Our Values
Like a compass that keeps us pointed in the right direction, the following values are the constant, passionate core beliefs that guide our church. They are our core values, because they describe the “heart” of Grace Memorial Baptist Church and are at the centre, motivating us in everything we do.
Scriptures
We value the Word of God, because of its capacity to transform our lives. We believe it is the highest source of written authority for God’s plan for His people, revealing how to live out that plan, individually and corporately. We seek to keep our beliefs, practices and priorities anchored in clear biblical teaching.
Prayer
We believe prayer makes a critical difference in all that we attempt and is foundational to everything we do.
Holy Living
At the heart of our faith we cherish a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the defining example for holy living. We pursue integrity of life as exemplified by Him.
Worship
We value both personal and corporate worship of God because God is worthy of our worship, and because it places our affections and priorities in their rightful place.
Evangelism
Making disciples is our mandate from Christ. We seek to express our faith with a balance of head and heart, so that our friends, family and acquaintances may come to Christ.
Fellowship
We value authentic relationships that result in a loving fellowship of people. We appreciate the diversity that exists among us in age, gender, race, personality, culture, and perspective. We believe loving relationships occur best through small groups.
Family
We have a high regard for the family as the foundational unit of society and the best starting point for spiritual nurture and training. We seek to strengthen families by encouraging them to live by biblical values.
Relevance
We are called to keep serving the present age, and we believe relevance is significant to reaching people. Grace Memorial respects and builds on its past without becoming its slave. We seek to be relevant to the culture in which we live, while not surrendering our core values, beliefs and behaviours either to tradition or culture.
Our Mission
Grace Memorial has a mission—our purpose, our reason for being—a mandate which has remained consistent since the church was first organized in 1845.
The mission of Grace Memorial Baptist Church is to lead and support people
at home and abroad in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
Grace Memorial’s mission can be expressed in the acrostic:
Glorify God through worship
Reach the unchurched through witness
Accept new members through fellowship
Care for those in need through ministry
Equip members for ministry through discipleship
Reach the unchurched through witness
Accept new members through fellowship
Care for those in need through ministry
Equip members for ministry through discipleship
Our Vision
Grace Memorial’s vision statement describes the future state of the way things could be and should be, as we are true to our values and mission. We envision Grace Memorial Baptist Church to be a place where people are Passionate about life!
Passionate about God—A Place to Believe
Passionate about People—A Place to Belong
Passionate about Serving—A Place to Become
This vision is articulated best in the motto on the Welcome Centre wall:
We dare to dream of a place where
people live in harmony, worship with expectancy, and give with generosity,
where everyone is included, anyone can be involved, and no one feels insignificant.