What We Believe & Practice

Statement of Belief

God: One God, sovereign Creator, sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ, the “Living Word,” became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. He who is true God became true man united in one Person forever. He died on the cross, a sacrifice for our sins, according to the Scriptures. On the third day He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He now is our High Priest, Mediator, and Advocate.

The Holy Spirit: The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Jesus Christ and, during this age, to convict men and draw them to Jesus Christ. Indwelling our hearts, He regenerates believing sinners, giving new life to us and empowering us to godly living. He imparts gifts to us for service to God. He guides, instructs and empowers us to all truth, and seals us for the day of redemption.

The Holy Scriptures: The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men and the Divine and final authority for Christian faith and life.

Sinfulness of Mankind: Mankind was created in the image of God, but through the actions of Adam and Eve, fell into sin and is therefore lost and condemned to eternity in hell. We are all born sinful and have all willingly joined in sinful rebellion against God. Only through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained.

Salvation: Our salvation is wholly dependent upon God’s grace as expressed through the saving work of Jesus Christ. God credits His righteousness to those who put their faith in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation, thereby justifying them in His sight. To all who receive Christ and are born of the Holy Spirit, God grants eternal salvation.

The Church: The Church of Jesus Christ is composed of all believers of all time, people who are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, who exhibit the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. The Church finds her visible, yet imperfect, expression in local congregations where the Word of God is preached in its purity, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are administered, where scriptural discipline is practiced, and where fellowship is maintained.

The Return of Christ: Jesus Christ will come again to the earth personally, visibly, and bodily. At that time He will judge the living and the dead, and will consummate history and the eternal plan of God. Thereafter, believers will enjoy eternal blessedness and joy in the presence of the Lord, while unbelievers will suffer everlasting.

Core Values

A. We Are Christ Centered

Jesus Christ was born, lived, died and resurrected to provide God’s answer for our sin. He lives in the life of the believer. We exist to serve him and to experience his presence in our lives on a daily basis. He is our Lord and Savior, and we commit to him being central in all we are and do.

B. We Believe The Bible is the Word of God

We believe the Bible is actually the Holy Word of God, with the power, authority and relevance to change our lives. We are committed to studying it and applying it to our lives.

C. We Are Committed To A Lifestyle Of Worship

We believe we are called to wholehearted worship God through Jesus Christ, with all of our hearts and in every aspect of our lives. We commit to this lifestyle of worship in our homes, places of occupation, neighborhoods, and everywhere we may be. We also commit to regularly gathering together as a Body of believers to worship God.

D. We Intend To Use Our Abilities and Resources To Help Others

We believe that God gives spiritual gifts to all Christ-followers, to be used for others. We believe every believer is a minister, and has been given gifts to be developed and utilized in service to Christ. We intend to challenge each other to use our gifts in ministry with excellence and creativity.

E. We Encourage and Expect Life-Changing Spiritual Growth

We are a prayer-based church. We believe we are called to spiritual growth because Christ demands it. We believe every believer should commit to a lifestyle of ever-deepening prayer, growth, maturity, and Spirit-led change. We intend to demonstrate honest accountability, commitment, and integrity. We intend to continually challenge each other to grow to their next step of maturity in Christ.

F. We’re Committed to Maintaining Caring Relationships

We intend to love people as they are. We believe in the value of all people and intend to care for everyone God brings to us. We believe this is accomplished through healthy, godly, caring, loving relationships. We intend to foster and maintain these kinds of relationships. We intend to hold ourselves accountable to maintaining godly relationships. We intend to actually “love our neighbors as ourselves.”

G. We Are Committed to Helping And Caring For Others

We recognize that Jesus Christ is God’s statement of His grace toward sinful people. He received us just as we were, so we intend to receive others just as they are, helping them along as God has helped us. We recognize that we’re all sinful people, saved only by God’s grace. We are committed not only to receiving God’s grace, but to being conduits of this grace, “raining” God’s grace upon all our relationships, attitudes and activities.

H. We Are Committed To Growth

We are committed to growing God’s Kingdom, to growing healthy churches, both numerically and spiritually. We believe that as we are obedient to God, the church will grow. We are committed to drawing people to Christ and helping them grow spiritually. We intend to do this beginning in our own homes, and then extending throughout the world.

I. We Intend To Develop Godly Leaders

We are committed to establishing mentoring relationships for the purpose of spiritual growth and leadership development. We intend to identify and train emerging leaders in each generation who are fully committed to Christ - men and women who will build and guide His church through the leadership of God’s Spirit. By means of biblical example, Moses did this with Joshua; Christ did it with his disciples; Paul did it with Aristarchus, Barnabas, Epaphrus, John Mark, Luke, Silas, Timothy, Titus, Tychicus, Silas and others.

Our Creed

Although there are many other excellent creeds which well represent the Christian faith, the most widely adopted Christian creed in the Western world is the “Apostle’s Creed.” This creed affirms many points of basic Christian theology. Point of Grace Community Church affirms this brief statement of faith in Christ.

The Apostles’ Creed

(Modern English Version)

I believe in God, the Father almighty,creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. AMEN

Our Celebrations

Sometimes referred to as the “Sacraments” or “ordinances.” Point of Grace identifies and practices two Sacred Observances as practiced by the Early Church and taught in Scripture.

Communion

Some know this celebration as “The Eucharist,” or “The Lord’s Supper.” Others call it “Communion,” or the “Mass.” At Point of Grace we follow Christ’s example, and the model of the Early Church as taught by Paul in sharing the bread and cup of the New Covenant. Membership at Point of Grace is not required so we are pleased to share this Sacred remembrance with all who profess saving faith in Jesus.

Baptism 

Baptism was both modeled and commanded by Jesus. The practice of the Early Church was that when people came to Christ for salvation (in biblical language, they “repented,” or turned from their sin, yielding their lives to Christ) they were immediately baptized. Baptism does not provide salvation in itself. Only faith in Jesus Christ provides that. But baptism symbolizes a life given to, and born anew in Christ. Point of Grace recognizes both Believers’ Baptism and Infant Baptism; both immersion and sprinkling.

Child Dedication

At Point we celebrate life to the fullest since that is what Jesus did (John 10:10). One of the ways we do this is through child dedication. We welcome all ages of children to be dedicated as a commitment on the parent’s and faith family’s behalf to raise and be examples of Jesus to this little one. We see child dedication more or less a “parent dedication”, since dedicating a child is not a means to salvation for the child but a symbol of the parents commitment to at all times and in every way, point their child to Jesus.