Two Year
Ministry Plan

Last week, we had several volunteers serve by running a camp for kids at Front Porch Housing during Greenville County's spring break. This was a great way to care for both the kids and working parents who wouldn't otherwise have childcare. Each day, about 20 kids from Front Porch, World Relief, and United Ministries participated in arts and crafts, playground time, outdoor activities, lunch, and movie time. The week of fun ended with a carnival Friday night for families to enjoy inflatable obstacle courses, carnival games, cotton candy, and group games. We are grateful for all the volunteers who made this possible, and it was great to see families and community groups serve together. If you are interested in volunteering with Front Porch Housing, click below to visit their website and learn more.

Since officially launching in the summer of 2022, Front Porch Housing has helped many in the Upstate find a place to call home, with more than 400 residents at the Greenville Tech Campus location alone. As a three-year supportive housing program, Front Porch provides a foundation for residents who need help getting back on their feet. And as director of Front Porch Housing, Brian Burgess says there’s no shortage of need.

Brian, a husband and father of three, worked in management, stayed at home with his kids, and a few years ago, returned to school to finish a degree in Parks & Rec Tourism Management. In 2021, he interned with Ascend, a ministry for students dealing with loss, and in 2022, he interned with Front Porch, which led to the director role. Brian’s job ranges from fundraising to developing partnerships, but it’s clear that resident care is a priority.

“When you have that many people, you have a lot of unforeseen needs,” Brian says. Residents are often coming out of difficult circumstances and connecting them to the resources they need, which can be as basic as food or transportation, can be challenging. His staff carries a heavy load, and Brian welcomes prayers for them as they help residents navigate their part in God’s story.

Financial giving is certainly a huge way people can help, and since Front Porch is its own nonprofit, Brian recommends giving directly via their website. But volunteers are also needed, from tutors to skilled maintenance workers, and even help with childcare while parents attend classes. But you don’t have to be a volunteer to be a part. In fact Brian recommends just stopping by, especially on a Food Truck Friday starting again in April.

“Just come visit,” Brian says. “Let that speak to what we are doing.”

For more information or to give to Front Porch Housing, visit frontporchhousing.org, or stop by the clubhouse for a coffee at Inspire Coffee House, 1433 Cleveland St, Greenville.

Our Outreach ministry has recently expanded by opening a low-cost legal clinic at Front Porch Housing! The clinic recently had their first day of consultations, and it was exciting to be able to serve individuals and families through legal advice and connecting them to community resources.

Front Porch Legal Clinic is open to residents of Front Porch Housing, participants in re:generation, and our Mosaic families. Volunteer attorneys from across multiple campuses serve by offering 45-minute consultations in areas of family law, wills, power of attorney, DSS cases, landlord/tenant issues, and more. They also connect individuals and families to other resources in the community, help them create a next-steps plan, and point them to any forms or documentation they will need.

Currently, the legal clinic is open once a month on the first Saturday of the month. Will you join us in prayer that God would use this ministry to support our community and reflect his love and light in difficult situations? To learn more about Front Porch Legal, click below.

We have all been thrilled to see Front Porch Housing take shape over the past six months at its primary location on Cleveland Street. But did you know that Front Porch Housing also exists in other houses and apartments across the Upstate?

Our Spartanburg campus has helped with the development of three new three-bedroom homes in Spartanburg County, and they are almost ready for residents! In December, they hosted a donation day when campus members brought furniture and other household items. And there is also a group of members ready to assist the incoming residents with moving, transportation, providing baked goods for birthdays, and simply creating a supportive community.

Hopefully, these homes will be ready for residents in early February! If you would like to learn more about Front Porch Housing and how you can get involved, click below.

Over the holiday break from school, our friends at Front Porch Housing hosted a Winter Camp for the kids who live there. Each day, about 15-20 kids got to hang out, play games, share meals, and participate in other fun activities. They even got to learn from the Greenville City Fire Department and visit the Greenville Zoo!

All this was made possible by over 200 volunteers (of all ages) who donated over 600 hours of their time to support this community. Thank you to everyone who participated—your heart for others is seen and appreciated!

If you are interested in volunteering with Front Porch Housing, there are many opportunities available. Click below to learn more.

The summer has been spent cleaning, painting, renovating, and getting apartments ready for residents. We are beyond thankful for every individual who has donated or showed up and helped with this effort, and we wanted to give you an update on how things are going at Front Porch Housing.

Who is living at FPH?

• 229 total residents
• 11 missional residents
• 41 World Relief residents (from Syria, Uganda, Congo, and Afghanistan)
• 57 supportive residents
• 120 students

What else is new?

• We have hired our Housing Director, Brian Burgess; Property Manager, Victoria Patino; and our Facilities Manager, Tim Brady to support the property and residents. We have also added to our Care Coordinator team with the additions of Markis Allen and Sharon Wegner. We are excited to have 18 people total on staff at Front Porch!

How can I support FPH?

• Supporting residents through the Amazon Wish List provides new linens, mattresses, and pillows along with other household items that communicate dignity and belonging.
• You can also make a monetary contribution through Grace Church's online giving platform.
• If you're interesting in serving at Front Porch Housing, click here to fill out an interest form.

Above all, we covet your prayers as we continue supporting our residents. To learn more about Front Porch Housing, click below.

Front Porch Housing is not only providing a supportive community for residents, it is also creating many discipleship opportunities—both for our members and our community. Recently, we connected with the coach of the Eastside High School football team, who was looking for ways to get his team involved in community service. This led to over 20 football players and multiple coaches participating in a work day at Front Porch Housing.

These guys showed up ready to work, and they did lots of heavy lifting! They moved large items to storage and delivered other large pieces to Miracle Hill as donations. As they were about to leave, one of our new residents arrived from Colorado, and they all pitched in and got her trailer unloaded in an hour. She and her daughter were so grateful for their help after a long cross-country trip.

And after a day of hard work, the team has already committed to return and continue serving! We are thankful for these students, their coaches, and their willingness to help us create a supportive community for those in need. To learn more about Front Porch Housing and how you can get involved, click below.

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? - James 2:14-16 (NLT)

As a church, we want to show the love of Christ in tangible ways, particularly to the vulnerable, marginalized, and under-resourced in our communities. One opportunity God has given us is through the establishment of Front Porch Housing—a two-year supportive housing program designed to help individuals and families in crisis build a firm foundation with the goals of continued sobriety, gainful employment, financial independence, and spiritual maturity.

This past month, we were able to purchase an apartment complex from Greenville Technical College, and both staff and volunteers are hard at work getting these apartments ready for our housing residents.

We believe Front Porch Housing will not only serve those who need affordable housing and community support, but that it will also provide countless discipleship opportunities for our church body. Will you join us in prayer for the future of Front Porch Housing? To hear Teaching Pastor Bill White give an overview of this new endeavor, click the video below. To learn more about Front Porch Housing and how you can get involved, click below.

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.