Our Mission: To Be and Make Disciples

A disciple is a follower and student of Jesus.

 

Our mission isn't different than most other churches. That's because it's the mission Jesus gave his disciples at the end of Matthew's version of the gospel:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20, NIV)

How we each make disciples is simply an extension of our vocation, our calling in life. You might make disciples of your children or grandchildren. You may make disciples of your friends at school, or your coworkers.

Wherever you are, whatever you do, you have a platform from which Jesus can invite people to follow him.

Our Vision

To see grace in every corner of our community.

Our Core Values

These values give us expression to the heart of the Father, and we aim to be growing in each of these every day.

Jesus Makes Us Family

We are welcomed into the family of God simply by the grace of Jesus, no matter who we’ve been or what we’ve done. Jesus gives us a place to belong even before we know what to believe. Our church family is a place where you can life together in an interconnected web of authentic relationships.

Deep Roots Make Good Fruit

No one wants to live a fruitless life, and Jesus taught people how to live with abundant fruitfulness. He said, “Remain in me like a branch remains in the vine.” We put down deep roots in the Spirit of Jesus through prayer, immersing in God's word, and other spiritual disciplines.

Love Pours Out

God poured out his love for us to fill the emptiness we try to fill in so many other ways. Such a wonderful free gift that we want to share with others. Join us as we pour out the love of Jesus to those who are in need or hurting, We aspire to practice sacrificial generosity with our time and resources so we may be a blessing to others.

Invite First & Next Steps With Jesus

Every relationship with Jesus is a growing relationship. He invites us to walk with him on a path of life, love, and service. We invite those who do not yet know Jesus to come and see what he is doing and we invite one another to that next step of faith, service, and relationship.

Be The Church In The World

Jesus has asked us to be his church in the world. There is no more important work, today. That means walking out our faith in our everyday lives and serving the unique purpose we are designed for. Community of Grace is a place where you can grow into being Jesus to those around you?

Our Beliefs

The best explanation of our beliefs is very simple: we believe in Jesus.

The very first Christians all agreed on one very simple creed: Jesus is Lord. We don't all have to agree on everything at Community of Grace Lutheran Church, but we agree on that. Everything else that we believe follows from that commitment. For example:

  1. Because of Jesus, we believe that God loves us unconditionally. This is because he is gracious and forgiving, not because we deserve it. We don't. Christian theologians usually call this "Justification by faith through grace and not by works." We agree with that 100%, but it's awfully technical for describing a living relationship.
  2. We believe the Bible is a Jesus-centered book that reveals God's character, God's love, and God's plans for the world. We believe what you really think about the Bible is not revealed in what you say about it but in how you use it. We read the Bible a lot and with lots of humility, and we strive to apply its message to our lives. We believe God's Spirit draws us closer to Jesus and makes us more and more like him. Nobody's perfect, but because we love God and each other, we keep trying. Christian theologians have usually called this "sanctification." We believe this is very important, with or without a theological label.
  3. We believe the church is a Jesus-centered community of sinners. It's a hospital for the sick, not a museum of saints. The church is certainly not a building. Jesus said, "Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there with them." Whenever we gather in Jesus' name, we are the church.
  4. We believe Jesus didn't only live in the past. He's alive now, and we're looking forward to his return. The Bible says the return of Jesus will bring the completion of God's new creation. Evil will be destroyed, the universe will be healed, and the people of God will enter into life without end. God speed the day!

If you are theologically inclined, you might be interested in a more complete or precise statement of our beliefs. We recommend you talk with one of our pastors who could explain all of this in a much more personal and detailed way. You might also like to know we affirm the historic creeds of the Christian church (The Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds), and we are a Christian church in the Lutheran tradition. This means we think the historical writings of the Lutheran Reformation (such as the Augsburg Confession and the Small Catechism) helped Christians become more Jesus-centered and Biblically faithful.

Our congregation is part of a larger association of Christ-centered congregations called Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC). We are committed to Jesus' Great Commission, where he commissioned his disciples to go and make more disciples, and Jesus' Great Commandment, where he taught his disciples to love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love their neighbors as themselves. In fact, our mission as a congregation is drawn from these teachings of Jesus: Our mission is to be and make disciples of Jesus.

We believe God loves you, and we'd love to help you experience that truth as a disciple of Jesus Christ.