What’s So Great About Grace Community Church? – Part 2

“Doing God’s business God’s way.”

This statement, incorporated in our church’s website, is more than just a catchy phrase.  It is our philosophy of ministry, guiding all that we do at Grace Community Church.  A statement like this can be misinterpreted, however.  To an outsider, unfamiliar with Grace, it may sound like a legalistic following of rules.  But this is no throwback to Pharisee-ism.  It is instead a humble acknowledgment that God is the creator and designer of the church, making Him the one and only expert on “doing church.”

It looks like an ordinary, unassuming church building.....but what goes on inside is truly amazing!

This remarkable distinction of Grace – the single-minded determination to follow God’s pattern for the body of Christ as described in the Scriptures – is not something immediately noticeable to the undiscerning eye. Superficially, Grace doesn't look much different from any other church in the area. Sunday mornings are filled with songs lead by a worship team, bulletin updates and announcements, scripture readings and sermons, and the sounds of chatter in the foyer and hallways as members fellowship between classes and services. These are the Sunday morning practices of most churches. Just like the majority of congregations, Grace takes up a weekly collection, observes the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of every month, and has a mid-week Bible study. In fact, an onlooker may be more apt to criticize Grace for the things it is lacking – for instance, a myriad of fun programs and activities to attract the un-churched.

But they would completely miss what makes Grace so wonderful.  It is not its practices but the mindset behind them that makes Grace unique.  The focus at Grace is on God – why He saved us, what He wants from us, how we can please Him.  Ostensibly, this could be said to be the focus of every church.  But that is not how it plays out in reality.  Allow me to elaborate.

Inward Focus, not Outward

The focus of Grace is inward while almost every other church focuses outward.  This is seen in several ways.  At Grace, church is defined as the Bible defines it – as the called-out ones, those saved by God’s glorious grace to declare the excellencies of Him who called them out of darkness (1 Peter 2:9).  Grace does not see the church as an organization designed to attract the lost, as many churches do, but instead sees it as a living, breathing organism made up of saved members assembled together by Christ to reflect His image to our dying world (1 Cor. 12:17-19, 27).  We gather to worship our God and edify each other – the focus begins inward – then we scatter to evangelize and share the knowledge and the love of Christ to the world – it is then, and only then, that we turn outward.

The sheep are well-fed at Grace! 

Because of this inward focus, the shepherds and teachers at Grace are keenly focused on feeding and nurturing the sheep.  They make sure to teach the whole counsel of God in the assembly and in classes, not just feel-good messages or motivational speeches.  They understand that under-fed and malnourished sheep do not do well in the world and, as a result, cannot fulfill the purpose that God has designed for them (Ephesians 2:10).  This inward focus also makes Grace solely concerned about how God wants the church to be designed and how He wants it to function.  You will not see the leaders of Grace looking to popular trends or sniffing the air for pragmatic worldly practices to attract members.  They know from the Bible that it is God who adds to His church, not men through their feeble efforts (Acts 2:47, Matt 16:18).  Grace leaders don't count heads or try to entice sinners, but focus on doing what God calls His leaders to do – feed the sheep (John 21:15-17).

Preaching the Word

It can be truly said of the pastors and teachers at Grace that they preach the Word “in season and out of season” (2 Tim 4:2).  While pastors of other churches may formulate lessons that the entire crowd will enjoy (a little humor, a smattering of doctrine, a little practical application, a smidgen of contextualization to make it interesting), Grace teachers carefully interpret the Scriptures, explain the Scriptures, and rightly apply the Scriptures.  This is what they do day-in-day-out. 

If that sounds monotonous, it’s only because you don’t fully know the power of God’s living and active Word (Hebrews 4:12).  God’s Word is the only written word that has the power to change souls through the actions of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 3:17-18).  Because of this focus on preaching God’s Word and explaining His intended meaning, members of Grace have the opportunity to grow in knowledge and maturity, making them effective as members of Christ’s body. 

Even still, some are tempted to label Grace and disregard it.  They’ll say, “Grace teaches God’s sovereignty and the doctrines of grace, so it is reformed.  Therefore you will enjoy attending Grace only if you enjoy reformed theology.”  But I don’t like those labels because they don't truly describe what makes Grace so special.  Grace is not a great church because it’s reformed or because it falls into some theological camp.  It is great because it has a passion, a fervent and abiding love, for God’s holy Word.  I have never attended a church quite like it – a place where the Word is preached with undiluted power.  My life is continually blessed by being a member there.

In future posts, I hope to explain even more why Grace’s unique focus makes it such a wonderful church!