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HISTORY OF GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH
THE JOURNEY HAS BEGUN
"Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise,
go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to
them-the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread
upon I have given you, as I said to Moses."
Joshua 1:2-3
After
serving in churches that were conforming more to the world instead of being the
catalyst for transformation, several families including Pastor Tim Duffey began
praying about planting a new church work that would strive to shape the culture
rather than allowing the culture to shape the church. The Lord began to lead as
these families met in the home of Jim and Malinda Brewer for the first year.
During this time much prayer was invested in discerning our mission field,
locating the right piece of property in that mission field, and a place for the
Pastor and his family to live. At times the Lord would open certain doors while
at other times He would close doors, but we sincerely believe that He has led us
to the 10 acre site on Laird Road, just one mile North of Highway-90.
Land clearing began for a structure in which the church could meet and a
concerted effort of prayer continued. The Lord began answering prayer. First, a
modular unit was found that a school had used for a science lab. Second, the
church family felt led to sell the pastor two and a half acres of the original
ten to enable him to build a house. Third, a couple of people in the church
family felt led to help make it possible for Pastor Tim to purchase the two and
a half acres and to build a new home.
From the beginning it has been hard work, but also a labor of love. We believe
that with a biblical foundation and a commitment to God's Word, Grace Community
Church will be a lighthouse in a lost and dying world. We believe that
foundation was to be a commitment to God's infallible Word as our final
authority in life and everything we do - our faith had to be lived as well as
believed. We also believe God's Word is to be taken literally by using a
"face-value" interpretation which leads to sound doctrine. God's Word always
stands in judgment of us - never do we stand in judgment of it. We believe in a
balanced view of both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of mankind.
These are some of the principles upon which historical Southern Baptists were
founded. This is the same theology held by people like John Bunyan, Adoniram
Judson, Luther Rice, P. H. Mell, Basil Manly, J.P. Boyce, John Broadus, Charles
Spurgeon and Lottie Moon.
We
at Grace Community Church believe it is time to stop "playing church" and get
down to God's real business. 1 Peter 4:17 states it like this:
For it is
time for judgment to begin with the household of God...
Grace Community Church Tentative Purpose
Statement: The purpose of Grace
Community Church is to glorify God by emphasizing total commitment to the
Lordship of Christ through worship, serving, training, and sharing Christ in the
power of the Holy Spirit.
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