Building Lives Rooted in the Gospel
Grace Church sits on Estates Parkway in Allen, Texas, in Collin County north of Dallas. The congregation describes itself in a single line: "A church in Allen, TX committed to the Bible and passionate about people." For more than forty years, Grace Church has built its identity around three commitments: centered on God's Word, growing in Christ together, and reaching people with God's love. The church's stated mission is to introduce others to Jesus and inspire them to live like Him.
Grace Church is part of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA), a fellowship of autonomous churches that share a common statement of faith. While the congregation governs its own leadership and ministries, it stands together with EFCA churches across the country in confessing the same ten-point statement of faith and in partnering for missions, church planting, and leadership development.
Two Sunday Services at 9:00 and 10:45 a.m.
Sunday mornings at Grace Church revolve around two identical services, one at 9:00 a.m. and one at 10:45 a.m. Each gathering centers on worship, prayer, Scripture reading, and teaching. The music blends modern worship songs with timeless hymns, and a pastor preaches a message that aims to apply the truth of the Bible to everyday life. The 10:45 a.m. service is also livestreamed on YouTube, so members and friends can worship along from home or catch up on past messages afterward.
During the 10:45 a.m. hour, Grace Church runs Community Groups, Sunday-morning electives that meet in lieu of the second portion of the service to dig into a specific study topic. Recent and current offerings have included "Symphony for the Soul," a Bible overview walking through the Old Testament from Psalms through Malachi to show how each book leads to Him; "Apologetics for an Ever-Changing Culture," which equips members to thoughtfully engage questions about faith, morality, mental health, science, and digital conversations; and "Disciple: The Way of Jesus," a six-week series on the practices and rhythms of following Christ. No signup is required to drop in.
On the last Sunday of every month, the 10:45 a.m. service becomes a Family Worship Service. Children sit with their parents and grandparents for a gathering designed with families in mind, complete with kid-friendly elements and children's sermon notes to keep the conversation going at home during the week. Kids age four and under may remain in Children's Ministry or join their families in the service.
Grace Kids from Birth Through Sixth Grade
Grace Kids runs at both Sunday services for children from birth through sixth grade, with classrooms organized by age. Birth through two-year-olds experience God's love through gentle care, music, and prayer. Two- and three-year-olds (Pre-K) are introduced to the big story of the Bible, God's rescue plan through Jesus, through songs, crafts, and stories. K through fourth graders discover who Jesus is through teaching, worship, and small groups, while fifth and sixth graders (offered only at 9:00 a.m.) explore Scripture chronologically and begin applying biblical truth to their own lives. Check-in opens at 9:45 a.m.
Every Grace Kids classroom uses The Gospel Project, a Christ-centered, chronological curriculum that walks children from Genesis to Revelation. Children's church workers have passed background checks, every lead teacher has attended Grace Church for at least six months, and trained medical staff are on call during services. Nursery parents receive a pager, and a text message is sent to the designated parent for older children if a need arises.
On Wednesday nights, Grace Kids joins AWANA from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. AWANA is a Bible-focused ministry that combines Scripture memorization, Bible lessons, games, and small-group time, and it is open to children ages three through sixth grade. AWANA registration is required each year.
Refuge for Middle and High School Students
Students in seventh through twelfth grade have their own ministry called Refuge. On Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m., Refuge meets for worship, teaching, and small groups. Wednesday nights gather teens from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. for games, youth-led worship and prayer, Bible teaching, and small-group community time. Pastor Brandon Poninski oversees the youth ministry. AWANA also extends to older students through two programs: Trek for seventh and eighth graders (Wednesdays, 5:00 to 6:15 p.m.) answers middle-school questions about God and the Bible in an engaging format, and Journey for ninth through twelfth graders offers a deep study of God's Word aimed at building lifelong disciples.
Adults: Community Groups, Life Groups, and D-Groups
Grace Church organizes its adult ministry around a single idea: you were made for community. Members are invited into a layered pathway of groups designed to match where they are spiritually.
Community Groups meet on Sunday mornings during the 10:45 service and require no signup; just show up. Life Groups bring together eight to twelve adults of mixed gender in homes throughout the week, gathering a couple of times a month to study God's Word, serve together, and pray for one another. Registration opens in the fall and spring, with temporary groups available for those who want to join mid-semester. D-Groups are the most intensive layer: same-gender groups of three to five people who meet weekly to be intentionally discipled and to learn to disciple others.
During the "Disciple: The Way of Jesus" sermon series, the church also offers Way Groups, short-term small groups of three to five people that meet twice during the six-week series, once at the launch and once at the conclusion, to discuss what they are learning and build cross-generational friendships. The accompanying Disciple Guide is available as a free download.
Men, Women, Young Adults, and Family
Women's ministry gathers for a Wednesday morning Bible study on the book of Romans from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., a monthly Ruth's Table gathering for widows at 11:30 a.m. on the first Thursday, and SMACTalk, a monthly group for mothers of adult children meeting on the third Tuesday evening. Men's ministry centers on a monthly Bible study on the second Thursday at 6:30 p.m., working through The Measure of a Man by Gene Getz, with additional resources on biblical manhood available through the church. Young adults, college and career aged, meet on Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at The Vine for dinner, worship, Bible teaching, and discussion. Members sign up to provide meals on a rotating basis.
Family ministry supports parents and grandparents as the primary disciplers of their children. The church publishes a recommended reading list of marriage, parenting, and family devotional books, hosts twice-yearly Family Worship Gatherings in the Worship Center for family fellowship and teaching, and offers periodic Equipping Parents sessions on topics like "Parenting with Patience" and "Biblical Discipline." A twice-yearly Young Adult Retreat is held at Camp Copass in Denton, and a monthly First Fridays brunch gathers moms with nursery and children's programming available. First Fridays meets from 10:00 a.m. to noon, with childcare at $5 per child or $10 per family.
Sermon Series and Teaching
Grace Church's preaching ministry currently centers on "Disciple: The Way of Jesus," a six-week series that moves from head knowledge about Jesus to actually following Him. The series emphasizes spiritual transformation through practices, priorities, and rhythms of abiding in Christ. Following the series, the church returns to a verse-by-verse walk through the Gospel of Mark, exploring Jesus as the Crucified King, a Savior who leads through humility and serves through sacrifice. A Disciple Guide PDF accompanies the series. Past sermons are archived on the church's YouTube channel.
Missions: Local, Regional, and Global
Grace Church frames missions as a mindset, not a program. "Everyone is a missionary, and everywhere we go is a mission field." Locally, the church partners with All Community Outreach, Cornerstone Ranch, Family Promise of Collin County, Known Legacy, and Real Options. Regionally, the church works with AWANA International, EFCA Texas/Oklahoma, SER International (Border and Mexico), Bread of Life, Our Calling, The Gideons, and The Navigators. Globally, Grace Church supports Seeds of Hope Latin America, Global Training Network, China Aid, Mission Facilitators, and the Evangelical Free Church of America.
The Harvest Team, the church's local outreach arm, meets every Sunday afternoon to engage neighbors through evangelism and prayer. A "Who's Your One?" initiative encourages every member to pray for and pursue a relationship with one person who does not yet know Jesus.
What Grace Church Believes
Grace Church's beliefs follow the EFCA's ten points: belief in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Creator and Redeemer of all things; the Bible as the verbally inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority for faith and life; the human condition as broken by sin and in need of redemption through Jesus Christ; the person and work of Jesus Christ as fully God and fully man, the virgin-born, crucified, resurrected, and ascended Savior; the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross as the only ground for salvation; the work of the Holy Spirit in regenerating, indwelling, illuminating, guiding, and empowering believers; the church as the gathered community of believers, marked by baptism and the Lord's Supper; Christian living as the outworking of saving grace and faith; the personal, bodily, and glorious return of Jesus Christ; and the bodily resurrection and final judgment of all people, with the redeemed receiving eternal life and the lost receiving eternal conscious punishment.
The church's stated values are biblical faithfulness, people investment, spiritual growth, and outreach-focused ministry. Its three vision statements, "Be Bold," "Share Hope," and "Change Lives," anchor the ministry to specific Scriptures.
Leadership and Pastoral Staff
Michael Wallenmeyer serves as Lead Pastor. Michael grew up in Arizona, taught English in Taiwan, and later studied at Moody Bible Institute and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Marcie have three children: Justice, Audra, and Noah. Blair Abbott serves as Pastor of Adult Ministries. Blair came to Christ in 1978 and has been part of Grace Church with his wife Diana since 1988. Brandon Poninski serves as Pastor of Youth and Family Ministries. Brandon is originally from Chicago, studied at Grand Canyon University's seminary program, met his wife Nataly there, and they married in 2023.
The Elder Board includes Keith Lovelace (Chairman), Billy Bailey, Dave Bellando, Jason Haddix, Craig Hall, and Allen Johnson, with Dick Erickson and Lorin Netsch serving as Elders Emeritus. Brian Tschirhart serves as Director of Worship, Missions, and Finance. Stephanie Connon is the Children's Director, and Bonnie Phillips directs GEM Express Preschool.
GEM Express Preschool
Grace Church operates GEM Express Preschool under the direction of Bonnie Phillips, giving families in Allen a chance to partner with the church even before their children reach elementary age. The preschool is a ministry of Grace Church.
Visiting Grace Church
Grace Church meets at 2005 Estates Parkway in Allen, Texas, with Sunday services at 9:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Visitors are invited to come as they are. Shorts, jeans, and business casual are all welcome. Inside the front doors, a Connection Point staffed by volunteers will help families check children into Grace Kids (infants through sixth grade) or Refuge (seventh through twelfth grade). The 10:45 a.m. service is livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person.
Online giving is available through Pushpay, and the church recommends the YouVersion Bible App, the Bible App for Kids, and RightNow Media, which members can join through a church-specific link. Grace Church maintains a presence on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where past sermons and updates are posted.
For those wanting to make Grace their church home, the church offers a three-week Next Steps Membership Class on Sundays during the 10:45 service. Members can also serve on teams in AWANA, Grace Kids, Connection Team, the Worship Team (sound and media tech), or by providing meals for The Vine young adults ministry. Alpha, an eight-week introduction to the Christian faith for seekers and skeptics, returns each spring with dinner, a short video, and small-group discussion. The church office can be reached at 972-727-4512.