FAQs
Answering questions big and small, from service times to what we believe
About our service
What time do you meet?
We meet to worship every Sunday at 10am. But ‘church’ happens throughout the week at people's homes, prayer gatherings, and various opportunities to serve.
Do I have to be a Christian to attend a service?
Definitely not! Jesus had a special heart for curious people, and so do we. There are people at our church who don’t believe what we believe and who come from different faith backgrounds. So come with your questions and come as you are.
What is a Sunday worship service like?
Our church worship service lasts about 70 minutes. We pray, we sing about 3-4 songs (old hymns and modern songs), we read a passage from the Bible, one of our pastors preaches on that passage, and we end by sharing communion together.
What should I wear?
Our church is pretty casual. You’ll find some people in t-shirts and some in more business casual attire. Whatever you feel comfortable wearing is fine with us.
Are you going to ask me for money?
Visitors to our church are under no obligation to give, and people will never be pressured to give money here. For those who consider Granite City Church their church home, we offer them them the opportunity to give to God’s work through our local church. We consider it a blessing to give.
Are you Democrats or Republicans?
At our church we intentionally distance ourselves the political tribalism of American culture. We talk about it, we engage with important cultural topics, but we don’t embrace a particular political ideology. Our intent is to find the way of Jesus in everything we do. That path is not beholden to the powers of this world. That being said, you will find people at our church who are conservative, progressive and somewhere in-between. We like it that way.
I have kids, what will they do?
We want your kids to love church and have options for kids at most ages. Read about our KidsRock program or Next Gen Youth Group to know what to expect.
How do I get involved?
Attending services is a good start, but we hope you'll move beyond being just part of the Sunday morning crowd. You can further your faith, meet people, and learn more about life as a Christ-follower by joining a group or serving in the church in an area in which you're interested and gifted.
Will I understand the message, even if I don't know much about the Bible?
We understand that most people don’t understand the Bible very well. It is an ancient document about ancient people and cultures. We teach the Bible to help us understand the wisdom God has about who he is and who we are.
About our beliefs
What do you believe about the Bible?
We believe the Bible is true, and we look to scripture to understand ourselves, our creator, and the challenges we face in the world today. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy and said “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
We believe that the Bible was written for us and all people, but it was not written to us. The Bible was written to specific people in a specific time and place. That means that understanding the Bible sometimes requires understanding different people and places, and various historical circumstances. Interpretation of scripture does not mean twisting the Bible to mean what we want it to mean. Interpretation of scripture means understanding what it meant to the original hearers and readers, and how it applies to our lives and circumstances today.
About God?
We believe in one God who exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In this Trinity God reigns and rules over His creation as Lord and King.
About Jesus Christ?
We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal son of God, was incarnate on earth as fully God and fully man. He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, arose bodily from the dead, and ascended into heaven where, at the right hand of God, He is now our High Priest and Advocate.
About the Holy Spirit?
We believe that the Holy Spirit dwells within each believer, enabling the Christian to walk in obedience to the Word of God. The Holy Spirit also empowers us to become more like our Lord Jesus and equips us with spiritual gifts for ministry.
What do you believe about the Gospel?
The Gospel is the good news that through Christ, the power of God's kingdom has entered history to renew the whole world. The Gospel is something much bigger than personal salvation, it is about cosmic salvation. All creation has been affected by the brokenness we call sin. Likewise, all creation will be renewed by God’s kingdom.
What do you believe about the Kingdom of God?
The Kingdom of God is the reign and rule of God. Wherever God’s perfect will is done, The Kingdom of God is present. The kingdom of God is not something we have to wait for. Jesus taught His followers to pray “…Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God wants His rule and reign to advance on the earth right now. Jesus announced the inauguration of the kingdom of God when He began His ministry here on earth. The coming of the kingdom of God means the restoration of all things. In other words, Jesus didn’t just come to save souls; He came to rescue a physical world. We see this in the way he ministered to people. Where he said “your sins are forgiven”, he also said to the lame “get up and walk”.
What do you believe about humanity?
We believe that all people are created in the image of God. That is a status uniquely given to humans. We were created to have fellowship with Him but became alienated in that relationship through sinful disobedience. As a result of human rebellion against God, people are dead in their sins, and incapable of regaining a right relationship with God through their own effort alone.
What do you believe about sin?
Anything contrary to the perfect will of God is sin. We’ve all made mistakes, we’ve all missed God’s perfect mark, we are all ‘sinners’. We also believe that sin has consequences, but the problem of sin isn’t that it makes us bad people, the problem of sin is that it makes us dead people. We can’t save ourselves from this situation, we need to be rescued through the person of Jesus Christ, whose death on the cross paid the penalty we deserved, and whose resurrection from the dead gives us new life.
About salvation?
We believe that salvation can only be achieved by God himself. God accomplished this by sending his son Jesus to do what we couldn’t do, he lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died. When we placed our allegiance in Jesus as our king, we graciously receive from him the fullness of life forever. We also believe that this salvation through Jesus impacts the whole of creation. His resurrection from the dead marks victory of sin, death and the devil. That means an end to poverty, injustice, sickness and all the evils of the world. That’s what we have to look forward to through God’s salvation.
About the Church?
The Church is a sent people. They are sent by Christ into the world to advance the agenda of God’s kingdom in this world. Jesus did not send His Church out into the world alone. He promised that He would gift them with His very presence, the Holy Spirit. In Acts chapter 2, the Church was born when the Holy Spirit of God entered men and women and empowered them to go out into the world and share the Gospel of Jesus. The Gospel message was announced on the streets of Jerusalem, it spread through Samaria, and it arrived in the ancient metropolis of Antioch. From there, the Church spread throughout the entire Roman empire and continues this day to the ends of the earth. The church is imperfect and broken, because people are imperfect and broken, but when God’s people rally together to do His will God uses the Church to bring about restoration in this world.
About the Christian life?
We believe that every Christian should live for Christ and not for himself. By obedience to the Word of God and daily yielding to the Spirit of God, every believer should mature and be conformed to the image of Christ.
Is Granite City part of a denomination?
We are very proud members of The Covenant Church, a small but vibrant denomination. The Covenant Church is a church of immigrants. Begun in the 1880’s by Swedish immigrants, we come from a tradition of believers called Pietists who prided themselves on lives dedicated to serving one another and studying the word of God. Today, the Covenant Church remains an immigrant church with people from all over the world. We value mission, we value unity in the midst of our diversity, and we are deep lovers of scripture. You can learn more about the Covenant through its 6 affirmations.