Distinctives

Several core distinctives define Grace Covenant:

Glory of God Focused 

The glory of God is everything! The centerpiece of the universe for time and eternity is for God to be seen and praised for His matchless perfections!  Every individual Christian and every local church family must have a continual, intentional, and passionate focus on the glory of God! (1 Corinthians 10:31, Ephesians 3:21)

Christ-Centered 

God is most glorified through the Person and work of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. By His unrivaled character and work (merit), He has redeemed for Himself a people (the Church). As His church, we strive above all things to know Him, love Him, praise Him, and serve Him. It is by, through, and for Him that we exist. It is our goal to keep Him the honored center of all that we say and do! In all things He must have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18).

Bible Saturated/Thoroughly Biblical 

It is our desire to be thoroughly biblical in the totality of our lives. Our purpose, our methods, and our goals must be from sound, biblical teaching. Biblical goals are not attainable where man-centeredness reigns. Our theology must dictate our methodology.

Expository Bible Preaching

The hub of the wheel of God's church is the preaching of the word of God in the power of the Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-4:2). The preacher must strive to be thoroughly biblical. The biblical text should be preached exegetically in its historical and grammatical context, giving application for today's world. The pulpit is indispensable to the church's growth in knowledge, holiness, and love. It cannot and should not be replaced or diminished.

Biblically-Driven Musical Worship

The music department strives to lead the church family to glorify God and to edify one another through singing and musical instruments, ministering with spiritual passion and doctrinal integrity, while maintaining high standards of musical excellence.  Musical worship is to reinforce the faith through song and to express congregational praise and worship to Christ, our Audience. We desire biblically-rich, doctrinally-sound lyrics, accompanied by music that expresses reverence and joy.

Biblical Conversion and Assurance 

Salvation requires hearing the Gospel accompanied by the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8, Ephesians 2:5). This supernatural work, called regeneration, produces repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:20-21). The truly saved person perseveres in faithfulness (Philippians 1:6, Matthew 7:16-20). This perseverance is the basis of assurance. The man who walks in a continual state of unrepentant carnality with no divine discipline can have no assurance of sonship (Hebrews 12:8), no matter how adamantly he professes his allegiance to Christ.

Biblical Evangelism 

It is the duty of every believer to evangelize the lost. We are committed to preach the Gospel to every creature and to implore ALL men to repent and believe. We believe that whoever believes in Christ will be saved. At the same time, we recognize that neither repentance nor faith can be produced by manipulating the emotion or coercing the will. They are the result of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.

Personalized World Missions

The Great Commission is a great command. Personal involvement in world missions is not a suggestion or an option, but it is demanded of every true believer. The entire local church family should be personally and strategically involved in world missions, mobilizing laborers, prayer, and finances to the end of glorifying God among all peoples. Our dedication must be costly and enduring.

Congregational Government

A New Testament church is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers. Church government or leadership is congregational in context. Therefore, the final word in matters pertaining to the congregation must come from the congregation itself. The congregation must be committed to the Lordship of Christ under the full authority of Scripture (Matthew 18:15-17, Acts 6:2-5, 1 Corinthians 5:4-5, 2 Corinthians 2:6, 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Elder Led

The church has a body of elders/pastors who teach and shepherd the flock. In accordance with Hebrews 13:17, they keep watch over the congregation as men who must give an account to God. According to the same text, the congregation is to obey them and submit to their authority so that their work will be a joy and not a burden. The elders must meet the qualifications set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 & Titus 1:5-9, and they exercise authority over the church only to the degree that they teach and lead according to the Scriptures.

Deacon Service

According to the teachings of Jesus, the life of every Christian is to be marked by service (Mark 9:35). However, the New Testament also speaks of the specific office of deacon. The word deacon (Greek: diakonos) denotes a helper or servant who serves (Greek: diakoneo). Before one may be appointed as a deacon, he must be tested for the qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. The tasks of a deacon are primarily that of meeting the physical and material needs of individual believers and the congregation as a whole. If the deacon serves faithfully, he obtains for himself a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 3:13).

The Local Congregation

We believe that meaningful and enduring fellowship in a local congregation is absolutely essential to the Christian's life and ministry. Media ministries can never take the place of the local church and its ministers. We are committed not only to congregate, but to do so for the purpose of encouraging one another and stimulating one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Every Member Ministry

Every Christian in the local congregation without exception has been given spiritual gifts, which they are commanded to employ for the edification of the entire congregation. The administration of such gifts by every member is necessary for the proper growth and ministry of the church.

Small Group Ministry

One of the greatest outlets for every member ministry is our Small Group ministry. Such fellowships are employed to evangelize the lost, equip the saved, and minister to the individual needs in the body. Christianity is not a spectator sport.

Discipleship

The primary means employed to disciple believers are expository preaching, Small Group interaction, accountability, and personal one-on-one discipleship.

Compassionate Church Discipline

We believe that if we truly seek to honor God, and if we truly care for the well-being of His people, we will obey Christ's commands to practice church discipline. When practiced biblically and compassionately, it is a powerful tool to restore the fallen and to preserve Christ's honor in the church and the unbelieving world. (Matthew 18:15-20)

Parent-Driven Children's Ministry

Parents are primarily responsible for the discipleship and discipline of their children. The church should give itself to teaching the biblical principles of parenthood and to holding parents accountable to carry them out in the context of families. While we have an active ministry for children, it should be viewed as an extension of the parents' roles, and it is never to replace them.

Parent-Driven Youth Ministry

Ministry to youth is not designed around the presumed unique needs or desires of young people, but it is centered on God's will for young people as revealed in His Word. Youth ministry must be parent-driven. Our goal is to strengthen parents in their God-called responsibility to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Ministry to our youth is not centered on music, drama, comedy, or other entertainments but on the faithful preaching of God's Word, Small Groups for application of Scripture, meeting personal needs, and one-on-one discipleship and accountability. While other activities may be allowed, they must never take the place of or de-emphasize the preaching of the Word or the leadership of fathers in discipling their children.

Biblical Courtship

We believe that dating as it is practiced in our contemporary has often led to untold misery among the people of God. Although the Scriptures do not specifically address courtship in every aspect, it does give us countless sound principles by which our young men and women may guide their relationships with the opposite sex and discover God's will for marriage.

Financial Stewardship

Christians are children of grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), and that grace should be expressed in their financial stewardship. Joyous giving reflects the God of grace who has saved us. God's primary means of financially supporting His work on earth is through the giving of offerings to the local church.

Source: Grace Life Church of Muscle Shoals