Two Year
Ministry Plan

There are moments when you are forced to step back and see the Lord working in someone else’s life, and you can see how he’s working in yours.

When Hugo and Tracy Chavez moved to the Upstate from Tennessee in 2012, they had no idea how much their lives would change. Hugo made the initial move in order to find a house and get settled, and while playing soccer with some friends on the weekend, he was invited to Grace Church. Immediately after the service, he called Tracy and said, “we found our church.”

While they had attended church at their previous home, they had merely been consumers—not serving and not in community. As they attended Grace, sat under biblical teaching, and went through the membership process, God opened their eyes to what it meant to be part of a local body of believers. So they committed fully to what was then the Golden Strip campus, working alongside staff and other members as they made the move to Harrison Bridge. The more they got involved, their hearts were captured by the idea of not only being in community, but serving others.

Instead of protecting our time and space, we began to think about what we could do for others and how we could help. We began to say yes.

Serving became an integral part of living out their faith. They’ve both served in various capacities over the years—with students, on the events team, audio visual—and each of them has found a space where God is using their unique gifts. Tracy found her niche in Mosaic. She shared, “I remember the first Mosaic individual I shadowed. She was nonverbal, and I had no idea if I was doing anything right. But then out of nowhere, she began singing Jesus Loves Me. It was a compelling moment for me to see God’s power at work.” Hugo currently serves in Fusion, but because he’s a problem solver and good with technology, he’s also everyone’s go-to guy for any tech-related needs.

Both Hugo and Tracy have also been through re:gen as participants as well as leaders. This was a formative experience for both of them. Not only did they grow in self awareness and do the work of recovery, they then got to see others be changed by the gospel.

That’s the gospel—it has all the power. We simply made space for God to work, and then we stood back and watched the turnaround in people’s lives.

There are aspects of serving that have proved challenging. Both Hugo and Tracy work, and they homeschool three of their four children—ages 17, 10, 8, and 5. They have also decided to live in a trailer on their property while they are building their home. But even amid all the busyness of life, serving has become an opportunity for family discipleship in addition to their personal growth. They’ve seen their oldest son grow in his ability to see others’ needs and be willing to step in and help. It’s also been compelling for their children to simply be in proximity to those who are serving. They see what their parents are doing and how it’s affecting them.

When they reflect back on their lives, Hugo and Tracy can see God’s hand purposefully orchestrating every move, every connection, every choice they were faced with. He has brought them this far, and they trust he will continue to grow their faith as they serve his Church.

We’re still early in our journey, and even though we’ve seen tremendous growth, there’s a long way to go. We are thankful that we get to carry the gospel with us through all these stages of life.

When Paul and Drew Talbert moved to Greenville early in 2020, they were able to attend Grace’s Powdersville campus once before the pandemic set in and shut down in-person services. But even through those months when church looked a lot different, they knew God had brought them to the area for his purposes, and part of that was serving in the context of the local church. After joining in the fall, they immediately jumped into serving with Senior Honor—specifically because it was a ministry where they could involve their two boys, Anderson (9) and Whit (7).

Both Paul and Drew grew up in the context of a small church where everyone was expected to serve, so the idea of being involved through serving was ingrained in both of their hearts. They also have specific memories of serving alongside their parents—learning the importance of putting the needs of others before their own. So with a vision of discipling their own boys through firsthand experience, they took on the role of Senior Honor Champion with their campus partner facility, Oakview Park. In addition, Paul serves as a shadow for Mosaic, they all serve through Mosaic Respite Nights, and Paul and Drew both serve by leading worship monthly in re:generation.

Serving as a family has its challenges. Naturally, the boys often prefer pursuing their own interests. But this has provided great opportunities for Paul and Drew to talk with each other and their boys about why they serve.

It’s a rare Sunday that we’re all excited to serve. But rarely is serving meant to be a beautiful, happy experience for everyone. It’s meant to be hard. We struggle with the same feelings of not wanting to go sometimes, so we’re honest with them and talk about why we serve.

Even through the challenges, it’s been a blessing to see their boys grow a heart for others and understand that even as children, they have something valuable to offer. Paul and Drew have also experienced spiritual growth through serving. Paul shares that serving has taught him about the concept of “imago dei”—everyone is made in God’s image. Because of that, all are valuable and worthy of love; the world does not revolve around him.

Serving is a great way to think less about yourself. We have the example of Christ, and he laid down his life to serve others. As you serve, you can’t help but think—this is what my Savior did for me. I’m not thinking about paying him back; I just know this is the best way to grow.

Drew has learned the value of serving in obscurity. Because she grew up in a small church, her family’s role was much more visible. At Grace, she had to examine the “why” of her involvement. Did she serve because it was simply expected of her? Or because she truly wanted to serve God’s people?

I learned that I was there to serve God, not to be seen by others. He has called me to serve by faith, following Jesus’ example in Scripture, and there’s no automatic payoff for serving. It’s part of cultivating a heart for him.

In the two years the Talberts have been at Grace, serving has been the heartbeat of their spiritual growth and provided a valuable structure for discipling their children. While they know it is important to feed their own souls through teaching, worship, and personal study, Paul and Drew view serving as an integral part of their connection to the church. When asked what they would say to someone considering serving, Paul and Drew shared:

Be prayerfully dependent, but don’t wait for the magical moment to feel called or led. Just get involved—think about the season that you're in and commit. We’re called to serve. If you want to see growth in your life, it’s one of the main things you need to implement in order to flourish.