Grace Haven Columbia

Carrying out God’s mandates of exaltation, edification, education, and evangelism


 

Grace Haven Columbia is an EPC (Evangelical Presbyterian Church Denomination) house church plant in Columbia, South Carolina. We are a family of believers committed to Christ, the Scriptures, and to one another. We seek to carry out God’s mandates of exaltation, edification, education, and evangelism. We are authentic people who recognize our redemption in Christ, and we want to see Him glorified in our lives and in our community.

We desire to look like the first century church and the book of Acts gives us some great snapshots of that. Chapter two, verse 42 says, “And they continued in the Apostles teaching and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayer. Let’s look at that for a moment.

Baptism

The “Apostles teaching” would certainly be a continuation of what Jesus Himself taught. As time passed, the Holy Spirit breathed through the writers of the New Testament and these teachings were shared with the different congregations. Today we have the complete New Testament.

The “breaking of bread” would be enjoying meals together, but would also include celebrating the Lord’s Supper together. The last part of the verse mentions prayer, which should always be part of gathering in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Many of the early churches met in homes.

          “….and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Acts 2:46b”

          “Likewise greet the church which is in their house. Romans 16:5”

          “The churches of Asia greet you, Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in your house. 1 Corinthians 16:9

          “To the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house. Philemon 2”

At Grace Haven, we worship together in different members’ homes where hospitality is extended to us. We understand that worship is not about where you meet, but rather the sprit in which you meet. These settings are comfortable, welcoming, and Christ centered.

We would love for you to join us on Sunday morning, at 10:00 a.m. Check out our “Events” page for locations on any Sunday.

Jaye Morgan

Pastor


Jaye Morgan serves as pastor at Grace Haven Columbia. He is a graduate of Columbia Bible College and Columbia Biblical Seminary. Following his graduation from seminary, he served for 8 years as administrative faculty at CIU. He has also enjoyed leading worship and speaking at various retreats and conferences. In 1997, he left CIU to step into fulltime church ministry and, eventually, pastoral ministry where he is passionate about teaching and moving people closer to understanding their true identity in Christ.

Jaye is married to Mary Dale and, in addition to their love for music, they enjoy spending time with their children: Josh, Brandon, Sarah, and Daniel, and their grandchildren: Gideon, Sam, and Frances.

 

Open bible

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32

As a Pastor, I seek to encourage believers to live out of their true identity in Christ, to walk by the Spirit, and to grow in their relationship with the Lord.

I am well aware that our walk of faith is a difficult one through a fallen world. We are in the world but not of the world, yet we sometimes stumble. That is when a Pastor needs to come alongside to encourage, extend grace, and exhort to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

I like what Pastor Sinclair Ferguson said in his Marrow Controversy Lectures:

“But when your people have been broken by sin and have fallen into temptation and are ashamed to confess the awful mess they have made of their life, it is not a Calvinistic pastor who has been sanctified by vinegar that they need. It is a pastor who has been mastered by the unconditional, free grace of God. It is a pastor from whom ironclad orthodoxy has been torn away and the whole armor of a gracious God has been placed upon his soul—the armor of one who would not break the bruised reed or quench the dimly burning wick.

You see, my friends, as we think together in these days about a Godly pastor we have to ask, what is a Godly pastor? A Godly pastor is one who is like God, who has a heart of free grace running after those who have sinned (emphasis mine). The Godly pastor is the one who sees the prodigal and runs and falls on his neck and weeps and kisses him and says, “This my son was dead, he was lost and now he is alive and found.”

Pastors, when those who have sinned are drowning, don’t tell them to paddle harder and kick faster. Throw them the life-line of amazing grace.”

Joe Simoneau

Elder


Joe Simoneau serves as ruling elder at Grace Haven Columbia. He is employed as a controller for a local construction company. He is a member of Sandlappers Singers, a local coral group. Joe has served in the capacity of deacon, elder and treasurer for this church and others in the Columbia area for the last 48 years. He is currently serving on the board of directors for the US office of an international mission agency. Joe finds joy in using the gifts God has given him in serving others.

Joe is married to Pat and they are parents of five grown children: Daniel, Mark (Jessie), Christy (Emanuel), Phillip, and Robert. They are also grandparents to Josephine, William, Matilda, Isabella, and Theodore.

Richard Cummings

Elder


Richard Cummings serves as an elder at Grace Haven Columbia. He has worked in various positions in the field of developmental disabilities for over 38 years. Although he is semi-retired, Richard continues to work part-time in this field. He spends most of his free time working on projects around his home and walking for exercise. He and his wife provide their home two times a month for Sunday worship, record the weekly sermons, as well as manage the church website and social media sites. His wife teaches bible lessons to the church children.

Richard is married to Sheila, and they have two grown sons, Jared and Logan, as well as two little dogs, Copper and Pip.

 

Missions

                                                


 

At Grace Haven Columbia, we take seriously Jesus’ words from Matthew 28:18-20. He said, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

We currently support a husband and wife team doing evangelism in Southern Asia with the EPC. We also support a Christian counselor with Abundant Grace International, helping people to understand their identity in Christ and teaching them to walk in the victory that Christ provides.