News | Grace Pointe Baptist Church | New Market, Alabama https://gracepointebc.org Where the grace & truth of Jesus is changing lives! Wed, 28 Oct 2020 15:02:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 PURPOSE – MISSION – VALUES https://gracepointebc.org/purpose-mission-values/ Wed, 28 Oct 2020 01:34:46 +0000 https://gracepointebc.net/2014/12/31/heres-to-a-great-2015/ Read More]]> OUR PURPOSE

Our Purpose is to bring glory to God by completing the work He has given us to do (John 17:4).

OUR MISSION

Our Mission is to help every person discover and develop a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ as we grow together in grace and truth (Matthew 28:18-20).

OUR CORE VALUES

Biblical Authority

The Bible is the Word of God and we recognize it as the final authority for our lives. Christ is the head of the church and He gives vision and direction consistent with the Scriptures. We are committed to communicating God’s Word in a way that ministers grace and urges obedience. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, I Peter 5:1-3 & Hebrews 13:17)

God’s Glory & Power

Every real and lasting accomplishment is the work of God; therefore, He alone receives all the credit. We are committed to being God-centered rather than man-centered. We will depend on God’s power and provision to accomplish everything He calls us to do for His glory. (2 Corinthians 10:17, Psalm 20:7 & Matthew 19:26)

Intimacy with God

God created us and loves us deeply. Through Jesus we are able to have a personal relationship with God. Our love for Him grows as we daily fellowship with God through prayer, listen to Him through His Word and live as He commands. (Mark 12:30, John 15:5 & John 17:3)

Strengthen Families

The first relational structure God established was the family. Our commitment is to build strong nurturing families that will pass on a legacy of faith in Jesus Christ for generations to come. (Eph. 5:31-6:4)

Authentic & Loving Relationships

God created us to have meaningful relationships and love each other regardless of race, gender, or social standing. Our lives will be enriched and others will be drawn to Christ as we invest time getting to know each other, meeting needs, being vulnerable and accountable. (John 15:12, Acts 2:42-46, Galatians 3:28, James 2:1-9 & Matthew 20:1-16)

Invite Others to Follow Jesus

Forgiveness of sin and the life God gives us in Christ lasts forever! This good news is too wonderful for us to keep to ourselves and is most effectively shared through personal relationships. Sharing the good news of Jesus is both the responsibility and privilege of every believer. (2 Corinthians 5:20-21 & Matthew 28:18-20)

Nurture toward Maturity in Christ

Recognizing our dependence upon the Holy Spirit, we will intentionally nurture every believer toward becoming more like Christ in his or her character and priorities. (Eph. 4:12-13 & Matthew 6:33)

Serve & Give Joyfully

Jesus came to serve and to give. He has entrusted His followers with spiritual gifts and resources so that every member can minister for the common good of the church as well as care for the poor, needy, widows and orphans. (Mark 10:45, 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 1 Peter 4:10, 2 Corinthians 9:7 & James 1:27)

Reproduce

Jesus told his followers to keep passing on to others what He had taught them. Therefore, God’s plan for growing His eternal family all over the world is that maturing believers would keep helping others know and follow Jesus Christ. Reproduction includes evangelism, discipleship through mentoring, sending missionaries, and starting new churches. (2 Timothy 2:2 & Acts 1:8)

]]> Worship – Grow – Serve https://gracepointebc.org/worship-grow-serve/ Wed, 28 Oct 2020 00:35:36 +0000 https://gracepointebc.net/2015/02/17/celebrating-a-life-well-lived/ Read More]]> WORSHIP – LOVE GOD

Worship as a Church: We have one worship service on Sunday mornings at 10:00. Music is a blend of both traditional and contemporary led by a praise band and vocal team. Our goal is to be multi-generational as we continue to reach the next generations. Dress is casual. The inspirational and encouraging teaching is from the Bible with a focus on GraceKids (for preschoolers) and KidsZone (for school age children) is available during the worship service.Take a Next Step and join us weekly in worship.

Worship as a Household: We encourage faith conversations at home by providing resources to equip families to develop and pass on their faith to the next generations.The Legacy Center is a resource center in our church and online to help with those faith conversations. We also provide “Take it Home” guides based on each Sunday’s sermon to help continue the conversation at home. Consider designating one night a week as Family Night (play games, share a devotion, sing a worship song, pray, etc.). Take a Next Step of intentionally making worship a regular and natural part of your householdexperience.

Worship as an Individual: One of the best ways to develop your faith is to take time regularly (daily if possible) to read your Bible and pray. Caution: This is not about trying to feel good nor is it about trying to earn something from God. A daily quiet time is about enriching your soul and expressing your love to God. By reading the Bible, you are gaining wisdom by filling and renewing your mind with truth. By praying, you are expressing faith in Jesus Christ who has all the authority and power. Take a Next Step and begin the life-changing practice of spending time alone with God.

GROW – MAKE DISCIPLES

Grow Through 3-D Classes: Our 3-D Classes are offered periodically on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m.  Childcare is provided upon request. These classes will help you know how to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ. They will also help you know how to make disciples, which is what Jesus commanded us to do.

Discover Class: During this class, we discover what it means to be a true follower of Jesus Christ. We talk about the meaning and importance of Baptism and The Lord’s Supper. This class is required for becoming a member of GracePointe, so we discuss what membership means and how to become a member. Take a Next Step and sign up for our Discover Class by emailing michelle@gracepointebc.org or on your Communication Card this Sunday.

Develop Class: During this class, we help you put into writing a spiritual growth plan for developing a rich soul that produces a well lived life for the glory of God and the advancement of His Kingdom. We will also help you better understand how God has gifted you to serve others. If possible, we recommend you take the online Spiritual Gifts Assessment  before attending the class (the access code for the test is E42311.)  Take a Next Step and sign up for our Develop Class by mailing michelle@gracepointebc.org or on your Communication Card this Sunday.

Disciple Class: During this class, we learn how to build relationships to help others know and follow Jesus Christ. The good news is that Jesus came to replace our guilt with His innocence; our shame with His honor; our fear with His power. Now, we want to help others know and walk in the freedom and power of God’s grace. Envision discipling your household and 12 other people during your life-time! We have over 25,000 people living within a five mile radius of our campus; many do not have a relationship with God. Take a Next Step and sign up for our Disciple Class by emailing michelle@gracepointebc.org or on your Communication Card on Sunday.

Grow Through D-Groups: These are small groups of people who voluntarily meet together on a regular basis to help each other grow. D-Group stands for Discipleship Group. They meet at different times and places throughout the week. Each group is a little different, so feel free to try out a few and find your fit. Some groups use the sermon notes and take home questions for their discussions, while others use a different Bible study or DVD topical study. The goal is to make friends around God’s Word and prayer that helps us live out our faith. Take a Next Step and signup for a D-Group by emailing dgroup@gracepointebc.org or on your Communication Card on Sunday.

Grow Through Discipling Relationships: Growing requires being transparent and accountable. Get a few men together or a few women together and the conversation can become much more authentic. Now, focus those relationships on knowing and living for Christ and you will grow significantly in your faith. This is not a specific program you sign up for, but an encouragement to consistently invest yourself in the lives of a few people to help each other be and make disciples of Jesus Christ. Take a Next Step and invite someone to spend time with you to help each other grow as disciples of Christ.

SERVE – LOVE PEOPLE

Serve Our Church Family: Every believer is a minister and should have a ministry based on God’s call, God’s gifting and a God infused passion and joy. Together, we are making disciples! Fulfillment and fruit come from knowing and doing My Part. We become more effective when each of us offers God My Best. Keep asking, “How can I make the ministry I serve better?” We also want to involve the next generations in meaningful forms of service. Take a Next Step and volunteer to serve our church family.

Serve Our Community: We want to radically serve our community in the name of Jesus. Look for ways to invest in people’s lives and invite them to take a next step in developing their faith. There are needs everywhere! Prayerfully consider how God would use you to help meet those needs. Our best efforts do not need to be just within our church family. We want to love the people in our community in meaningful ways. Take a Next Step and take action to demonstrate God’s love to our community.

Serve Our World: Jesus said to make disciples of all nations. Begin where you live and use your influence through praying, giving and going to spread the gospel around the world. There are missionaries who need support and encouragement. There are mission trip opportunities.We don’t want to be short-sighted in our vision. Take a Next Step to creatively and strategically advance God’s Kingdom around the world.

]]> The Goal of the Christian Life https://gracepointebc.org/the-goal-of-the-christian-life/ Tue, 27 Oct 2020 00:37:49 +0000 https://gracepointebc.net/2015/02/27/my-life-my-job-and-my-career/ Read More]]> The goal of the Christian life (and therefore, the church) is to let God transform us to love Him, ourselves and others.

Too many times, we focus on changing our behaviors rather than focusing on knowing Jesus Christ and letting Him transform our hearts and minds. The Bible says the world will know we are disciples of Jesus by our love. The fruit of the Spirit is Love. All that Matters is faith in Jesus that expresses itself in love.

]]> We are on a Journey https://gracepointebc.org/we-are-on-a-journey/ Tue, 27 Oct 2020 00:36:16 +0000 https://gracepointebc.net/2015/05/27/navigating-life-when-things-get-hard/ Read More]]> We are on a journey of learning how to love God, ourselves and others!

God is love and created us in His image. Therefore, we are created by God to love like He does. God loves us so much that He wants to have an eternal relationship with us. We don’t have to beg God to love us. We don’t have to earn God’s Love. God is eager and willing to forgive and accept into His eternal family anyone who will believe in and follow His Son, Jesus Christ.

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