I was home in Greenville for three months this summer on a break from missionary life in Papua New Guinea. During that time, I heard the “Citizens” series at Grace and since then I’ve been thinking about what it means to be an alien and...
“Nobody wants me. Look at me, Nobody wants a kid like me. I’ll stay here one more year, and start my life…I guess.” As those words fell off the lips of a 17 year old I had known for a while, the direction of my...
As I write this, my mind is drifting aimlessly to pinterest boards and dreams for my new home. I have an excuse though – I just signed a contract on my first house! I imagine clean spaces, crisp linens, and cozy blankets. A perfect dream world...
Foster care and adoption are quickly becoming a part of who we are at Grace Church. As we grow in our understanding of the church's biblical responsibility to care for orphans, we are seeing more and more of our families begin the process to become a part...
I worked as a cashier at Piggly Wiggly in high school, and I still remember some of the customers who frequented my line. They were intentional about asking me questions and about taking a general interest in my life....
Some of the best leaders I’ve ever known were in prison. During our season in Allendale, God led me to do a little bit of prison ministry. It was a humbling decision, as God showed me how arrogantly I had viewed men who were living...
I find it interesting that Pope Francis, who is by all appearances too liberal for the conservatives and too conservative for the liberals, is revered and even loved by both. How is it possible that someone who should have enemies on both sides finds friends...
As I was reading Pocahontas to my children the other night, a particular part of the story stuck out to me. “Smith told Pocahontas that it [his fancy compass] came from London, a very big village filled with carriages and bridges and big, tall buildings....
There's no denying it. Our world, our city, and our neighborhoods are messed up places. On a personal level, we all experience pain, loss, and suffering. And yet there always seems to be someone whose struggles are harder than our own....
Are you a people-pleaser? Do you work hard to make people like you, or at least to avoid people not liking you? (Before you think I’m being judgmental, understand that I’m more guilty of this than anyone.)...
January 1st of 2010 was a good day. It was going to be “our year.” The previous two years had been difficult for a host of reasons, but the most emotionally wrenching parts were a desire to have a second child and the grieving of...
This weekend over 1,000 people will walk in and out of the doors of the TD Convention Center in Greenville. From dentists, to volunteers, to patients, Dental Access Day is a three day project that will bring together individuals from every walk of life. This,...
For at least a month, store aisles have been stocked with yellow boxes of crayons, rulers and scissors in every color, and backpacks in every shape and size. Family calendars are becoming more structured; the unavoidable is happening. Once again, it's time for school. ...
We just had a team return from Nicaragua. Through our partnerships with local schools and churches, the team worked in classrooms, hosted a medical clinic, and did pastoral training. Read about Jake's experience on the team:...
Something as simple as eating lunch together each week can change a child's life—at least that's what Mentor Upstate believes. Growing up in poverty comes with a set of unique challenges. For a variety of reasons, children may spend most of their time without the...
Recently my husband and I were asked a question by someone we had just met. We paused for a minute and looked at each other as we pondered whether we should give the neatly-packaged answer or the honest answer. We chose the honest answer, even...
When your job is engaging people and culture it can be easy to think you’re an expert. For the past 5 years, my job, on some level, has consisted of engaging people and cultures intentionally and with the goal of gospel-centered restoration....
Orphans and vulnerable children are a devastating product of the broken world in which we live .Because of sin and the fall of man, children throughout the world experience abuse and corruption everyday. People recognize this issue and realize a practical way to help is through...
Our family has moved more times than I ever thought we would. The first couple of times were cross-town moves to homes better suited to our growing family. But then we moved to Allendale, SC in 2011, and then back to Greenville in 2014....
This is a weekend that marks the halfway point of our summer and also a major turning point in our nation's history. Our celebrations may vary across families and regions. And yet, even in the diversity of this weekend, a unity built on our shared...
My experience in Allendale was refreshing. It wasn’t refreshing in the sense that it was relaxing or easy going. We were running around in 100 degree weather and those of us involved behind the scenes were continually focusing our attention on the many moving parts...
This summer, 14 teens will be working with Mill Community Ministries learning entrepreneurship and life skills through project based learning. Mill Community Ministries is a collection of social entrepreneurs working to develop communities for success in Greenville, South Carolina. ...
In today's world, we are intentional about a lot of things. We are constantly making decisions to move our agenda forward in our fast-paced society. This affects how we dress, how we save, the particular kind of coffee we drink, and the non-GMO organic potatoes...
Opportunities: that was the word we heard over and over again as we spoke with the director of Elevate Youth. Opportunities are few and far between for youth growing up in poverty. Because poverty is an issue that affects the whole person, the generationally poor...
The Espinosa family moved to Allendale, SC in 2011 to live and work in the community as an extension of Grace Church. After returning to Greenville last summer, Joey and his family have engaged their new community here, but the transition has been bittersweet. Caring...