From FBC Greenhills to Gracehills Church in 2025

Dear Church Family 

Over the last year and a half, we have embarked on a new season of ministry as a church. God has given us a fresh mission to see lives transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, a fresh vision to be an uncompromising, diverse community of believers unified in Christ, bringing hope to a lost and dying world through personal sacrifice and risk. A new set of values like radical diversity, authentic community, uncompromising holiness, unwavering unity, sacrificial generosity, undeniable hope, and unfathomable risk to help guide us as we move forward 

With these changes, the leadership has been seeking God's guidance through prayer and discussion, internally and externally, with other ministry leaders on another important change – the name of our church. Our current name, First Baptist Church of Greenhills, has served us well. The name was a reflection of who we were and who we were trying to reach. It has been a banner under which countless prayers were lifted, lives transformed, and the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed. However, as the culture has shifted, the community has changed, and our church has adapted, our current name does not speak to who we are.

 
As our church enters a new season of ministry, we believe our name should reflect and encapsulate the new mission, vision, and values. Our church is more than just people from Greenhills. We have members from many different backgrounds, economically, ethnically, generationally, and denominationally. Our mission and vision is to reach people not just in Greenhills but also in the surrounding communities and to the ends of the earth. We desire to have a name that doesn't just speak to our physical location but one that expresses the hope found in Jesus.

 
We know that change is difficult because it represents the ending of something that carries memories and sentiments of a past time. Rest assured, our doctrine and beliefs are NOT changing. In fact, leadership has been working hard to further solidify our beliefs and positions as a church by adding Scripture to our statement of faith and affirming in writing our view on marriage, gender, and sexuality.

 
Our church has strong Baptist roots. These roots have helped shape who we are today, and we will always be Baptistic in nature. We are not Baptist because we are part of a denomination but because we believe it is biblical. However, the term "Baptist" is one that causes a lot of confusion in our culture and has an overall negative connotation. Many see the name as divisive; others see it as legalistic, while others see it as judgmental. In fact, there are over 50 distinct Baptist denominations in the world, and depending on a person's experience, they might have stereotypes that keep them from engaging.

 
We are not looking to rebrand; we desire to communicate better who we are and WHO we represent. In prayerful consideration, leadership has envisioned a name that resonates with the heartbeats of our members and the wider community. A name that speaks to our commitment to seeing live's transformed by the grace of God through loving others and putting our values in action.

Gracehills Church has a vibrant future and a deep desire to be faithful stewards of God's vision. Our goal is to begin operating under the name Gracehills Church by January 1st, 2025. In the coming weeks, we want to hear from you. We know that the church is made up of people who have served and continue to serve faithfully. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to ask 

In His Service  

Brandon Shaffer 

Lead Pastor Gracehills Church