Distinctives
Grace Fellowship Church is a Biblically committed, Christ-exalting, relationally oriented, discipleship-minded, locally based global mission.
Biblically committed
We eagerly follow Jesus Christ, looking to his supreme goodness as the ultimate example by which to live out our faith (1 Cor 11:1). We carefully listen to the Holy Spirit as he testifies to Jesus (Jn 14:26) through the Scriptures (2 Pet 1:19-21). Our preachers labor to explain books of the Bible in plain language (2 Tim 2:15), and our members help one another learn how to study the Bible accurately (Heb 2:1, 2 Pet 1:19-21). We gladly submit our passions, desires, labor, resources, worldview, and theology to God's word (1 Cor 10:31, Lk 14:25-35).
Christ-exalting
Jesus Christ is the savior of the world (Acts 4:12), the Son of God (Jn 10:36), the creator of all things (Col 1:16), the central figure of the Scriptures (Lk 24:27), the promised Messiah (Acts 5:42), the chief shepherd of the church (1 Pet 5:4), and the returning king (Rev 22:20). In him alone we find our salvation, purpose, hope, and joy (1 Pet 1:3-13). We therefore respond to Jesus with humble repentance (Mk 1:14-15) and thankful worship (Eph 5:19-20).
Relationally oriented
God is inherently relational (Jn 17:5-8), and he created us to be in relationship with one another (Gen 2:18). We therefore patiently strive to know each other at the heart level by hearing and understanding one another (1 Pet 3:8-9, 4:8-9), by speaking the truth in love (Eph 4:11-16), by working through our conflicts (Phl 4:2-9), and by constantly pointing one another to Christ (Heb 3:12-14). We intentionally keep church programs to a minimum to free our members to engage with one another and with their neighbors (Mt 5:13-16).
Discipleship-minded
Jesus has called each of his disciples to make disciples, teaching them to obey all he has commanded (Mat 28:19). We therefore employ our members’ diverse gifts, talents, and resources to equip every member for the work of ministry, that we might produce mature disciple-making disciples of Jesus Christ (Eph 4:11-13, 2 Tim 2:1-2). We need every member’s full engagement to accomplish this mission of disciple-making; we do not rely on church leadership to do it for us.
Locally based
God has placed each of our members precisely where he has so they would worship Christ together as a local assembly of his body (Ac 17:26-27, Heb 10:23-25). We delight to share Jesus with our neighbors (Col 4:5-6) and to seek the good of our community (Jer 29:7, 1 Tim 2:1-2). We maintain fraternal relations with other local churches for mutual edification and accountability (Ac 15:1-2). In addition, God, in his providence, has placed us in an extraordinarily transient and international community. We have committed to take full advantage of the opportunity to build God’s kingdom in State College, even if it means sending out quality people every few years due to education or relocation.
Global mission
Jesus Christ has called his church to make him known among every nation, tribe, people and language (Mt 28:19-20, Rev 7:9). We strive with all our might toward this end by praying for, equipping, and sending laborers into the Lord’s harvest (Lk 10:2), and by supporting like-minded missionaries in their disciple-making efforts around the world. Though we will share in suffering for proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ (2 Tim 1:8-12), we will neither be ashamed nor stop until all peoples are brought to the Lord’s holy mountain and made joyful in his house of prayer (Is 56:7, 2 Tim 2:10).