Setting The Table For Grace UMC’s Future

With help from New Faces New Spaces grant, church’s newest community eyes students in Sherman

Grace UMC in Sherman started the Mesa Worship Community to reach young adults in their community. With a New Faces New Spaces grant from the North Texas Conference, Grace was able to take its dream one step closer to reality.

Grace started a vision process during the summer of 2018 for the church and congregation. After prayer and planning, changes were made to its current worship and church activities as the future vision became clear. When church leadership were discerning a New Faces New Spaces opportunity, they knew it had to be something that fit into the vision.

“The church leadership is determined to reach new and younger people to reverse years of decline and invigorate the congregation/community with new energy,” said Rev. Frank Drenner, pastor of Grace.

Grace was looking for a worship community to reach out to the approximately 6,500 students living and going to school in Sherman. Those students attend one of the two institutions of higher learning, Austin College and Grayson County Community College.

“We are seeking to create a space for young adults … to find community and a deeper, or new, connection to Christ,” Drenner said. 

The name “Mesa” was chosen because of its Spanish meaning for “table.” The Mesa Worship Community was designed around a table to share a meal, worship and have community. The first meeting of the Mesa Worship Community was March 23 with 40 attendees. Many were not new to the church, but young adults in attendance said the service appealed to them. The most-recent meeting celebrated Easter this past Saturday, April 20.

Meetings are planned approximately once a month. This allows time between each meeting to evaluate and readjust. Plans are to update meeting times as adjustments are made and create community between those who attend the new worship community and others who worship at Grace.

Published: Wednesday, April 24, 2019