Two Year
Ministry Plan

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.

Last week, Grace Church had the opportunity to come alongside a group of people in our community who were facing eviction. When the Economy Inn on Augusta Road was condemned, the Greenville Homeless Alliance asked for our help, and we were able to work with other local organizations to provide a meal, temporary housing, and social support for nearly 30 people.

It was a privilege to work with other churches and local frontline service providers—North Hills Church, Fellowship Greenville, Salvation Army, Triune Mercy Center, Miracle Hill, FAVOR, and Community Fresh Start—all came together to serve our community. We rejoice that we could share God’s love in this way. However, this instance is a single situation that points to a greater problem in our community—lack of affordable housing. In order for us to answer God’s command to love our neighbors, we must continue to serve those around us, particularly those in need. Click below to watch the news story and hear Bill White’s vision for us as a church as we engage those around us for God’s glory.

Grace Church has had some amazing opportunities to partner financially with local organizations that care for and lift up the marginalized in our communities, particularly in the area of affordable housing. Not only do we provide financial support to JUMPSTART and Homes of Hope, Grace also offers Dignified Crisis Housing for those who are under our care.

Currently, 27 women and 14 children are living in Grace housing. This is made possible by not only your financial support, but also through volunteer hours and household donations. We are so thankful for your generosity and that God is moving us to serve our community in this way.

Watch this video where Bill White explains some of the unique ways Grace is using financial resources in this area to further God's kingdom. We hope you will prayerfully consider contributing this year. To learn more about ways to give, click below.

One of our ministry partners is Jasmine Road—a two-year residential program for adult women survivors of human trafficking, prostitution, and addiction. These women receive hope through housing, a meaningful work experience, and a loving community of support.

We were recently able to partner with Jasmine Road on an exciting project! This year, three women celebrated graduation from the program at the annual Jasmine Road luncheon. While the limitations of the pandemic made their traditional luncheon impossible, Grace was able to come alongside and make a virtual event happen. Our A/V and communications teams, along with other volunteers, helped provide resources so that those who support Jasmine Road could hear stories of life change and celebrate God’s faithfulness.

Please join us in not only praising God for this life change, but also pray for continued growth. To watch a video that captures some stories of life change from Jasmine Road, click below.

Our Dignified Crisis Housing Ministry is a 2-year 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. We know that the individuals coming into our program are coming out of crisis, recovery, abuse, poverty, and neglect, and we want to give them a clean, safe, warm environment that validates their worth and invokes a sense of dignity and pride as they move into this next chapter of their lives.

One facet of this ministry is collecting donations and setting up a home or apartment for incoming families. Grace members and individuals from our community are donating everything from furniture to silverware, and it’s all stored in a warehouse in Greer. Once we learn of a need, we will find out the size of the family, children’s ages, favorite colors, activities, and any preferred styles—we then work with volunteers to pull donated items together, create a cohesive design plan for the entire home, and move everything in!

This is a beautiful, tangible way that we can serve our community. If you have donations for this ministry or are interested in volunteering, please email [email protected]

One facet of caring for our community is through our Dignified Crisis Housing ministry. When an individual or family finds themselves without a home due to financial need, abuse, or any other crisis, we want to come alongside and lend strength and support. We currently have 17 fully furnished apartments that provide housing for over 30 adults and children in need.

This housing project is provided in partnership with Miracle Hill, SWITCH, Jasmine Road, and United Ministries. Along with a full-time housing director, Grace has volunteers serving through donations, setups, job placements, and medical assistance.

We hope you will rejoice and pray along with us as we strive to show Jesus’ love in concrete ways to those in need. There are several opportunities to serve within this ministry—if you are interested in serving or have gently loved items to donate (from furniture to kitchenware and everything in between), please email [email protected]

Click here to learn more about our Care and Recovery ministries and partners. Click below to see how Grace is partnering with United Ministries to provide housing for those in need!

On November 11, over 100 of our church family gathered together to learn more about one of our ministry partners, Homes of Hope, and how we can serve them.

Homes of Hope is working to provide foundational, safe environments for low to moderate-income families in the Upstate. By providing affordable, energy-efficient rental and homeownership options, their clients can now afford housing and power bills. Supplemented by Homes of Hope’s financial wellness program, affordable housing gives families the freedom of a disposable income so that they can begin saving and investing.

At Meet Homes of Hope, we shared several opportunities to serve with this ministry. If you missed the night and are interested in serving, click below.