WHAT IS A CHURCH?

So often when we think of a church, we think of a building where a religious group gathers together for activities. Covenant of Grace Presbyterian Church is not a building; we are people.
We are a people who truly desire to be part of the community and not isolated from society. We, therefore, seek to be concerned and caring of our neighbors, especially for you as an individual. We would like to develop a real and lasting relationship with you as we live together in the community.

WHO ARE WE?

We, Covenant of Grace Presbyterian Church, are a part of the larger body of Christians worldwide, the Presbyterian Church in America. More importantly, we believe that in His love, God the Father, through God the Son, Jesus Christ, by the power of God the Holy Spirit has called all who believe in Jesus Christ, as their personal Savior and Lord, into a restored relationship of fellowship with Him. We also believe that the Bible was given by the direct inspiration of God, so that we may come to know God and His love and mercy to us. Being the very word of God, the Bible is infallible, inerrant, and sufficient in its entirety as our sole source of faith and practice in every aspect of our lives.
Covenant of Grace Church is predominantly comprised of young Chinese families. We use two languages, English and Chinese (mainly Cantonese) by heritage. We welcome and invite any and all to come and join us.

WHAT ARE WE ALL ABOUT?

Covenant of Grace has four main objectives:
(1) Worship: We seek to honor and worship the true and living God. Since we are worshipping a living God, it is a vibrant time with the Spirit of God. Yet it is reverent for our God, Creator and Ruler of all is worthy to be praised.
(2) Proclaiming Christ: We seek to share the wonderful news of Jesus Christ, who died for our sin and is alive today, caring and loving in a world of suffering and pain. The gospel of Jesus Christ is about having life, and being able to enjoy it fully as only God can make it.
(3) Nurture: In this world we live in New York City where life is under constant pressure. We seek to be a source of encouragement and support. We provide the rich and valuable Word of God in answering our problems and guiding us to our well being.
(4) Service: We aim to serve the community in which we are a part of. We strive to make this concern concrete and exhibit it in tangible ways. Our concern and care is not only in programs but a caring of each and every person. We want to help with personal needs.

AN ANSWER FOR LIFE

Have you ever wondered that you might be missing something in life that is really important, that could help you with your problems?
This something that I found is:

(1) A loving God

God is a living God who wants human beings to have a fulfilling life. God is love (I John 4:16a). Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
He is a loving God who also gives power to overcome our worries and fears and to break those bad habits like anger, depression, greed, worry.
And the reason it took me so long to find out about this loving God was because of myself, my stubborn self…

(2) Sinful Man

…Because I am a sinful person, I am a sinner. All have sinned. (Romans 3:23a)
And because of my sins, I fight against God, break his laws and am unthankful. I tried my best to ignore God, to make believe that He wasn’t there.
I depended only upon myself, thinking I could control everything, I was playing God myself.
By relying on my own abilities, I ended up making a mess out of my life, unable to really handle or solve the problems I caused myself.

(3) A Just God

It was not only because of my sins that I could not find God, but also because God is holy and just. God does not leave the guilty unpunished. (Exodus 34:7b) Not only is God loving, He is just and therefore He promises to punish sin.
It is this punishment of God that is due us that also keeps us from finding this loving God. Sin separates us from God, because God promised that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). To face God would be to face this judgment.

(4) Jesus Christ, the Wonderful Gift of God

Knowing that I cannot pay the penalty of death for my sins, God, in His love, came in the form of man— Jesus Christ—to pay the penalty that is due to me. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:1,14a). Jesus died on the cross to bear the wrath and rose from the dead after three days to eliminate the barrier between God and me. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” (I Peter 2:24)
Because of what Christ did, I need no longer worry about God’s wrath and punishment but can approach God and receive His love and forgiveness.
Therefore, now I can benefit from all the blessings that God intends for me rather than struggling on my own.

(5) Received by Faith in Jesus Christ Alone

I was able to receive this wonderful gift by faith, trusting in Jesus Christ alone for my freedom from my slavery to sin. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31a).
It was not something I did or deserved, but simply turning in sorrow from my sins and trusting in Christ as having died for me. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).
This is how I came to find what was missing in my life, that I was missing God and all that He wanted me to have and enjoy. You can have this wonderful life also. All you need to do is to turn away from trusting in yourself and trust in Christ to be saved and He will give you all He promised. He gives strength to overcome your troubles and have an abundant life.
Would you want this great gift?

(We are deeply grateful to our mother church, Covenant Church, Whitestone for this brief gospel presentation.)