A COMMUNITY OF GRACE passionately pursuing Cover
LIFE AND MISSION WITH
Jesus
Welcome
We're so glad you're here! This booklet serves as a brief introduction to Fellowship Greenville—how we got here, who we are, and where we're going. We look forward to getting to know each other better and to discovering how we fit into God's big story.
A group of 60 adults and children begin meeting at a property on Augusta Road, under the name Southside Baptist Church.
The church outgrows the Augusta Road property and move to the Woodruff Road location.
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Walt Handford becomes pastor. Charlie Boyd becomes the new teaching pastor, following Walt Handford’s retirement.
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1965
1970
Church attendance grows from 250 to 1100 in five years. A larger auditorium is built to create more space. 4
1986
1996
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How did we get here?
The church’s name is changed to Southside Fellowship, to remove potential obstacles the word “Baptist” might be to reaching the community for Christ.
2001
With more growth, the church’s name is changed to Fellowship Greenville, to remove any confusion about who and where we are, as well as to plant us firmly as a church that cares about our city.
Jason Malone becomes the Vision & Spiritual Formation Pastor while also leading the Upstate Church Collective.
2005
2014
Move from Woodruff Rd location to Highway 14 property near Pelham Rd.
2017
2021
Due to significant growth, a capital campaign commenced and a secondary auditorium was built along with a Student Ministry building. 5
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Our Vision
There's a lot of confusion in our society today about who Jesus is and what kind of life he offers. As a result, many people are left with negative impressions of Christians and the church as a whole. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “I like your Christ, but I don’t like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” We want to live in such a way that others can see and experience what authentic Christianity looks like. We want to see God transform us into a community of grace, passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus. Our hope is that misconceptions will fade as people are drawn to Jesus and the life he offers in a fresh, new way. 7
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How does this happen?
To see God transform us into a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus, we are very intentional about what we do and how we do it. Following are five of our distinctive characteristics:
MORE EXPOSITORY TEACHING THAN TOPICAL God gave us the whole Bible as one big story. Occasionally, you might hear a message or series devoted to that topic, but our more common approach to sermons is teaching through a book of the Bible to hear what God says to us. We teach “expositionally” (explaining the meaning of each passage) to better understand the Bible and apply it to our lives. Acts 2:42; Acts 8:30-31
MORE TEAM LEADERSHIP THAN SENIOR-PASTOR LED Because we don't believe God entrusts any church to a single person, we don't have a “senior-pastor” model of leadership. We are guided by a team of elders—men gifted by God to oversee the church and affirmed by our members as those who meet the biblical standards set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9. An executive team leads strategic, daily operations of the ministry. 9
MORE EQUIPPING EMPHASIS THAN EVENTS-DRIVEN The Bible makes it clear every believer is to participate in a community of faith consistent with his or her gifts, talents, and passions. We are committed to empowering you to pursue life and mission with Jesus through serving with no expectation of return, rather than simply offering events to keep you busy. Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Peter 4:10
MORE PARTICIPATORY WORSHIP THAN SPECTATOR
When we worship together, we want to draw our community into a personal encounter with God. We invite everyone to respond to God and celebrate who he is and what he has done for us. Psalm 150; John 4:23-24; Ephesians 5:18-20
MORE PNEUMATIC MINISTRY THAN PRAGMATIC We want to live out the life we have with Jesus pneumatically in the presence, power, and prompting of the Holy Spirit. We depend on the Holy Spirit to direct us to make decisions in line with the will and Word of God. We don’t move our ministry forward based solely on reasonable, practical solutions. Rather, through prayer, our leaders seek to know the leading of the Spirit in every decision shaping our life together as a church. Romans 8:4-9; Acts 13:2; Acts 16:6-7
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meet Charlie Boyd DIRECTIONAL LEADER & TEACHING PASTOR
Jason Malone
VISION & SPIRITUAL FORMATION PASTOR
Rob Marks
EXECUTIVE PASTOR
and Matt Rexford
WORSHIP PASTOR
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What does this look like?
So, what does a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus actually look like? Well, in addition to the distinctive characteristics listed above, we believe Jesus modeled seven core values. Enjoying God—seeking our highest joy in him alone in and through all things. The more we express gratitude for his love, worship, spend time with him, and cling to his hope, the more we can find eternal joy. Loving others—caring for others with no expectation of return by putting their needs above our own, treating them with patience and kindness, and not demanding our own way (See I Corinthians 13). Understanding Scripture—allowing God’s Word to shape our thinking and transform how we approach day-to-day life. Even if the Bible doesn't answer every question, it speaks clearly about God's goodness, our condition, and his promises, so we must continually ask, "What does the Bible say about this?" Depending on the Spirit—attempting to listen and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our lives. This kind of dependence on the Spirit, which Jesus
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modeled, is reflected in prayer. Quite simply, independent people who do not rely on God rarely pray, but dependent people pray continually. Living in integrity—humbly striving for consistency between what we believe and what we do. God’s design for us is to be whole, unbroken, and complete; but because of sin, this is only possible as we grow to trust, pursue, and reflect Jesus in what we say, think, and do. This only comes through genuine transparency with others, honest accountability, and a private life that reflects a public reputation. Magnifying grace—making a big deal of the undeserved love, kindness, and compassion of God, especially in what he has done through Jesus. To obtain a gift of infinite worth and not tell others of its value belittles the Giver. Thus, God’s grace (God giving us things we do not deserve) and mercy
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Advancing the gospel (not religion)—furthering God’s mission for the world by sharing the truth about Jesus and the life he offers. As the Church, we partner with God to preach the good news of the kingdom to each other, ourselves here, and around the world.
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What is the result? People are drawn to Jesus and the life he offers.
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Understanding what God says about himself and what he says about us
life with Jesus
What's the strategy?
life in community
. Experiencing authentic community in a variety of contexts
life on mission
Serving others with no expectation of return
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life with Jesus
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Understanding God
In order to grow in our life with Jesus, we must understand what God says about himself and what he says about us. Thankfully, he gave us a whole book that tells God's big story and the part we play.
TOGETHER AS A CHURCH We believe God designed the local church as the community in which individuals can grow in their relationship with Jesus. A big part of that is our Sunday gatherings, where we engage in meaningful worship and biblical teaching in a 75-minute service, held in two auditoriums, at 9 am and 11 am. Getting plugged into a large church can be challenging and our goal is to make a large church feel smaller so we hope you feel right at home. We’ll make sure your kids and students find their rooms where they'll not only have a blast but also be accepted and discover that they truly belong in community. We also celebrate communion and baptism together throughout the year.
FG KIDS (BIRTH-5TH GRADE)
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We want every child to feel welcomed and loved. We also pray they will come to understand what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus and the life he offers. That’s why the vision of our ministry is for kids to “Belong, Believe, and Become.”
Belong: This is not just a church to attend, but a place where your child can belong. That’s why we work hard to help them feel welcome. We also strive to partner with parents to create fun and safe environments where their kids can flourish. Believe: Our hope is that each child will come to trust in Jesus, believing that what he did for them on the cross is all they need to start a brand new life with God. Become: We want every child to pursue God in their daily lives so that they can become a beacon to those around them. That's why we provide engaging, gospel-centered activities for each age group.
meet
Melanie Grainger FG KIDS DIRECTOR
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FG STUDENTS (GRADES 6-12) Middle and high school students each meet in high-energy environments designed specifically to meet their needs as they grow in life with Jesus. By the time students graduate high school, our goal is to have them grow in their faith enough to not leave it in their next stage of life. Our middle school students meet together on Sunday mornings, while high school students meet together on Sunday evenings. All students in grades 6-12 come together several times a year on a Sunday night to worship and study together as a united group of FG Students.
TOGETHER IN FAMILIES Our Family Ministry exists to equip, resource, and encourage families in life with Jesus. We seek to partner with parents to help kids and students connect real faith to real life by engaging them in real community, teaching them to understand scripture, and having them experience authentic discipleship. NextGen Baptism—a special family-focused baptism service for kids and teens several times a year on Sunday afternoons. Faith@Home—resource centers, located outside of Auditorium One and throughout our children's areas, filled with resources to address a variety of life stages and situations, including divorced, blended, single, empty 22 nest, young, and old.
meet
Matt Densky NEXTGEN PASTOR
and
Dallas Greenaway STUDENT PASTOR
Faith Kids Classes—for parents and elementary students, to help a child process what it means to trust Christ and grow in relationship with him.
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AS INDIVIDUALS The Bible is the best seller of all time. No other literature comes close. However, we do not pursue a better grasp of Scripture because of this; we do so because of what it claims for itself: it claims to be from God. Personal Bible study is integral to the life of a Christ-follower, as it gives us the opportunity to be in conversation with the very Author of life. The very beginning of Jesus's ministry shows him fighting temptation by citing the Scriptures from memory. Even when he hung on the cross, Jesus used Scripture to express the pain he felt. So if Jesus values God's Word in order to make sense of his own experience, how much more should we?
meet
Jim Thompson EQUIPPING PASTOR
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DAILY BIBLE READING PLAN One of our core values is understanding Scripture. To that end, sometimes we read the Bible for distance and sometimes we read it for depth. In both, the objective is deepening our relationship with Christ through his inspired, perfect Word, and the YouVersion mobile app is a great way to do that. This user-friendly Bible app offers a host of reading plans and a convenient audio feature that allows you to listen on the go.
EQUIPPING STUDIES & CLASSES We also offer Bible studies for men and women to grow in their understanding of God through the Scriptures. These happen at various times throughout the year, on campus, and in homes throughout the Upstate. Here are a few examples: » Men's Bible Study—a study for men that meets throughout the year » AM2PM—a study for moms of preschoolers » Moms with School-Age Kids—a study for moms of students » Precepts—a co-ed inductive Bible study method » Women's Bible Study—for women of all ages and life stages » Singles Fellowship—a study for single and single-again adults » Adult Bible Fellowship—a Sunday AM study for mixed, co-ed adults 25
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life in community
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Authentic Biblical Community
Joining together to hold each other accountable, study God’s Word, and offer support through life’s trials is what we call authentic biblical community. Jesus modeled this by sharing and experiencing life with a circle of friends. Authentic biblical community can happen in a variety of contexts, from inside the church to outside, in schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces. Here are a few ways we see people finding this type of community inside our church.
FOR ADULTS Our community groups provide opportunities to come together regularly for fellowship, Bible study, and prayer in someone’s home. Groups typically include ten to twelve adults of varying ages and stages of life. If you're interested in getting connected through a group like this, please let us know. Once a month, adults who are retired or over the age of sixty gather together in a senior adults group for food, study, and fellowship. These happen on the third Thursday of the month from September to May. 28
FOR KIDS AND STUDENTS All students have the opportunity to find that same biblical community with leaders who reflect Jesus, foster connections, and encourage growth among the group. Elementary and middle school students meet in small groups after their large- group worship and teaching on Sunday mornings. High school small groups meet before programming on Sunday evenings.
meet
Zac Rigsby
COMMUNITY GROUPS PASTOR
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THROUGH CARING FOR ONE ANOTHER Another way we help each other grow, in community, is by sharing and bearing one another’s burdens. Our care ministries offer hope, encouragement, and support to those in a variety of difficult situations. » Hope for Children—a support group for adoptive/foster parents » Career Renewal—email distribution list of job opportunities for anyone currently unemployed or underemployed
» Counseling—lay counselors providing biblical support to individuals and couples » DivorceCare and DivorceCare for Kids (DC4K)—support group for those experiencing separation or divorce » Financial Coaching—trained professionals to provide expert guidance and help put you back on a financially stable path » GriefShare—support group for anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one » Marriage Support—counseling and growth groups to help build stronger marriages and stronger families » Physical Care—team of skilled workers to help with moving or minor home/yard updates for the elderly and single parents » Prayer—for anyone seeking prayer and encouragement
» Single and Parenting—groups who share tips and parenting wisdom to help single parents find rest, hope, and encouragement 30
» Stephen Ministry—one-to-one Christian support for anyone navigating an emotional, physical, or spiritual difficulty or crisis » Taste of Grace—meal support for those recovering from illness, surgery, or loss » Transportation—for those who are not able to drive and need to visit a doctor or run an errand » Visitation—for anyone who is hospitalized or shut-in
» Weddings/Premarital Counseling—for members of Fellowship Greenville and their children
meet
Mike Hawkins CONGREGATIONAL CARE PASTOR
Trenton Stokes LEAD CARE PASTOR
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life on mission
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Serving Selflessly
Living a life on mission for Jesus means reflecting the unconditional and sacrificial love he shows us. Living this kind of love is meant to energize all our relationships: from our marriages to our parenting, from our friendships to our workplaces, and from our families to our interactions with strangers. It's in serving others that we grow to depend on God, learn how he made us, and find where we can contribute to the work of his body. Serving others with no expectation of return is one way we live a life on mission, to see God transform us into a community of grace.
IN OUR CHURCH Hundreds of people serve inside the walls of Fellowship Greenville each week, in areas such as: » Care
» Kids small and large groups
» Communications/Photography
» Prayer
» Communion
» Safety Team
» Community Group Leaders
» Student's small and large groups
» First impressions Team (FIT)
» Worship/Tech team
» Guest Services 35
IN OUR CITY Living a life on mission in Greenville gives us the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with our neighbors. Our Missional Impact team mobilizes us to serve alongside ministry and community partners to address issues like hunger, homelessness, vulnerable children, and the marginalized. Our current partners include: » Safe Harbor
» Piedmont Women’s Center
» Griggs Church
» Homes of Hope
» Harvest Hope Food Bank
» Rebuild Upstate
» Julie Valentine Center
» World Relief
» Miracle Hill Ministries
meet
Jon Powell
EXPANSION PASTOR 36
IN OUR WORLD Through our global outreach, we provide practical opportunities for everyone in our fellowship to engage our world on mission. Fellowship Greenville has developed partnerships with many well-established ministries, to join in what they are already doing to advance the gospel in other parts of the world. Our current partners include: » American Leprosy Missions » Back2Back Ministries » Berlin Ministries International » e3 Partners » Frontline Missions » The Gideons International » Josiah Venture » One Collective » Set Free Alliance » Spread Truth
meet
Cassandra Martin
MISSIONAL IMPACT DIRECTOR 37
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What's your next step?
Is it to grow in your understanding of God? Or experience authentic community? Or use your gifts to serve others? We're so excited to see God transform us—as individuals and as a church community—into a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus. Visit our Next Steps center just outside Auditorium One, or email nextsteps@fellowshipgreenville.org, to start a conversation about what this means for you.
meet
Josh Amos
CONNECTIONS PASTOR
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Join us Sundays: 9:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 5:00 PM 3161 S. Highway 14 Greenville, SC 29615 fellowshipgreenville.org Find us on social media and in the app store.
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