First Visit?

---

We welcome you to Grace Foothills. Our atmosphere is casual and safe for you to visit regardless of where you are spiritually. Grace is large enough that you can remain anonymous yet we have plenty of resources for you to get plugged in but the choice is yours! We're just glad to have you visit!

What to Expect at Grace Foothills:

Cafe

The first thing you may notice as you walk through the doors of Grace Foothills (currently meeting in The Tryon Theater) is the smell of coffee.  We believe in good coffee.  Some have said that our coffee is better than Starbucks.  As you turn the corner into the Cafe, grab a cup of joe, a bagel, chat with a friend, or have a seat in the theater and spend some time praying and preparing for worship.

Worship
Normally our services are thematic and revolve around one central truth that ties everything together. Although this requires a fair degree of forethought and planning, we always seek to remain open to God’s Spirit leading us in a different way. Therefore, we maintain a measure of flexibility and spontaneity.

Music
Our particular calling involves a more modern style of music which we hope helps communicate Christ in a relevant way to our modern (or post-modern) culture. This has been a common practice throughout history. For example, Martin Luther used various culturally familiar music styles in his hymns, and Handel’s Messiah was at first rejected as being too worldly and modern in style. This does not mean we do not value or use more traditional forms, just that we have an emphasis distinctive to our mission.

Messages
Our messages address relevant topics that relate to everyday life. However, they are also based clearly on the Scriptures -- normally from one particular passage, which is taken in its proper context and explained and applied in an understandable way. Many times, these messages are part of a broader series as we work through particular books of the Bible.  Our hope is that both the believer and the unbeliever are both hearing the gospel. 

Offering
We do not pass an offering plate or basket in order to avoid making our guests uncomfortable. Instead, we hope you will see this service as our gift to you. We invite those already committed to our ministry to place their offering in the box provided on their way in or out of the worship celebration.

Art
Drama, visuals, dance, movie clips and more are often used in our services; not to entertain, but to help us appreciate how the Scriptures address real life. These forms serve to illustrate the sermon through beauty rather than the spoken word alone. (Ezekiel, Jesus, and other biblical figures often used various forms to communicate God’s message.)

Greetings
Normally we have a time for greeting each other during the services, which is a current application of a practice that dates back to the early church. It reminds us that, in Scripture, public (or corporate) worship differs from private worship in that there is a horizontal (people-to-people) element, as well as a vertical (people-to-God) element.

Communion
We celebrate communion on the last Sunday of each month and attempt to make it unique and special. We avoid scheduling it more often to help prevent it from becoming sterile or mere formality.  We serve both wine and grape juice and encourage you to obey your own conscience as to which one of those to partake in. 

Dress
We believe God is more interested in the state of our hearts than what we wear. (Scripture never outlines a dress code). Therefore, we emphasize freedom, whether formal or very casual, as long as we all remain respectful to the Lord, and caring toward others.