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Love Your Church - Week 10 - Conclusion 

CONCLUSION — A VISION OF YOUR CHURCH

What we sometimes fail to consider is that the church is at the heart of God’s plan for the world. Paul writes in Ephesians 3:10 that it is “through the church” that God makes known “the manifold wisdom of God” to rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. The church is God’s demonstration project to the cosmos. When your church gathers together to praise the Redeemer, you are getting a foretaste of coming glory — a partial picture of the vast multitude from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation that will one day stand before the throne. Future reality is breaking into the present in your local church. God has given you your church as the place where you are formed to look more and more like the Savior — reminded in his word, in baptism, and at the Lord’s Supper of what he has done for you; where you respond to his love in song, in prayer, and in service; where you find family who share your joys and walk with you through your valleys.

This vision is not utopian. Every local church will disappoint you at some point. Leaders will fail. Members will wound you. Gatherings will sometimes feel flat. The church has never been free of scandal — the New Testament itself is largely a corrective letter to churches in trouble. And yet the church remains Christ’s body, his bride, his plan for the world. There is no substitute and no upgrade. Every generation must receive this gift afresh, take it seriously, and invest in it generously.
So pursue faithfulness to Christ and his church. Belong, welcome, gather, care, serve, honour, witness, and send. The Lord of the church loves you with an undying love. So love your church.
 
 

01/09/2026
grace long
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

New to church?

Pastor Simon Percy

Coming to a new place for the first time can be a bit daunting, and at Grace, we want you to feel welcome and secure when you visit us for the first time. As a church, we seek to be and make disciples of Jesus Christ. We aim to be clear and relevant in all we do so that everyone is welcomed, included and helped.

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will be wearing a Welcome lanyard.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits after the service ends. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10:30am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of sung worship, led by our band. We typically have 2 songs lasting approximately 10 minutes. Sometimes a person might pray or read a small passage from the bible. At this stage, we usually have a short talk specifically for the children, before they go off to Junior Church. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church. One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. 

images: Services

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

  • Creche (0 months to 3 years). 
  • Junior Church (years 1-6)
  • Sunday Ignite (years 7-11)
  • Young people (15+ years) Stay in service.

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome and songs. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the children's talk, someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy. 

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Children

Getting Connected


Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Home Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. 

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

  • Men's Ministries
  • Women's Ministries
  • Mission
  • Youth Work
Get in touch with us to plan your visit
If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.
 
Name:
Telephone:
Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.
 

Leadership 

Simon 200x200    
Pastor Simon Percy    
     
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.