How it all started...
Grace Baptist Church was organized on the first Sunday of June in 1986 by the First Baptist Church of Galena, Kansas. It began with 19 charter members moving forward in faith to begin a new work in Joplin, Missouri. At the beginning, it was located at 2302 South Moffet Avenue, until moving to its current location at 3130 South Wall Avenue on December 29, 1991. Over the years, Grace Baptist Church has had 5 Pastors who have helped to shape it into what it is today.
Who we are today...
Grace has continued to grow... especially in the ways that matter most. Our Pastors recently spent some time away to pray and work on the Mission and Vision of Grace. During that time, they asked themselves the question: What can we do better than anyone else in the world? The answer seems so simple, but it is profound... Love our neighbors! We believe God has placed us exactly where He wants us... both as the Church, and individually... around the city of Joplin. To love those we see all the time... our neighbors.
What are we doing...
One of the best ways we can love our neighbors is this: Sharing the Gospel! We know that nothing else on earth could possibly be more important than that! So how do we do that? We focus all of our efforts and passions on advancing the Gospel! We celebrate Gospel Conversations! We intentionally build relationships in hopes of sharing with each person the miracle that God has began inside each of us! From our Outreach Ministry to LifeGroups, we intentionally focus on loving our neighbors with the Gospel of Christ! This is who we are and we are a passionate group for sure!
Where are we going...
As our Pastors met and prayed, they landed on this main goal for the future: We want to be known for advancing the Gospel in Joplin and beyond! To do that, we realize we cannot accomplish this alone. So part of our goal is to partner with other churches in the area and around the world and show them what it means to be Gospel advancing! It means we are focused more on what we all can accomplish... together... as the Church! We want to see the churches in Joplin thrive as they advance the Gospel today!