Core Commitments
Centrality of Jesus
We believe that it is through Jesus Christ, and only Jesus Christ, and his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, that we are fully reconciled with God in this life and the next. We believe Jesus is who he says he is – “the way, the truth, and the life”, and that no one can have a relationship with God except through Jesus. We believe that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ changes us and reshapes our life purpose. As Christians, we confess that Jesus, fully human and fully divine, is both our Lord who claims our devotion and our Savior whose death on the cross secures our forgiveness. Everything we do at GRACE Church centers on lifting up the name of Jesus and inviting people to know Him personally.
Authority of Scripture
We believe the Bible is the unique and authoritative Word of God and teaches all that is necessary for faith and life. The prominence of God’s word over our lives shapes our priorities, and the unrivaled authority of the Bible directs our actions to be in concert with Christ’s very best for our lives.
Presbyterian
“Presbyterian,” is rooted in the Greek word presbuteros, which means “elder.” This concept defines our system of church government, structured around a group of elders elected by the congregation—the same system of government upon which our country’s democratic philosophies were founded. To be Presbyterian also means we are Presbyterian or “Reformed” in our theology. Reformed theology is a systematic way of understanding Christian beliefs. These essential beliefs include the sovereignty of God, salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone, the authority of the Bible for faith and life, and our individual duty to be a minister of Christ at all times and in all places.
Missional
We believe God has a mission and is at work in every arena of the world we live in to reconcile people to Himself through Jesus Christ. As people who follow Jesus, we join that work in the world. We show the grace of Jesus Christ that has been shown to us. We strive to live our lives in such a way that the way we work and live points people to our Father in heaven. We want the church to be internally strong, yet externally focused as the heart and hands of Jesus Christ himself, actively directing our energies to the people we serve and the world in which we live so that all would know Him.
Strategic Initiatives
As a Church, we recommit to:
Investing in the Next Generation:
We are committed to passing the faith on to the next generation. We work to create environments where children want to come to church and age-specific programs that guide our children to know and follow Jesus. We want to equip parents to be the primary faith-shapers of their children. And, we love seeing the next generation make their own faith commitments and grow into leaders who are ready to live their faith as they go off to college.
Reviving Our Group Life:
Small groups are a part of the DNA of our church. For many years, we have been committed to small groups because we know that people grow in circles, not just in rows. We have groups that meet year-round. And twice a year, we do short-term small groups based on the sermon series. Small groups are also a place where life-long friends are made and people do life together. We hope most all who are a part of our community will commit to a group.
Practicing Radical Hospitality:
We want people to experience the warmth of our community from the moment they show up on campus. As a multi-generational church, we want all ages of people from all backgrounds to experience authentic community. Each weekend, we serve homemade baked goods after each service – one small sign of our commitment to a warmth that might be a surprise to many who assume a large church is impersonal. Though our greeters and welcome team are the advance team of our hospitality, every person plays a part in showing the love of Jesus. Of course, hospitality does not stop at the end of our campus – we carry the love of Jesus Christ into our neighborhoods and throughout the Lehigh Valley.
Encouraging Each Member’s Mission:
God has given every person unique gifts and passions. We want to equip and encourage people to use their time, talent and treasure to do what God is calling them to do. We want to stir people’s missional imagination and share their stories so that more and more people will meet Jesus and know the full-life that is possible following Him. We will work to make strategic connections with ministry partners and your passions as we love the world in Jesus’ name.
Get the Word Out:
We want everyone in the Lehigh Valley to know about our church and ultimately, about the Jesus we follow. We will use social media and technology as well as old-fashioned word of mouth to let people know how God is at work in our church, and to invite people to join us.
Our church is affiliated with ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians. To learn more about our growing Presbyterian denomination, CLICK HERE.