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Welcome to Grace Covenant Church! We are an intergenerational worshipping community committed to working together to share the gospel’s message of new life in Christ. Through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we follow the Great Commandment to love God with all our heart, soul strength and mind in serving God, neighbors and one another. We invite you to come and get a glimpse of what life was really meant to be about.
Reflecting God’s love in our community through praying, caring and sharing
Vision Statement
Changing Lives from the Inside Out!
First Hour: |
Adult Sunday School |
9:00am |
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Second Hour: |
Worship |
10:00am |
Children’s Ministry children stay with adults for opening worship |
10:30am |
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Third Hour: |
Fellowship* |
11:30am |
*each week after service, we have something in our fellowship hall, such as a "coffee hour", monthly birthdays, or regular potluck luncheons.
Our 10:00am Sunday morning worship service is casual and family-friendly with a blended worship style, embracing both traditional hymns as well as contemporary songs of praise. The preaching style is biblical with Scripture readings and sermon texts often coming from the Revised Common Lectionary. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper by serving Holy Communion every first Sunday of the month. Grace Covenant aspires to serve the local community by "being a neighbor" through our monthly "Abundant Harvest" food pantry ministry, family programs and summer Kids Camp, involvement with our neighborhood school Buri Buri Elementary, partnerships with other churches...ultimately desiring to be a positive presence in our neighborhood. We invite you to experience what God's going at Grace Covenant and be part of a community that's "changing lives from the inside out!"
Navigate together in 2012!. Grace Covenant has become a "Navigate" church, which means we will be engaging in a journey towards "church vitality" in striving to become a healthy and missional church body. We invite you to explore 2012 with us in this new season of ministry at Grace. We will engage in a shift in culture in how we operate internally...and how we see the community around us externally. This will bring about change that may feel both adventuous and treacherous, but consider joining us in this journey of vitality and see what God is doing at Grace...and what He wants to do with your life!
Grace Covenant Church
Grace Covenant was founded in 1954 as “Winston Manor Covenant Church” in Colma and moved in 1959 to its current location at 740 Del Monte Avenue. Grace takes an active part of the life of South San Francisco, including various outreach events organized throughout the year as well as making its facilities available for community functions.
On November 15, 2009, Grace Covenant celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the dedication of its building, marking the beginning of its missional work in South San Francisco a half century ago. The celebration also included the installation of a new stainless steel cross on its steeple. Previous pastors Paul Springer and Robin Dummer were in attendance, as was Superintendent Evelyn M.R. Johnson, who presided over an "affirmation of ordination" for current pastor Cameron Wu Cardona. Pastor Wu Cardona was ordained by the ECC in Portland this past summer, coinciding with his family's move to South City upon becoming the church's full-time pastor, after serving two years as its part-time bi-vocational preaching pastor. Past friends and current attendees gathered to share stories about the faithful longevity of the church and to "re-vision for rebirth" the focus of Pastor Springer's message for the morning out of the book of Nehemiah. The church looks forward to the next phase of its ministry to the local community as it continues to invite others to "come and see" what God is doing in South City.
Evangelical Covenant Church
Grace is a member church of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) denomination, a growing multiethnic denomination in the United States and Canada with ministries on five continents of the world. Founded in 1885 by Swedish immigrants, the ECC values the Bible as the word of God, the gift of God's grace and ever-deepening spiritual life that comes through a faith with Jesus Christ, the importance of extending God's love and compassion to a hurting world, and the strength the comes from unity within diversity.
As a denomination, we are:
- Evangelical, but not exclusive
- Biblical, but not doctrinaire
- Traditional, but not rigid
- Congregational, but not independent
For more information on the ECC, click: HERE
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Pacific Southwest Conference
Grace is regionally connected to our local conference, the Pacific Southwest Conference (PSWC) a mission region of the Evangelical Covenant Church encompassing Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. The PSWC supports ministries to and with all ages reflecting the diversity of race, culture, and class within our region and affirms the Covenant's identity, biblical mission, enduring commitments, and core beliefs. The PSWC’s vision for mission is to be a mosaic of churches working interdependently to reach the unchurched and equip believers to transform lives and communities. For more information about the PSWC, click: HERE
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City of South San Francisco
Grace is situated on the slopes west of El Camino near the 280 freeway on the northwest side of South San Francisco, a working class community with over sixty-two thousand residents. Grace embraces being part of a small city that offers its citizens a place in which to live comfortably in fine residential areas; a place of recreation in parks, swimming pools, and marina; a place to work in more than 2,800 firms and businesses including many biotech companies which give the city the title of “Birthplace of Biotechnology.” Nestled along the sides of a broad valley formed by the San Bruno Mountains on the north and the Coast Range on the west, much of the valley Grace Covenant is located faces the adjacent San Francisco Bay, affording sweeping vistas, from higher levels and a definite sense of identification with the Bay. SSF has mild winters and dry cool summers and the hills to the west shield the city from much of the fog that prevails in neighboring areas. For more information about the City of South San Francisco, click: HERE
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Children’s Ministry
Grace has a children’s ministry program for children ages 2½-12 in conjunction with the Sunday morning service. After worshipping together as an intergenerational church body, the children head to their classrooms for a time of singing, games, arts and crafts, lessons and Bible verse memorization. At times the children share special music they have prepared with the rest of the church, and are also invited to participate in the Lord’s Table monthly to remember Christ’s death and resurrection. At back of the sanctuary, a soundproof nursery is available to mothers with small children under the age of 2.
Spiritual Formation
How do we grow in our relationship with Christ? As we learn to follow the Great Commandment to "love God and love others," change takes place from the inside out. Grace Covenant has weekly adult Sunday School, Wednesday morning study (10:00am), and evening prayer meetings. Many women attend the Covenant’s Annual Retreat at Missions Springs Conference Center in the Santa Cruz Mountains every September. In addition, a 26-week course called Life Skills (www.familylifeskills.net) encourages us to take an honest look at the issues under the surface that reveal the innate brokenness of our lives and helps us overcome the things that prevent us from experiencing the freedom in Christ that God SO desires for us. Life Skills is offered separately for men and women throughout the year and requires a fee based on a sliding scale. Contact Linda Stainthorp for more information on Life Skills (lindastainthorp@yahoo.com).
"Abundant Harvest" Food Pantry
Grace Covenant works in partnership with San Mateo County’s Second Harvest Food Bank and other churches and community organizations to provide food every first Saturday of the month to low-income neighbors in South San Francisco, San Bruno, and Brisbane. Grace’s "Abundant Harvest" food pantry ministry began in 1986 when an outlet was needed to serve South City. It was a ministry of mercy and compassion to support to those in need. Over the years, this ministry has grown and today, Grace opens its doors to the broader community as families “shop” for the things they need, including receiving fresh fruits and vegetables from the Second Harvest "Produce Mobile." Church members and community volunteers work hand-in-hand during both the Friday morning delivery/set-up (9:00-11:00am) and then the next morning at the Saturday distribution (8:00-09:30am).
We strive to provide a friendly greeting to all who enter and an "abundant harvest" as they depart. There is no cost to those who come and new guests can register by simply bringing an ID and confirming their income meets the required guidelines. Each month, 15,000-20,000 pounds of food and produce is distributed to 180 families representing over 600 individuals. Volunteers are always welcome and all are blessed!
Click HERE for Food Pantry Pictures!
“…I was hungry and you gave me food.” —words of Jesus found in Matthew 24:25
Toward the end of the Lenten season on Good Friday before Easter Sunday, Grace has created a deeply contemplative interactive Stations of The Cross "walk-through" journey as a means of connecting with Christ's own journey to the Cross. It follows the ancient Christian tradition been passed along for centuries (click on this link for more background) by modifying the traditional fourteen depictions into eight interactive stations. Participants experience Christ’s presence and love in a fresh, deep and meaningful way and reflecting on Christ’s Passion. While Good Friday is the traditional date to reflect on this, as believers, we are invited to remember what Jesus did for us on the Cross year 'round. The following photographs of the "Stations" can be found around the perimeter of the church sanctuary, capturing images of this step-by-step journey with Jesus to the Cross: Click here for VISUAL of The Stations of The Cross.
Grace has a long-standing history of supporting various missionary agencies, both locally and abroad.
Jehova Es Mi Pastor, Covenant Church On Sunday afternoons at 3:00 pm, lively and prayer-filled worship can be heard in Grace’s sanctuary as Jehova Es Mi Pastor holds its Spanish-speaking service. Contact Pastor Humberto Reyes for more information about their services and other meeting times: (650) 742-0280 (office); (415) 648-0368 (cell).
Little Hugs Preschool Little Hugs Preschool is an independent preschool that meets in the downstairs classrooms of Grace Covenant. LHP that has been serving families at this location since 1993 providing quality childcare that meets the highest standards possible while encouraging the personal involvement of parents. LHP is licensed to serve thirty-six children from ages two to six. Contact Marilyn Basques (650-869-HUGS).
Currently, we support the following missionaries:
1. Students International (Nic & Maurine Bekaert in Guatemala): Students International does long-term, on-going community development in the developing world, including Guatemala where the Bekaerts have been since 2008. Staff, outreach participants and the poor come together cross-culturally to encounter God, share the Good News, disciple and serve others in a specific area of occupation that correlates with their career or academic interests in occupational settings called ministry sites. For more info specific to the Bekaerts’ ministry in Guatemala, go to their website: bekaerts.in.guate.googlepages.com
2. Christian Veterinary Mission (Trent & Tabby Cox in Ethiopia): Christian Veterinary Mission seeks to help veterinarians serve others and live out their Christian faith through their profession. We seek to change lives and communities by improving the care of livestock and other animals.
3. Mission to Unreached People (John & Etsuko Martin in Japan): The Martins serve in Japan where they want to help people know the love of God, to grow as disciples of Jesus, and to discover and use the spiritual gifts God's given each of His children to minister to each other and the world. They encourage the growth of communities of disciples where people can simply live loved by the Father believing THIS is what will truly make the most impact in Japan and, in fact, the whole world. Their agency, Mission to Unreached Peoples is a broadly interdenominational agency that focuses on unreached people groups by investing in the lives, gifts, resources, and vocational skills in God's work throughout Asia and Europe.
4. InterVarsity (Yu-Shuan & Javier Tarango-Sho): InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA® is an evangelical campus mission serving more than 32,000 students and faculty on more than 550 college and university campuses nationwide. Incorporated in 1941, InterVarsity has a rich tradition of campus witness, thoughtful discipleship, and a concern for world missions.
 Cameron Wu Cardona
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Pastor Cameron has been pastoring at Grace since 2007. He and his wife Alice have three energetic daughters all attending neighborhood schools. Cameron loves pretty much all sports, enjoys biking the peninsula hills (or wherever a riding partner is willing to go!), cooking and BBQing and spending time with the family and rooting for the Cal Bears. Cameron has a passion to “be a neighbor” by serving the local community as salt and light and “being church” together with folks committed to being disciples of Jesus and enjoys talking about these things over coffee or lunch.
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Sunday
First Hour: |
Adult Sunday School |
9:00am |
|---|---|---|
Second Hour: |
Worship |
10:00am |
Children’s Ministry children stay with adults for opening worship |
10:30am |
|
Third Hour: |
Fellowship* |
11:30am |
|
Monday-Friday
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"Abundant Harvest" Food Pantry: on the 1st Saturday from 8:00-09:30 am (delivery and set-up takes place the Friday before from 9:00-11:00 am)
Other lunches, small groups and outreach events take place throughout the month. Call the church for more information at 650-589-6797.
2011 Council
Linda Stainthorp
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Chairperson /Christian Formation
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Alice Wu-Cardona |
Secretary |
Albert Su |
Treasurer |
Vernon Capps |
Properties/Trustees |
Percy Mueda |
Outreach/Evangelism |
Stephanie Su |
Hospitality |
Cameron Wu Cardona |
Pastor (ex-officio) |
