1) Grace Church: A History of Mission and Ministry

Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Psalm 96:3

The story of Grace Church begins in 1999. Our founding pastor and his wife were considering several church planting opportunities around the country. They had recently received approval at the PCA Church Planting Assessment Center and were seeking God's call to a location that matched their passion and gifts. Silicon Valley was presented as a region with very few churches and a majority of people who did not follow Jesus. As a globally connected region of innovation and influence, Silicon Valley clearly rose as God's primary calling.

The hope was to create a network of connected churches that resourced Christians throughout the area for ministry, discipleship and worship. We hoped to become a collection of affiliated churches where secularized skeptics and devoted followers could meet Jesus together. The need for new churches in the South Bay is staggering; some estimate that several hundred new churches need to begin within the next decade.

Grace Presbyterian Church began worship in April 2001 with a small committed core of people who shared that vision for a network of new churches. As the church grew from one site to the next, more people entered into the community. The first group of elected lay elders recommitted to the mission in 2005, and set a five year goal of planting a second church within five years (by 2010). That dream was a way to acknowledge the Great Commission call to our church community.

Mark 16:15, Jesus's call to preach the gospel in all the world, is not a nice addition or a mere suggestion. It's part of the gospel itself. God's grace is offered to undeserving and needy people, who receive it simply by grace through faith. Growth as a follower of Jesus includes reaching out in service and love to others. It's impossible to claim a deeper understanding of grace if that gift is kept to yourself.

The Kingdom of God is an active, alive Kingdom. The Kingdom is already everywhere in the universe, of course. But that Kingdom is resisted by many, to the continuing harm of those who miss the gospel. The deliberate re-instituted rule and reign of Jesus brings comprehensive restoration to the fallen world.

The Kingdom belongs in every corner of the world, to every person in the world. The true Church, God's gathered followers, is a core part of that bigger Kingdom. The history of the Church is a history of God's Kingdom working through his followers to expand the glory of Christ throughout the world. From Jerusalem, to the Roman empire, to every nation, the gospel has moved from one generation to the next.

Each place and time causes the church to rethink why and how it lives out the gospel. Many ways exist to fulfill God's missional call, for example: personal relational evangelism, global missions, mercy ministries, inviting and including people into a church community, church planting, bi-vocational ministry. Each of these ways are useful means of God's kingdom expansion.

Next, we'll explore what God can do through our church.

As always, we welcome your response, questions and feedback. Discuss below, or contact any pastor or elder directly.