About GracePointe
It is our prayer and purpose at GracePointe Baptist Church to help
people along their spiritual journey to find peace in their relationship
with God. Regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey,
whether you already have a mature relationship with Christ or are just
beginning to investigate Christianity, we want to help you discover the
joy of finding satisfaction in the glory of God. We invite you to
embrace the Christian life and ministry with us.
On this website is a brief snapshot of who we are and what we confess to
be our beliefs. If you would like further information about
GracePointe please email one of Pastors that are listed below.
GracePointe's
Vision For Ministry...
"Our church exists to glorify God by bringing people into an ever-deepening relationship with God and each other in the Body of Christ."
We Are Committed To:
- God Centered Worship
- Expository Preaching
- Scriptural Authority
- Missions and Evangelism
- Church Fellowship
At GracePointe We Want To:
- Celebrate God's presence through corporate worship.
- Demonstrate God's love through ministry to each other and the community.
- Communicate God's Word through evangelistic outreach and missions.
- Incorporate God's family through fellowship opportunities.
- Educate God's people through expository preaching and discipleship.
GracePointe's Core Values...
God Focused, Christ Exalting Worship
"I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I
will glorify your name forever." - Psalm 86:12
Bible Driven
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the
man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy
3:16-17
Living By The Spirit
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such
things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23
Genuine Relationships
"Love one another with brotherly affection. Out do one another in
showing honor." - Romans 12:10
Common Purpose
"Complete myjoy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being
in full accord and of one mind." - Phillippians 2:2
Family Life
"Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is
their fathers." - Proverbs 17:6
What We Believe...
The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God and is the final authority for all matters of faith and practice.
There is one God who eternally exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit; Co-equal, Co-eternal, Co-existent.
The deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His substitutionary atoning death, His burial, His resurrection, his ascension, His current reign over all things in Heaven.
Man was created by a special act of God, in His image. In Adam, all mankind fell into sin with the result that all men and women are sinners and stand justly condemned before God.
Salvation from sin is obtained only through the free grace of God on the basis of the satisfactory death and resurrection of Jesus Christ alone, without any consideration of any of man's works, good or bad.
Both Heaven and Hell are literal and eternally existing places.
All who are born of the Spirit (born again) through faith in Jesus Christ can have assurance of salvation and are eternally secure in Christ.
The Church is comprised of individuals who have experienced salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and have become spiritually united as the living expression of the Body of Christ of which He is the head.
Water baptism by immersion is the believer's response to Christ's command and is performed as an outward sign, to testimony, of an inward work of regeneration by the Holy Spirit within a believer.
Communion (Lord's Supper) commemorates, by way of remembrance, the death of our Lord Jesus Christ and proclaims our blessed hope in His return. It is the means of expressing our individual fellowship with Christ and our corporate fellowship within the Church.
* For a complete explanation of our statement of faith, refer to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
Fast Facts...
Beginnings:
First met on October 23, 2005. Met for 3 months at Beacher's Lodge
before moving to a 3000 sq. ft. warehouse, converting it into a fully
functional worship facility. Shortly after moving to the Pedro
Menendez High School auditorium, and then moved to our current facility
in July 2007.
Our Pastors:
Dr. Lon Chenowith,
became Interim Senior Pastor of GracePointe in January 2010. He was born
in California, raised in Arkansas, was educated at Oklahoma Baptist
University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he met
Kay Shelley of St. Augustine, Florida. They married and have three
children: Malachi, Nathanael, and Karis. Lon and Kay have served as
church planters in Pembroke Pines, Florida; church developers and church
planters in Mineral Wells, West Virginia; and as a missionary pastor and
wife in Oneida, Tennessee. They direct a missions organization called
Way of Grace International that evangelizes and trains Christian
workers. During 2009, Lon has served as an itinerant preacher, chaplain,
and Outreach and Visitation Pastor for Ancient City Baptist Church. He
continues to serve as Chaplain of St. John's Welfare Federation. He
recently published a book, Five Million Steps: Adventures Along the
Appalachian Trial.
James A. Smith Sr. has served as a GracePointe Associate Pastor
since its founding in 2005. Jim was ordained to the Gospel Ministry in
1995 and holds the Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He is the executive editor of
Florida Baptist Witness, the newspaper for Southern Baptists in Florida.
He has previously served in leadership positions in three Southern
Baptist Convention agencies.
Phil Nicolosi has served as a GracePointe Associate Pastor from
its founding in 2005. Phil was
ordained to the Gospel Ministry in 2006. Phil holds
the Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Flagler College and Master of Business
Administration from the University of North Florida.
GracePointe's Affiliation...
GracePointe Baptist Church is autonomous and maintains the rights to govern its own affairs, independent of any denominational control. Recognizing, however, the benefits of cooperation with other churches in world missions, this church voluntarily affiliates with the Southern Baptist Convention, the Florida Baptist State Convention, and the St. Johns River Baptist Association in its international, state, and local expressions though the Cooperative Program.
Sunday Morning Worship:
- Worship Service Begins at 10 AM
- Bible Fellowship (Sunday School) Begins at 9 AM
- Dress is relaxed and casual
- Preschoolers and children are invited and encouraged to attend worship with their families
- Nursery is provided during all corporate worship times for newborn thru 4 years.