WHAT OUR PARISHIONERS LOVE ABOUT GRACE CHURCH

“The people are real. They are kind. We are free to be ourselves.

We feel loved and cared for. We feel shepherded.”  

"Open minded and non-judgmental while still committed to the Gospel.” 

“Out of all the churches, Grace is one of the most widely known for their fellowship and hospitality. They make you feel right at home.”

WHAT WE BELIEVE

Grace Church is rooted in traditional Christianity as understood by faithful followers of Jesus for over 2000 years. Those who call Grace Church home come from a variety of backgrounds: some from other denominations, some with little Christian background until coming to Grace. We are part of the Episcopal/Anglican tradition of Christianity. We are often viewed as the “middle way” between the Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches. We hold to the essential beliefs of the Christian faith as summarized in the Apostles’ Creed and Nicene Creed.

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God and affirm that it “contains all things necessary to salvation.” We believe that Christianity is more than an intellectual system of belief, more than merely doing good works and having the right ethics, it is a relationship with a person, Jesus Christ. It is a way of life rooted in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

HISTORY OF GRACE CHURCH

Grace Church was founded in 1881 by a group of pioneers seeking to establish a church that would spread the Good News of Christ in Jamestown and beyond. We continue to carry out that mission of spreading the Good News, both here in our own community, and across the world.

We get a fair amount of attention because of our historic stone Gothic building, and we have to admit, its a privilege to worship in such a beautiful setting. But the real story of Grace Church is not the building, but the lives of the men and women who have soaked this sacred place with their prayers, hopes, and dreams for over 130 years.

Rooted in history, but with an eye toward the future, Grace is a family of faith where good things are happening. What makes our congregation so wonderful is the people. You'll find people from a whole range of backgrounds: from native North Dakotans, to transplants from other parts of the country, to younger folk, to those of us with a few more years under our belts.

The best way to start to get to know us is by attending our Sunday service. If you can't find what you're looking for on our site don't hesitate to contact us. We'd love to hear from you.

WHAT DO THE WORDS "GRACE" AND "EPISCOPAL" MEAN?

Grace is a very old name and a very old idea in Christian belief and life. The word itself comes from the Greek word “charis” which means unmerited favor or gift. In Christian belief the concept of grace refers to the fact that despite our imperfections and how many times we’ve messed up, God chooses to extend His love and forgiveness toward us anyway.  This doesn’t mean that we can do whatever we want with no consequences, but rather it means that God chooses to be kind-hearted toward our weaknesses and failures when we admit our faults and turn to Him. Grace is a great name for a church.  We are proud to bear it because it is at the heart of Christianity. Episcopal is the name of our branch or denomination of Christianity.   The word itself is very old and has been associated with Christianity since its earliest beginnings. The word comes from the Greek word, “episkopos” which means bishop or overseer. Bishops have been leaders of networks and groupings of churches from the earliest days of Church history. The most basic definition of The Episcopal Church then would be a church that has bishops.   More could be said about the word Episcopal and about who bishops are and what they do, but that’s brief definition. At Grace Church we’re thankful for our formal and informal ties to other churches not only in the state of North Dakota, but through the Episcopal (Anglican) family of Churches throughout the world.