Grace Church is committed to service to our Parish and Community. We invite you to invest of yourself in these wonderful, tangible ways of loving God and guarding the dignity of all people.

For more information and to sign up for these service opportunities, sign up to receive our newsletter here, or contact us here.

Family Promise of Grand Rapids

Family Promise of Grand Rapids provides us with a way to live out our Baptismal Covenant to seek and serve Christ in all persons. The aim of this organization is to end family homelessness, one family at a time, through the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) and Partners in Housing (PIH) programs. 

For the past 21 years this congregation, one of the founding churches of the coalition of the sixteen churches in IHN, has provided families in a housing crisis with sleeping quarters, a hospitality room, meals and loving support for a week, 3-4 times a year on a rotating basis. During the day the families go to the Family Promise headquarters, the children go to school, parents go to work or look for housing and employment, and receive other supportive services.

PIH, then, provides a permanent home for qualifying families who are part of IHN. Pre-owned manufactured homes are purchased by PIH, refurbished by volunteers, and rented to an IHN family. The family pays the rent and after 9 months they get the title to their home, providing they are financially stable. They make the astonishing move from being homeless to home ownership in one year! This is more than shelter, as they also gain security and stability for their children. It is helpful to remember that the number of homeless families is increasing in Grand Rapids, in part due to the lack of affordable housing for employed, low-income families. A full-time job at minimum wage allows a monthly rent of $500, but the average rent in Grand Rapids is $800-$900.

We are grateful for the opportunity Grace Church as to join efforts with Family Promise. Here are some results we find encouraging: 

  • 90% of the families in the program find permanent housing

  • 98% of the families are still housed one year later

  • 81% of the PIH families receive the title to their home