The big #1: OPEN
When we got rolling in the mid 90s, I, and we, knew that we had to affirm that our new venture was going to be an “open church”. This meant we would be open to new people who were different from us. It meant there would be no walls to others…that no one had to earn the right, or pass the test or “know the secret handshake” to be a part of Grace Community Church. To this day, being an open church means we are a community with wide open doors that expects and welcomes people far from God to become a part of our lives.
At the time, we saw isolationist tendencies in evangelicalism and we wanted no part of it. Someone around Grace expressed concern that the children of unsaved people would be in contact with our kids if we were an open church and it chilled us that we might be that narrow-minded. We knew that churches tend to drift toward closed-ness and we wanted the opposite. We wanted to be an open church. The minute we clarified that value, a few people left and went to other churches that didn’t have the stated value of being open.
Over the years, we have used this value in every ministry at Grace. I have taught on it numerous times. Our open church value is a reality in this fellowship and our openness has meant that countless people have been welcomed here in the name of Jesus.
That’s what I call a “Jesus value”!
How has this value impacted your life at Grace?
December 14th, 2007 at 9:39 am
This has been a big factor in my family’s decision to choose Grace Community as our spiritual home. From the moment we walked in, nearly 3 years ago now, we have felt welcome. We had attended several other churches and as soon as you walk in you get the feeling of “who is that” and “I never have seen them here before”. It is like we could feel the whispering among them right when we walked in. We have NEVER felt that at Grace Community. I absolutely love the openness to everyone. It has definitely changed my everyday outlook towards the people in my life and strangers that run into daily. When Craig gave his message a few months ago on how most “Christians” have become close minded and introvert towards others, this really grand slammed the idea for me that I have put my family in the right place for us. I whole heartedly agree that this is a “Jesus value” that we must firmly hold onto at Grace as that’s how Jesus would have wanted it for everyone who currently attends Grace and the people who are walking in the door for the first time. I can not put into words how this “Jesus value” impacted my wife and I feel the first time we walked into Grace.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:55 am
What you read in Nick’s comment is precisely why we adopted this value and why I have held onto it tenaciously over our brief history. Welcome Nick and Amy- you are a part of us!
Any other comments?
December 18th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Thanks Nick and Dave. I know that all I want to do is make everyone else at Grace feel as loved and accepted as me and my family have. I know that everyone at Grace has special in them and we all can learn and grow with each other. And I wanted to say that Nick and I were really sad that we were out of town when the kids ministry meeting was held. love you all!