About Grace Bible Church
At Grace we aim to be a place where people of all walks of life and differences can find rest and relationship in God. We welcome the skeptics, the broken, the hurting and anyone in need.
We recognize that we are all on a journey and have different experiences and needs. As a church we want to be a place where we can encourage one another and provide hope in the gospel and in the character of God along this journey.
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Our journey of over 30 years through Blair, Hespeler, and Preston has been marked by God’s faithful leading and grace. From the early days, Pastor Ron and Audrey Matthews began ministering to a small but faithful congregation in Blair. In 1994, Pastor Ron retired, and Pastor David and Eva joined, and together, they witnessed the Lord’s hand at work as the church grew and flourished over the years.
One Christmas Eve in 2016, a congregation member stepped outside, gazing upon the beautiful Queen’s Square and sensed God’s call to this new location. This moment sparked a season of prayer and discernment as we sought God’s will for Grace Bible Church. We began to see Galt as a place of great potential, a hub for growth and transformation, where the gospel could take deep root in the hearts of many.
After many divinely appointed meetings with Knox’s, we held our first joint service on Christmas Eve of 2018. By January 2019, we had moved into the building, leasing it as we continued to pray and trust in God's plan.
As the Lord led us to Galt, we began seeing new opportunities for ministry and gospel impact. That October, Pastor Byron, Lucinda, Pastor Tyler, and Cassandra joined our pastoral team. When Knox’s decided to dissolve, God provided us with the opportunity to purchase the building in October 2020. In 2022, Pastor Haniel and Michelle joined the GBC ministry.
Through all these steps, we have seen God’s faithfulness and provision time and again. Our new home at Queen’s Square is more than a building—it is a place where God’s story continues, where we can welcome people from all walks of life and share with them the love and grace of Jesus Christ. As Galt grows, so does our mission to see the gospel transform lives, bringing hope and light to this historic downtown community. We are humbled by God's leading and excited for the future He has in store for Grace Bible Church.
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FINDING REST AND RELATIONSHIP IN GOD THROUGH GOSPEL-CENTRED WORSHIP, DISCIPLESHIP AND COMMUNITY
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer…” [Acts 2:42]
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GOSPEL-CENTRED WORSHIP.
Have you ever asked, “Who am I and why do I exist?”
If you were to turn to the very first page of the Bible you would read the answer: “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth ...” (Genesis 1.1) The rest of the Bible explores the person and works of God and as we turn the pages, we come to see we exist to worship God as we are drawn into relationship with Him. Our greatest purpose for existence as sinful humans is to exalt God through the saving work of His Son Jesus and the applying work of the Holy Spirit.
The Triune God really is the centre of the story which unfolds who we become and why we live. To worship is to speak and live out God’s worthiness, His greatness, His goodness.We exist to worship God in His glory and majesty as He brings us into relationship with Him through His Son Jesus.
GOSPEL-CENTRED DISCIPLESHIP.
The phrase may be overused but it is true - life is a journey. After one has been made new in Jesus, given His eternal life and set free to live a new life, we journey as disciples being discipled. In other words, as followers of Jesus, we desire to grow in love, holiness, rest and joy. This happens in many ways from worship services to small groups to hospitality to casual conversations. The believers desire is to grow in Christ-likeness so we may be changed. He is a gracious God.
GOSPEL-CENTRED COMMUNITY.
Reaching out to help - we all know people who need a hand, a word, some encouragement or counsel. Jesus talks about God’s people being a light not to be hidden but to shine in the city. It is this light, the great light of worship, rest, relationship and discipleship which we seek in all our brokenness to bring to community. A broken community entering a broken community to find healing and rest in Jesus.
Doctrine & Church Practice
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We believe that the Bible is the inspired, infallible, completed Word of God.There is only one, living and true God, creator of all; holy, sovereign, eternal; perfect in all his ways; existing in three distinct, equal persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
God is sovereign over all creation, and He directs all things in accordance with His eternal, immutable purpose.
The first man was created perfect, but willfully disobeyed God and severed his communion with God, thus leaving his descendants – all humankind – at enmity with God and spiritually dead in their sin.
For no reason, other than to glorify His own Self, God in His eternal purpose chose to reconcile a multitude of people to Himself through the Person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. For this multitude, Jesus Christ took on the form of a man and became their perfect Substitute on the cross, satisfying divine justice on their behalf. His sacrifice purchased all things necessary to ensure their eternal salvation.
Although God commands men everywhere to repent, such is the power of sin that men will not of themselves obey this command. Therefore God, determined to save those for whom Christ died, calls them through the Gospel and draws them by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit; who renews their minds, hearts and wills so that they freely trust in Christ. Those brought to faith in Christ are forgiven all their sins, declared perfectly righteous in Christ (justified) and adopted as God’s children.
Saving faith is of necessity accompanied by repentance, which involves the recognition of, sorrow over, and the turning away from all known sin, with a new desire to live in obedience to Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ alone is the Head of the one true Christian Church, which is made up of those people who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. All these are presently indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and by their words and deeds show their allegiance to Christ.
There are two ordinances that have been instituted by the Lord Jesus: believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Neither of these has, in themselves, the power to save men from their sins, but are outward symbols of inward, spiritual realities.
God, in His eternal purpose, has also appointed a day of judgment: a day in which He will judge all mankind in righteousness by Jesus Christ. Every human who has ever lived will appear before Christ to give an account of his or her life and to receive either everlasting torment in hell or everlasting life in the presence of God.
For a fuller exploration of these truths, see The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith (Understanding this is a human document, there are some areas where we differ somewhat from the 1689 confession. See the church constitution , or contact us, for more details.)
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Grace Bible Church affirms believer’s baptism (credo baptism). Though baptism is not essential for salvation, it is important. Baptism affirms one’s personal profession of salvation, and welcomes a believer into the family of a local church. Here is a summary of our understanding of baptism from the Scriptures (these beliefs are also supported by The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith):
Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament instituted by Jesus Christ. It is intended to be a sign of fellowship with Christ in his death and resurrection, of being united in Christ and of the remission of sins. It also indicates that the baptized person has given himself up to God, confessing Jesus Christ as Lord, so that he/she may live and conduct themselves ‘in newness of life.’
See Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12. We believe that baptism is a matter of obedience. Jesus instructed his followers to baptize disciples. We baptize those who have become disciples. This baptism involves a public affirmation of one’s identity with Christ Jesus, wherein a person is immersed in water, in the name of the Father, and the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
See Matthew 28:19; Galatians 3:26-28. -
The Lord’s Supper was instituted by Jesus on the night of his betrayal when he was with his disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem celebrating Passover (Mark 14:12-26).
In the ordinance, the bread and the cup symbolize his body and his blood, given for the salvation of his people. It is meant to be a perpetual remembrance of his atoning death and is to be observed in his church until his return.
The Lord’s Supper is:
a proclamation of Christ’s death and is to be celebrated until his imminent return (1 Corinthians 11:26)
a confirmation that all the benefits from Christ’s sacrifice are for believers
a bond of the fellowship believers have with Christ and with one another
a means of grace to promote spiritual nourishment and growth in Christ
an opportunity for self examination (1 Corinthians 11:28)
At GBC, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper on the third Sunday of each month.
WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE
The Lord's Supper is a church ordinance in which those who participate have professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and are living for him. All are welcome to be present during this time in our service but we ask that only those who are believers participate in the ordinance.
Annual Reports
Auditor’s Reports
Note: Below are our Audit Reports, which is a statutory requirement of being incorporated as a church. The auditing firm spent a number of weeks reviewing our financial statements, accounting records, receipts and procedures. The audit serves to give the readers of the financial statements a reasonable assurance that the financial statements are accurately presented and reflect the true picture of the financial position of the church.
Policies
Community Protection Plan Policy (CPP)
CPP Health and Safety Guidelines
These policies were last updated on October 4, 2022. If there is a policy that is not mentioned here or you would like any clarification on any on these documents or our stance on something else, please contact us here.
