Beliefs & Affiliations

We believe that there is a God who speaks.

With countless Christians before us, we affirm that God has spoken across history and communicated directly with humankind. Those revelations have been recorded in the literature we call the Bible.

Some assume that church is a place to go once your questions are answered, your doubts are resolved, and your life is put together. At Grace, however, we encourage people to wrestle honestly with Jesus’ claims of bringing good news. For a brief summary of Christian hope and a few resources, read more here.

We adhere to ancient documents, such as the Nicene and Apostle’s creeds, which faithfully summarize the Bible’s essential teachings. With our denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), we affirm the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms as our doctrinal standard. The PCA provides accountability, support, and missional partnership at regional, national, and international levels.

Furthermore, we believe: 

·      God is real, personal, and beyond us—but knowable because he is not silent. God sustains us, moment-by-moment, and is active in this world. Our lives are not random or senseless but have meaning and purpose.

·      Humanity resembles God so that every person possesses dignity and worth, reflecting something of his goodness.

·      This world is not right. While our families, societies, and even the physical environment may warp or damage us, the problem ultimately lies within: the human soul has been corrupted by placing itself at the center of reality rather than God. This pollution, called sin, leaks out and taints everything else. The Christian faith makes sense of our loneliness, pain, disillusionment, and inability to make things right.

·      God’s plan to set things right culminates in Jesus. In Jesus, God took on our human nature and lived the life of goodness and love for which we were destined but incapable of realizing. Jesus died a violent, cursed death, taking our sin on his shoulders. But he rose alive and triumphant over our corruption. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we can be made right with God and can be certain that evil will be vanquished. There is hope for us and for this world.

·      Being a Christian involves ethical change and moral renewal, but these arise only from the transforming power of the gospel. The gospel, or good news, tells us that we are worse than we ever realized but more loved than we ever hoped. The life of the Christian is both exciting and daunting as God changes us by his Spirit and uses us as agents of his renewal in this world.

·      The church is essential to life and growth for Christians. Jesus calls his followers friends and creates a new relational world that softens our sense of isolation and uniquely shows us who he is. While the church, itself, does not save, it is the community of the Savior.

·      Part of Grace’s unique calling is to love and serve the city of Worcester alongside other churches, ministries, and institutions. While God’s love stretches to all nations, we have a particular responsibility to our neighbors and, therefore, focus on the city and greater Worcester area.