We’d be willing to bet that most of us don’t realize how much is happening on a regular basis at Grace Covenant. The focus for many of us is worship on Sunday mornings and the different teams we serve on (such as Children’s Team, KAIROS, Mission Team, Facilities Team, Deacons, and…well, you get the picture).
But there are many groups and activities meeting at Grace Covenant, that consider it their home. Two of the most obvious are PPS (Pioneer PreSchool) and KDO (Kid’s Day Out). PPS is a privately-owned preschool that has been part of our family for years, with a well-run and popular program. KDO also has a talented staff and wonderful program, but it is part of the ministry of our congregation. These two programs offer quality experiences for young children in our community.
Who else uses our facilities? AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meets here 7 days a week. GCPC sponsors Scouts BSA Troop 122, which is now expanding to offer opportunities for girls too. In Heartland Hall, you can find rows of painters and canvases from Johnson County Community College on Tuesday mornings, while on Thursday mornings, some very talented woodcarvers gather to share their skills together.
A small gathering of Algerian Christian immigrants gather to pray together weekly at GCPC. Our GCPC women’s circles, men’s and women’s Bible studies, crafters, and Bunco players meet throughout the month. Every month it seems as though another group is meeting for a special occasion (like HOA meetings, gatherings of quilters’ guilds, and more).
Many of these groups give a donation to the church for the use of our facility and others are simply part of the ministries of Grace Covenant. It has been estimated that mainline Christian denominations (Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, and the like) donate billions of dollars of building usage every year across the United States. Our community would find the quality of life impacted without faithful and generous congregations like ours.
We have barely touched the many activities going on in our church building (without mentioning the music and youth programs that are often present), but it’s good of us all to realize that our support of the church means we’re also supporting these many wonderful groups and programs. Our ministry together touches more people that we realize – thanks be to God.
Peace be with you all,
Mitch & Sue
