Who We Are
The Scripture:
The Bible is the inspired Word of God, the product of holy men of old who spoke and wrote as they were directed by the Holy Spirit. We accept the Bible as God’s infallible truth in matters pertaining to conduct and doctrine.
The Godhead:
We worship one God, Who exists and manifests Himself in three distinct persons - God the Father, God the Son (the Lord Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit - all being in perfect harmony and unity. They are coequal and coeternal.
The Doctrine Of Man:
Man was created by God, in God’s image and after His likeness. Man was given a position of dominion and authority in the Earth and had a relationship and fellowship [spiritual life] with God. Man was given a free will and the ability to reproduce after his own kind.
The Fall Of Man:
Through Adam’s transgression against God, mankind fell and a sin/death nature seized the heart of man. The sin/death nature was passed down to every person born into the human family.
The Redemption Of Man:
Because the sin/death nature had seized the heart of man, mankind was in need of a Savior. Since all of mankind inherited Adam’s sin nature, no man qualified to be the Redeemer. Therefore, salvation would have to emanate from God. Through the virgin birth, God provided His Son, the Man,Christ Jesus, Who was born without sin, lived a sinless life, and died a substitutionary death for all.
The Salvation Of Man:
Salvation is a gift from God to man, separate from works and the Law, and is accomplished by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
The Baptism In The Holy Spirit:
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift from God as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ and is available to all believers after the New Birth. The experience is accompanied by the evidence of speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit within, gives utterance. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the "doorway" into the Power of God.
Divine Healing:
It is God’s will to heal all people today. The healing of the human body has been provided through the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Various methods of receiving healing are recorded in the Word of God.
Sanctification:
Sanctification is a twofold experience. At the time of the New Birth, all believers are sanctified, or separated from the world system, set apart by God for a specific and holy use. The second experience is an ongoing work of grace by the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life as the believer cooperates with the Holy Spirit by being a doer of the Word of God.
The Return Of The Lord:
The Word of God teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ will return for His Church before the time described in the New Testament as The Tribulation. At that time, the bodies of the dead in Christ shall be changed and rise first; then, believers which are alive shall also receive new bodies and rise to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air. His coming is imminent.
Eternal Life:
Those who die without accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior suffer eternal separation from God and are hopelessly and eternally lost. They will live eternally in the Lake of Fire with no further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or repenting. The Lake of Fire is literal. The terms eternal and everlasting used in describing the duration of the punishment of the damned in the Lake of Fire, and carry the same thought and meaning of endless existence as used in denoting the duration of joy and ecstasy of the Saints in the presence of God.
THE ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH:
WE BELIEVE IN AND PRACTICE TWO CHURCH ORDINANCES:
Water Baptism:
The Ordinance of Water Baptism was established, exemplified, and commanded to be continued by the Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism in water is by immersion and is for believers only. It is an outward sign of an inward experience and is symbolic of a Christian’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.
The Lord's Supper:
The Ordinance of Communion was established by the Lord Jesus Christ on the night He was betrayed. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper by partaking of bread and juice which are tokens of the Lord’s Body and Blood. We do this in remembrance of Christ’s substitutionary death for us. When the elements of the Lord’s Supper are taken in faith, true communion with the Lord takes place and the benefits of that communion are given.
At Grace Family Church you will discover a warm group of real people dedicated to following our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. From the moment you walk up to the building you are "Welcomed Home"
HOW LONG ARE YOUR SERVICES?
Sunday, 1st Service: 8:30am to 9:45am
Sunday, 2nd Service: 10:15am to 11:45am
Wednesday Nights: 7:00pm to 8:15pm
WHAT WILL I FIND WHEN I ARRIVE?
Upon entering the building, you will be greeted by Ushers & Greeters who are genuinely glad you are here.
WILL SOMEONE PRAY FOR A NEED I MAY HAVE?
At the conclusion of every service, we have prayer teams available who will pray with you for any requests you may have.
OPPORTUNITIES TO BE INVOLVED AT GFC.
We have a multitude of ministries at GFC that you can be involved in. If you believe GFC is where the Lord would have you attend, become a member, roll your sleeves up and join us in doing your part to help change people’s lives through the love of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. To find out about just a few of the Ministries at GFC, click on the "Ministries" photo-link at the top of the page.
DO YOU HAVE FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES AT GFC?
During the year, we offer a variety of things to do. A local church is like a family and it is fun and beneficial for a family to get together and have a good time. Food, games, athletic events, movies, interest clubs, etc. are just a few of the things we do.
HOW DO I GET TO YOUR CHURCH?
Click Here to visit our contact page. From here you can use google maps to bring you right to our door.
THE CHURCH BOOK STORE
Before and after service, you can peruse our bookstore that has an incredible selection of books and CD’s that will help your spiritual growth. Please visit our “Welcome Center” which is staffed with helpers who can answer your questions and assist you in finding rooms. They also have a gift for you as a First-Time Visitor.
Sheila Fredericks committed her life to Jesus Christ in 1978. Her husband, Barry, saw such a dramatic change in her that he received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, in January 1979. They both became very active in the church they were attending for four years.
During this time, a friend, gave them teaching cassettes by Kenneth Hagin. They were so excited and blessed by hearing teaching on the integrity of God’s Word, Faith, the Holy Spirit and Healing. God began to deal with Barry and Sheila’s heart about moving to Tulsa, OK and attending Rhema Bible Training Center.
In June of 1982, Barry resigned from the company he had worked for 12 years. They rented their home in Brookfield, CT and moved with their three sons Adam, Blaine and Seth to Oklahoma to attend Bible School from September 1982 until May of 1984.
Towards the end of their training at Rhema, they believed that the Lord spoke to them about starting a church in Newtown, CT.
When they arrived back home, Barry and Sheila immediately began to check out places to hold church services in Newtown. Several people suggested The Essex House, which was a catering facility. This banquet hall ended up being the space they rented for Sunday morning and Sunday evening services.
From early on, Pastors Barry and Sheila made the decision that they would build this church on ‘The Word of Faith’ message. They firmly believe in the integrity of God’s Word.
Grace Christian Fellowship held its very first service on June 19, 1984 (Father’s Day) at the Essex House. There were nine people in attendance, and they had an evening service that same day and there was one man in attendance. They were so excited because the church was up and running.
In March of 1986, they spoke to Mr. Hayes, the owner of the Essex house, about renting the basement of the building on a permanent basis. They had to completely renovate the lower level. This was the church’s first ‘move’ without going anywhere.
On Christmas Eve, 1991, the church purchased the entire 15,000sq ft. of the Essex House from Mr. Hayes. The Adult sanctuary moved back upstairs and the lower level became classrooms for the children’s ministry.
Over the next year, the members of the church worked diligently to renovate the building and Grace Christian Fellowship began to look like a church more and more!
In January of 2004, GCF purchased 42 acres of property adjacent to exit 9 off Interstate 84. The church’s intention is to build a new facility on that property.
In 2012, the church staff felt it was time to change the name of the church to Grace Family Church.
Over these many years, the church has seen hundreds of lives changed - salvation, baptism in the Holy Spirit, healings, deliverance from all kinds of challenges, and families reunited in loving one another again.
Sharing the love of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit is and always will be the primary function of Grace Family Church. The church is committed to teaching God’s Word to not only adults, but also to the children and teenagers.
In February 2019 the church had their first Sunday in the new building. �
April 2019 the building was dedicated to the Lord, forever His.
