Community & Care Leader Retreat

A discipleship ministry that serves current prisoners in 17 SC state prisons and also assists former prisoners with re-entry to society.

• 96% of people who complete both the inside and outside programs do not return to prison.
• Grace and JumpStart working together:
  • We have committed to giving JumpStart $112K/year for 2 years.
  • We share staff with JumpStart; Inside Program Director, Cary Sanders also works on Grace Outreach staff.

An organization that offers a lifespan of services to individuals on the autism spectrum and their families.

• 1 in 59 children is diagnosed on the autism spectrum. 
• Grace and Project HOPE working together:
  • We have committed to giving PHF $100K/year for 2 years.
  • PHF offers services at 7 locations across the Upstate, including one Grace campus, hopefully, a second in 2020.
  • More than 200 Grace members from all 10 campuses helped clean and paint the PHF school in Landrum last year.
• What’s coming: We plan to host a Meet Project HOPE event in late 2020 to introduce new ways to serve.

An organization that builds safe and affordable, market quality homes for low to moderate-income families in mixed-income neighborhoods. 

• Safe and affordable housing is an issue for people coming out of JumpStart and Jasmine Road, and older participants at Project HOPE.
• Grace and Homes of Hope working together:
  • We have committed to giving Homes of Hope $100K/year for 2 years.
  • More than 100 people attended Meet Homes of Hope at Grace last fall.
• What’s coming:
  • Opportunity to invest financially and receive a small return for qualified investors.
  • Collaboration on an affordable housing development.

At our recent Community & Care Leader Retreat, I shared about the growth of our housing ministry. What began as an effort to care well for one of our members has grown into a short-term crisis housing ministry that serves 13 women and four children. We’ve found that these folks who need housing have the same needs as our body and our community. This ministry has allowed us to partner with community organizations Miracle Hill Renewal Center, SWITCH, Nightlight Adoption Agency, in addition to caring well for our members.

• When someone opens up to us, we have an opportunity to address the external behavior or seek heart change below the surface.   
• LOVE-KNOW-SPEAK-DO is not a linear process. We start with love, but we continue to love as we dig into the situation (know), shed light on God’s Word (speak), and call the person to action (do).
• One of the most underrated skills in ministry is listening. Asking good questions is a close second.
• LOVE-KNOW-SPEAK-DO is not a short and sweet process. It takes time and energy to minister to people at this level. Tailor your expectations appropriately.   

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