Grace Church

As the preaching of the Word makes the GOSPEL audible, so the sacraments make it visible + experiential, and God stirs up faith by both means...

Communion (Lord's Supper/Eucharist):

We celebrate the Lord's Supper at every Sunday morning Gathering. Communion is, and has been, central to Christian gatherings, worship, and practice. We come to the table to meet with Christ, remembering his sacrificial death which brings forgiveness and renewal. Though we do it weekly, it is not an empty ritual! Communion is a time of centering - remembering what makes us a Christian and the Gospel call to live relentlessly for the cause of Christ's kingdom!

Baptism:

We participate in a believer's baptism to publicly identify ourselves with Jesus in his sacrificial death and life-giving resurrection. This is a sacred and beautiful opportunity to declare, "I believe the best possible way to live is the way of Jesus, and I am committed to following Christ - daily dying to myself (i.e., my agenda, my kingdom) asking the resurrected Christ to live in and through me." Baptism is not a means of salvation; rather it is a beautiful picture of our union with Christ and of our declaration that we have joined the mission of God's Kingdom as a follower of Jesus.

Would you like to be baptized? Please let one of our elders know.

What about children? Can they participate in communion?

If parents are raising their children in the way of Jesus and helping them understand the beauty and mystery of the Gospel, then we welcome children participating in communion under that parental guidance. We do not feel children must have a comprehensive understanding of Christian doctrine in order to partake. There is no sense in allowing children to participate too soon; we want to be sure they have general understanding of the Gospel. So, as long as parents are committed to an ongoing dialogue with their children about what it means to remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ through communion and what it means to follow Christ, living as one of his sent people than we encourage children to participate in our weekly celebration of communion.

Do you baptize infants?

While the meaning of infant baptism varies somewhat among denominations, it often involves parents baptizing the child as an infant, then when the child grows up and decides to follow Jesus, the child makes a profession of faith. We believe that water baptism is a sign/symbol of a person’s professing faith, and, as a result, we feel it is confusing to perform water baptism on infants. Instead, we practice baby dedications (or, as we like to call them,"blessings") and when a child makes the choice to follow Jesus, they have the opportunity to declare their commitment to Jesus through baptism.

When can my child be baptized?

There is no Scriptural age requirement for baptism and so we do have a one at Grace Church. However, a child being baptized must understand what baptism means and he/she must be able to declare their intention to follow the way of Jesus. There is no sense in rushing the process and baptizing children too early; we want to be sure the child understands what he or she is doing. If you feel your child or teen is ready for baptism, please contact on our elders.