Grace Fellowship

Why the name “Grace Fellowship”?
Grace (charis): we want to emphasize that it is only by God’s grace that we
can draw near to God, and we desire to extend this same grace to others.

Fellowship (koinonia): we desire to be an authentic community of shared
lives, not a group of religious consumers.

Why don’t you have more “church” programs?
We strive to be relationship-centered rather than event-centered. It is our
philosophy that evangelism, ministry, and service best happen spontaneously in
the context of authentic relationships, rather than carefully planned events
and programs. We want to offer a wide range of venues for building
relationships and invite people outside the fellowship to participate – we
trust God to do the rest.

Why do you rock?
We are passionate about our relationship with Jesus Christ and music is a
very important expression of our worship. It is our philosophy that no genre
of music is more sacred than another. The music we choose is simply the
style with which we are most at home.

Why don’t you always start on time or dress up?
We are getting together with friends and value the informal time of
fellowship and connecting prior to joining our hearts, minds, and voices in
celebration. Since our passion is the internal transformation of the heart,
and not external appearances, we simply come as we feel most comfortable,
whether dressy or casual. Just as Jesus Christ accepts everyone, as they
are, when they come to Him, so we come, as we are, when we gather.

Your pastor & elders are a little weird… Why is that?
Thank you. You’ll find that the pastor is not the CEO or the “trained
professional” over the “laity”, and the elders are not a board of directors.
Rather, the pastor and elders function as a team of equals, whose purpose is
to guide and look after the spiritual health of the Fellowship. It’s everyone’s
job – including yours – to be the ministers, evangelists, the pastors, and the
clergy in this Fellowship. At Grace Fellowship, you’re invited to use your
gifts and to question authority (with grace of course)!

Why is “Politics” a four-letter word?
We are intentionally “a-political” in our public gatherings. While people of
faith can and should be involved in the country’s democratic process, this is
not the purpose of our Fellowship. The purpose of our gatherings and life
groups is to mature together in our relationships with Jesus and with each
other and to introduce others to the Good News. Being political on any topic
tends to be divisive and distracts us from this purpose.

What’s your program for Church Growth?
Healthy things grow! We are concerned first with the spiritual health of
those in our Fellowship and being faithful. We believe that growth and
evangelism will occur naturally as maturing followers of Jesus interact with
their family, friends, coworkers, and others God has put in our lives.

What if I see an area of need or have an idea?
You are in danger of being put in charge of it! We want people to use their
gifts, and if you see an opportunity, talk to the elders about it. If it’s
consistent with the mission, values, and vision of the Fellowship, it’s a go! And
if it doesn’t fit, do it outside the Fellowship anyway. We won’t beg, guilt, or
manipulate you into doing something you don’t want to do. Ministries spring up
(and are allowed to die) as God moves in our lives.

Why do you call yourself a “fellowship”
and not a “church”?
In our culture, the word “church” tends to convey the idea of a religious
institution or a religious building. By calling ourselves a “fellowship” we are
extending an invitation to everyone to come to a safe place to worship,
encounter God, and discover together who we are in Jesus Christ. As a
Fellowship we are but a small part of the true Church that is composed of all
believers in Christ everywhere.

Why all the fuss about life groups?
We believe that the “life group” is effective for building relationships,
spiritual discovery, prayer, introducing your friends to Jesus, and looking
after one another. This is where the Christian life happens! We encourage
our life groups to grow, divide, and multiply.

Why the different kinds of gatherings?
The Sunday gathering is primarily to worship and celebrate Jesus and to
learn together from God’s Word. Sometimes we gather to celebrate the
Lord’s Supper and to pray together in a more intimate setting. Still other
gatherings are intended to celebrate and fellowship on special occasions.

Why are you reluctant to adopt the latest
Christian trends and teachings?
The original formula for spirituality works as well today as it did two
thousand years ago. While our culture (and how the gospel expresses itself in
the culture) changes, the Word does not. We strive to remain grounded in
Christ and God’s Word. Running after the latest books, movies, programs,
and teachings from popular Christianity can distract us from the values and
purpose of our Fellowship. And just because the latest Christian teaching is
popular does not mean it is true!

Why doesn’t your building look like a church?
That’s intentional, not the result of poor decorating taste. Since our facility
is a place where friends gather to celebrate and discover God together, we
believe it should not look like a traditional church building. In addition, we
are more concerned with building our people than investing time and money
into a building.

Are there times when “yes” is a four-letter word?
Yes! If you are called to serve with us, pick only a few things to do and do
them well, but don’t get over-committed! People who are too busy doing
church things all the time sacrifice their families, their friends, and building
relationships with people who need to hear the good news about Jesus.

Why don’t you have a Wednesday or Sunday Night
Prayer Meeting?
We encourage people to get involved in a life group rather than have another
“programmed” service. We believe prayer is most effective through
authentic relationships and shared lives. Our desire is that we get to know
one another as we share our lives together, so that we will know how to best
pray for and support each other. In addition, the elders (and others) are
always available for special prayer needs either after the service or
whenever a need arises.