The following are recommendations and guidelines for participation in any and all mercy ministry outreaches and events through Grace Church of Philly:
Motive for Service:
Christians do not serve the poor out of obligation or guilt or some kind of religious duty. We do not serve others to gain something for ourselves (Titus 3:5; 2 Tim. 1:9).[1] Our service is a self-sacrificial act of love that emanates and flows from the love of God displayed at the cross and the empty tomb. This gracious love, which has been poured into our hearts at salvation by the indwelling Holy Spirit of God (Rom. 5:5), empowers our service and compassion to the poor. This love is a creative force, making acts of mercy appear in the lives of saved individuals who were formerly enemies of God, dead in spirit and alienated from Him. Christians don’t have to serve in this manner; we get the blessing of serving in this manner; we get the blessing of participating in the love of Christ. Read more »
On November 14, Grace Church of Philly will be involved in helping to set up for an “energy summit” and panel discussion at the School of the Future, 4021 Parkside Avenue. This summit is being sponsored by PA state representative Vanessa Lowery Brown (see picture of flyer below).
Although the forum will begin at 9am, we have volunteered to be there at 730am to help set up for the forum. Following set up, we have been given permission to put up a display table for Grace Church to give away free ESV New Testaments and to promote our ministry to those in attendance.
Please consider volunteering to donate some of your time to this community outreach and ministry opportunity. If you are able to assist in this outreach, please note on the event wall what times you are able to serve. Although some may not be able to be there for the entire event, we appreciate those who are able to make it for even a short time.
May the Lord richly bless you,
The Leadership Team of Grace Church of Philly
Matt. 28:18 – And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”
Rom. 12:1 – I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Click here to go to the Facebook event wall for this outreach and service opportunity.
Along with others on our leadership team, I currently find myself in a ministry context of planting a new church in an urban area that is racially, culturally, and socio-economically diverse. Add to this mixture a highly transient student and young, urban professional population and further challenges to long-term ministry become immediately evident. In this short piece I will set forth my philosophy of ministry in general (regardless of any temporal or geographical circumstances) and my philosophy of ministry in the immediate context of University City, Philadelphia.
The ultimate goal of my life is to serve and minister in a way that is radically Christ-centered, radically gospel-centered, and radically other-centered by the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father (Matt. 22:34-40; 28:18-20). It is the God-man Jesus Christ whose life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension gives meaning to the gospel and displays for me the precious value of each and every human life (John 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:1-8; 1 John 4:9-10). It is through the gospel that I am reconciled to this Jesus and empowered to love and serve others (Rom. 1:16; 5:5; 1 John 4:19). It is through indiscriminately loving others that I can live out this gospel and serve Christ by serving others (Matt. 25:31-46; 1 John 3:14-19).
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Tags: church, church planting, core values (TRIM), discipleship, discipleship process (4G), evangelism, gospel, grace of God, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, love of God, mercy ministries, missional, social issues, urban ministry
church, church planting, evangelism, gospel, grace of God, humankind, mercy ministries, salvation, sin, social issues, spiritual growth | John Leone | 
October 15, 2009 8:45 pm | 
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Why plant new churches?
This question is commonly asked by those both inside and outside of the Christian faith. There are many misconceptions about church planting and the need to engage in this activity.
The following quotations from Tim Keller and J. Allen Thompson’s Church Planter Manual may clarify the absolute necessity of planting new churches.
Why plant new churches? Because it is really the only way of fully obeying the Great Commission:
Virtually all the great evangelistic challenges of the New Testament are basically calls to plant churches, not simply to share the faith. The “Great Commission” (Matt. 28:18-20) is not just a call to “make disciples” but to “baptize.” In Acts and elsewhere, it is clear that baptism means incorporation into a worshipping community with accountability and boundaries (cf. Acts 2:41-47).
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Tags: church, church planting, churchianity, contextualization, discipleship, evangelism, group behavior, missional, salvation
church, church planting, evangelism | John Leone | October 5, 2009 10:33 am | Comments (1)
An Introduction to Christianity
Dr. John P. Davis
Presented to my Moslem friends at TAMEF (A Turkish Moslem Organization)
Let me say at the outset, how much I appreciate the sincere desire of Turkish Moslems to be friends with Christians. A true friendship is one in which you can discuss your differences and even retain your differences while being friends.
Friends cannot always reconcile their differences. Friends can disagree over politics, aesthetics, personal choices, worldviews, and religion and still be friends. As we discuss Christianity and Islam, it becomes clear that these belief systems represent two distinct ways of thinking about God, about sin, and forgiveness. As a Christian, I believe that Christianity is the true and only way to know God and to live with him forever. So, let me give you a brief Introduction to Christianity.
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Tags: evangelism, false religion, gospel, grace of God, Islam, Jesus Christ, prophecy (fulfilled), religion, salvation, sin
gospel, grace of God, holiness of God, salvation | Dr. John P. Davis, Sr. | September 14, 2009 9:07 pm | Comments (0)
If one asked the average American Christian why ancient Israel was punished by God and sent into captivity, the usual response would probably center around the nation’s disobedience to the covenant, or its idolatrous tendencies, or some combination of both. Rarely, if ever, would one expect to hear anything about the failure of the nation to seek after social justice or care for the poor.
However, the Holy Spirit of God speaks very clearly to Israel through His prophet Isaiah that a failure to look after the poor was a major component in the broader picture of judgment upon the nation:
Is. 1:10 (ESV) Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. 12 “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? 13 Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly…. 16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause (emphasis added).
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Tags: church, covetousness, evangelism, false religion, kingdom of god, materialism, religion, social issues
church, evangelism, social issues | John Leone | August 11, 2009 4:08 pm | Comments (1)
A revised and expanded PowerPoint slideshow by Grace Church of Philly that relates our core values and practical discipleship commitments as a Christian community in Philadelphia can be viewed in three separate locations here: YouTube, authorSTREAM, and SlideShare.
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