Introduction

Grace Bible Fellowship Church was founded as an urban ministry in Reading in 1884. It began as a mission of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ, the body which later became the Bible Fellowship Church in 1959. The congregation first met in a temporary structure on North 10^th Street, where a permanent building was erected in 1887. In 1955, the church constructed its present sanctuary on Hampden Boulevard, where office and education wings were added in 1983. The property also includes a missionary guest house.

We believe the Bible to be the written and inerrant Word of God, the only source of the message of salvation, and the final authority of faith and conduct. As a congregation of the Bible Fellowship Church, our doctrinal statement is recorded in the Faith and Order of the Bible Fellowship Church. Our founders’ desire to serve the Lord in Reading continues to be our desire today.

Purpose Statement

Grace Bible Fellowship Church is a congregation in northeast Reading whose purpose is, in this urban context, to glorify God. In pursuit of this purpose, we are committed to offer worship worthy of the Lord through message and music, to proclaim biblical truth through sound preaching and teaching, to strengthen the family of God through the fellowship of believers, and to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to our community and the world beyond.

Objectives

In dependence on God and by means of prayer and joyful obedience, we endeavor:

1. To worship God and supremely worthy with sincere hearts and according to the biblical truth. This worship includes reading and preaching God’s Word, music, prayer, tithes and offerings, and the practice of the ordinances. (Psalm 96:7-9; Psalm 95:1-7; John 4:23-24; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 10:19-25; Revelation 5:11-13)

2. To emphasize strong expository preaching of the Bible as the powerful and effective means that God uses to glorify His Son, honor His Word, edify His people, and save sinners. (Isaiah 55:10-11; I Timothy 4:13; II Timothy 3:14-4:5)

3. To promote love and fellowship for all in the family of God, thereby strengthening Christian homes and marriages. (Psalm 133; John 13:34-35; Acts 2:42-47)

4. To provide a program of Christian education and discipleship to promote spiritual growth for each age and level of spiritual maturity in our congregation. (Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Matthew 28:18-20; Colossians 1:28)

5. To care for God’s people by a consistent program of pastoral counsel and oversight. (Jeremiah 23:4; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-4)

6. To serve the physical and material needs of our congregation and our community. (Isaiah 58:6-7; Acts 20:28; I Peter 5:1-4)

7. To advance the gospel in the Reading area and the whole world through an active program of evangelism and missions. (Psalm 96:3; Mark 16:15; Revelation 7:9-10)