Who We Are/ Why We Are

Welcome.

We are the Grace Communion Church of the Inland Empire, a local congregation of Grace Communion International (GCI), formerly known as the Worldwide Church of God (WCG).

We have been meeting in the Inland Empire since March, 2004. This fairly new church plant began when a small group of GCI members from the parent church in Glendora felt the Inland Empire offered fertile ground for church expansion. "There were vast numbers of uprooted people pouring into the Inland Empire in the middle of the decade, some of them looking for a new church home," said Senior Pastor Neil Earle, "we hoped we could fill that need."

Grace Communion's church experience has been anything but dull, meeting in four locations in five years. Attendance quickly soared to a high of 32 people and then down to a reliable five or ten meeting in a house church format as people continued to move around the region. The Lion's Center East in Rancho Cucamonga was the first home for two years. Along the way, while attendance oscillated, the small church trained worship leaders and even a co-pastoral team for the CGI group now meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mike Paiges family look back on their experience worship-leading and learning the ropes of Discipleship Training in the Lion's Center as vital to their pastoral role in Phoenix. As people moved out to other areas, the small flock moved into a Christian Coffee Shop owned by a friend they had met at the Grape Harvest Festival in Rancho in October, 2006.

The coffee shop was tight but cozy and training in worship leading and preaching continued. For example, the Grundy family from here now helps bring worship to a senior's church in San Dimas. This is the "small church advantage" where almost everyone gets to share in ministry. The Holy Spirit has definitely used this plant as a trainer of people for various ministries. That emphasis continues in its present goal to work through Lessons 1-12 of Discipleship Training in partnership with the Center for Church-Based Training in Richardson, Texas. Even with all this some teens have been offered the chance to attend a Christian summer camp in Big Bear.

When new owners took over the coffee shop on Milliken, the Dan Rogers family kindly offered to host the church in their spacious house in Fontana. That was in November, 2007. As Dan is the Superintendent for CGI Ministers in the United States this was a most logical move. A regular visitor was CGI President Joseph Tkach of Fontana, author of Transformed by Truth, a 1997 Multnomah publication detailing the story of the WCG/CGI? transformation from the fringes of Christianity to a more orthodox, mainstream position. This radical shift from most of the doctrinal positions held by once famed media evangelist Herbert W. Armstrong was described by the late James Kennedy as "more intensive than the Protestant Reformation."

Through it all the church maintains its multi-racial identity, living up to its motto as "a house of prayer for all nations." We have supported teen concerts, the National Day of Prayer, Cucamonga's Grape Harvest Festival, Kids to Camp and the Organization for Reconciliation Ministries' faith-based initiative to being racial peace and healing to our cities (See http://www.atimetoreconcile.org). This remains true even in its present temporary incarnation as a house church in Rialto. Watch this space for further developments. Drop by our lit table at the October Grape Harvest Festival as we partner with Cops and Clergy Network to help resist the growing gang, drugs and gun threat across the Inland Empire. 

WHO: Grace Communion Church, a congregation of Grace Communion International (CGI)

WHAT: A regular Sunday morning multi-racial gathering in a house church format.

WHERE: House church, RIALTO

WHEN: Sunday, 10:30 AM

CONTACT: Pastor Neil Earle (626) 256-4919 or Ron and Susan Boyer (909) 421-2215

WHY: To offer a church home for people seeking fellowship with members of the National Association of Evangelicals, meeting with like-minded folk who heartily endorse orthodox Christian doctrine as expressed in the great creeds.   

MISSION: "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people" (Mark 11:17).