Pastor Greg Austin stands in front of Gardiner Community Church, where he’s served for five years. The church was founded in 1954. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash


Sequim Gazette staff

“Everybody is welcome in our midst,” said Greg Austin, pastor of the Gardiner Community Church. “When you walk into this church, you don’t feel any kind of attitude. People say, ‘I feel like I’ve come home.’ We’re just who we are. We’re genuine, loving people.”

 

The church’s stated mission is to glorify God, to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and to extend his love to all people.

 

“This is a church that prays and we’ve seen incredible answers to prayer all over the world,” Austin said. “We continue reaching out to the Gardiner, Diamond Point, Sequim and Port Townsend areas and wherever God directs us. We’re continually becoming aware of ministry opportunities all over the world.”

Austin has been a pastor for 37 years in churches of 70-3,500 people.

 

“When we came to Gardiner, we weren’t looking for a church pastorate. These people grew in our hearts,” Austin said. “We’ve seen that replicated in everyone who comes here.”

 

Gardiner Community Church has an average attendance of 70.

 

“A small community church offers a connectedness and a sense of family oftentimes a larger church can’t provide,” Austin said.

 

Service music consists of traditional hymns and choruses. Austin said that although the church doesn’t have youth services, members would be more than willing to provide them.

 

Church members support the following missions:
• River of Life Care Home in Romania, a home for unwed mothers and for senior citizens
• Care Net
• Terry and Darla Janke in Macedonia
• Marjane Olason, dental hygienist with the Sea Star Foundation
• Darrell and Sherri Beebe of 2BForgiving
• Gideons International
• The Kingdom is Near
Austin said one of the most rewarding ministries at the church is a quarterly care package program for deployed Air Force special operations personnel.

Basic tenets of Gardiner Community Church

• Inspiration of the Scriptures — Both the Old and New Testaments are the verbally inspired revelation of God to man.

 

• The Holy Trinity — One infinite God eternally exists in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; coexistent, coequal and coeternal.

 

• Jesus Christ — Jesus pre-existed as one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, became incarnate through the virgin birth, was sinless in life and died as a substitute and atonement for all who believe. He was resurrected and ascended to the Father, where he intercedes for us as believers. On his imminent personal return, he will receive the church unto him.

 

• The Holy Spirit — The gift of the Holy Spirit, his power and work in the life of the believer, reveals Jesus Christ for living and for ministry.

 

• Salvation — Man is a sinner and salvation is received through repentance and accepting the salvation offered through Jesus Christ. Justification is by faith in the atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. •

Sanctification — Salvation is implemented as we begin a daily walk in “newness of life.” Sanctification is instantaneous at salvation and also progressive, and continues as we walk “in holiness,” empowered and enabled to do so by the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

• The Church — The local church is a body of believers in Jesus Christ who are joined together for the worship of God, prayer, fellowship, the proclamation of the Gospel, growth through the word of God, and observance of the ordinances of the Lord’s Supper and water baptism. The “church” of God consists of those who have received Jesus Christ as their personal and only savior. There is also the church “universal” — the church with no boundaries — unseen throughout the world but recorded in God’s book of life in heaven.

 

Gardiner Community Church

1040 Old Gardiner Road, Gardiner
Phone: 360-797-0044
Website: www.gardinercommunitychurch.org
E-mail: gaustin218@aol.com
Pastor: Greg Austin; board of elders Jon Harrison,
Ron Henderson, Marty Pearson and Ted Mata
Church office hours: 9:30 a.m.-noon
Tuesdays and Thursdays 

Services:
• Sunday service: 10:30 a.m.
• Bible Study, 7 p.m Wednesdays
• Bible study, 1 p.m. first and third Thursdays,
at Helen Dent’s, 1281 Old Gardiner Road   
• Prayer circle, 10 a.m. Fridays
• Fellowship, 9:30 a.m. second Saturday of each month

For a Spiritual Spotlight on your church, spiritual group and/or event contact Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.