What Awaits You at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church is a loving, joyous congregation of God’s people dedicated to making and training disciples of Jesus Christ. Here’s what awaits you at Grace OPC.
Commitment to Scripture alone. Paul’s instruction to ministers was “preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:2). That’s what we endeavor to do at Grace OPC. We give the meat of the word—no clever stories, current events summaries, book reviews or bland moral pep talks.
Christ-centered. The Lord Jesus Christ in all his saving glory is the theme of all of Scripture. If a sermon doesn’t point men to Jesus Christ, what’s the point? “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).
Unity of the Bible. The whole Bible is the word of God. There is both an Old Testament reading and a New Testament reading at every service, and the sermon shows the relationship between the two. Ministers are to preach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), not just a few pet doctrines.
The Bible is the only infallible rule of faith and practice. But what does it teach? The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms are our secondary standards. These summarize the things “most surely believed among us” (Luke 1:1 KJV). Ministers, ruling elders and deacons “sincerely receive and adopt” the Confession and Catechisms as their statement of faith. There are no surprises. The church states its beliefs before all the world.
The gospel. The guilt and curse of sin passed upon the whole human race through Adam’s fall. No amount of human effort can save an undeserving sinner. But God sent his Son, the perfect Savior. Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Eph. 2:8). If a church ceases to preach the gospel it becomes worse than worthless—a synagogue of Satan (Rev. 3:9).
Presbyterian polity. God requires submission to a plurality of elders. The Bible says not “Obey him” but “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves” (Heb. 13:17). God never requires unconditional submission to any single individual except one—Jesus Christ! This is the knowledge that sets us free (John 8:36). Christ has no vicar on earth except his Holy Spirit (John 16:7). Jesus Christ is Lord (1 Tim. 6:15).
No man-made rules. “God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are, in anything, contrary to his Word; or beside it, if matters of faith, or worship” (Westminster Confession of Faith 20.2). The church possesses no legislative authority. The believer’s liberty of conscience under God is cherished at Grace OPC.
God-centered, biblical worship. All the elements of worship must be appointed by God himself through express command or approved example. It is wrong for the church to subject God’s people to humanly-instituted worship practices: drama, movie clips, entertainment, applauding a performer, making the sign of the cross, praying to the saints, worshipping the communion elements, etc.
The singing of the whole Psalter. The Psalter is the Bible’s song book. God’s word specifies “sing psalms unto him” (Ps. 105:2). All the Psalms are to be learned and sung, not just a few favorite selections (Col. 3:16). Grace OPC sings through the whole Psalter every 2-3 years. One musical selection each service is a consecutive selection from the Psalms. Hymns and spiritual songs are sung too (Eph. 5:19).
Biblical church government. Members have recourse to the higher courts of the church: presbytery (1 Tim. 4:14 KJV) and general assembly (Acts 15). The pastor and elders are accountable, not independent (Eph. 5:21).
Connected. Grace OPC is a church which is connected to other churches of like faith and practice. There is no pattern in the word of God for independent churches. No individual on earth has authority to start a church. Only the church has authority to start churches. Our Lord’s prayer was that his people should be one, not splintered (John 17:22). We pray for the whole church, including home missions, foreign missions and the persecuted church.
Family-centered. There is no pattern in the word of God for age-segregated worship. Rather, “all the people” participated—men, women and “all that could hear with understanding” (Neh. 8:2, 6). Families are encouraged to worship together. Children learn to worship God by imitating their parents.
Communion. The Lord’s supper is observed the second Sunday morning and the fourth Sunday evening of each month. Only baptized, professing Christians who are members in good standing of a Bible-believing church may come to the Lord’s table. God thus puts a difference between his people and the wicked (Ex. 11:8)—a difference which is manifest in this life and made permanent in eternity (Matt. 25:46).
Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church
1301 W. Wieland Road
Lansing, Michigan 48906
Stephen Pribble, pastor
Lord’s day worship 10 AM and 5 PM
