Telling the Story of Grace

Our Start:

In 2001 this congregation started as a church plant out of the      Immanuel UMC reaching out to suburban Independence.  The congregation rejoined with Immanuel and moved to Covington in 2006 living into a new vision for urban ministry.
The first fruit of urban ministry was feeding the needy through  the Sunday Night Live outreach (a weekly free community meal with worship, clothing and food pantry).  As this outreach grew larger and larger, partner churches began asking to help. This ministry has become a true ecumenical outreach partnership.
In July of 2008 Steve Pescosolido became the Grace Lead Pastor.
In the past year more and more participants in the congregation have been coming from the local neighborhood.  They are joining     together with suburban families with a heart for mission.  Grace is the kind of place where anyone can enter and be accepted.
 

The Need:

The Biblical priority for ministry to the poor and the broken is high. General Conference has named ministry to the poor as one of the four primary goals for this quadrennium.  The Grace     congregation is helping fulfill this mandate of Christ and this goal of United Methodists in the urban Covington setting.
The downtown area needs Grace.  Residents are looking for a ministry that will stay that is more than a soup kitchen. They are looking for a real church. It has been many years since a viable, fruitful United Methodist congregation has been located in the heart of urban Covington (or Newport). 19 UM churches have dwindled to 3 (2009).  There is a great need for a worshiping, nurturing, serving and witnessing congregation in Covington.
 

Our Plans:

We are expanding outreach to children, youth and mothers through basketball, worship, and Sunday Night Live.
We are continuing to build Grace as a family place: inspiring, safe and nurturing for folks from all walks of life.
 

Our Challenges:

Having enough mature, committed and consistent lay leaders.
Serving urban and suburban families while also ministering to the poor, the addicted, and the homeless.
Income levels for many persons in Covington are low so this type of ministry will likely need to be subsidized from other sources.