Grace River Church exists to help people meet, know, and follow Jesus.

Follow Jesus

Following Jesus is an ongoing commitment. From declaring our trust in Him and getting Baptized, to sharing our faith with friends and inviting others to church. It’s something we can strive to do each day.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

Spend Time with God

God invites us to spend time with him on a regular basis. We can do this through prayer, music, reflection, and reading the Bible.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Connect in Community

God created us to have relationships with others. We encourage attenders to connect to their campus community by joining a Small Group, serving, or even just saying hello to someone new in church.

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Serve Others

Share God’s joy and love by serving others—in your home, church, neighborhood, and around the world. Discover your God-given gifts to learn how God has uniquely wired you to serve others.

Use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13-14)

Live Generously

God has called us to live generously. We can do this by sharing our time, talents, and finances.

“I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.” (Philemon 1:6)

Grace River’s core beliefs are the foundation of this church and are organized into three categories: beliefs about God; beliefs about people; and beliefs about the Church, the Bible, and Christ’s return.

Beliefs About God

“There is one living, sovereign God who eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” (Revelation 1:8; Isaiah 43:10-11; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19)

“Jesus was sent by the Father to live on earth; he was fully God and fully human, yet had no sin. Jesus willingly laid down his life and, after three days, rose from the grave. In doing this, Jesus fulfilled the payment for the world’s debt of sin.” (Luke 1:31, 35; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

“The Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and Son to convict the world of sin and to empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. He lives in every believer and is a constant helper, teacher, and guide.” (John 14:16-17)

Beliefs About People

God created people in his image, and everyone matters to God. (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 5:1-2)

All people are sinners and need God’s forgiveness. (Romans 3:23)

Those who confess and turn from their sin, trusting in Jesus Christ, will be saved by grace and become children of God, with the promise of eternal life. (John 3:16-17; Galatians 3:26)

Beliefs About The Church, The Bible, and Christ’s Return

“Jesus Christ is the head of the church and all believing people are members.” (Ephesians 4:15-16)

“The Bible is the inspired Word of God and is the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

“Jesus Christ will return and there will be a final judgment.” (Matthew 24:3, 37)

The Word of God

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

The Trinity

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.

God the Father

We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of all people, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide.

Regeneration

We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

The Church

We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.

Christian Conduct

We believe that Christians should live for the glory of God and the well-being of others; that their conduct should be blameless before the world; that they should be faithful stewards of their possessions; and that they should seek to realize for themselves and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.

The Ordinances

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water into the name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Religious Liberty

We believe that every human being has direct relations with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other.

Church Cooperation

We believe that local churches can best promote the cause of Jesus Christ by cooperating with one another in a denominational organization. Such an organization, whether it is the Conference or a district conference, exists and functions by the will of the churches. Cooperation in a conference is voluntary and may be terminated at any time. Churches may likewise cooperate with interdenominational fellowships on a voluntary independent basis.

The Last Things

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal felicity of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.