This is an overview of the various ministries and serving opportunities that go on through GRBC and its members.

GRBC Ministries

This is a visual list to be encouraged by, pray for, and possibly support the various ministries that go on through GRBC and its members. This is not a sign-up or a serving list. Information subject to change, default contact for all ministries is the Church Office.

The Promotion of the Public Worship of God, Preaching of His Word, and Administering His Ordinances (Matt. 26:26-29; John 4:23-24; Acts 2:46; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; 1 Tim. 4:1-13; Heb. 10:24-25)

The Lord’s Day Services:

• We gather to worship because we are a local instantiation of the church of God. God is the primary audience of our meetings, and yet he is also in charge as the true host. In our gatherings we seek to edify one another as a priestly ministry (1 Pet. 2:4-5) while being hospitable and intelligible to both believers and unbelievers (1 Cor. 14:16-17, 24-25). Corporate worship is discipleship and is the church’s primary disciple-making ministry. Thus, every church gathering is a practical disciple-making event where saints are baptized, taught, and sent. In our gatherings, the gospel is boldly and clearly proclaimed and our corporate worship and serves as an apologetic in evangelism (Jn. 13:34-35). Therefore, each gathering is also a vital missionary event (Matt. 16:19; 18:18-20; 28:16-20).

Adult Equip Classes

• Our vision is to equip the church through a rotating curriculum that teaches the “whole counsel of God.”
• Each Equip Class comes with material to review in a personal, one-on-one, or small group setting.
• We train teachers for our Equip and Sunday school classes and improve their skills with regular Teacher Training Events.

Children’s Sunday School (Ages 2-18)

• We pray and labor to the end that the children God has given us would grow to be disciples of Christ. We are committed to “tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done” (Ps. 78:4). As we pledge in our Church Covenant, “We will nurture those under our care in the training and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4) and, by a pure and loving example and testimony, seek the salvation of our family and friends (1 Tim. 4:12; John 1:41; Matt. 28:19).”
• Sunday school serves as an invaluable aid to parents in fulfilling their responsibilities to bring their children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
• We use the Desiring God, truth 78 Curriculum to teach our children the Bible and the New City Catechism Children’s Version to teach them doctrine.

Family Meetings:

• Member Meetings help the church function as a church family. The members are responsible for defining the church’s membership by receiving and dismissing members and recognizing the church’s leadership by electing or removing officers. These meetings testify to God’s work throughout our church’s various ministries and keep the membership updated on our priorities and practices (Mt. 18:15-20). They allow the church family to take ownership of the church’s ministries and take responsibility for loving one another.

Prayer Meeting:

• In corporate prayer meetings, the church learns to engage with and depend on God, carry each other’s joys and sorrows, and intercede for kingdom concerns, whole-body concerns, and significant life concerns.
• We meet as a church to prayer on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month.
• We also make prayer a key element of our worship gatherings.

Church Library

• We run a church library that offers many sound and edifying books, DVDs and audiobooks which we are committed to always be updating to ensure it is of maximum benefit to our people.
• Our library opens after Sunday morning and evening services.

The Fellowship and Communion of Believers (Acts 2:42-45; Rom. 12:13; Heb. 12:16)

Small Groups:

• Small groups facilitate relationships for mutual edification, allow the congregation to shepherd and disciple each other, and develop leaders within the body.
• We pray for one another when we meet in our small groups generally on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month.

Women’s Prayer Ministry

• We have a women’s prayer ministry that is committed to praying for the women of the church

Member Care:

• The whole church cares for members’ needs, the elders shepherd and counsel, and the deacons help with practical and tangible needs. In cases of acute and on-going need we have member care teams that help to ensure that critical or special needs (unusual suffers, widow care, and internal fatherless or motherless children) do not get overlooked after an initial burst of love and an attention.
• The deacons form, resource, and manage the logistics of these teams, and the elders equip, shepherd, and oversee them.

Church Picnics

Moms of Littles (MOL)

• A once-a-month get-together for moms with kids 6 & under
• Older women encourage the younger mothers

Hearts & Hands (new name for Flourishers)

• This is a 55+ group whose hearts and minds are saturated with God’s Word, resulting in the visible and tangible outworking of God’s love in the lives around them.
• 55+ group that gets together for various events and projects.

The Edification of the Saints Through Teaching, Training, Discipleship, and Shepherding Care (Eph. 4:12; Col. 1:28-29; 2 Tim. 2:2; 1 Pet. 5:2; Heb. 13:17

Pastoral Apprentice Program

• Grace’s Pastoral Apprenticeship is designed to equip men to strengthen the church at GRBC, in North America, and worldwide. The church prays that God would use our church to train, support, and multiply leaders, pastors, and missionaries. The pastors at Grace designed this internship to provide training and development for those aspiring to ministerial work in some capacity. Those who enroll will read, study and learn together with the pastors (1 Tim. 3:1; Tit. 1:6).

Personal Discipling Relationships

• • There are two primary ways to establish a discipling relationship at GRBC.
    • First, take the personal initiative to try to work out a discipling relationship with any other member (as a mentor or mentee of your same gender). You do not need pastoral permission! Instead, come to church early, stay later, and serve with others to build meaningful relationships with members.
    • Second, contact our discipling coordinators (link to email) for assistance. They work with the pastoral staff to help connect you with another member who can meet with you regularly.
  • We train church members to disciple others through the “Discipling and Counseling Others” Equip Class.
  • Review the “Recommended Resources List” on our Church website. This list provides study ideas for those interested in discipling others to grow in their knowledge of Christ and the Word of God.

Men’s and Women’s Bible Studies

• These Studies teach sound doctrine for personal sanctification, spiritual fellowship, and equip members to minister to others.
• Sometimes, these studies also encourage and facilitate organic personal discipling relationships.
• The church organizes periodic training opportunities to help improve the teaching skills of those serving as teachers.

Kingdom Men (KM)

• KM is a ministry that connects High School and College age men with older and more mature men in the church for encouragement and edification.
• Their meetings include teaching, fellowship and food!

Women of Wisdom (WW)

• WW is a ministry that connects High School and College age women with older and more mature women in the church for encouragement and edification.
• Their meetings include teaching, fellowship, crafts, tea, and cooking.

Family Worship

• In our Church Covenant, we promise “to nurture those under our care in the training and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).” To that end and among other efforts:
• We provide various resources for families (including a resource for families to discuss small portions of the prior Sunday’s sermon during family dinner throughout the week).
• We encourage parents to attend the “Parenting and Stewardship” Equip Class.

Jr High Youth Group

• The ultimate goal of this youth ministry is, by God’s power, to see students come to know Christ and to grow in likeness to him in a community of peers.
• Grades 7-8; meets on the 4th Sunday each month.

VisionYouth (Highschool) group

• The ultimate goal of VisionYouth is, by God’s power, to see students come to know Christ and to grow in likeness to him in a community of peers.
• Highschool group; meets on the 4th Sunday each month.

College & Career Ministry

• The College & Career group meets for various events every month for teaching and fellowship.
• We have an Adopt-A-Student Program. Families develop a special and sustained relationship with a student throughout his/her time in college.
• We also host a yearly conference called EquipCon.

The Proclamation of the Gospel and the Establishment of Churches (Matt. 28:18-20; Rom. 1:8; 1 Tim. 2:4; 1 Tim. 3:14-15)

Evangelism Training Equip Class

• This course is a systematic and practical study of biblical evangelism. It emphasizes the preparation and practice of personal evangelism, aiming to equip God’s people and churches to fulfill God’s purpose in giving us the ministry of evangelism.

Local Efforts

• Church planting, revitalization and support of other churches
• Sidewalk Sunday School
  • Monthly Sunday afternoon to share the gospel and build relationships with kids in designated near-by neighborhoods.
  • Volunteers meet with the kids and also engage parents in conversation. We also host an annual Christmas party.
• Vacation Bible School
  • Vacation Bible School is an outreach meant to reach the children and parents in our community.
• Senior Breakfast
  • Quarterly breakfast – provides fellowship & spiritual encouragement to the seniors in our church & surrounding area.
• Compass Healthcare of Hawfields
  • On the 1st, 4th, and 5th Sundays, we hold an abbreviated service with singing, prayer, Scripture reading and teaching for the residents.

Global Efforts

• The Strategic Deployment of Qualified Laborers As Pastors and Missionaries
• Missionary Encouragement Teams
  • METs care for our supported missionaries, especially those sent from our church.
  • This care could be as simple as bi-monthly touch points, receiving prayer requests, regularly praying for their work, and being their point persons to the eldership and the church.
• Ladies Missionary Society (LMS)
  • LMS once a month on Saturday mornings to fellowship and spend concentrated in prayer together for missionaries.
• Missions Scholarship
  • GRBC provides a missions scholarship for an older high school or college student who wishes to spend some time in the summer serving the Lord abroad with a missionary.
  • The elders help prepare the student for international travel.
• Global Church planting, revitalization and support of other churches

The Display of God’s Character Through Love and Good Deeds (Matt. 5:14-16; Eph. 2:10; Titus 2:14; 3:8)

ESL Ministry

• Teaching English as a second language every Tuesday evening during the school year.
• The immediate goal is meet the communication needs that the Lord brings to us with the ultimate goal of seeing them won to the Lord for those who are yet lost (which is most of them).

Operation Christmas Child Drop-Off Location

• We open our doors as a place to bring packed shoe boxes during National Collection Week for Samaritans Purse.

Worthy Ministry

• For newly expecting moms in need; a one-on-one mentorship program for women facing an unplanned pregnancy.
• The church also helps put together showers and care packages for these women.

Meals on Wheels

• Meals on Wheels provides one hot meal a day to low income shut-ins, Monday-Friday.  GRBC members deliver meals to the Hawfields area residents, Monday-Friday every four weeks.  The meals are picked up at Hawfields Presbyterian Church at 9:30 am and delivered to approximately 20-25 residents.  If you would like to serve, primary and backup drivers are always welcome!