Grace is God’s underserved gift to us: we cannot earn it. We have faith simply because God chooses to give it to us. In addition, only Christianity believes in faith by grace. Every other world religion has, as part of its beliefs, the need to EARN your way into God’s favor. We believe it is a gift. So grace is one of those things that makes us (followers of Jesus) distinctive and unique from ever
y other religion. Not better, just unique. The second is 242. This refers to a passage in the Bible: Acts 2:42. This passage describes what the first followers of Jesus did. (they weren’t even called Christians at this point, nor was there anything called the church) “They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching (the Bible), to fellowship, to sharing meals and the breaking of the bread, and to prayer.” In the Fall of 2012, a group of followers of Jesus gathered and did what the first followers of Jesus did in Acts 2:42. We also believe that as the group in Acts 2:42 grew into a Church that would take the Gospel to the world, so will we. This is why we call ourselves "Grace242.”
These are our Core Values:
Biblical. The Bible is trustworthy and authoritative in our individual lives and the life of our church. It is the heart of what we preach and teach, how we relate to one another, how we structure our church, and how we see the world around us. It is God’s Word. (Psalm 119:160; 1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Missional. We exist primarily to take the Gospel to the world, in message and ministry. We care; we serve; we sacrifice to help the poor, the lost, the downcast, the forgotten. Simply put, we are third, because God is first and others are second. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 20:24; 1 Corinthians 9:21-23; 2 Corinthians 5:19-20; Philippians 1:21-22)
Relational. We will love each other with the love that comes from God. We share our lives; serve, encourage and support one another; and commit to being the Body of Christ, each one belonging to the other. (Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:5; 1 Hebrews 10:25; Peter 1:22; 4:8-9)