Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT CAN I EXPECT WHEN I VISIT THE GROVE?
The Grove strives to be a place where everyone is welcomed into an atmosphere of meaningful worship, sound Biblical teaching/preaching and friendly interactions. Our goal is to provide you with a meaningful worship experience. Please see the questions to below for more answers to this question.
WHAT ARE THE SUNDAY SERVICES LIKE?
One thing is for certain, NO two Sundays are the same! We believe that the worship environment should be a time to connect with God, His Word and others. You will be encouraged through multiple styles of worship, music and songs to connect with The Savior. The preaching is always Biblically sound and is derived out of much study and prayer. There are also a number of opportunities for you to connect with others through fellowship and small group times. Both services at 9:15 and 11:oo AM are designed with you in mind.
WHAT ABOUT MY KIDS?
“We believe that an exciting and vibrant children’s ministry will bring families back to the Grove as well as anything we provide.” Senior Pastor, Jeff Appling
We provide Student Ministry opportunities for students of all ages. From infants in the “Kids Ranch” to High School students on “The Hill” we take great care to insure that all students are well taught and cared for in an age appropriate ministry setting. You can find out more information about all of our Student Ministries by checking out the website or stop by the Welcome Desk on Sunday morning.
HOW SHOULD I DRESS FOR SERVICES AT THE GROVE?
We encourage you to dress in what is comfortable for you. While there are many styles of dress represented during a Sunday Service, dress code is a personal decision. We simply ask that you be reminded to honor God and His church in all you do.
IS SOMEONE GOING TO HELP ME CONNECT TO THE GROVE?
It is our goal for everyone to feel welcomed and a part of the church family. Please stop by our Welcome Desk, in the main lobby, on Sunday. You will find knowledgeable servants ready to provide you with directions, information and assistance with just about any need you have.
WILLI FIND OTHERS AT THE GROVE TO CONNECT WITH?
It is a primary goal of The Grove to connect our people with others of similar age, interests, and desires. We offer opportunities for all ages and affinities. If you are looking for a quilting group, an outdoor ministry or anything in between, The Grove may have a ministry that you are looking for. Stop by and see us at the Welcome Desk.
WHAT DOES THE GROVE BELIEVE?
In the essential beliefs of Christianity (fundamentals of the faith) – we must have UNITY
Eph. 4:4-6 “There is one body and one Spirit…there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all…” (KJV)
In non-essential beliefs of Christianity (preferences) – we have LIBERTY
Romans 14:1,4,12,22 “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters…Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls…So then each of us will give an account of himself to God, whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.”
In all our beliefs – we should always show LOVE
I Corinthians 13:2”If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the very secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move mountains – but have not love, I amount to nothing at all.”
ABOUT GOD
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
Genesis 1:1; 26;27; 3:22; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19;
John 14:1-15; I Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14; I John 5:7
ABOUT THE FATHER
He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, and all wise. He reigns with providential care over the universe and the course of human history goes according to His purpose and plan. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Him as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return someday to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of the need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian view of power of living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.
ABOUT THE BIBLE
The Bible is God’s Word to us. Human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, wrote it. It is supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because God inspired it, it is the truth without any mixture of errors.
ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS
People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin”. This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in our lives.
ABOUT SALVATION
Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sins by self-improvement and good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penance. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment someone receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
ABOUT ETERNAL SECURITIY
Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot “lose” it. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security.
ABOUT ETERNITY
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him means Heaven for eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
ABOUT THE CHURCH
Authenticity– We believe that the church should strive to be authentic and genuine in every aspect and endeavor.
Community– We believe that in order to fulfill God’s purposes, the church must operate as a unified community of servants.
Giftedness– We believe that God uniquely gifts and empowers each believer for specific places of service within each church.
Guidance– We believe that the church should strive in all its efforts to be guided by God.
Love– We believe that love, for God and people, should be the primary motivation for all our actions.
People– We believe that all people matter to God and therefore should matter to the church.
Relevancy– We believe that the church should strive to be culturally relevant without compromising the timeless message of Jesus.
ABOUT THE RAPTURE
We believe that the next great event in the fulfillment of prophecy will be the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in order to receive to Himself the dead in Christ and believers who are alive at His coming, known as the Rapture – Our Blessed Hope.
ABOUT THE DEVIL
We believe in the personality of Satan, who is the open and declared enemy of God and man.
ABOUT CREATION
We believe the Genesis account, and that what you believe about your origin will determine your philosophy of life. We believe creation was a direct act of God, literal 24 hour days, instantaneous, and miraculous. We believe man was created in the image of God and all reproduction was “after their kind”.
ABOUT BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER
We believe there are two ordinances of the local church; Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Scriptural baptism is immersion in water of believers, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, administered by the authority of the New Testament Church. The Lord’s Supper is a memorial ordinance for the body of Christ in remembrance of the death of our Lord on the cross. It is open for all obedient believers.
ABOUT BIBLICAL SEXUALITY
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity should be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex.
ABOUT ABORTION
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable.
ABOUT LAWSUITS BETWEEN BELIEVERS
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the Church to resolve disputes. We believe the Church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between its members.
Welcome to The Grove and thank you for learning more about us. It has been my joy and privilege to serve as Pastor for the last 21 years. The Grove is a miracle which has been my prayer since day one back in 1990! 
