What Abundant Grace Church Believes:
As a visitor to our church website, you might be interested in who we are and what we believe. Abundant Grace Church is what is often referred to as an “interdenominational” church. The term “Charismatic” refers to the belief that Jesus Christ is the same today as He always has been and, by the agency of the Holy Spirit, He is still moving in the earth to save people from their sins, to offer healing to people, and to manifest Himself through the gifts of the Spirit. The term “interdenominational” means we are comprised of people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
In our church, the staff and local congregation are people from dozens of different religious backgrounds as well as those who previously had no religious training or affiliation. We are not an “exclusive” group who thinks we are the only true Christians. We gladly acknowledge as fellow members of the Body of Christ all people who confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Whatever your background, we want you to feel welcome with us. We share the following information in the event some aspects of our ministry are new to you. Some of the things you may notice at our local church include the following:
THIS WE BELIEVE:
Free Expression During Worship – We believe, as the Bible teaches, all things are to be done decently and in order (1 Cor 14:40), and we also believe the Scriptures encourage God’s people to worship Him with great joy and fervor. As a result, we endeavor not to be overly formal or ritualistic. Instead, we consider our services to be a time of celebration and rejoicing.
The Raising of Hands – The Apostle Paul admonished believers by saying, “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Tim 2:8). Psalm 134:2 says, “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.” We lift our hands in worship as an outward expression showing we are also lifting our hearts and lives to the Lord.
The Laying On of Hands – Speaking of believers, Jesus said they would lay hands on the sick and they shall recover (Mark 16:18). The Bible also admonishes Christians to “…pray one for another, that ye may be healed…” (James 5:16). According to the Bible, when Jesus and others ministered healing to people, it was often done through the laying on of hands. Also, when people were sent into ministry, hands were laid upon them to formally separate them unto the work to which God had called them (Acts 13:2,3).
There are a number of situations in which we practice the laying on of hands and pray for those around us who request such prayer. At other times, members of the pastoral staff may lay hands on individuals who come to the front of the sanctuary to receive ministry. On occasion, we also lay hands on and pray over cloths to be taken or sent to sick people who are not able to be with us. The biblical precedent for this is found in Acts 19:11,12: “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”
Manifestations of the Holy Spirit – In chapters 12 and 14 of First Corinthians, the Apostle Paul discusses the different ways the Holy Spirit moves in the Church and in the lives of believers. The pastoral staff endeavors to be sensitive to the Spirit of God when He might choose to manifest Himself in any of these ways. For instance, God may give a “word of knowledge” regarding those in the congregation with a particular problem whom God is desiring to minister to. There may also be a “prophecy” – an inspired utterance – which edifies, exhorts, and comforts God’s people.
The Bible also speaks of different kinds of tongues. In the Book of Acts, when believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, they spoke in other tongues (Acts 2:4). There is one type of tongues requiring a public interpretation to be in order. Another type of tongues has a devotional purpose, which Paul referred to when he said in 1 Cor 14:15, “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”
Vision Statement
The training facility and operating base for the army of God to impact the world.
Mission Statement
Leading people to experience and enjoy life now.
Abundant Grace Church is committed to:
Ministering the Life of God to those that are
Bound to addictions, oppressed with sickness,
And winning the lost to Jesus Christ.
Equipping the saints of God
Through teaching and preaching the reality
Of the redemptive work and purpose of Jesus Christ.
To develop and present the Life of God in
Character and conduct through trained disciples
And leaders who reflect the love of God.
John 1:4
Ephesians 4:18