Living Grace Fellowship

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Who are we?

Living Grace Fellowship is a Christian church – a gathering of those who believe in and have committed their lives to Jesus Christ. 

As you can see we meet in a home, so if you show up, you will be noticed.

The advantage to this is a more personal experience where maturity and growth can be fostered. It is a place to know and be known by one another and our pastor and grow in God’s Word together. 

Our mission is two fold…

  • To grow and mature Christians into the image of Jesus Christ.
  • Equip them for Kingdom work 

This is just as the scripture says. (See Ephesians 4:10-16)

Our beliefs:

Central to all our beliefs is “Jesus Christ is Lord”.

Salvation is a commitment that is made exclusively through faith in Jesus. It is a lifelong submission to Him AS YOUR Lord. (For more on this  – Who is Jesus & How to be Saved).

We believe the scriptures to be 100% inspired by God and entirely trustworthy in their teachings. [See 2 Timothy 3:16-17]

We have no affiliation with any denomination, and our doctrine is exclusively drawn from the Bible.

We believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as taught in the New Testament. We believe they are still in effect today. We believe they are necessary for the spiritual growth of all.

We believe churches should grow organically by the direction of Christ, its true head, so we do not actively seek new membership through advertising. 

We believe the church is an assembly of BELIEVERS – not unbelievers. The Bible teaches that Evangelism takes place primarily OUTSIDE the physical walls of the local church, through the testimony of true believers.Sheep make sheep…Shepherds lead and feed. The Church is to be a haven for Believers to be encouraged and grow in their relationship with God. 

What’s your church like?   

Our times together are focused on learning about and living out the purposes of God for His people. We have a time of Praise & Worship, followed by a teaching from the Bible. 

Our small setting allows for questions and discussion during and following the message. We then have a short time of fellowship before heading out.

On Sundays – we focus on growing up spiritually and living out our faith, which is the first and most important step in sharing our faith.

On Wednesday nights – we are in a continuing series called, ‘Thru the Bible’. In this series we’ve been working our way through the Bible, beginning in Genesis on through to Revelation.We began this journey back in 2017 and are still on our first trip through.

The ‘Thru the Bible’ series is a study and exploration of scripture, not just a surface reading. Even those who have read through the Bible many times would benefit, as this is more of a “studying your way through the Bible”.

If you want to come to know the scriptures on a deeper level , you will find Wednesday nights helpful.

For more on church and why we gather see – Why Church? & Why we gather?

When do we meet?

Sunday mornings from around 10:30 am-noonish.

  • Worship – 10:30-11am
  • Message – 11am-noon(-ish)
  • Fellowship Time: noon-1

Wednesday evenings from 5:30-7:30

  • Worship – 5:30-6pm
  • Message – 6-7:30pm

For meeting times and other specifics see – When we Meet.

NOTE: Being a small church, we sometimes forgo a service but that will ALWAYS be posted on the website.

What should I wear?   

Something comfortable. We have no restrictions, we only ask that you dress modestly.

Membership

We don’t really do that.

Seeking membership somehow seems more like joining a club than being part of a Christian family.  It can also be used as a type of obligation and coercion. We have no interest in that.

Simply put, you either belong here or you don’t and that is something you and the Lord have to determine.

Can I meet with the pastor?

Absolutely! In fact, in some ways it would be a smart first step. It would allow you to ask your questions and get a feel for the church itself. My contact information is below.

How do I contact you?

Well, my name is Mark Woodson. I am currently the only pastor at this church, so I’m the guy you will be reaching out to. Feel free to do so by phone or email.

My church number is  (941) 681-0834

My church email address is mark@livinggracefellowship.net

You may also simply click here – “Contact Us” and it will take you to our “Contact Us” page.

I am just one man, so if I miss your call, PLEASE leave a voicemail with contact information and I will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Thank you and God Bless!

~ Mark

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!