Grace Church Aurora (GCA) is an independent, non-denominational Bible church.  We were established on May 31, 1981 as a church plant by an assembly of believers now known as South Fellowship. A group from "South" had met as a Sunday School class for about a year, and eighty-seven from that class who lived in Aurora begain meeting at Mracheck Middle School in Aurora.  The mother church provided Senior Pastor Kent Tucker, Associate Pastor Jim Demolar, and shortly thereafter Ron Cobble as Director of Children's Ministries.

In mid-1983, GCA moved to Chambers Point Shopping Center at Mexico and Chambers where we met for the next twenty years.  That same year, the church purchased 51 acres of land east of Aurora in hopes it would be instrumental in helping us to have a permanent church home.  An economic recession stalled that dream for a while.

In the intervening years, Grace enjoyed the help and support of many full and part-time staff members.  Under the leadership of Greg and Mari West and Darrell Cosden, students at Denver Seminary, Grace enjoyed a strong youth ministry.  After they graduated, they left Grace for other ministries.  David Chambless served as Minster of Music for a time.  Melanie Beckstrom was hired from within Grace as Children's Director, remaining with us until her husband, Gary, was transferred to San Diego.  She was briefly succeeded by Don Stahl who eventually moved to New Mexico.  Steve Sartin, a former Continental Singer, served as Director of Music.  Rob and Karen Shive assisted us as youth ministers before moving to Michigan.  We have been blessed to have such quality people working for us.

Kent Tucker remained as Senior Pastor until June 1990 when God directed him toward a different ministry.  He returned to California to become Associate Pastor of Adult Ministry at Hillside Community Church in Alta Loma.  During the year-long search for a permanent replacement, Marv Wooten served as interim pastor with an Elder, George Goolde, assisting in preaching and teaching.  In June 1991, Larry Hoskins joined us as Senior Pastor and is still serving in that capacity today.

It has been our privilege to send many missionaries.  The Gallop family served for many years in Niger.  Linda Collins has served in the inner city in Denver.   In 1986, the Senior High youth group along with several adult leaders participated in a week-long missions trip to the Mexicali Valley in Baja California Norte, Mexico under the auspices of Azusa Pacific University. For over twenty years, we enjoyed the privilege of sending a team to the same small village of Tlaxcala.  Our ministry there grew from simply a Vacation Bible School program to various ministries for every age group in the village.  We also sent a team to Houma, Louisiana to help with the relief effort from Hurricane Katrina, and we have sent two teams to Ensenada, ministering much as we did in Tlaxcala.

The vision of Grace had always looked towards building a permanent facility.  So, when interest revived and when economic conditions opened the door to sell the land purchased in 1983, the Land Committee earnestly looked for a buyer.  That sale took place in March of 2000.

Subsequently, the Facility Action Committee (FAC) was formed to investigate future possibilities for Grace Church.  Under the leadership of Al Quintana, the FAC finally decided to purchase land.  A 4.51 acre parcel close to Tower and Hampden looked promising as a central location, but the asking price of $785,000 was far out of our price range of $500,000 to $535,000.  The leadership decided to use the property as a "practice run" on how to present a buyer's proposal.  We offered $520,000, were countered by the owners, and then made a final offer of $535,000 that was accepted by the City of Aurora!

In 2004, GCA moved into our new facility of almost 9,000 square feet pictured on our Home Page.  We continue to love the Lord, to love each other, and to reach into the community with the Gospel and the faithful teaching of the Word of God as we seek to fulfill our purpose: 

To glorify God by lovingly making disciples who worship and obediently serve Him.

A weekly prayer time is hosted by the Senior Pastor on Sunday afternoon at 4:15PM in his office.  If you are interested in learning more about this ministry, you may contact the Pastor.  All are welcome!

Quotes on Prayer:

Books on Prayer:

Power Through Prayer:  E. M. Bounds

The Possibilities of Prayer:  E. M. Bounds

The Necessity of Prayer:  E. M. Bounds

The Weapon of Prayer:  E. M. Bounds

We currently have three Adult Bible Fellowships (ABF's)  — a women only ABF, a men only ABF, and one mixed adult ABF.  These fellowships meet during the Sunday School hour from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m, preceded by refreshments available in the foyer at 9:15 a.m.

For our Ladies . . .

**Extra copies of the book are available for purchase at $10, but if you cannot afford a book, don't let that keep you from coming!

Join us for a wonderful time of teaching and fellowship every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM in the education wing.

For Men Only . . .

This class is currently studying the book of James  -- a plea for practical, authentic Christianity.  How does a Christian man respond to trials, to temptation and the Word of God?  How does one eliminate prejudice and change from indifference and intellectualism to faith in action?  How does a follower of Christ control the tongue, the heart, and the will.  Lastly, how does an authentic Christian properly handle finances, sickness, and sin in his own life or in that of his fellow believer?  One of our Elders, Jeff Cooper, a former Marine E-9, will be teaching.  This class will meet in room next to the Pastor's Study in the GCA Office.  We invite you to join us in our attempt to grow as men.

For Mixed Adults . . .

Taught by one of our Elders, Carl Elliott, our Mixed Adult ABF currently meets next to the pre-school room from 9:30-10:30 on Sunday mornings. This ABF has just finished up the 12 Ordinary Men study of the lives of the disciples and will be starting a study through the Old Testament book of Ezekiel on 8/8/10. We will look at the life of Ezekiel, as a prophet of God, and see how he dealt with the many difficult situations in which he became involved. Asking the question, Is there something we can glean from Ezekiel’s life that will help us deal with the society in which we live?

Fellowship times with other members of the Body of Christ is the place where lives are formed and transformed.  One of the places fellowship blooms at Grace Church Aurora is in small groups where people meet together to pray, to study the Bible, and to grow together.  The Elders of GCA sincerely encourage everyone who attends to become a part of a small group.  Talk with the leaders of these groups, and then visit different ones until you find the one that best fits you.

You may contact our Small Group Leaders here. 

"How blessed is he man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stand in the path of sinners,

nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and in His law he meditates day and night.

He will be like a tree

firmly planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in its season

and its leaf does not wither;

and in whatever he does, he prospers."

Psalm 1:1-3 (NASU)

A definition of authentic, biblical Manhood:  A man is someone who rejects passivity, accepts responsibilty, leads courageously, and lives for the greater reward -- God's reward.  -- Robert Lewis in Men's Fraternity

Men's Adult Bible Fellowship -- This class is currently studying the book of James  -- a plea for practical, authentic Christianity.  How does a Christian man respond to trials, to temptation and the Word of God?  How does one eliminate prejudice and change from indifference and intellectualism to faith in action?  How does a follower of Christ control the tongue, the heart, and the will.  Lastly, how does an authentic Christian properly handle finances, sickness, and sin in his own life or in that of his fellow believer?  One of our Elders, Jeff Cooper, a former Marine E-9, will be teaching.  This class will meet in room next to the Pastor's Study in the GCA Office.  We invite you to join us in our attempt to grow as men.

B.R.E.W.-- Our men meet most Saturday mornings at Joe Junk's home for B.R.E.W. (Building Relationships Every Week).  They enjoy light refreshments in a come and go as you please format from 7 - 9 a.m.  If you are interested, contact Joe Junk.

Caveman Connection -- If you are interested in our regular e-mail communications for GCA's Men's Ministry, contact Carl Elliott, one of our Elders, and he will put you on the list.

Activities:  Watch for updates as new events are planned.

Iron Sharpens Iron Conference -- Click on this link at the Colorado location to join us at at an event sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Men's Ministry Network on April 10, 2010 in Fort Collins for this day-long (8:30 a.m. - 4:55 p.m.) national-level conference.  Your choice of fourteen break-out sessions will be offered from men of all ages:  Emerging Men (ages 13-19), Pioneering Men (ages 20 -29), Full Throttle Men (ages 30-55), and Seasoned Men (age 55+).  Many men's ministry exhibits will also be available.  Registration starts at $39 for a group rate of at least 10 men.

"Masculinity is a God-given trust for the good of all His creatures, not a right for men to exercise for their own self-exaltation or ego satisfaction.  It is less a prerogative than a calling.  It is a duty and obligation and charge.  Like all God's requirements, it is not meant to be onerous or burdensome (1 Jn. 5:3).  But it is nevertheless a burden to be borne, and which in Christ can be borne lightly (Mt. 11:30)." -- John Piper

from Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womandhood, p. 37

Edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem

 In studying the Scriptures, men have four primary roles:

1. Image Bearer -- Our lives are to be mirrors that reflect our Creator (Gen. 1:26).
2. Care-taker/Cultivator -- Working and providing were our responsibility, even before the Fall, and continues to be so (Gen. 2:15).  Because of the Fall, we can expect work to be hard (Gen. 3:17-19).
3. Leader/Warrior -- We have a spiritual enemy (Eph. 2:1-2) that we must fight only in the strength of the Lord, being armed in His armor (1 Cor. 16:13; Eph. 6:10-18).
4. Sage/Teacher -- We get godly wisdom from God's Word, and we teach it as we learn it, live it as godly examples, and pass it on to others (James 1:5; Ezra 7:10; 2 Tim. 2:2).

For men who are not content to remain where they are and who earnestly desire to become the kind of men God has call us all to be, we encourage you listen to Part 10 of the sermon series, Trials, entitled, Of Marriage and Men, by Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church.  Mark's message is speaking to men in a no-nonsense tone that shows that he means business.  Evident throughout the message are his heart for God, for men, and for God's church.  We share Mark's heart.  We believe that God means business with us and that He intends for us to mean business with Him and with His purposes for our lives.  If you want to be a better man, this message is a great place to start.

Grace Church Aurora
Ladies Sunday School Class
9:15 a.m. — 10:30 a.m.

Starting June 7, 2009, the Ladies Sunday School Class will begin a new study. We’ve chosen a book authored by Kay Arthur titled “Lord I Want To Know You.”

A small excerpt from Kay Arthur’s introduction…

Lord I Want To Know You has been used by God in over two hundred
thousand lives in more than sixty languages around the word. Its content is
foundational to our faith—to our lives.

Daniel 11:32, a passage in which the context is a crisis of faith, assures
us that “the people who know their God will display strength and take action.”
In other words, when we know God as He really is, there’s a power in our
lives—the ability to stand firm.

Please consider joining us each Sunday morning as we explore God’s Word on this very compelling subject. We have copies of the book available "just waiting to be shared.” To start, there will be no homework, rather; we will endeavor to study one chapter per week together in class.

Sandy Phelps, Cindy Giglio and Kathy Cooper will be leading this study. Class “officially” begins at 9:30 a.m., however as our ladies tend to have lots to discuss…we continue to purpose to have the Ladies Sunday School Room “ready for action” by 9:15 a.m. Hot coffee and Tea (occasionally with munchies) will be provided. We'll use that time 9:15 a.m. - to around - 9:40 a.m. to talk about our week, discuss prayer requests and praises...always opening in prayer....and then "attempt" (ha!) to start with the class no later than 9:45 a.m., dismissing at 10:30 a.m.

If you have any questions regarding this study or Ladies Sunday School Class, please feel free to contact Sandy, Kathy or Cindy.

“Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths;
 guide me in Your truth and teach me,
for You are God my Savior,
and my hope is in You all day long.”
(Psalm 25: 4-5)

**Extra copies of the book are available for purchase at $10, but if you cannot afford a book, don't let that keep you from coming!

Looking ahead (mark your calendars):

Friday, February 5, 2010 -- Paper Crafting Evening at GCA 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

This evening will be hosted by Tonya Wright who will be assisted by other very talented Women from Grace.  That's right . . . there will be plenty of "expert" assistance for those of us who might be "challenged" but ready to "learn" in this area (ha!)  We'll have more information so share regarding this event, so make sure you check your bulletin each week as well as this website for updates. 

Got Questions?

If you need any help in answering questions about the Christian faith feel free to e-mail or call the church, and we will do our best to help you. 

Need Answers?

For those of you seeking to learn how to defend your faith against the questions or attacks of others, be sure to check out the Links tab on our Home Page, and look under the section on Apolgetics.  You'll find many resources there to assist you.

You're Important!

GCA cares about students and singles who live locally or who may be separated from their families and church homes by college or career.  We would love to get to know you better and together, we can learn how to help each other.  Please accept our open invitation to consider making GCA your church home . . . or your home away from home.

The words of Jesus Christ, “Go, make disciples of all nations,” have always been the heartbeat of GCA.  For over twenty years, we have sent teams of adults and young people to Mexico, and more recently, a team to Louisiana to assist with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.  We have also enjoyed the opportunity to send college-age students and adults who so desire on short-term missions trips. 

From these efforts and from GCA’s overall ministry, several have gone from our church into full-time missionary work for a time, and some continue to this day.

Below is a list of the missions organizations we support with prayer and, in some cases, with financial support as we are able.  We also seek to build long-term relationships with missionaries.

To learn more about these organizations or the missionaries associated with them, click on the links associated with them (links for some are unavailable):

AWANA – Chad & Karen Smith (Front Range Ministries)

Abundant Life Ministries – A community Bible Study, reaching women locally (Aurora, CO)

Campus Crusade for Christ – International Staff (Far East Asia)

Christian Military Fellowship – Bob & Nancy Flynn (Denver, CO)

FamilyLife Ministries – Bob & Debbie Anderson (Little Rock, AR)

The Gideons International – Local businessmen and their wives distributing Bibles and Testaments

Open Door Fellowship Church – Linda Collins -- Inner City Women’s Ministries (Denver, CO)

SIM-USA – Joe & Linda Gallop -- TEN3 -- Transformation Education Network (Houghton, NY)

Slavic Gospel Association -- Nikolay & Lyuba Palamarchuk -- Church Planting (Vartikovtsi District, Chernovtsi Region, Ukraine)

Atonement (the Sr. High Youth Ministry) meets every Wednesday at GCA from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  We spend time getting to know one another better through interaction that comes from listening to music and playing games while discussing the current societal expectations of teenagers. We are currently studying the concept of “doing hard things” and "rebelution" against the low expectations society has placed on teenagers, using the book, Do Hard Things, by Alex & Brett Harris, incorporated with applicable Bible study.  If you would like more information, please contact our Elder, Carl Elliott, who together with his wife, Teal, is leading this ministry.

On Sunday mornings, from 9:30 - 10:30, our students also gather in a Sunday School class to study God's Word together, pray, and build relationships.  Currently, we are studying the Genesis, the book of beginnings.  This ministry is led by our pastor, Larry Hoskins.  We hope you will join us.

Our Middle School youth group (for grades 6 - 8) meets from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Church.  For more information, contact the Jr. High Youth Leaders.

On Sunday mornings, from 9:30 - 10:30, our students also gather in a Sunday School class to study God's Word together, pray, and build relationships.  This ministry is led by our pastor, Larry Hoskins.  We hope you will join us.

Children were important to Jesus, and they are important to us! We love our children and desire to help them become disciples of Jesus Christ at every age.

We provide educational opportunities for every age group from Nursery to 5th Grade, after which they transition to our Middle School and High School ministries.

GCA offers the following Children's Ministries:

• Sunday School -- We offer classes for Nursery, Pre-school (2's and 3's), Grades 1-3, and Grades 4-5.
• Children's Church-- Children, Grades Kindergarten through 6th Grade join the whole church during the first part of the worship service and are then dismissed for children's church. This ministry is held most Sundays during the school year, except on Communion Sundays approximately every six weeks.
• Nursery & Pre-school -- These ministries run concurrently during both Sunday School and the Worship Service. We have a two-part nursery ministry -- one for sleeping, and one for playing and for being held. Instruction is given to children, even at this young age! Our nursery is located close to the worship area. Toys are sanitized each week.
• Awana -- See our Awana-GCA tab on the web site under Grace Life at the top of our Home Page for more information.
• Vacation Bible School -- This ministry is usually held during the summer for five week-day evenings loaded with lots of fun and instruction!   VBS for 2011 will be held July 11-15, from 6 - 8 p.m.  Register or volunteer on the VBS tab on our Home Page.
• Special Programs -- As we have volunteers who so desire, our children are prepared to minister to our larger congregation in plays or presentations that require extra commitment and preparation. If you want your heart warmed, you will not want to miss one of these!

Safety: For your child's protection, our children's workers have attended our church for at least six months (rare exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis by Elder-approved leadership). All workers have background checks before they are permitted to work with our children. Children also are signed in and out of each class, and a hallway monitor watches out for strangers and checks in on the classes during Sunday School and Church times. Additionally, every classroom door has a window for easy visibility. For more information about our children's ministry, contact our Church Office.  

Grace Church Aurora Awana Clubs

Awana Clubs are getting ready to start at Grace Church Aurora for 2010 - 2011. 

Registration for Sunday Night clubs is at GCA on August 29, 2010 from 4-5 p.m. with a special discount.  Registration can also be done Sunday Sept 5th and 12th prior to the church service.

REGISTRATION FORM:  Complete and bring to speed up registration.

2010-2011 GCA Awana Manual:  Includes theme nights and times.

We are so excited to see all of the GCA kids and our neighbors for another great year of eager learning about our Lord Jesus Christ.   Regular registrations can always be done before any AWANA meeting throughout the year.

Awana (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed) comes from 2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB), "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."  Awana is an international youth ministry committed to "reaching boys and girls with the gospel of Christ and training them to serve Him." 

Club activities each Awana night include:

 Game Time -- Clubbers play games on the unique Awana game square.

Handbook Time -- Clubbers work through age-appropriate handbooks, memorizing Bible verses and doing activities, while earning awards based on their efforts.

Council Time -- Clubbers hear Bible stories and age-appropriate lessons based on Christian principles.

Club names and their age groups:

 Sunday Nights (4:15 - 6:00 p.m., starting September 12, 2010) 

Cubbies:  3 and 4 year olds

Sparks:  Kindergarten through 2nd Grade

T&T (Truth and Training):  3rd Grade through 6th Grade

Monday Nights (6:45 - 8:30 p.m., starting August 23, 2010)

Trek:  7th and 8th Grade

Journey 24/7:  Senior High

Note:  Many of our Trek and Journey students assist with the Cubbies, Sparks, and T&T on Sunday nights as well.

Contact the Awana Commander for more information or for ideas for this year.  

Click here for more information about Awana Clubs.