A church name is incredibly important, not just because it characterises congregations from one another but because it should define what a congregation wants to say about itself to the city that it finds itself in. In other words a name should say something both about who it is and what it wants to hold out to the world. So with that said, Grace Christian Church Armadale was a name both prayerfully and thoughtfully considered by the WPC congregation here in Armadale and it’s here that we want to explain why.
Grace
Now this is a word that essentially means unearned favour and is said a lot both in the scriptures and from our pulpit because that’s what all God’s redeemed people are, a people of grace. That’s because we have been saved by the grace of our loving heavenly Father (Rom 3:24-25, 5:15, Eph 2:8) through the atoning sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ on our behalf (Rom 3:22, 25). And as an extension of that grace shown, we show grace to others (Matt 5:43-48, Rom 13:8-10, Gal 5:22-23). That’s what we do, as God’s redeemed people, purchased by the blood of Jesus we extend the grace that we have been shown to each other in Christ (Jn 13:34, 15:13, 1 Jn 4:7) and to all who we come into contact with, wherever we may find ourselves (Jam 1:27, 1 Jn 2:10, 4:8). One other thing to say on this word and it’s important, is that it sums up the doctrine that we hold to in regards to the doctrine of salvation, namely the doctrines of grace.
Christian
Simply put, we are Christians. That’s what we are first and foremost. We are Christians that express our discipleship in a reformed presbyterian manner within the Westminster Presbyterian denomination (WPC). Thats what we are and we will continue by the work of God among us to keep the gospel centre in all we do. And because we are disciples of Jesus, it means that we take His commission to make disciples and evangelise very seriously, as it is Christ’s commission to His church both corporately and individually (Matt 28:19-20). That is why there is a high focus on the preaching of the word among us (Jn 21:15-17) because we are convinced that it is sufficient for life and doctrine for all God’s people (2 Tim 3:16-17).
Church
Simply put, that’s what all God’s people are together…A church. That’s because we are a people who have been called out of this world by God’s grace (Rom 8:28-30, Eph 1:18, 4:1), who have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ (2 Cor 5:21, Gal 3:13), filled with the Spirit of God (Rom 5:5, 8:14-16) and who are being built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles with Christ being the chief cornerstone (Eph 2:20)… All that to say, we are a church that is unashamed of the gospel. We are a church who by the work of God in our midst are building our house upon the rock that is Christ and we are a church that wants people to know this Jesus whom is known as King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 17:14, 19:16).