Our Values
Every person is valuable to God. There is no hierarchy in the Community of Faith. We are all valuable to God in many different ways. Some roles are more viewable than others, but each role is equal in its necessity.
We openly embrace anyone who desires to be a part of our church family. We do not attempt to change people, we do not relentlessly hammer congregants with rules and regulations, we do not require a person to commit any obligations whatsoever in order to be accepted. We firmly believe, as we open our hearts to God and sincerely ask Him to change us in any way He sees fit for His glory, that each person will respond to that call. Our prayer and desire is that each person then obediently make the adjustments that God asks of us.
We do not, in any way, require any person to support financially. In fact, there are no offerings taken at Turlock Grace. Ever. For any reason. We simply provide containers on the back wall of the Sanctuary, and every person is able to give as they believe they should. Yes, we believe in the Biblical principles of tithing. We stand by the God-given promises that are written in the Bible, to those who put God first in their finances, that He will truly "Open up the windows of heaven and pour out blessings that are unexpected and unprepared for." And we encourage every person to participate in this process. However, it is never a test of faith, membership, good-standing or fellowship.
At Turlock Grace, we have no membership. There are no church votes. There are no politics. There are no rules and regulations. We use the Bible as our guide and add nothing to it. We recognize and encourage the autonomy of each person to pursue a right relationship with God, and we trust each individual to make the correct decisions for their lives.
However, when direction, counsel, teaching and advice is needed, we enthusiastically provide Biblically-based counsel.
At Turlock Grace, we are passionate about creating a "Come As You Are" culture, while at the same time, determined that none of us should "stay the way we are."
