Worship is central to all that we do. As creatures made in the image of God, we were created to worship. For Christians, all of life is worship. We strive to glorify God in all that we do. Unfortunately, we tend to misdirect our worship. We tend to stray toward living for our own glory or the glory of other things. Because this is true, we need intentional times of worship in our lives that help to reorient our hearts and lives toward God. We gather for worship every Sunday to have our hearts reoriented toward the one true God, that we might go forth and live all of our lives in worship, doing all things for God’s glory and in service to Him.
Our worship is for the glory of God. It is not about our desires. It is not about being entertained. We gather that God might be glorified and that our lives might be reoriented toward seeking His glory. Because this is true, we seek to be guided by Scripture in all that we do in worship.
Our worship is saturated with Scripture. Scripture is the Word of God. It reveals His glory to us as well as His grace. We need it in our lives. Because this is true, we hear from various portions of Scripture throughout our service and even sing the words of Scripture back to God in the hymns and psalms we sing.
Our worship is structured by the gospel. The gospel is the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ alone. It is the theme of all of Scripture and is the core of our message. It is the most important thing that all of us need to hear, not only to be introduced to Jesus, but also as we continue in relationship with him. Because this is true, our worship services are structured by the gospel. We begin with a call to worship from the Bible because we believe that God always initiates the conversation with sinners in His grace. We respond with adoration through song, prayer, and confessing our faith. Then we hear His Word again, calling us this time to confess our sins. We are reminded that we are all sinners in need of His grace, and respond by confessing our sin. We hear Him speak words of grace to us from His Word, and respond offering praise through song and giving. Then we hear a sermon grounded in Scripture, proclaiming the gospel and how it applies to our lives. Finally, we are welcomed to the Lord’s table to receive grace in the Lord’s Supper, which display for us once again the salvation we have by God’s grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our worship is both joyful and reverent. Worship is joyful because we are celebrating the wonder of who God is and the magnitude of His grace to us in Jesus Christ. It is reverent because the glory and majesty of God are a weighty matter. We recognize that as we worship, we come before the King of the universe, the Creator of all things. We dare not do so lightly. And yet, we rejoice because He welcomes us into His presence as beloved children.
Our worship can be described as traditional and liturgical. This means that we follow a similar pattern every Sunday, as outlined above. Those gathered are not spectators in worship, but participants. We value congregational singing and do our best to encourage all to participate. We have responsive readings of Scripture and prayers that all read together. Our music consists of mostly hymns, both ancient and modern, as well as occasionally singing from the Psalms of Scripture.
We believe that being involved in a local church and gathering with the people of God for worship is an essential element of the Christian life. Corporate worship trains us to live for God’s glory in the rest of our lives. We invite you to join us this Sunday as we worship the Lord together. Click here for directions, and here for more on what to expect when you come.
At Grace & Peace, our purpose is to see lives transformed by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. This means that we not only want to introduce you to God’s grace in Jesus, but also help you grow in that grace so that you see real change in your life.
We desire to be constantly growing in our understanding of God’s truth from the Bible and how it applies to our lives, His grace to us in Jesus and how it changes our lives, and His never-failing love for us and how we can share it with others.
We want to help you go deeper in your knowledge of God and His Word, and how it applies to your life. We also want to help you go deeper in relationships with other people, loving as Christ has loved us, bearing one another’s burdens and rejoicing in one another’s joyous moments. Here are some ways to do experience this at Grace & Peace:
Corporate Worship: We believe that we grow in God’s grace as we worship together. Check out our Worship page for more details.
Sunday School: Sundays from 9:45-10:30, we have a class for elementary students in the cafeteria and a class for older students and adults in the music room to the left of the stage.
Women’s Bible Study: Wednesdays at 7:00pm at 137 Hilltop Dr. in Anna our women gather to study Scripture and pray together. This fall the study is covering 2 Corinthians.
Monthly Fellowship and Prayer Dinner: On the first Sunday of each month, we gather at the fellowship hall at First Christian Church at 5:30pm for a potluck dinner and time of prayer for our church, our community, and the world.
Service: We believe that we grow in grace as we give ourselves in service to others in response to God’s mercy and grace to us in Jesus Christ. Check out our Serve page for me information.
Knowing God’s amazing grace to us in Jesus Christ, we respond in gratitude by giving ourselves in service to those around in His name. We strive to serve one another within the church, our neighbors and the community around us, as well as the world. Here are some opportunities to serve at Grace & Peace:
Within the Body
Childcare in the nursery: Caring for our children is one of the most important ways that we can serve one another. It is also a great opportunity to get to know the children in the church and be blessed by spending time with them. This service opportunity is only open to church members and requires a background check and safety training.
Set up and clean up: Because we meet in a school, there is much work to be done getting ready on Sunday mornings and cleaning up after the service.
Greeter Team: We strive to be a welcoming church. One of the ways we do this is by having greeters at the door to welcome everyone with a smile and direct them toward our childcare or toward the worship area.
In the Community
Melissa Community Outreach Food Pantry: On the first Sunday of each month, we collect oatmeal for MCO. Oatmeal is one of the staples in the food boxes that they distribute, so there is a constant need for it. There is also always an opportunity to serve by volunteering to work at the food pantry.
TXDOT Adopt a Highway: We have a portion of Highway 5 in Anna that we have adopted. Once per quarter, we walk the highway and pick up trash in an effort to help keep Anna clean and beautiful.
Mercy Ministry: We have a deacons’ fund that is used to help those in need. Our first priority is toward those within the church, but we often get requests for help from people in the community. We do our best to help when we can.
The World
Sheds of Hope: This is a ministry of our denomination that provides sheds to disaster victims to give them a place to store their belongings while they rebuild or renovate their homes. We partner with this ministry to fund and help build sheds.