Statement of Faith

Our Beliefs.

Learn more about our core values and doctrine

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About –

our core values and doctrine.

Grace Community is about being and making disciples of Jesus Christ. At Grace, we’re focused on authentic faith while not being too concerned with the externals of religion. This means we act the same way on Monday as we do on Sunday. We desire to be wholeheartedly committed to the Worship of God, fully engaged in the Mission of the Gospel, and intimately connected to the Community of Believers.

Core Values

Worship

At Grace we believe that, as followers of Jesus Christ, we worship God by offering our lives as a living sacrifice back to Him for what He has done for us through His Son. We believe that we are to love and value Him above all else and learn to express that love through obedience and devotion to Him and what He values.

MISSION

We are called to live a missional lifestyle where we live, work, and play – at home, at work, in our neighborhoods, in our schools, in sporting activities, and more – in every facet of life. It is one where we involve ourselves in the lives of our families, neighbors, community, and the world, seeking their good. Mission is not an activity of the Church, but an attribute of God that is reflected in and through us. It is an expression of His love, grace, and mercy to the world in which we are privileged to participate.

COMMUNITY

When we talk about “Community” as an expression of who we are and what we do as a church, we are referring to a very simple concept: putting the people of God together for a purpose. We believe that without intentionality, most of us will drift into a worldly way of thinking and living. Through “Community” initiatives we hope to equip the saints as they live in the world, but not of it.

Doctrine

COMPLETE INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE

1. In the verbal and complete inspiration of The Old and New Testaments and hold them to be the inerrant word of God, the supreme and final authority.

Matthew 5:17-18, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Luke 1:1-3, Luke 16:17, John 10:35, Genesis 3:4-5

FATHER, SON, & HOLY SPIRIT

2. In one God, creator of all things, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Genesis 1:1, Matthew 28:19, Isaiah 45:5, Mark 12:29-32, Psalm 90:3, 1 Corinthians 13:12, John 1:1-20, John 6:27, Acts 5:3-4

JESUS CHRIST – TRUE GOD, TRUE MAN

3. That Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man. He lived a sinless life and died for our sins according to the scriptures – as a representative, substitutionary and complete sacrifice. He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and is today our high priest and advocate.

John 1:14, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, John 1:1, John 14:8, Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38, Luke 24: 23-40, Isaiah 7:14, I Corinthians 15:22, Hebrews 4:14-16, Hebrews 5:1-10, Hebrews 13:5, Hebrews 7:25, 1 John 3:5, Romans 5:1-11, Romans 10:9-10, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Acts 1:1-11, I Peter 3:22

THE HOLY SPIRIT – HELPER, TEACHER, GUIDE

4. In the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment – to regenerate, sanctify, baptize, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. He indwells every believer in Christ, and is an abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide.

Ephesians 1:13-14, John 3:5-7, John 14:16-17, John 16:7-11, John 13, Matthew 28:19, II Thessalonians 2:7, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 5:18, Romans 8:26-27

HIS SOVEREIGN MERCY & GRACE

5. That man was created in the image of God, that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, lost, without hope, except in his sovereign mercy and grace.

Genesis 1:27, Romans 6:23, Genesis 5:1, I Corinthians 11:7

SIN HAS DEVASTATED MANKIND

6. That sin is the condition that all of mankind finds itself facing. Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve and affects everyone. It leaves men and women separated from God and facing condemnation and judgment with no ability to remedy the situation on their own.

Genesis 3:1-19; Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:8,9

SALVATION BY FAITH ALONE

7. That salvation is received by faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ. All who trust in him alone are justified and assured of eternal life by his shed blood.

Ephesians 2:8-9, John 3:7, I John 3:1-2, Romans 3:14-17

LIVE A HOLY LIFE

8. That Christians are called to live a holy life of service and testimony for the glory of God and the well-being of their fellow man.

I Peter 1:15-16, John 12:25-26, Acts 1:8, I Corinthians 3:12-15

COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS

9. The universal Church embraces all true believers. It is the body and bride of Christ, formed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The local church consists of a community of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith and associated for worship, work, and fellowship.

Ephesians 1:22-23, I Corinthians 12:12, Ephesians 4:11-16, Ephesians 5:24 & 30, I Corinthians 12: 13 & 27, Hebrews 10:24-25

HIS WORLDWIDE KINGDOM ON THE EARTH

10. In the imminent coming of Christ for his church and the visible and personal coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to establish his worldwide kingdom on the earth.

Titus 2:13, Matthew 24:30, I Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18, 5:4-10, Matthew 24:21 & 29, Matthew 25:31 & 46, Revelation 3:10, Revelation 20:11-15

THE BODILY RESURRECTION OF ALL

11. In the bodily resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous; the righteous to everlasting communion with God – the unrighteous to everlasting separation from God.

John 5:28-29, I Thessalonians 4:15-18, II Thessalonians 1:6-10, Luke 16:22-28, Revelation 20:11-15

SATAN IS ACTIVELY ATTEMPTING TO DESTROY THE POWER & WORK OF CHRIST

12. That Satan and his demons are about the business of attempting to destroy the power and work of Christ, and the authority of the word of God.

I Peter 5:8, Isaiah 14:12-15, Revelation 14:11, 19:20, Revelation 20:10

BAPTISM & THE LORD’S TABLE

13. The ordinances of the church, given by our Lord, are baptism and the Lord’s table.

Acts 2:38, Matthew 26:26-29, Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:12, Acts 12, Acts 13, Acts 36, Acts 41, Romans 6:3-4

THE GREAT MISSION OF THE CHURCH

14. In the great commission our Lord gave to his church, which is to evangelize and make disciples of all nations, and that this is the great mission of the church.

Mark 16:15, John 20:21, Matthew 28:16-20, Luke 24:44-49, John 12:24-26, Acts 1:8, Acts 36-37, I Peter 3:15-16

Elder Leadership

We believe that Christ is the head of His Church and that Scripture gives a blueprint of Elder leadership. Therefore, Grace Community is governed by a council of Elders who are responsible to provide leadership and direction to Grace Community and its ministries. The Full Elder Council of Grace Community is drawn from men at each campus who are qualified by Biblical standards as Elders. These men are nominated and vetted by the Full Elder Council and voted on by the membership of Grace Community Church.

The Full Elder Council serves in the ministry of the church but governs Grace Community through the Executive Elder Board. According to the Grace Community Constitution, the Executive Elder board is made up of 12 Elders who are appointed from and by the Full Elder Council to 4-year terms of service. The Executive Elders serve as the official Board of Grace Community and are responsible to oversee the continued operations of Grace Community Tyler. The Executive Board appoints three oversight boards to assist in leading Grace Community.

They include:

1) The Stewardship Board – Responsible to review and provide oversight to all business aspects of Grace Community Tyler.

2) The Mission Board – Responsible for deploying the resources of Grace Community to reach the city, region, nation, and world.

3) The School Board – Responsible to provide wisdom and oversight to all aspects of Grace Community School.

The Senior Pastor serves at the discretion of the Executive Elder Board and is given the responsibility and authority to lead the Grace Community Tyler staff to accomplish the agreed upon missions of Grace Community Church, Grace Community School, and Grace Community Early Education.

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