Leadership at Grace is guided by 3 primary convictions.
At Grace, we recognize that the church is not a building, nor is it the paid staff, but whether the church is the group of believers who commit to loving God and loving one another as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Because of this, leadership at Grace is exercised not out of a desire by a few strong-willed or vocal people to force their agenda on others, but rather out of a desire to use our diverse gifts to bless one another and bring glory to God. None of this is done out of our own strength or our own goodness, but rather out of the strength God provides because He loves to empower His people for acts of loving service. All of this gives testament to the God of all grace, who has called us and redeemed us to be his treasured possession.
Grace is an elder-led church. This means that there is a group of elected leaders who have been recognize by the church to be mature in their faith, wise in spiritual discernment, and humble in spirit. Being an elder at Grace however is not as much about about exercising authority over others, as it is about loving and ministering to the body of Christ they have been given charge over. Our elders are the first to respond when a member is in a crisis or needs assistance in some way. They provide counsel and shepherding to other members in the church; and they seek to ensure that the teaching and ministry accord with God's Word and are in tune with His Spirit. We value this form of leadership because it reflects what we believe God desires for His people: that they serve Him together in love, humility, and unity. At Grace this starts with our elders.
Here at Grace we don't believe that the work of ministry belongs solely to the paid staff. God has called and gifted all believers to participate in church life and we are passionate about equipping believers that they might grow personally, spiritually, and theologically as we all follow Christ's example. This means most of the ministry that happens here at Grace is organized and lead by members of the congregation. Whether it is leadership of a small group, teaching Sunday School, our men's and women's ministries, or our youth ministry, we as a people tackle the needs of our congregation as a group. Pastor Mark is happy to be able to attend events as a helper or participant!