Ministries of Grace Baptist Church

Every Sunday morning at 8:30am, several members of Grace Baptist Church hold a worship service at TA Truck Stop off Interstate 5 for the benefit of trucker drivers who pass through our area. Believers come and are edified, and unbelievers come and receive the Gospel. The attendance of each service ranges widely but can be as many as a dozen truck drivers who wish to worship the Lord with us in a regular Sunday service that they miss out on so much of the time since their profession requires them to be on the road on Sundays. The drivers are able to share prayer requests with us which our church remembers in prayer later that week. Almost always the drivers share their great gratitude for our ministry which enables them to be at church even while on the road.

Several men in our church have a ministry of writing to and visiting inmates in prisons around the Northern California area. Their ministry is one of encouragement to believers and nonbelievers alike who live in very desperate situations and who have come out of difficult pasts. But the light of the Gospel shines even in the dark world of the prison system, and it is vital to reach out to those in that system. It is privilege of our church to be involved in a ministry such as this.

One Thursday night a month, members of our church share a message and worship service with the people at the Good News Rescue Mission { http://www.gnrm.org/} in Redding. It is a great opportunity to encourage and edify those who are in need of a helping hand up and to preach the Gospel to those who have never heard. Jesus said that you have the poor always with you, and it is an important ministry of Grace Baptist Church to help those who need it, but by giving and by volunteering.

Several Sundays a month, members of Grace Baptist Church sing and preach at worship services in several local retirement homes. It is a powerful ministry of encouragement to those who aren't able to have much contact with other people any longer because of health and age reasons. Nonetheless, there are believers there who need the fellowship of the saints, and there are unbelievers there who still need to hear the Gospel, so this ministry is a very effective one to accomplish these ends.

Tuesdays at 7am men from our congregation gather together before the workday begins to fellowship together in the Word. It is a time of edification, encouragement, and stimulation as fellow like-minded men who experience the same difficulties and triumphs share their lives together. It is a rich and rewarding time for those who attend.

The women of our church gather several times a week for a time of Bible study. Meeting times are usually Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9:30am and Thursdays at 7pm. The goal of these meetings is to strengthen the spiritual walk of the attendees. Mutual edification from fellowshipping with like-minded women with the same goals, triumphs, and struggles is a great product of this time every week.

Every Sunday there are multiple Sunday School classes offered for all age groups. Each classes is geared for a certain age-group and is focused on teaching the class Biblical truths with an emphasis on practical Christian living.

Each Sunday two worship services are held at 10:45am and 6:00pm filled with edifying music, strong expository preaching, and nurturing fellowship. The main weekly church services are the backbone of our church philosophy.

Each Wednesday at 7pm a Bible Study and Prayer Meeting is held so that the saints may gather for mid-week edification and to enable group prayer for those of the body of Christ.

Many members of our church participate in choir which sings on Sundays August through May and on special services such as Easter and Christmas. Their ministry in music is a great edification to the congregation.

There is a special ministry to college- and career-aged individuals wherein they fellowship together often. Different activities are planned throughout the year such as game nights, hang out nights, meals at church member's homes, and ministry activities. These young people are a valuable asset to our church, and we try to make them feel at home.

Many members of our church are part of a prayer chain. If an emergency or urgent prayer request becomes known to the church, that request is passed on to these individuals in particular in succession, and they make intercession to God regarding these requests. Countless people have been blessed by this ministry as urgent circumstances occur in their lives, such as the death of a loved one, a natural disaster, or a health emergency. These valiant prayer warriors uphold those in the greatest need in prayer at those crucial times in their lives.

Every month the women in our church get together for a special time of fellowship and encouragement as they hear from a lady involved in missions. The meeting helps the ladies of our church stay in tune with the challenges and triumphs of the global mission field and allows them the opportunity to do things that will encourage our missionaries scattered abroad. It is a wonderful ministry to help the ladies of our church fellowship with the labors for Christ going on around the globe.

Once a year the ladies of our church join with the ladies from other churches in a retreat. The place of the retreat changes regularly, but a past favorite destination has been the Northern California coast. The ladies from Grace Baptist Church fellowship together with the ladies of other churches to encourage and strengthen each other by their commitment to following Christ. It is always a highlight of the year for the ladies. Guest speakers help instruct and encourage the ladies on a theme designed to aid their walk with God.

From time to time, Women's Ministries will sponsor an event called "Crafty Ladies" in which the women of our church will get together to make a craft or work on some project. It is a time of encouragement and good fellowship as they work together to accomplish great things.

Many ladies from our church work together to help provide nursery service for the children of our church. It is a wonderful ministry of serving others, and it is much appreciated by the parents of our congregation.

A special favorite of the ladies is Prayer Pals. Each year two ladies from the church are paired up anonymously. They then support each other with prayers and occasional thoughtful gifts. At the end of the year, they are revealed to each other as new pairs are picked for the next year. It is a delightful ministry that gets the ladies involved in each others' lives and creates a lasting kinship with other ladies.

Occasionally a group of ladies will get together and go to lunch after church on Sunday. This is a good time of fellowship for those with busy lives who need a break with friends every once in a while

Every Spring, the ladies get together with their daughters and have an elegant tea. There is always a theme and a guest speaker to help encourage the ladies in their spiritual walk. It is a nice time of fellowship for the ladies and their daughters. Photos are taken to remember this special event.

Another great ministry the ladies of our church have is to prepare meals for others in event of an emergency or crisis. In the death of a loved one or emergency medical situations, ladies will come together to provide meals for those who are in need. This eliminates much stress and helps those who are undergoing a trial tremendously. It is a much appreciated service that has helped countless people over the years.

A group of young-at-heart folks meet monthly at Country Waffle for a time of fellowship.

A.W.A.N.A. stands for "Approved Workmen are Not Ashamed" and is taken from 2 Timothy 2.15. It is the theme of the program. AWANA is a complete program done in countless churches worldwide. Children come together Wednesday nights at Grace and participate in several activities. There is a game time, designed to promote unity with other kids; there is handbook time wherein the kids recite verses they have memorized; there is a lesson time where they hear a short Bible lesson from their leaders; and there is often an activity time wherein they make a craft or do some other kind of activity. The curriculum produced for AWANA is good material that teaches kids Bible lessons and valuable lessons for life. One of the greatest parts of AWANA is that it encourages and rewards kids for memorizing Scripture verses. The memorization of Bible passages is essential for the growth of any Christian, and AWANA does an exceptional job at instilling these Scriptures into these young, growing Christians.

Every summer Grace Baptist Church sponsors a Vacation Bible School (VBS). This is a week-long event for children. It is based on a theme published by a company that prints materials that we use. In past years themes have included a Jungle theme and a Space theme. Each day of the VBS week, children from all over the community come together. There are general sessions where skits are performed, lessons are given, and music is sung. There are individual class sessions where kids of the same age group learn together and memorize Bible verses. There are snack times and craft times. It is always a favorite event each year for the kids. The things they learn in VBS and the verses they memorize usually stay with them forever. It is also a fantastic outreach to local unsaved kids because the Gospel is presented each day, but it is in a fun, friendly environment that attracts kids from all walks of life. It is also a good opportunity for kids from the church to bring their unsaved friends so that they might hear the Gospel.

Every Wednesday night, the young people of our church get together for Youth Group. There are two groups: High School and Junior High. They meet together to sing, learn, and work. They learn Biblical lessons from the Word of Life-published materials. These materials are geared toward their age group and help teach basic theology and real life practice of that theology to kids in today's world system with all its temptations, difficulties, and rewards. The young people also put into practice what they learn by serving members of the church and their community in special work and ministry days. This is a valuable fellowship opportunity to help our young people get and stay grounded in the Word in this dark world. Special activities include the Super Bowl, an all night long bowling, roller skating, and game night which kids from all over Northern California participate in; Super Scrub which is a free carwash for members of the community, sponsored beforehand by members of the church as a fundraiser for later activities; work days in which the young people go to church member's homes to help out by doing much needed work around the house; and pool parties and BBQ's. Word of Life meets Wednesdays at 6:30pm for High School and 7pm for Junior High.

Grace Baptist Church has the immense privilege of supporting many missionaries around the world both by prayer and with financial gifts. We support dozens of missionaries all around the world. We consider it one of our highest priorities as a church.