A Welcoming and Inclusive Community of Christian Faith

​ In faithfulness to Jesus as well as the commandments to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves, Bethany Grace Community Church embraces and respects all people: every sexual orientation, gender identity, age, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic condition, all who are far from their homeland, every ability, all household compositions, and those of diverse political and theological backgrounds and beliefs. Central to our values is a desire to create a loving and inclusive space for all persons, which empowers them to live, serve, and lead as God calls them. As an inclusive community of Christian faith, we welcome all into full membership and participate fully in the life, ministry, fellowship, worship, leadership, and blessings of our church family. Wherever you are on life’s journey, as God’s beloved, you are worthy and welcome!

OUR CORE BELIEFS

Church Covenant

We believe in:

• The Triune God, eternally existent as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• The supremacy of God the Father, who created all things seen and unseen through Christ our Lord.
• The deity of Jesus Christ, only begotten Son of the invisible God, firstborn over all creation, fully God and fully man, head of the church, author and finisher of our faith; His death for our sins; and His resurrection and eventual return.
• The regenerative power of the Holy Spirit, whose fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

• The Bible is Holy Scripture is divinely inspired and authoritative.

We affirm the statements in the Nicene Creed. ​The Nicene Creed was first adopted by church leaders in 325 at the First Council of Nicaea. Later that century, at the Council of Constantinople (381) some minor changes were made and it was again reaffirmed at the Council of Chalcedon (451). This ecumenical creed is the most widely accepted creed in the Christian faith and it is an essential part of the doctrine of BGCC.

OUR CORE VALUES

Ten core values bring clarity to the things that matter most at BGCC. They guide how we achieve our mission, influencing major leadership decisions as well as everyday ministry plans. They even help us navigate staffing and budget issues. In short, they keep us focused on the unique call God has given us as a local church.
 

• We believe the words of Jesus are authoritative and He is the lens through which we understand the Bible and through which we understand the world in which we live.
• We believe all people are made in the likeness and image of God.
• We believe in the body of Christ there is no distinction or hierarchy among all of God’s children.
• We believe doing Jesus’ work leads to personal growth and greater understanding.
• We believe that worship, prayer, obedience, Bible study, love, fellowship, forgiveness and service are all important aspects in the life of a Christian believer, having been saved by the grace of God and not by our own human efforts.
• We believe diversity and collaboration make us stronger, not weaker.
• We respect and fight for the well-being of all people as children of God—especially those with whom we differ.
• We embrace and work alongside people of different faiths, erasing the lines of ‘us vs. them.’
• We believe loving relationships should permeate every aspect of church life.
• We believe excellence honors God and inspires people.

We, the members of the Bethany Grace Community Church, having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, do hereby covenant with each other before God to:
Love God with all our hearts, soul, strength and mind and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Be a family of Grace; to be committed to each other; to love, accept, and forgive each other until death or God’s call causes us to part.
Live in Jesus Christ and take His commands seriously by studying His word and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to live it out faithfully to bring glory to God.
Strive for the advancement of this Church in knowledge, holiness and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; and to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support the ministry, the expenses of the Church, the relief of the poor and the spread of the Gospel to all nations.
To be faithful in prayer for one another and the world.
By God’s grace, we seek to bring honor to the Body of Christ by maintaining a good testimony.  We enter into this covenant because we have the common purpose of obeying Jesus Christ, and because we believe that we need one another’s help to do this.

Church Mission & Purpose

The purpose of Bethany Grace Community Church is to know Christ and to make Him known.  Our purpose is fulfilled within the boundaries of our Faith.  Our Statement of Faith connects us with other Christians in the Body of Christ.  Our Church Covenant connects us with each other as members of Bethany Church.  Our mission is to love God through worship, study, fellowship, and outreach.  By God’s grace, Spirit, strength and guidance, we seek to bring people into relationship with Jesus and membership in His family; develop them to Christ-like maturity; and equip them to serve others, act with justice and compassion, and share in our mission in the world.