together while also making sure that people at every age receive the ministry they need.

Children and teens are an important part of our body. They are the next generation of the church. We make a serious commitment to engage them and see them grow in their faith. We want them involved in worship with all the saints, while also finding outlets outside of worship where they can grow together with other Christian young people.                                               

Core Value #4: Shepherds who know the sheep

Relationships between pastors and members of the body is important. God wants his people to have shepherds who can offer care and spiritual direction -- someone they can call when their marriage is in crisis, who will visit when they are in the hospital, or who will sit down to have coffee with them when they are struggling with their faith.

For all the different things that come up in life, we want you to have a pastor who knows you, cares about you, and is available to you.
 

Core Value #5: The Christian life is a repentant life

Church is not a spiritual beauty contest where you show up to compete against other contestants. At least it shouldn’t be. 

God meets the broken and the humble, so at Grace we value brokenness and humility. Instead of pretending to be more than we are, we value transparency. We all have a natural tendency to grow in pride so we want God to bring us low. The best Christian life is the repentant life of daily confessing our sins and receiving God’s grace.