Consistent with Scripture and our Church Covenant, Grace Baptist and its members financially, physically, and prayerfully support several other ministries that allow us to “contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor and the spread of the Gospel through all nations” (from our Church Covenant).  Grace Baptist Supports the following ministries and missions:

9Marks
Access Partners
Birthmothers
Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Central Union Mission
Christian Counseling and Education Foundation
Founders Ministries
International Mission Board
Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia

9Marks

The local church is the focal point of God’s plan for displaying his glory to the nations.  9 Marks’ vision is that “churches reflect the character of God” and its mission is “to cultivate and encourage churches characterized by these nine marks: expositional preaching, Biblical theology, Biblical understanding of the good news, conversion, evangelism, membership, church discipline, Christian discipleship and growth and leadership.”  9marks seeks to reform churches from the dangers of consumerism, cultural accommodation, and theological compromise.

For more information visit 9 Marks’ website.

Access Partners

Access Partners seeks to create businesses that facilitate healthy church planting among the least reached.  Their passion is to see the gospel proclaimed to the nations through the planting of Biblical churches in the 10/40 window.  In some places, worldviews, cultures and even governments are often hostile to Christianity, making the delivery of the Gospel witness increasingly difficult. Viable for-profit businesses can both contribute to a country’s economy and provide sustainability and credibility for those wishing to advance the gospel in that country.  Working together with missions organizations to start up and optimize businesses, they enable church planters to reach otherwise inaccessible locations and communities.

They began as a consulting partner for a partnering sending organization in the 10/40 window and assisted some of their church planting teams in setting up kingdom businesses on the field.  In its first year, Access Partners helped establish two businesses, each supporting 6 church planters. Since then, Access Partners has expanded so that the organization is now supporting over 50 church planters on 12 teams.  Access Partners has launched 4 businesses and is working on 12 new business start-ups in 2009-2010, 3 of which are in cities that currently have no gospel witness.  These businesses will, Lord willing, support an additional 40 church planters.

In short, Access Partners melds the Great Commission with sound business practices for the glory of God.

For more information visit Access Partners’ website.

Birthmothers

Since God is the creator of human life, all human beings belong to God and are made in his image (Genesis 1:26-27).  David tells us that God “knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13) so that he was “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).  He was a human being made in God’s image, which is the fundamental aspect of “personhood” (Psalm 51:5).  We stand with the witness of Scripture and the testimony of the early church that every human being, from conception to natural death, is to be protected as a person created in the image of God whose very life has a special dignity and relationship with the Creator.  We want to be known as people who protect, nurture and cherish children (unborn and born) as the gifts they are from the Lord (Psalm 127:3).

Birthmothers is a faith-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing one-on-one assistance to any woman facing an unplanned pregnancy. Its mission is “to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ by offering unconditional, one-on-one support and life-affirming, adoption-informing resources to any woman who faces an unplanned pregnancy.” They have a vision of the body of Christ collaborating to love, serve, and support those who face an unplanned pregnancy.

Birthmothers provides pregnancy, adoption, and post-abortion resources consistent with their values of life, unconditional love, relational evangelism, faithfulness, community, and adoption.

For more information visit Birthmothers’ website.

Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

Founded in 1987 by a group of pastors and scholars, the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) was started to address the expanding influence of feminism in evangelical churches and its corresponding widespread compromising of the biblical understanding of the rolls of men and women.   In opposition to the growing movement of feminist egalitarianism, they articulated what is now known as the complementarian position, which affirms that men and women are equal in the image of God, but maintain complementary differences in role and function.

“The vision of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is to see the vast majority of evangelical homes, churches, academic institutions, and other ministries adopt the principles of the Danvers Statement as a part of their personal convictions and doctrinal confessions and apply them in consistent, heart-felt practice.”

CBMW provides scholarly articles and research and other resources.

For more information visit CBMW’s website.

Central Union Mission

With as many as 12,000 men, women and children in the Washington area living without a home, there is a great need for hope – not just physically but spiritually.  The Central Union Mission’s purpose is “to glorify God through proclaiming and teaching the gospel, leading people to Christ, developing disciples, and serving the needs of hurting people throughout the Washington metropolitan area.”

Founded in 1884, the Central Union Mission is the oldest social service agency in the District of Columbia.  Today, Central Union Mission is a faith-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with four locations throughout the Washington area. It operates an 18-month rehabilitation program for men with life-controlling issues, a free meals program, a clothing and furniture distribution center, and a 220-acre retreat center with a camp for underprivileged children and recreation facilities for the community.

For more information visit Central Union Mission’s website.

Christian Counseling and Education Foundation

The Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF) was founded in 1968 to restore Christ to counseling and counseling to the church.  By probing the depths of Scripture for wisdom, CCEF seeks to apply Biblical solutions and principles to the problems of daily life.  Knowing that true personal change and hope comes only to sinful hearts through the work of Christ, they seek to equip Christians with the grace-centered message of his Word.

CCEF also understands the central importance of the body of Christ as the primary mechanism through which God transforms lives.  By partnering with local churches, their counseling focus is fundamentally a promotion of that ministry in changing lives of Christians and non-Christians alike.

They accomplish their mission through a combination of counseling, training, publications, and conferences.  With counseling focuses on personal, marriage, and family issues, CCEF trains pastors, counselors and church members in partnership with several seminaries.

For more information visit CCEF’s website.

Founders Ministries

Founders Ministries is committed to the teaching and promotion of historic baptist principles as expressed in the Doctrines of Grace.  Its theological framework is the first recognized confession of faith that Southern Baptists produced, The Abstract of Principles. Founders encourages the return to and promulgation of the biblical gospel that our Southern Baptist forefathers held dear.

“The purpose of Founders Ministries is the recovery of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in the reformation of local churches. [They] believe intrinsic to this recovery is the promotion of the Doctrines of Grace in their experiential application to the local church particularly in the areas of worship and witness.”

Founders seeks to accomplish these goals through a variety of means focusing on conferences and including publication, education, pastoral training and other opportunities. Each of the ministries will be developed with special attention to achieve a healthy integration of doctrine and devotion.

For more information visit Founders Ministries’ website.

International Mission Board

Formed in the mid-nineteenth century, the International Mission Board (IMB) is an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) designed to make disciples of all peoples in fulfillment of the Great Commission.  Grace Baptist is in friendly cooperation with the SBC.

The IMB seeks to evangelize through proclamation, discipleship, and ministry that results in indigenous reproducing Baptist churches. They help to facilitate the direct involvement of local churches in the Great Commission and the sending of missionaries to bring all peoples to faith in Jesus Christ.  Since its founding, the IMB has sent more than 20,000 missionaries abroad.

For more information visit the IMB’s website.

Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia

The Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (SBCV) exists to multiply, mature, and mobilize churches for the glory of God especially in Virginia.  The SBCV is a state convention within the Southern Baptist Convention, and it seeks to provide resources for enabling churches to fulfill the great commission.  Grace Baptist is in friendly cooperation with the SBCV.

For more information visit the SBCV’s website.