The Scriptures
We believe the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments to be the full record of God’s self-disclosure to mankind. Different men, while writing according to their own styles and personalities, were supernaturally moved along by the Holy Spirit to record God’s very words, inerrant in the original writings. Therefore, those applying themselves to study its literal, historical-grammatical context can accurately understand God’s Word. Scripture is fully trustworthy as our final and sufficient authority for all of life (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
The Triune God
We believe in the one living and true God, eternally (John 17:3) existing in perfect unity as three equally and fully divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). Each member of the Godhead, while executing distinct but complementary roles in redemptive history, has precisely the same nature, attributes, and being, and is equally worthy of the same glory and honor and obedience (John 1:1-4; Acts 5:3-4).
God The Father
We believe God the Father created all things in six literal days for His glory according to His own will (Revelation 4:11), through His Son, Jesus Christ. He upholds all things by the Word of His power and grace, exercising sovereign headship over all creation, providence, and redemption (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3).
God The Son
We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son, moved by love in accordance with the will of the Father, took on human flesh (John 1:1, 14, 18). Conceived through the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the virgin Mary. He, being fully God and fully man (John 14:8-9), lived a sinless life and sacrificially shed His blood and died on the cross in our place accomplishing redemption for all who place their faith in Him. He arose visibly and bodily from the dead three days later and ascended into heaven, where, at the Father’s right hand, He is now Head of His Body the Church, the only Savior and Mediator between God and man, and will return to earth in power and glory to consummate His redemptive mission (1 Timothy 3:16).
God The Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ during this age. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He draws the unredeemed to repentance and faith, and at salvation imparts new spiritual life to the believer, bringing that person into union with Christ and the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit sanctifies, seals, fills, guides, instructs, comforts, equips, empowers, permanently indwells at salvation, and bestows spiritual gifts to the believer for Christ-like living and service (John 16:8; 13:15; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 1:22; 4:11-12; Romans 8:9-17;12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 12:4-5, 11-13, 19; Galatians 5:25; Hebrews 2:1-4; 2 Corinthians 12:12).
Mankind
We believe that God created mankind—male and female—in His own image and likeness, free of sin, to glorify Himself and enjoy His fellowship. Tempted by Satan, but in the sovereign plan of God, man freely chose to disobey God, bringing sin, death and condemnation to all mankind. All human beings, therefore, are totally depraved by nature and by choice. Alienated from God without defense or excuse, and subject to God’s righteous wrath, all of mankind is in desperate need of the Savior (Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 3:10-19; Romans 1:18, 32).
Salvation
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as the substitutionary atonement in our place, and that salvation is found in none other than Jesus Christ. Before Creation, God chose those who would be saved and granted this unearned grace solely based on His sovereign good pleasure. Jesus Christ’s death on the cross was the sole and complete payment for sins, fully satisfying God’s righteous wrath, for each person that turns from sin in repentance and places their faith in Christ alone by grace alone. At salvation each person is made a new creation by the Holy Spirit, declared righteous before God, and secured as an adopted child of God forever. Genuine faith continues in obedience and love for Jesus Christ with a life eager to glorify God and persevere to the end (Romans 8:37-39; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 12:13).
The Church
We believe that upon placing one’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, the believer is made part of the Body of Christ, the one universal Church, of which Jesus Christ is the Head. The Scriptures command believers to gather locally in order to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, fellowship, the ordinances of baptism and communion, service to the local body through the development and use of talents and spiritual gifts, and outreach to the world to make disciples (Ephesians 1:22-23; Acts 2:42-46; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Matthew 28:18-20). Wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the Church under the watchful care of a plurality of elders. A church’s members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ (Ephesians 4:16).
Baptism and Communion
We believe that Christian baptism is a public declaration of the believer’s salvation in Christ, identifying with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection symbolized by immersion in water. The Lord’s Supper is the united commemoration by believers of Christ’s death until He comes and should be preceded by a careful self-examination (Acts 2:41; Romans 6:3-6; 1 Corinthians 11:20-29).
Missions
We believe it is the aim, duty, and privilege of every believer and local church fellowship to glorify God by responding as active participants in the Great Commission call of Jesus Christ to go and make disciples of all nations. We believe the primary focus and priority of this call is centered on efforts that establish, strengthen, and reproduce biblically-based churches, which will then plant churches that plant churches for future generations and God’s glory.
Things To Come
We believe in and expectantly await the glorious, visible, personal, premillennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed hope of His return has vital bearing on the personal life, service, and mission of the believer (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost. The lost will be raised to judgment and experience eternal wrath in hell. The saved will be raised to eternal joy in the new heaven and new earth in the manifested presence of God (Acts 1:3, 9; Hebrews 7:25-26).
Christian Living
Concerning Conduct
The Bible teaches that all believers are saints, set apart unto God and are thus responsible to live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon the Savior and Lord (Romans 2:1-2; 1 Peter 1:14-19; 2 Timothy 2:19; Titus 2) lest the Word of God be blasphemed (l Timothy 6:1; Titus 2:5). As Christians we should obey the Word of our Lord, seek the things which are above, walk as He walked, and accept as our responsibility the duty and privilege of bearing the Gospel to a lost world (l John 2:3; Colossians 3: 1; Matthew 28:19-20). A victorious and fruitful Christian life is possible only for those who have presented themselves wholly to Christ and walk by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit-filled life is the normal Christian life to be expected of all believers. (Romans 12:1,2; Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 5:18; Romans 6, 7).
Concerning Separation
Because of God’s holy nature and a believer’s high calling, Scripture teaches and commands personal and ecclesiastical separation from religious apostasy (2 John 7-11; Romans 16:17; Titus 3:10), from all sinful actions that reflect willful or continued disobedience to the Word of God (2 Thessalonians 2:15; 3:6,14-15; 1 Corinthians 5). This does not include separation from unbelievers who need the Gospel of Jesus Christ, nor does it include brothers and sisters in Christ who are walking in doctrinal or behavioral error but not under church discipline.
Concerning Marriage and Sexuality
Scripture clearly teaches that God is the sole authority in matters of marriage and sexuality for all people, and that marriage involves the sacred joining together of one biological man and one biological woman in faithful, permanent union (Genesis 2:18-24; Matthew 19:1-9; Mark 10:1-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20; Hebrews 13:4). God states in the Bible that he hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) and Scripture states that He intends the marriage union to last until one of the spouses dies (Genesis 2:24; 1 Corinthians 7:10-13). Sex is a gift from God to be enjoyed solely within this God-ordained marriage relationship, and God has clearly and expressly commanded abstinence from any form of sexual or intimate activity outside of this context, prohibiting as “sexual immorality” activities related to, for example: lustful thought, adultery, fornication, pornography, homosexuality, bisexuality, bestiality, pedophilia, or polygamy (Leviticus 18; Matthew 5:27; Matthew 15:9; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 5; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20; Galatians 5; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7; Hebrews 13:4; Jude 1:7). Disobedience in these matters is sin (Romans 6:23a; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-5; Colossians 3:5-19), and Scripture is clear that God provides redemption, healing, freedom from the power of sin, and restoration to all who would turn from sin and embrace Jesus Christ by faith (Acts 16:31; Romans 1:16; Romans 6:23b; 1 Corinthians 6:11, Ephesians 2:1-10, Titus 3:3-7). The Church will love, disciple, exhort and patiently assist men and women repenting of sin and fighting sexual temptations of all kinds (1 Corinthians 10:13, Hebrews 2:17-18; Hebrews 4:14-16), and its firm conviction on Scripture’s clear teaching on marriage and sexuality will not serve as grounds for bigotry, harassment, or fearful or hateful speech or action, which are forbidden by God and ineffective at producing change (Leviticus 19:17-18; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Galatians 3:1-3; Ephesians 4:31-32; Colossians 4:5-6; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; James 1:19-21, 26; 1 Peter 2:1).
Church Governance
Elders
The Bible’s teaching on the subject of the office of Elder is found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:6-9 and 1 Peter 5:1-3. These Scriptures show that Elders serve by leading and that their responsibilities involve the spiritual oversight of the congregation.
The Scriptures teach that a plurality of Elders governed individual New Testament churches, in Acts 14:23, 20:28, Titus 1:5 and Philippians 1:1. There is no mention of any congregation that features a stand-alone pastor or leader. A plurality of godly Elders, exercising their individual giftedness, is what most closely aligns with the Scripture’s teaching, and that wisdom is found in a multitude of godly counselors (Proverbs 11:4, 12:15, 15:22, 19:20 and 24:6). This truth does not eliminate the possibility and likelihood that one or more elders will stand out from the others, as more public in their ministry. For example, we see in 1 Timothy 5:17 “the elder who labors in preaching and teaching” or as more influential in their workings on the Elder Board.
The elders’ primary responsibilities include:
- Doctrine – Ensuring that the doctrine of the church is biblical. All doctrinal issues in the church will be settled by the Elder Board.
- Direction – Ensuring that the direction of the church is consistent with The Grove Bible Chapel’s mission statement and core values.
- Discipline – Administering, in love and humility, the process of church discipline, as outlined in Matthew 18:15-20, Galatians 6:1-4, Titus 3:10, 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15, 1 Timothy 5:17-25, 1 Corinthians 5, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 and Romans 16:17.
Deacons
The Bible teaches that Deacons lead in the church through their service (Acts 6:1-6). The qualifications for Elders and Deacons are the same, regarding an individual’s character, but they differ in aptitude. The Elders are to be able to teach, while the Deacons are proven servants. The Bible’s teaching, on the subject of Deacons and their qualifications, is found in 1 Timothy 3:8-12.
Deacons are qualified men and women (1 Tim. 3:8–13) appointed and set apart by the Elders to assist in ministering to the poor and needy in the church, maintaining the facility, and carrying out practical ministry functions. This includes, but is not limited too, oversight and direction to matters such as benevolence, meals, moving support, hospital visits, etc.
Finance Committee
The finance committee provides wisdom and “hands-on” financial accountability to the senior staff and the Elders. The Finance Committee also oversees The Grove’s adherence to the financial portions of the church’s conflict of interest policy. They provide non-vocational verification that The Grove is operating with financial transparency, through regular communication to the congregation, public meetings as needed and private conversations with members who wish to learn in more detail about The Grove’s enduring commitment to best financial practices, true transparency, and Christ-honoring integrity.
To contact the finance committee, email info@thegrovebiblechapel.org.