We exist to glorify God by following Christ and reaching others.

Therefore, we must give the most earnest heed to the things we

have heard, lest we drift away. (Hebrews 2:1, NKJV)

Why Grace Harbor Jamaica - (A new Church plant)

Grace Harbor exists to bring glory to God through worship, discipleship, and evangelism.

The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to mankind and offers us the story of creation, the fall of man, and the plan of redemption to save His people.

Being a Christian is not an individualistic or an isolationist activity. A believer is one who has come to Christ and at the same time draws nearer to other believers and belongs to a context (family) called the Church, which is the universal body of the redeemed. Each believer also belongs to a local Church.

Belonging to the Church is the privilege and responsibility of being a Christian and is not optional.

You may well be aware of the many churches in Jamaica, churches of all kinds of denominations, theological distinctives, worship styles, and approaches to ministry which begs the question of why a new church plant?    What does Grace Harbor offer?  What is our vision or approach?

               As our name implies, we are a community where God’s grace is proclaimed, embraced, and expressed. 

We preach the biblical gospel, that God loved us so much that He sent His unique Son, who died on our behalf, so that we might find forgiveness of sins and a relationship with Him by trusting in Jesus as our Savior and Lord.  As we embrace by faith the message of what Jesus has done for us, and what He is willing to do, we are born from above by the Holy Spirit.  He makes us new and empowers us to live effectively as followers of Jesus Christ.

As we grow in the grace and knowledge of Him, we experience maturity.  In faith, we respond to God’s invitation to fellowship with Him and experience the new life of the Holy Spirit in increasing measure.  As we apply ourselves to learn more about Him and invest in times of worship, fellowship with other believers, Bible study, prayer, and practical service, we find our relationship with God growing and deepening.  These activities are not viewed as legalistic rules or rituals.  They are helpful methods to open our minds and hearts to the transforming grace of God.

               We are a community that believes that the Bible is the Word of God.  God has chosen to reveal Himself, His nature, His purpose, and His ways to us through many interactions with people in history.  We believe He has inspired the authors of the original writings so that they recorded what God intended them to record, without error.  We believe the Bible is the only source for what we are to believe about God, His plan for humankind, and how we live out our faith.  We are committed to learning, rightly interpreting, and clearly teaching the truth declared in the scriptures. The Church is called to hold fast the word of truth (2 Timothy 1:13) and to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints according to Jude 3 and we use confessions as public affirmation.

               We are a community that believes that God is real and personal. 

We fully expect to see God at work in our lives.  We seek to develop intimacy with Him so that we can be led by His Spirit to accomplish His purposes.  We believe that God knows our needs and will answer our prayers when we seek Him according to His will.  God will open doors of ministry when we ask Him.

               We are a community that takes seriously our mandate to preach the gospel and make disciples.  A disciple is an active follower, an apprentice, a trainee, one being prepared to be a participant in the ministry.  Jesus commands us to make disciples, teaching them to keep all that He had commanded His apostles.  As such, we seek to be a community that helps one another grow in our faith and step out to discover how to partner with the Holy Spirit in ministry. 

               We are a community that believes that every member is called and gifted to help one another grow. 

We are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ, where we become members not only of Christ but of one another. (Romans 12: 4-5).  Each one is given at least one spiritual gift, by which he or she is to help serve and build up one another in the church.  It is our job to express the leading of the Spirit in truth and love to one another to meet practical needs and assist each other in finding freedom, developing faith, and discovering our areas of service.

               We are a community that expects that our lives should look like Jesus. 

Jesus said that a disciple would come to be like his or her master.  We are to come to develop a mind like Christ’s, willing to put aside self-interest to serve others.  The goal of our instruction is to love as Christ loved.  If we say that we are following Him, or abiding in Him, then the way we live and treat others should look like how He walked.  This is a key objective for our meeting together.

               We are a community that is looking to develop maturity in our members. 

Maturity becomes evident when we take responsibility for our spiritual growth, the needs of others, and the needs of the ministry.  We expect our people to apply themselves to grow, serve, and support the work of the church.