Because we regularly have new people join our church, there may be many things that people don't know or wonder about. As a way of helping people be informed about what is happening or how things work around Grace, we will regularly post questions and answers for your benefit.

QUESTION: WHAT IS GRACE INSTITUTE AND HOW IS IT RELATED TO GRACE COMMUNITY?

ANSWER:  Grace Institute is a teaching arm of Grace Community. I was started in 2006 when the General Office in Indianapolis asked Roger and Michelle to provide some training for pastors and lay people in evangelism. In the mean time, workshops have been developed to meet a variety of needs of churches. When programs are offered at Grace, our members get a huge discount and leaders are trained. Volunteers from Grace also help with programs. With the addition of Diane Thomas to the teaching staff, program will now be offered for local neighbors in marriage enrichment, parenting, etc. For more information about the programs offered, go to: http://grace-institute.com 

QUESTION: HOW IS OUR LEADERSHIP STRUCTURED?
ANSWER: We have three leadership groups. The Board (which meets monthly) takes care of all business items. The MLT (Ministry Leadership Team) is constructed of the chairs of each of our program teams. They meet monthly to plan, review and execute the ministries of our church. The Elders (who meet monthly) are the spiritual leaders of the congregation in concert with the pastoral leadership.

QUESTION: DO WE HAVE STRUCTURED BIBLE STUDY?
ANSWER: We have different levels of structure. We have a number of Community Groups that meet throughout the week, most of whom follow some sort of Bible study. There is a 9:00 am Adult Sunday School class that meets in Michelle's office each Sunday (welcomes anyone). A new mid-week teaching (called "Insight")by the pastors will begin Feb. 24. It will be on Wednesdays and will be on the book of Romans.

QUESTION: WHAT DO ELDERS DO?
ANSWER: You will find that elders do different things, depending upon the church and denomination. The biblical picture of the elder is not someone who does a lot of tasks but is primarily a "teacher." They also provide pastoral care and encouragement. This requires that they be engaged in ongoing Bible study and prayer to be able to provide spiritual direction in the various arenas they find themselves. They often serve behind the communion table but that is not restricted to elders. They also assist as prayer partners after the worship services.

QUESTION: WHY DO WE OFFER TWO DIFFERENT WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE COMMUNION AT THE TABLE?
ANSWER: We offer people the option of taking a piece of bread and dipping it in the cup (intinction) or they can take a wafer and an individual cup and either partake at the table or return to their seat. For those concerned about virus contact, the latter option reduces that concern. For people who come from a variety of backgrounds (as our people do) this gives them an option to take communion in the most meaningful way possible.

QUESTION: IS THERE A REASON WE HAVE TWO SERVICES INSTEAD OF ONE?
ANSWER: Yes. We average 20-40 more people by having two services instead of one.

QUESTION: DOES OUR CHURCH ALLOW WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP ROLES?
ANSWER: Yes. In fact we have a female Pastor of Growth Ministries and Worship Development and female elders as well as teachers. This isn't done to be politically correct. We believe it is biblical. We do not want to lost the spiritual gifts of 505 of the population. For more on the biblical basis for our practice, pick up a copy of "The Role of Women in the Church" brochure in our church lobby.

QUESTION: WHERE DO THE IDEAS COME FROM FOR OUR SERMON SERIES?
ANSWER: We work with the Children and Youth Department to find out what the scriptures are that the children and youth will be studying on Sunday mornings. These are often based on the Lectionary, a designed set of Bible readings throughout the year). Then we look to see where those scriptures are going and the theme is developed. The reason for this is simple. We strive for a clear message for the morning. We want families to be able to ride home together and share their thoughts about what they learned that morning. We also know that it is very easy to expose people to too many messages in a worship service. So by coordinating with the children's program, we reduce the number of ideas they have to take in.

QUESTION: WHY DO WE HAVE TWO IDENTICAL SERVICES INSTEAD OF ONE TRADITIONAL AND ONE CONTEMPORARY, LIKE SOME CHURCHES?
ANSWER: Resources. Currently our musicians rehearse 2-3 hours each week to prepare the music for a Sunday. To do two different kinds of worship services would likely double the amount of music they would need to get ready. And this doesn't count the additional slides that would need to be developed and adapting on the part of our volunteer sound crews. A study was done of churches that mounted two different styles of worship over time. Many of them folded one or the other because of burning people out. Churches that have larger staffs and multiple musicians to draw from are better able to sustain two different styles.

Watch for more Q & A in the future.