Grace Point’s Theology
An overview of our theological framework can be found at https://gracepointchurch.net/beliefs. Our belief statements find their source in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
Denominational Affiliation
Grace Point’s constitution states that we are a nondenominational church. We do choose to partner with various organizations and networks including the SBC at various levels, primarily for church planting nationally and globally. We consider ourselves nondenominational with baptistic theology and practices.
Discipleship Philosophy
At GPC, we aim to cultivate holistic disciples who practice the way of Jesus together. Discipleship is a transformative journey where we follow Jesus, allowing His character and Kingdom to be formed in us and extended through us to others. This journey leads to disciples who are abiding in God’s Word, loving one another, and bearing fruit. Our holistic discipleship approach is structured around a Discipleship Pathway consisting of three key spaces: Community, Equipping, and Mission.
We believe that the intersection of these three areas—Community, Equipping, and Mission—creates a holistic disciple of Jesus. In addition to these spaces, we emphasize being Spirit-led and engaging in spiritual rhythms that form us into Christlikeness. These daily practices include: Sabbath, Prayer, Fasting, Silence & Solitude, Generosity, Scripture, Worship, Service and Witness.
By integrating these rhythms into our lives, we develop Christlike qualities and live out our discipleship journey. This comprehensive approach ensures that we grow to be more like Jesus, care for each other, and actively participate in God's mission, embodying the transformative power of discipleship in every aspect of our lives.
- Community: We build one another into His image, fostering relationships that reflect Christ's love (Eph 4:12-13). Jesus invited His disciples into a close-knit community to know Him and love one another (Matt 12:49).
- Equipping: We pursue maturity in Christ by abiding in His Word and following His teachings (Eph 4:12-16). Jesus equipped His disciples to understand and live out His teachings, fostering spiritual growth.
- Mission: We partner with God to build His Kingdom, living on mission to bear fruit (Matt 24:14, 28:19). Jesus commissioned His disciples to spread the Gospel and make disciples of all nations.
We believe that the intersection of these three areas—Community, Equipping, and Mission—creates a holistic disciple of Jesus. In addition to these spaces, we emphasize being Spirit-led and engaging in spiritual rhythms that form us into Christlikeness. These daily practices include: Sabbath, Prayer, Fasting, Silence & Solitude, Generosity, Scripture, Worship, Service and Witness.
By integrating these rhythms into our lives, we develop Christlike qualities and live out our discipleship journey. This comprehensive approach ensures that we grow to be more like Jesus, care for each other, and actively participate in God's mission, embodying the transformative power of discipleship in every aspect of our lives.
Our Polity
A Team of Elders:
We believe the New Testament, through the apostles and prophets (Eph 2:20), established a basic church order consisting of two primary offices: elders and deacons. While we see the words, “elder”, “overseer”, “shepherd/pastor-teacher” and “bishop” utilized in scripture, we believe they were used interchangeably to describe one office in the church. “Presbyteros” was the word for “elder”, and episkopos was the word for “overseer”, we see this in Acts 20:17, 28-29; Eph 4:11; 1 Pet 5:1-5; Titus 1:5, 7. We also see a plurality of elders in the church of Ephesus. The word “bishop” is just a transliteration of the word episkopos or overseer. While some translations use the word “pastor” in Eph 4:11 the specific role being addressed is that of shepherding the church, hence many translations use the word “shepherds” in that passage (shepherding is simply the verb form of the Greek word “poimen” which is a noun for the word pastor. Therefore, what we see in Scripture is elders who are overseers, teachers and shepherds.
A little over two years ago, Grace Point transitioned to an elder led model. At Grace Point, the Elders are ultimately responsible to shepherd the flock that is amongst them (1 Pet 5:2) under the guidance of Jesus Christ, leading them through the work of the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures. Elders at GPC are responsible to govern the church according to the Biblical principles, through guiding and assisting the members of the church and guarding them against false teaching (Acts 20:28 ff.; I Peter 5:1-3). They lead the church through their godly example (I Peter 5:3), teach and exhort (I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9), refute those who contradict truth (Acts 20:29-31; Titus 1:9), and pray for the sick when summoned (James 5:14). As the highest governing body in the church, they shall be responsible for the overall management of the church (I Timothy 3:5; 5:7). The qualifications and responsibilities of an elder are defined in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9 and 1 Tim 5:17, Jude 20, James 5:13-15, 1 Peter 5:2.
The New Testament describes the activities of elders in five categories: overseeing, shepherding, teaching, praying and leading. These functions naturally overlap (and should not be seen as independent, unrelated responsibilities). The church's Biblical mission and vision, the church's health, and vitality, and the church's activities and plans are all equally under the governing care of the Elders. While this leadership body cannot personally meet all practical, spiritual needs of the church, these elders must see that all of the needs are met (through raising up co-laborers, Deacons and fellow ministers).
At Grace Point, we have a team of Elders that is made up of several lay church members along with three paid staff members. The Lead Teaching Pastor along with the Executive Pastor are default elder team members along with one additional, selected staff member.
A Team of Ministry Leaders:
We believe that the role of an elder is a distinct office as described and defined in scripture. However, we also recognize the value of having spiritual and ministry leaders who perform many of the pastoral functions of elders. These leaders shepherd segments of the church body, oversee specific areas of ministry, care for members, teach, and equip others. By fulfilling these roles, our ministry team leaders, under the spiritual authority of the Elders, serve our church community.
A Team of Deacons:
Currently, we do not have an active team of deacons. The elder team has been working together to define the role of deacons and the practical installation process of a healthy deacon team.
While we do not yet have a deacon team, we do believe the role of a deacon is another distinct office described and defined by the New Testament. Deacons are leading servants, exemplary in their walk with Jesus and leading the way in Christ-like service to the church. From Acts 2 until Acts 6, the church in Jerusalem continued to grow exponentially. It is approximated that by chapter 6, the church had grown to 20,000 people as a part of the church in Jerusalem. It only makes sense that a growth in the number of people equals a growth in ministry opportunities and challenges. Many New Testament scholars point to Acts 6 as the first informal Deacon ministry. The Elders or spiritual leaders needed to continue their focus on the health and direction of the church , while the "Deacons" focused on meeting practical needs within the church. Doing so restored the unity and enabled the church to continue its greater kingdom impact (Acts 6:7).
Grace Point views our Deacon ministry as prayerfully selected leading servants made up of Grace Point members, caring for the real-time practical needs of Grace Point members. Pastor/Elders are proactive in ministry. Deacons, as modeled in Acts 6, are responsive in nature. As a need presents itself, Deacons rally and respond, pulling together the resources of the greater body to meet practical needs in a timely manner. As the needs of our members require a growing, structured deacon team, we as a church body will work together with the elder team to identify biblically qualified members to serve. The biblical qualifications, especially those listed in 1 Timothy 3, guide our discernment process for selecting our deacon team, emphasizing the current known reputation of a candidate.
The biblical role of deacons is to take care of the physical and logistical needs of the church so that the elders can concentrate on their primary calling of teaching and shepherding.
This distinction is based on the pattern found in Acts 6:1–6. Deacons serve the congregation in whatever practical needs may arise. The role of the deacon is mainly to be a servant.
We believe the New Testament, through the apostles and prophets (Eph 2:20), established a basic church order consisting of two primary offices: elders and deacons. While we see the words, “elder”, “overseer”, “shepherd/pastor-teacher” and “bishop” utilized in scripture, we believe they were used interchangeably to describe one office in the church. “Presbyteros” was the word for “elder”, and episkopos was the word for “overseer”, we see this in Acts 20:17, 28-29; Eph 4:11; 1 Pet 5:1-5; Titus 1:5, 7. We also see a plurality of elders in the church of Ephesus. The word “bishop” is just a transliteration of the word episkopos or overseer. While some translations use the word “pastor” in Eph 4:11 the specific role being addressed is that of shepherding the church, hence many translations use the word “shepherds” in that passage (shepherding is simply the verb form of the Greek word “poimen” which is a noun for the word pastor. Therefore, what we see in Scripture is elders who are overseers, teachers and shepherds.
A little over two years ago, Grace Point transitioned to an elder led model. At Grace Point, the Elders are ultimately responsible to shepherd the flock that is amongst them (1 Pet 5:2) under the guidance of Jesus Christ, leading them through the work of the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures. Elders at GPC are responsible to govern the church according to the Biblical principles, through guiding and assisting the members of the church and guarding them against false teaching (Acts 20:28 ff.; I Peter 5:1-3). They lead the church through their godly example (I Peter 5:3), teach and exhort (I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9), refute those who contradict truth (Acts 20:29-31; Titus 1:9), and pray for the sick when summoned (James 5:14). As the highest governing body in the church, they shall be responsible for the overall management of the church (I Timothy 3:5; 5:7). The qualifications and responsibilities of an elder are defined in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9 and 1 Tim 5:17, Jude 20, James 5:13-15, 1 Peter 5:2.
The New Testament describes the activities of elders in five categories: overseeing, shepherding, teaching, praying and leading. These functions naturally overlap (and should not be seen as independent, unrelated responsibilities). The church's Biblical mission and vision, the church's health, and vitality, and the church's activities and plans are all equally under the governing care of the Elders. While this leadership body cannot personally meet all practical, spiritual needs of the church, these elders must see that all of the needs are met (through raising up co-laborers, Deacons and fellow ministers).
At Grace Point, we have a team of Elders that is made up of several lay church members along with three paid staff members. The Lead Teaching Pastor along with the Executive Pastor are default elder team members along with one additional, selected staff member.
A Team of Ministry Leaders:
We believe that the role of an elder is a distinct office as described and defined in scripture. However, we also recognize the value of having spiritual and ministry leaders who perform many of the pastoral functions of elders. These leaders shepherd segments of the church body, oversee specific areas of ministry, care for members, teach, and equip others. By fulfilling these roles, our ministry team leaders, under the spiritual authority of the Elders, serve our church community.
A Team of Deacons:
Currently, we do not have an active team of deacons. The elder team has been working together to define the role of deacons and the practical installation process of a healthy deacon team.
While we do not yet have a deacon team, we do believe the role of a deacon is another distinct office described and defined by the New Testament. Deacons are leading servants, exemplary in their walk with Jesus and leading the way in Christ-like service to the church. From Acts 2 until Acts 6, the church in Jerusalem continued to grow exponentially. It is approximated that by chapter 6, the church had grown to 20,000 people as a part of the church in Jerusalem. It only makes sense that a growth in the number of people equals a growth in ministry opportunities and challenges. Many New Testament scholars point to Acts 6 as the first informal Deacon ministry. The Elders or spiritual leaders needed to continue their focus on the health and direction of the church , while the "Deacons" focused on meeting practical needs within the church. Doing so restored the unity and enabled the church to continue its greater kingdom impact (Acts 6:7).
Grace Point views our Deacon ministry as prayerfully selected leading servants made up of Grace Point members, caring for the real-time practical needs of Grace Point members. Pastor/Elders are proactive in ministry. Deacons, as modeled in Acts 6, are responsive in nature. As a need presents itself, Deacons rally and respond, pulling together the resources of the greater body to meet practical needs in a timely manner. As the needs of our members require a growing, structured deacon team, we as a church body will work together with the elder team to identify biblically qualified members to serve. The biblical qualifications, especially those listed in 1 Timothy 3, guide our discernment process for selecting our deacon team, emphasizing the current known reputation of a candidate.
The biblical role of deacons is to take care of the physical and logistical needs of the church so that the elders can concentrate on their primary calling of teaching and shepherding.
This distinction is based on the pattern found in Acts 6:1–6. Deacons serve the congregation in whatever practical needs may arise. The role of the deacon is mainly to be a servant.
Women in Ministry
We believe the biblical evidence indicates that God not only allows women to use their spiritual gifts without restriction in the local church but actively calls them to do so. While we hold to the belief that the office of elder is to be reserved for men, we believe that, under the elders' leadership and with their blessing, all members of the church body, including women, can function in any other role according to their giftedness. We interpret the texts traditionally used to restrict women from teaching and leadership as addressing specific cultural issues of the first century, and not completely prescriptive for the church today. Since God has given women all the spiritual gifts that benefit the church, and since these gifts are essential for the health and effectiveness of the church, we not only desire but need women to be active in ministry. It is time for the entire people of God at GPC to use their full spiritual arsenal for the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom.
We acknowledge the complexities and challenges in studying the role of women in the New Testament church. It is a subject with significant scholarship and godliness on both sides of the debate. Therefore, we approach it with humility and openness to continued learning. Our commitment is to never conclude our study of God’s word on this matter as if we have definitively determined God's mind for all times and peoples. Instead, we will continue to study Scripture and seek the guidance of His Spirit in this and all other matters, praying for the courage and integrity to implement whatever He reveals to us. To learn more about our view on women in leadership, please CLICK HERE.
We acknowledge the complexities and challenges in studying the role of women in the New Testament church. It is a subject with significant scholarship and godliness on both sides of the debate. Therefore, we approach it with humility and openness to continued learning. Our commitment is to never conclude our study of God’s word on this matter as if we have definitively determined God's mind for all times and peoples. Instead, we will continue to study Scripture and seek the guidance of His Spirit in this and all other matters, praying for the courage and integrity to implement whatever He reveals to us. To learn more about our view on women in leadership, please CLICK HERE.
Join us on the journey
Grace Point Church stands at a pivotal moment, guided by the Holy Spirit, and ready to embark on a new season with faith and determination. Our vision is clear: to be a church of disciples who are making disciples from NWA to the Nations. We invite you to join us on this exciting journey, inspired and united in our mission to transform lives through the power of the Gospel.