Two Year
Ministry Plan

Just Serve Day is becoming a special focus in the spring for Grace Church, and it has grown exponentially over recent years. It’s a day we invest in coming alongside community partners, Grace ministries, and members within our church body to show them the love of Christ in tangible ways. Here are some fast facts about this year’s Just Serve Day:

Five weekends

Ten campuses

Serving over 60 organizations, Grace ministries, and Grace families

1500 members participating

One of our service sites was Neighborhood Focus in Berea, and Director Keith Groce shared this about their experience:

“This weekend we were blessed to have this awesome crew from Grace Church TR come in and tackle several projects at Neighborhood Focus. They did lots of outdoor maintenance, assembled our new soccer goals, fixed our (extra strength) water fountain, built raised beds . . . the list goes on and on! It was 42 degrees when they arrived, and everyone came in with such a joyful spirit.”

This is just a small glimpse of how Just Serve Day impacts our community, and we are so thankful for the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those around us. Will you join us in celebrating how God has worked through these connections and pray for continued outreach into our local communities? To learn more about Outreach at Grace, click below.

One of our ministry partners is JUMPSTART—a gospel-centered organization that disciples current and former prisoners and assists with re-entry to society. One of JUMPSTART’s current initiatives is the construction of Restoration Village located in Spartanburg county. The Village will provide a community for those re-entering society from prison in a setting that prepares them to be productive citizens. In this type of supportive community setting, participants will have more intimate discipleship opportunities and be better equipped to both serve one another and grow in spiritual maturity.

The grand opening for Restoration Village is quickly approaching—three of the 22 homes will be open by mid June, and JUMPSTART is currently raising funds for the remaining homes. To watch a full update on the project, click below to watch a news story from WYFF4.

We are thankful to be a small part of this project through financial support and the volunteer contributions of many of our members. Please join us in prayer around this new community, both those serving and those being served. When complete, Restoration Village will be able to house 126 individuals. What an exciting opportunity for life-on-life discipleship to take place in our communities.

One of our local partners is Jasmine Road—a two-year residential program for women recovering from human trafficking, prostitution, and addiction. Last month, we were excited to celebrate along with Jasmine Road as they opened a second safe home, tripling their capacity from 5 to 15 beds to serve female survivors.

Supporting this endeavor along multiple fronts, Grace donated $125,000 towards the renovation, and many of the contractors were Grace members who offered their services free of charge. We were blessed to come alongside Bon Secours, North Hills Community Church, NewSpring Church, Fellowship Greenville, and other local organizations to make this safe haven a reality. At the ribbon cutting, teaching pastor Bill White took part in blessing the house along with a Catholic priest from Bon Secours.

Beth Messick, Executive Director of Jasmine Road, had this to say about opening the new facility:

“The need is great for women in our community as Greenville County continues to be in the top five counties in the state for reported human trafficking cases. . . . We are incredibly grateful to see churches, hospitals, and community partners come together to bring the opportunity to heal and flourish to more women in our community.”

The new site includes a residential safe home with space to safely house eight women. There is an additional building on site with two transitional and independent living apartments as well as a workspace where women can learn job skills to help restore their independence.

Please join us in thanking God for this opportunity to serve the vulnerable in our community and pray for the women who will live here—that they would experience physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. To learn more about Jasmine Road and other local partners, click below.

For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “yes!” 2 Corinthians 1:20

What do five Old Testament characters have to do with Good Friday? Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jeremiah all represent different facets of God’s promise to restore fallen creation and bless his people. And ultimately, God’s promise is fulfilled in the perfect life, sacrificial death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Last week on Good Friday, our church family got to experience Promises: Kept in Jesus. Families across all campuses explored these Old Testament characters and their stories, learned how they point us towards God’s faithfulness, participated in interactive activities, and took communion in remembrance of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. It was a unique, helpful way to process and engage the Easter story, and we are thankful for the opportunity to experience the Bible in a new way.

Celebrating baptism at Easter has long been a special time for our Grace family. As we rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus and the hope we have in him, we also celebrate those who identify with him in baptism. This year, 79 individuals across all campuses owned their faith by obeying Jesus’ call to follow him in baptism. As Christ was buried and raised to life, baptism represents that you have died to your old life (burial) and have been given a new life (resurrection). We hope you’ll take a moment to watch this video below and rejoice with each one of these men, women, teens, and children who identified with Christ through baptism. To learn more about baptism at Grace, click below.

Last month, we were thrilled to release No One Else, a collection of four original songs that we recorded live with our church body. This collection includes “To The King,” “No One Else,” “Mercies Have No End,” and “The Lord’s Prayer.” As with all our original music, our hope is that these melodies and lyrics will bring encouragement and clarity to you as we declare our faith in Jesus and all that he's done.

All songs are born out of unique circumstances, and the title song of this collection is no exception. The inspiration behind “No One Else” came from a desire to minister well to an audience in Paupa New Guinea on a mission trip. Click the video below to hear some of our worship leaders tell the story.

To learn more about Grace Church Worship and see all our original songs, click below.

Throughout the month of March, students from Fusion (5th-6th grade), 24Seven (7th-8th grade), and Forge (high school) got to experience retreats at Carolina Point. Over the course of four weekends, over 1,000 students and 600 leaders, staff, and volunteers participated. Along with the usual camp fun and activities, students got to hear biblical teaching and spend time discussing God’s Word in their small groups. Our Fusion students focused on the gospel through their Pivotal teaching series, and 24Seven students learned about Blueprint—God’s design for our energy, dating, and sex. Untethered was the topic for 9th and 10th graders, and they dove into what our lives look like if we are cut off from God’s family. And our 11th and 12th graders heard teaching on Secrets—Jesus’ parables about the Kingdom of Heaven.

If you know a student who attended a retreat, be sure to ask them how God worked in their life through that focused time away. We are so thankful for God’s hand on our students and their leaders, and we hope you will join us in praying for continued life change. To catch a glimpse of what retreats were like, click the video below. To hear teaching from the retreats, click below to access the Grace Resource Library.

Over the past several years, we have offered re:generation—a 12-step discipleship process oriented around life change and hope through the application of God’s Word. The re:gen program has been a valuable tool, and we’ve seen many lives changed as participants have found freedom from sin and hope in the gospel.

Re:generation originated from Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Texas, and we were excited to be able to host their re:generation Regional Conference this month here at Grace. Nearly 200 people representing 28 churches from 13 different states attended the two-day conference.

Sessions covered several helpful topics: launching re:gen, managing group dynamics, building a re:gen culture, leadership development, and more. Both Watermark and Grace leaders were able to offer insight and experience to participants, and we are so thankful for the opportunity to connect with believers from around the region.

If you would like to learn more about re:generation or sign up, click below.

Over the past month, hundreds of Grace students have been at Carolina Point for retreats. Each weekend, a different age group has gotten to hear God’s Word, discuss the teaching in their small groups, experience camp life, and just have fun together.

One facet of retreats that makes all this possible is Work Crew! Families and individuals from different campuses made the trip and gave up their weekend to work behind the scenes. These folks got up early and stayed up late to set tables, wash dishes, keep things clean, and in general help keep the camp running so our students could experience the retreat.

Check out these pics of some families pulling together on Work Crew to minister to our students. This is what church is all about, and we hope you will join us in prayer that students who experienced life change on the retreats would continue growing and changing more into the image of Christ!

Earlier this month, our Nicaragua team faced disappointment as their trip was canceled at the last minute due to an airline cancellation. After finding no alternative flight plan, the team met to grieve, process, and pray together. God graciously reoriented both our partners in Nicaragua and our team here in Greenville, and they decided to move forward and serve “where they were.”

For our partners in Nicaragua—Christ for the City International—this meant they continued with their plan for the week. They taught a class for pastors and leaders, delivered 50 bags of food and staples to those in need, and worked on projects for two different schools supported through CFCI’s Hope School program. Grace funded the food bags and school projects, and CFCI team members made the deliveries, prayed with family members, and joined in the work. Mary Ezzell, a Grace member currently living in Nicaragua, represented us in all these projects.

Our team here in Greenville had already taken time off for the week, so they jumped into serving through various projects here in town. They did yard work at one of the Grace Housing rental units, helped with organizing at the Housing Warehouse, delivered Meals on Wheels for Greenville County, and did a clothes sorting/packing project at the Spartanburg Espanol Campus. Team members were even able to help a family deal with a last-minute, unplanned move. And over half the team ended their week serving at the Fusion student retreat on the work crew!

It was amazing to see God’s sovereign hand at work in each of these situations, and even more so, God worked in hearts through this unexpected circumstance to teach prayerful dependence. We hope you will join us in celebrating what he has done both in Nicaragua and here in the Upstate. We do have mission trips scheduled to Nicaragua and Puerto Rico in the coming months. If you would like to learn more about our international mission opportunities or apply, click below.

Twice a year, we come together for Night of Prayer—a special evening dedicated to acknowledging our dependence on God for all things. Over the past month, over 1,700 people across all of our campuses were able to participate in Night of Prayer.

This fall, we began a new Night of Prayer series, Teach Us to Pray. In Luke’s account of the Lord’s Prayer, one of the disciples asked Jesus, “Teach us to pray.” In response, Jesus provided a model of how to draw close to God in worship and make requests in humble dependence. Like the disciples, we’re asking God to teach us to pray. As we work through each phrase of the Lord’s Prayer over the next two years, we’ll ask Jesus to instill in our hearts that same humility as we come to him with our praises and burdens.

We have a web page dedicated to Night of Prayer. There, you will find past teachings, prayer prompts, recommended books, and more. We hope you’ll take advantage of these resources. Click below to learn more.

Having a family member with special needs or mental health challenges can not only be difficult from day to day, it can also be incredibly isolating. Many members of our church family are walking this road—taking their loved one to countless appointments, tracking treatments, and working tirelessly to help them through unique challenges.

This year, we have been excited to offer The Caregiver’s Journey, a class and care group for those caring for loved ones with mental health difficulties or special needs. This curriculum is designed to help participants understand their own brokenness and find hope in the gospel, which will equip them to care for their loved ones better.

One couple had this to say about their experience:

"For the last few years, we have felt a bit isolated as we have tried to navigate the challenges of parenting a child with special needs. We were longing for a community of believers who could relate to our situation.

To sit in a room with others who truly understand and to spur each other on in our own personal relationships with the Lord so that we can be better equipped to love and serve our children has been so helpful. Our group members not only empathize with our parenting journey, but they also challenge our way of thinking through the lens of Scripture, lift us up in prayer, and encourage us."

What a blessing to see the gospel at work in people’s lives! We hope you will join us in celebrating this new ministry and pray for all those involved—leaders, participants, and family members. To learn more about The Caregiver’s Journey and when it will next be offered, click below.

OVC Kenya is a partnership program that provides sustainable support and promotes long term relationships with orphans and vulnerable children in Kenya. Through our partnership with Bernard Kabaru and local churches in Limuru, Kenya, we are helping expand an existing program that provides physical, academic, and relational support to children in need within each church’s local community.

Grace individuals and families have the opportunity to partner with children in Kenya by becoming advocates! Each advocate not only contributes financially to help provide for their child, but they also send letters of encouragement and support. We currently have advocates for 116 children in Kenya.

Pelham members Matt and Christy Knarr, along with their three daughters Haley, Brooke, and Mackenzie, have advocated for two children in Kenya over the past eight years. They had this to say about their experience:

Being an advocate is an opportunity for our family to share the blessings God has given us with others. Our two Kenyan children are so woven into our lives that our family prays for them regularly and our children eagerly await their letters and want to share pictures, notes, and artwork of their own in return. It has helped our children to see ways in which we may be able to help others in more challenging circumstances. This ministry has also given all of us someone tangible to pray for and then witness how God works in their lives.

It has been a blessing for us to be a part of their lives for so many years. This ministry walks alongside and supports the entire family to have a lasting impact on not only them, but our entire family as well. We have enjoyed being part of their life journey and are excited to see both our OVC children move into adulthood very soon.

What a blessing to see the gospel work through individuals in tangible ways. Will you join us in prayer for the children and families represented in this program? To learn more about OVC Kenya, click below.

We believe that discipleship happens in the context of community. However, there are certain seasons of life when finding that community can be particularly challenging. If you are a mom with young children, you know who isolating that season can be, but that doesn't have to be the case.

This past year, we were excited to launch Moms for Moms, a year-long discipleship program for moms who have any children between the ages of 0-5. Over the course of the year, over a hundred women, both moms and mentors, participated across four campuses (Powdersville, Taylors, Pelham, and a lunch group for working moms Downtown). Each semester, participants read a book focused on spiritual formation together, engaged in group discussion, received mentorship, and simply enjoyed connecting with one another.

What a blessing to see women come together and point one another towards Christ. If you are interested in Moms for Moms, registration for the new year will open in July. Be sure you are subscribed to Stuff That Matters and your campus newsletter in order to receive updates about Moms for Moms and other discipleship opportunities.

We have staff members in both campus staff and support staff roles all over the Upstate! We want you to get to know some of them as you stay updated with what’s happening at Grace Church.

What is your job title?

I am part of our campus support team for students as the projects coordinator. I work on specialized students projects for all of our campuses.

What brought you to Grace Church?

We moved to Greenville in 2014 and had wonderful new neighbors (Hi Chavez fam!) invite us to church. We have been attending ever since!

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love having the opportunity to work with so many of our students staff across all campuses. I really love having a front row seat to watching our student staff's strengths and gifts come together on projects/teachings/retreats etc. It’s an amazing picture of how all of our campuses come together as one church to further our mission of life change for our students while connecting them to the local church.

What campus do you attend, and what is your favorite thing about it?

My family and I attend the Harrison Bridge campus. I am so grateful for the people and different relationships my family and I have built there over the years. Oh, and obviously the QT right outside the doors is nice, too!

What are you most excited about right now?

I am really excited about our student gender curriculum we have been creating over the past year, Distinct. We have studies coming out this summer for our Fusion boys and girls. Along with that, some of our female staff have been working on developing curriculum for our middle and high school girls that will be coming together this summer as well. We ask for continued prayer in this area for our students as we continue to discern what is most important for our female students to hear at each age group around God’s design for females. We will begin working on our middle and high school guys curriculum in April!

What is one interesting thing about you?

My husband, Doug, and I have four boys! If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would have been a Mom to four loud, loving, crazy, fun, busy boys, I would have laughed at you. It all works well for my overly competitive nature.

Over the past few years, Grace Church Housing has experienced rapid growth, and we are excited to see how God will continue to work through this discipleship effort. In late 2021, Grace had the opportunity to purchase an apartment complex from Greenville Tech. When this purchase is complete, we will be able to expand the scope of our housing ministry exponentially, serving hundreds of residents in a collaborative, supportive community. This means that we will be partnering with other non-profits like Mill Village and Jasmine Road, as well as Grace members looking for an intentional and missional living situation. Growing this community will also decrease the cost for each individual, thus strengthening their financial stability during this 2.5 - 3 year transitional period.

We are thankful to play a small role in helping alleviate some of the challenges caused by a lack of affordable housing in the Upstate, and we are committed to seeing housing become part of the discipleship process for some of the most vulnerable members of our community. To hear more about why we believe this ministry is so important, click the video below to hear Bill White explain the vision behind Grace Housing.

Will you join us in prayer for this growing ministry? And there are already many opportunities to serve, whether through donations, warehouse organization, or resident support. To learn more about our housing ministry and how you can get involved, click below.

Men’s Roundtable is a ministry of Grace Church which lays a biblical groundwork for men of faith to take responsibility for and move towards those around them, all while depending on God. An exciting new facet of MRT that launched this past year is the Men at Grace podcast.

On the podcast, Chris Rivers interviews men from Grace about their personal experiences around topics such as conflict in marriage, work in a fallen world, and building into the next generation. These men share honestly and courageously about how God has worked in their lives.

Here are a few highlights from recent episodes:

Something that’s been very clear for me is that I want to be different. I want to be different than the people around me—in a positive way. Being around so many people of this world, and our culture, I want to think about how I can set myself apart and look different from everyone else around me. How can I go into a meeting at work differently? How can I love people differently? How can I be a different friend? How can I be a different husband? How can I show who Jesus is in this way?

Episode 15 - “What Kind of Man Do I Want to Be? With Micah Williams and Brandon DeJong”

All men have a unique energy—there are three buckets that a man can use to deploy his energy. You can deploy it positively, as God intended. You can squander it, which is tantamount to passivity. Worse still, you can deploy it in a negative way—anger, anxiety, adultery, alcohol. There are so many ways you can go to a dark place if you don’t have a plan. The challenge for me was, how am I going to steward this gift? I knew if I didn’t have a structured plan for my life, I would risk falling into the category of passivity or using my energy negatively.

Episode 13 - “Stewarding Masculine Energy, With Paul Gaeto”

These honest conversations are a great resource to equip men for the work of leadership and discipleship, and we hope you will take advantage of them. To see all episodes and subscribe, click below.

Grace has been partnering with local churches in Allendale county for over a decade, and it’s been a joy to see those relationships grow. One of the primary ways Grace supports local ministry in Allendale is through Camp Impact, a six-week summer program for kids ages 5-12. But even when camp is not in session, the work in Allendale is ongoing.

Throughout the school year, we work to support Impact Students—a ministry for middle and high school students. A few times each semester, a team of Grace staff and volunteers spend the day in Allendale hosting events that involve teaching, discipleship, community, and fun! This has been a great way for Grace volunteers to stay connected in Allendale and invest in those relationships.

We are also currently looking forward to the summer and just finished the interview process for Junior Staff members. Junior Staff are teens in Allendale who will be paid staff members who help run programming for Camp Impact. This year, six out of the seven Junior Staffers were once children who attended Camp Impact. Four of them were on Junior Staff and two of them helped on a volunteer basis last summer. It has been amazing to see the discipleship process over the span of years—these staffers are now serving children in the same program where they once learned and grew in their faith.

The interview process to be a Junior Staff member is quite rigorous, and applicants learn valuable life skills as they apply. Individuals must be asked to apply, fill out an application and write a cover letter, be interviewed, and write thank you notes to their interviewers. Applicants must be invested in order to complete the process, and it’s been a blessing to see their dedication to serving their community.

Life change begets life change, and we are grateful to be part of seeing God work in lives through young leadership in Allendale county. Will you pray with us for the summer ahead? Pray that staff members and volunteers would have energy and humility for each day, and that the children they serve would be tender to the gospel. To learn more about our partnerships in Allendale county, click below.