Chapter 2. Why we are here.

Vision

The Granville Chapel exists as a movement of the gospel of Jesus Christ to transform the people of Granville and Newark through the work of the Holy Spirit. We seek to expand the kingdom of God through preaching the word of God, partnering with existing churches and ministries in our community, planting new churches in surrounding communities and supporting missions around the world (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8).

Mission

Our mission is to glorify God by sharing our lives and the gospel of Jesus with the people of Granville and Newark and the students of Denison University (I Thessalonians 2:8).

Values

The 'gospel' is the good news that through Christ, the power of God transforms people and renews our world. When we believe and rely on Jesus' life, death and resurrection to restore our relationship to God, the Holy Spirit works in us to bring about the kingdom of God.

The gospel creates the covenant community where God calls us together to worship Him. We glorify God through preaching scripture, reading scripture, singing scripture, praying scripture and partaking in the sacraments. The design of our worship encourages and strengthens those who believe and challenges those who are yet to believe.

As a covenant community God calls us into union with Himself through Christ and with each other. We are called to share each others' burdens, confess our sins to one another and pray for each other. As a people of God we celebrate God's purpose and faithfulness in the midst of triumphs and suffering.

In Christ we are a new creation, reconciled to God through the work of the Holy Spirit. Pardoned from the bondage of sin, our relationships are made new. Since we have fellowship with God, we are freed from self-righteousness and self-condemnation. Encouraged by the gospel, we are welcoming to people we once excluded and we are respectful toward those who do not share our beliefs.

We participate in God's eternal work of redemption. Beginning in Granville and the surrounding area, we will foster a community of Kingdom-minded people committed to furthering the good news of the gospel throughout the world. We will engage the culture with the renewing power of the gospel by honoring and glorifying God in our professional, academic and personal lives.

As a covenant community, we not only share the gospel but our lives as well. The gospel is the power of Christ that empowers us to live not for ourselves, but to live first for Christ and then for others. We do this by employing our gifts and resources for the needs of others. More than just meeting individual needs, we seek to be agents for mercy, justice and compassion for the powerless.