. . . A Grace Brethren Church is a local assembly of believers in Jesus Christ who are affiliated with the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, or its counterpart Fellowship in other nations, and are committed to:
1. One another as a spiritual family;
2. The
Statement of Faith as a summary of our biblical beliefs and practice.
3. The practice of triune-immersion baptism and three-fold communion (because we believe the Bible teaches these - grammatically and theologically and Church history supports this, not because we have "always done it this way").
4. Oversight by an elder (or elders) who fulfill(s) scriptural qualifications.
5. The observance of regular worship services.
The purpose of a local church is the worship of God, the edification and fellowship of believers, and the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
A Grace Brethren Church is not part of a denomination, but it is part of a Fellowship of Churches. This means that each local church is autonomous and self-governing. There is no outside hierarchy that controls it, though the local church voluntarily works with other churches in the Fellowship to accomplish things which would be difficult to do on its own such as missions, youth events, Ministerium support, and other events. We also work with other churches which are committed to following Christ.
(adapted from an article by Jerry R. Young – AGBM, Summer 2008)
It is important to be an informed voter as we consider the election of 2008. Obviously, most campaign adds are not very helpful. Pastor Rick Warren (of Saddleback Community Church) held a Civil Forum in which both Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain were asked serious questions about issues that matter and these candidates were able to respond. This was not a debate forum, but an opportunity to for each candidate to respond individually the questions. Each candidate was interviewed for about one hour. I would encourage you to listen to both candidates, regardless of your political preference. You will undoubtedly learn some things about each of them that you were not aware. The links to the four parts are listed below. (Note: you will need a fast internet connection for this to work)
. . . A Grace Brethren Church is a local assembly of believers in Jesus Christ who are affiliated with the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, or its counterpart Fellowship in other nations, and are committed to:
A certain Senator has affirmed that he told 99% of the truth regarding his infidelity, though even that assertion seems to be unraveling quickly (Note: please stop and pray for his wife and for his family in this crisis). The point seems to be that 99% of the truth is more than good enough -- that it is honorable. That thought process is probably true for many Americans and even many Christians. Yet Scripture instructs us that our "Yes" is to be "Yes" and our "No" is to be "No" (Matt 5:37 & James 5:12). God instructs us to be 100% truth tellers because He always tells the truth and we are to show the family trait of truth telling. That also includes attempting to give deceptive responses.
You are encouraged to remember Ryan Martin in prayer as he leaves this weekend for the FBI Academy
