Accessible Grace

Our mission at Grace Episcopal Church is to serve all people -- and in order to do that, we must be accessible to all people. The Accessible Grace capital campaign will raise the funds we need to renew our entire facility and welcome new visitors into our community of faith.

Holy One, whose grace is accessible to all, give us the wisdom, the patience, and the means to make our own Grace Church accessible and truly welcome to everyone who approaches our door. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Dear Friend:

One hundred and fifty years ago, in 1855, a small group of men and women stepped out in faith to establish a church accessible to their community. Continuing in that same spirit, their descendants rebuilt Grace Church after a fire in 1896, and again in 1955, when a larger building was needed to accommodate the growing community.

Grace Church’s family now seeks to exercise good stewardship of our resources -- caring for this legacy, responding to current needs, and planning for the future. Long-delayed maintenance of our facilities and the need for physical improvements present an opportunity to build upon the faithful traditions begun so long ago. Our capital campaign is essential to our enduring ministry, as well as our ability to welcome and provide true hospitality for all. I ask you to join me in this campaign -- with your prayers, your generous gifts, and the courage of our common faith.

Working together with God’s help, we can make our goal.

In the love and peace of Christ,
The Rev. Janice Robinson

About the Accessible Grace Project

With God’s help – and yours – we will:

Make our buildings accessible:

• An entrance that is welcoming to our guests;
• Doors that are easy to open;
• An elevator that stops at the main nave level as well as the undercroft and upstairs;
• Level sidewalks and gentle ramps;
• An improved sound system and better sight lines to the altar; and
• Comfortable places where those who use wheelchairs can sit and be part of the worship community.

Make better use of the spaces that God has given us:

• Improved work areas for altar and flower guilds;
• Large and small meeting spaces for our many active groups;
• Organized storage areas;
• A vesting area separate from the rector’s office;
• A more welcoming undercroft and improved kitchen;
• The consolidation of all staff and clergy offices;
• An adult library;
• Renovated Pennyworth work space; and
• A dedicated space for grace youth.

Care for the real estate with which God has blessed us.

Attention to the most critical of our long-deferred maintenance items, including:

• Remediation of the moisture infiltration at both the church and the parish hall;
• Asbestos removal;
• A new boiler for the church;
• Electrical system upgrades;
• Improvements to meet current building codes;
• A new water heater;
• Repair and cleaning of the stained glass windows;
• Repair of the organ; and
• Replacement of the windows and upgrades to the HVAC system in the parish hall.