THE GOSPEL & UNION GROVE
The Grove Church is a new church plant in Union Grove, WI
Our Mission
We Glorify God By Making Disciples That Are…
Rooted in the Gospel
We are committed to making disciples who make disciples in Union Grove and the greater area because we believe that the priority of the local church is to help people find their identity in the gospel. We believe in the transformational truth of the Gospel and teach all that is observed in scripture, rooting believers’ identity in who God says they are: beloved sons and daughters of Him.
Growing in the Gospel
We prioritize the Gospel in our teaching, counseling, and life. Through the gospel, our lives are transformed; what was once wretched is now redeemed. The Gospel is not a one-time event but our ongoing reality as believers in Christ. Through our prioritization of the Gospel, we stand firm, grow, and multiply.
Planting the Gospel
We are committed to continued multiplication through church planting locally, regionally, and internationally. The local church is not just a community but a gospel community, integral to God’s plan for the redemption of His people. We believe church planting is how disciples of Union Grove can advance His purpose, and each one of us is a vital part of this mission.
Why Union Grove?
There are a lot of places in need of the Gospel, yet we have been uniquely called to serve this community. As residents of Union Grove who attended the schools, went to the county fairs, and lived there for over 25 years, not only do we understand the community, but we are a part of it already.
In a strategic sense, Union Grove is a vibrant, growing community. With a vision cast to 2050, residential and economic development are changing the landscape of this community every moment. We pray that God will multiply not only the town's business and residential population but also His disciples.
Our Core Values
Gospel Centrality
Christ Centered
We make the gospel central to everything we do because the gospel is what continually renews believers and the church. That’s why we are committed to having the gospel be the centerpiece of our preaching, discipleship, philosophy of ministry, motives, counseling, and strategy for mission.
Corporate Worship
Gathering Regularly
We believe that the local church is a manifestation of the universal Church and our regular gathering is the foundation of carrying out our mission and vision.
Community
Following Christ Together
We believe that we are called to live in Gospel community with one another. Encouraging and building up one another in faith and relationships. We live this out through our community groups, and service to the community of Union Grove.
Equipping Leaders
Making Disciple-making Disciples
We believe that equipping leaders for the work of ministry is a priority of the local church. This is neccesary in the life of the church for the mission of the church.
Multiplication
Growing Through the Gospel
We believe multiplication is the natural overflow of the gospel in a disciple and church’s life. Disciples and Churches will be multiplied out of healthy gospel contexts.
Pastor Dan Nelson
Dan graduated from Trinity International University and completed his M.Div at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. After graduation from TEDS, he and his wife Heather, with their two kids, Abby (12) and Levi (10), moved to Wichita, Kansas, to join a two-year pastoral residency program at First Evangelical Free Church of Wichita. Committed to expository preaching and making disciples who make disciples, Dan and Heather are Union Grove, Wisconsin natives that feel blessed to serve the community of Union Grove!
Frequently Asked Questions
General
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Preview Services are scheduled for November 10th and December 8th at 10:00 AM, and we will meet at Union Grove Elementary School!
1745 Milldrum St, Union Grove, WI 53182
Please use the South Parking Lot, and we use the Southwest doors for entry. Register for these services at events.thegroveefc.com
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We are part of the Evangelical Free Church of America, an association of autonomous churches that “exists to glorify God by multiplying transformational churches among all people.” We are independent churches that are interdependent in expanding God’s Kingdom and spreading the Gospel to all nations. We are united in our affirmation of the following theological statements.
Statement #1: God— God’s gospel originates in and expresses the perfections of the eternal, triune God.
We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
Statement #2: The Bible— God’s gospel is authoritatively revealed in the Scriptures.
We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
Statement #3: The Human Condition— God’s gospel alone addresses our deepest need.
We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled, and renewed.
Statement #4: Jesus Christ— God’s gospel is made known supremely in the Person of Jesus Christ.
We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus—Israel's promised Messiah—was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
Statement #5: The Work of Christ— God’s gospel is accomplished through the work of Christ.
We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
Statement #6: The Holy Spirit— God’s gospel is applied by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him, they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips, and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
Statement #7: The Church— God’s gospel is now embodied in the new community called the church.
We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church manifests in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
Statement #8: Christian Living— God’s gospel compels us to Christ-like living and witness to the world.
We believe that God's justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
Statement #9: Christ’s Return— God’s gospel will be brought to fulfillment by the Lord himself.
We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.
Statement #10: Response and Eternal Destiny— God’s gospel requires a response that has eternal consequences.
We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
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