On a single block in Des Moines, Washington, a congregation has been quietly gathering for close to seventy years under the name Grace Lutheran Church. The name has carried the building through decades of change on 24th Avenue South, and it still fits. Grace describes itself as a radically inclusive, multicultural community that serves and leads together with the love of Jesus - the tagline that hangs everywhere from the welcome slides to the offering envelopes reads, God's heart. Our hands. grace in ACTION. Four Sunday services run back to back, music programs fill every age bracket, two staffed early-childhood programs operate on the same campus, and a long list of global mission partnerships reach across five continents. For a town of roughly 32,000 on the eastern shore of Puget Sound, the scale is unusual - and intentional.
Four Sundays, Four Ways to Worship
Worship is the heartbeat of Grace, and the congregation has shaped its Sunday around it. Four services run each week, each with its own character and language:
- 8:30 a.m. - Choir Led Worship, in the main sanctuary. Traditional liturgy, full choir, and robed leadership set the tone. The choir rehearses Wednesday evenings from September through May and brings anthems that often become the meditative center of the service. Hymnals are out; the congregation is invited to sing along, and most do.
- 11 a.m. - Band Led Worship, also in the sanctuary (10 a.m. in summer). A contemporary band with trumpet, saxophone, piano, drums, guitar, and vocals fills the room. Words appear on screens rather than in hymnals, and the mood shifts naturally between quieter communion songs and upbeat, stand-and-sing numbers.
- 12:15 p.m. - Culto en Español / Spanish Worship, held downstairs in La Capilla, a smaller chapel created for connection and welcome. The service is fully in Spanish, with liturgy, music, Holy Communion, and a shared meal afterward. Latino traditions are honored through celebrations such as Las Posadas, Día de los Muertos, and Holy Week.
- 10 a.m. - Online Worship, posted each Sunday on YouTube. The service is recorded earlier in the week with music from Grace's own choir and band woven in. There is no live stream to catch; pressing play is the only step required.
Communion is offered at every service, and all are welcome to participate - no exceptions, no membership required. The services share the same open communion table that defines the wider Evangelical Lutheran Church in America tradition Grace belongs to.
Limitless Grace and All Means All
Grace is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the largest Lutheran body in the United States, and is part of the Northwest Washington Synod. Lutheran theology centers on grace - God's love and forgiveness are not earned, they are given. That conviction flows through the church's own name and shapes seven commitments the congregation has named its Ways of Life:
- Limitless Grace - following Jesus on adventures of grace that cannot be earned.
- All Means All - reflecting Jesus' calling that God's gifts are for everyone: every ability, race, religion, gender identity, country of origin, sexual orientation, language, and economic level. The list ends with the same line it began with: All, no exceptions.
- Servant Hearts - everyone at Grace, without exception, joyfully serves.
- Unbounded Generosity - a desire to be the most loving and generous church on the planet.
- Mosaic Life - building bridges of connection across cultural differences in Des Moines and beyond.
- Lasting Accompaniment - walking alongside neighbors and global partners until the day full life and full love win.
- Ongoing Discernment - remaining nimble and open to the work of the Holy Spirit in daily, weekly, and monthly rhythms.
The ELCA ordains women as pastors and has ordained partnered LGBTQ+ clergy since 2009, a practice Grace shares as part of its denomination. Lutherans also hold to the priesthood of all believers: ministry is not only the pastor's job, but every member's call. That conviction is visible in how Grace organizes itself - a called pastoral staff works alongside lay directors for nearly every program.
Music as Worship's Heartbeat
Music is the most visible thread running through Grace's life. Five separate ensembles support worship and formation:
- Grace Choir leads the early service, rehearsing Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. from September through May.
- Grace Band leads the late service, rehearsing Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. year-round.
- Handbell Choirs run in age-based groups: children in grades 2-8, youth in grades 6-12, and adults from grade 9 onward. Rehearsals are on Monday evenings for the children and adult groups, and Sunday evenings for youth.
- Children's Choir is open to any kindergartner through fifth grader and rehearses Mondays from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. The choir sings in worship about once a month.
- Congregational Song leaders, co-led by Geoffrey Boers and Carmen Van Soest, support the whole congregation's singing across services.
Supporting the music is an AV & Tech Team that handles sound, screens, captions, assisted listening systems, and multilingual materials for every service. The team makes sure that worship works for everyone in the room and for those watching online.
Caring for One Another Through Every Season
The Congregational Care ministries at Grace exist so that no member walks alone. The Care Team reaches out by phone, card, or visit to those who are homebound, sick, or grieving, and occasionally shares communion with people who can't make it to church. A separate Grief Share support group meets weekly during fall and winter sessions, offering a nonjudgmental space for people walking through loss. Parish Nursing walks alongside members as a faith-filled presence for health and well-being, offering CPR and First Aid classes, blood pressure and blood sugar checks, fall-prevention guidance, and seasonal flu and COVID shot clinics in partnership with local health resources and first responders.
Grace also supports the Lutheran Counseling Network, a professional counseling service that serves roughly a thousand people in the wider community - most of whom will never set foot in the church building.
Finally, a volunteer team handles memorials, receptions, and Sunday morning coffee, handling the food and logistics so that grieving families can just grieve and the wider congregation can simply show up. Coffee setup begins at 7:30 a.m. each Sunday.
Children, Youth, and the Next Generation
Grace invests heavily in the next generation. On Sunday mornings, the Nursery welcomes children ages 0-3 every week, with paid attendants who are all background-checked. During the sermon, kids in preschool through fifth grade head downstairs for Children's Church, where adult and youth leaders walk them through a 15-20 minute lesson built around the same scripture their parents are hearing upstairs. Children's Church runs weekly during the school year and pauses in summer.
For older students, Youth Ministry offers Sunday faith formation, Wednesday Bible studies, fellowship events, retreats, service projects, and a coffee cart that runs before and after worship. Confirmation & Acolytes walks middle schoolers through claiming their own faith every other Wednesday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (September through May), and gives them a tangible role in leading worship as acolytes.
Two annual faith milestones anchor the year for younger children: a Saturday Easter Egg Hunt, the church-wide VBS in the third full week of July, the Fall Fest on the Saturday closest to Halloween, and the Church Christmas Party on the fourth Sunday in Advent. All are organized by the Family Events & Special Programs team.
Beyond Sunday mornings, KidREACH pairs K-6 students from local schools with volunteer tutors for one-on-one reading sessions each Thursday evening during the school year (6:00-7:30 p.m.). The reading matters, the church says, but what matters more is a child finding out that an adult said they would show up, and did.
Life-Stage Communities and Bible Study
Grace's Connection & Belonging ministries exist at the intersection of faith and friendship. Five life-stage groups help people find their people:
- Young Adults (ages 18-30) gather monthly for fellowship, faith, and service.
- Parenting with Grace: Littles connects parents in the early-childhood years.
- Parenting with Grace: Bigs supports parents navigating the teen years.
- Adulting with Grace welcomes singles and marrieds in their thirties, forties, and beyond.
- Inspired Retired gathers people in their retirement years for fellowship and continuing service.
For study, Saturday Seekers Bible Study meets on the third Saturday of each month from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. (September through May), offering honest discussion and reflection for adults of any age. Grace Retreats complement the rhythm with day and weekend retreats close to home and farther afield.
Local Outreach: Sleeves Rolled Up
Grace's outreach ministries take the congregation beyond its own walls. Community Dinners are held on the second Tuesday of every month, with roughly 80 neighbors and church family sharing a meal that always runs long. The Food Bank Partnership sends volunteers to support the Des Moines Area Food Bank. Grace in Action organizes Monday-through-Friday service days - yard work, school supplies, meals - wherever a practical need surfaces.
The Refugee Resettlement ministry welcomes refugee families in partnership with local resettlement agencies, helping with apartment setup, transportation, grocery shopping, school enrollment, and the harder, longer work of building real friendships over shared meals. A 12-Step Program offers a judgment-free space for anyone wrestling with addictive or compulsive behavior, with no faith requirement - only a desire to heal.
For more than fifty years, the LWR Quilting group has met Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon in the Fellowship Hall to make mission quilts for Lutheran World Relief. No sewing experience is required, and at-home sewing kits are available for those who can't attend in person. A related Fidget Quilts & Memory Hearts ministry makes tactile comfort items for patients with Alzheimer's and dementia, delivered locally to hospice and palliative care.
Walking With the World
Grace's Global Mission Partnerships reflect a long-standing belief that the body of Christ has no borders. Yearly or as-needed trips support companion Lutheran communities in El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico (since 1985), Haiti (through the Timoun Foundation), India (through Hope Rising), and Uganda (through Reaching Out With Hope). A separate World Hunger and Disaster Relief ministry channels resources to ELCA and Lutheran World Relief programs on the front lines of need, and the LWR Quilts and Kits Shipping Fund underwrites the cost of getting finished quilts and school kits to their destinations.
Visiting Grace
Grace welcomes visitors warmly and keeps the bar low. There is no dress code - on a typical Sunday you'll see everything from suits to jeans. Communion is open to everyone at every service. The Nursery is available for ages 0-3, and Children's Church welcomes preschool through fifth grade during the sermon. An assisted listening system is available in the sanctuary.
Sunday mornings at 22975 24th Ave S look like this: 8:30 a.m. choir-led worship in the sanctuary, 11 a.m. band-led worship in the sanctuary (10 a.m. in summer), 12:15 p.m. Spanish-language worship in La Capilla downstairs, with the online service waiting on YouTube at 10 a.m. for anyone who would rather worship from the couch. The welcome center and ushers can answer questions about ministries, programs, or how to get involved. Pastor Chad Johnson, Pastor Rachel Swenson, and Pastor Salvador Cossio all welcome direct email through the church office.
Preschool and Children's Center
Two staffed programs run on the Grace campus, both open to any family regardless of religious affiliation:
- Grace Lutheran Preschool has provided high-quality, affordable Christian early education for forty-three years. It serves children ages 2-6 through school-year and summer programs, with a.m. and p.m. extended care and an Early Bird Drop-Off option. The preschool is a non-profit ministry of the church, led by Director Miranda Winter.
- Grace Children's Center offers full-day childcare and early learning for children from six weeks old through fifth grade, open Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The center is built around relationship, with classrooms for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, pre-K, and a school-age program that walks children to and from nearby Midway Elementary. Tuition follows Washington State's Working Connections guidelines for King County, with a sibling discount, an annual registration fee that funds scholarships for families in need, and acceptance of a wide range of childcare subsidies. Director Yuni Cardenas leads a team of teachers, an administrative assistant, and a cook.
The two programs are intentionally connected: families needing infant care can move seamlessly from Grace Children's Center into the preschool on the same campus.
Pastoral and Program Leadership
Grace is served by three pastors and a sizeable staff of ministry directors. Pastoral leadership rests with Pastor Chad Johnson, Pastor Rachel Swenson, and Pastor Salvador Cossio, who also serves as Youth Director. Worship and music leadership includes Gospel Band Director Dean Krippaehne, Co-Leaders of Congregational Song Geoffrey Boers and Carmen Van Soest, Handbell Choirs Director Brian Tervo, and Children's Choir Director Jason Astrup. Michele Larabee directs the Nursery, Miranda Winter leads Grace Lutheran Preschool, and Yuni Cardenas directs Grace Children's Center.
Grace's elected Congregational Board partners with the pastoral staff to oversee ministry and operations. Officers are Paul Marth (President), Lindsey Astrup (Vice President), Amy Baker (Secretary), and Brian Maloney (Treasurer), with board members Shelby Chatterton, Pat Togher, and Victoria Pann.
Generosity as a Way of Life
The congregation's annual generosity season centers on a framework called Flourish, built around three pillars: Identity, Belonging, and Purpose. Flourish flows from an earlier season called Rooted + Rising and is meant to be an ongoing rhythm rather than a campaign. Each fall, the season leads to Commitment Sunday, when worshipers are invited to fill out a one-year Commitment Card - a personal commitment to give of time, presence, and resources in the year ahead.
There are many ways to give: cash or check in the pew envelopes, online giving through a one-time or recurring gift, online banking bill pay, Fred Meyer Community Rewards (non-profit number 91892), United Way contributions (GLC ID #13430), employer matching, and larger legacy gifts including securities, qualified charitable distributions, donor-advised funds, life insurance, and estate gifts. Online donations are processed through Raisely, which adds an optional processing-fee contribution that donors can adjust or remove at checkout.
For more than seventy years, Grace Lutheran Church has held an open door in Des Moines. Today that door opens onto four Sunday services, a choir loft and a band stage, classrooms full of children learning to read and sing, a quilting frame that has been working since 1968, and friendships that stretch from Des Moines to El Salvador to Uganda. The tagline is short - God's heart. Our hands. grace in ACTION. - and the building at 22975 24th Ave S is still the place where it shows up.