Grace Presbyterian Church sits one block north of Westheimer on the Sam Houston Tollway at 10221 Ella Lee Lane, near the corner of Westheimer and Beltway 8 in Houston's Westchase District. From that single campus, an ECO Presbyterian congregation has built a ministry that looks both inward - forming disciples of every age through teaching, small groups, and care - and outward, sending short-term mission teams to Kenya, Hungary, the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, and Guatemala, and supporting a long list of local partners that feed, clothe, shelter, mentor, and educate their west Houston neighbors.
Sunday in Two Languages, with Classes for Every Age
Sunday is the main day at Grace, and the rhythm of the morning is built around three anchors. English-language worship begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Communion is celebrated on the first Sundays of the month, and everyone is welcome at the table - members, visitors, Presbyterians, and non-Presbyterians alike. Hymnals and Bibles are in the pews, and the order of worship, songs, and Scripture appear on a large screen. Soon after the English service ends, the Equipping Hour - what many churches call Sunday School - begins at 11:00 a.m. for children, students, and adults. The Spanish-language service, Grace en Español, meets at 11:15 a.m. in the Founders' Chapel, so families who arrive early for English worship can move straight into their bilingual hour.
Visitors who want a heads-up can register ahead through a Plan a Visit form and stop by the Connection Table in the Welcome Center after worship, where a deacon will answer questions and offer a small gift. First-time guest parking is in the north lot on Ella Lee Lane closest to Beltway 8, and greeters welcome visitors at the Welcome Center doors that face the tollway.
Worship That Sings with a Choir and a Band
Grace believes that worship is not a box to check but a vital part of becoming a more fully devoted follower of Jesus. The congregation hears God's Word through Scripture, preaching, music, and prayer, and responds by going out as a light in the world. Two musical groups carry that vision: the Grace Chancel Choir, which rehearses twice a month on Wednesday evenings and sings in Sunday worship several times a month, and a Worship Band that rehearses Sunday mornings before the service and leads contemporary music. Instrumentalists and vocalists of all skill levels are invited to join, and on Sunday evenings the church's Going Home concert series has recently paired the chancel choir with the University of Houston University Chorus for a celebration of American music.
Services are livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot be in the Sanctuary, and recent sermon series include a Bible in a Year journey through the storyline of Scripture and a fall series titled Truth That Transforms.
Grace en Español: Bilingual Ministry on One Campus
Grace en Español is more than a single translated service. It is a full ministry of the church, led by Assistant Pastor Francisco Garibay and Worship Leader Ramon Gahona, that gathers Spanish-speaking believers every Sunday at 11:15 a.m. in the Founders' Chapel. The Spanish congregation has its own Facebook page, its own weekly rhythm of small groups that meet during the week, and its own missionary partnership with Constantino Santiago's Fe Maya ministry to Mayan children in the rural mountains of western Guatemala. The church's website is bilingual, and the group's Bible studies, discipleship gatherings, and outreach flow from the same ECO Presbyterian theological commitments that shape the English-language ministries.
Children from the Nursery through 5th Grade
Children's Ministry at Grace is organized by age and stage, with the goal of partnering with parents to nurture faith at home and on campus. The Nursery, in the Richmond Building, welcomes children from birth through age two on Sunday mornings from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Staff are certified in CPR and first aid, and a computerized check-in system makes drop-off and pick-up smooth for first-time families. Childcare during the 9:30 a.m. worship service is available for children kindergarten and younger; childcare during the 11:00 a.m. Equipping Hour is provided for children under the age of two by September 1 of the current school year.
Preschoolers (age 2 through pre-kindergarten) gather at 11:00 a.m. in the Learning Center, where they sing, laugh, and learn in age-appropriate rooms called The Backyard. Elementary children in kindergarten through third grade join them in The Backyard for large-group worship before splitting into grade-based small groups. Fourth and fifth graders have their own ministry called Intersect, which meets in the Massey Tucker Room 201 from 11:00 a.m. to noon with games and time in God's Word. Director of Family Ministries Daniel Baudin oversees the team, and Children's Associate Alyssa Minear leads the 4th and 5th grade ministry.
Grace Kids Music, affectionately called GKM, runs each fall for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Weekly rehearsals from October through early December culminate in a Christmas musical presented in worship each December. The program includes lunch each week, a T-shirt, and scholarships for families who need them.
Grace is intentional about children with special needs. The Sunday morning page invites parents to connect with Daniel Baudin to build an individual plan for their child, so that every kid can be nurtured as someone made in the image of God. Trail Life, a Christ-centered adventure and character program for boys, also meets through the children's ministry.
Vacation Bible School is a flagship summer outreach. VBS 2026 carried the theme Treasured, with morning crafts, snacks, Bible stories, and a kick-off party that included a Family Legacy meal-packing event for children in Zambia. VBS 2027 is scheduled for June 7-10, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and families can already donate supplies through the church. Grace also fields recreational sports teams through the West Houston Christian Sports Association, with soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and baseball and softball in the spring for Pre-K through sixth grade.
Student Ministries for Middle and High School
Student Ministries welcomes sixth through 12th graders under Director Liz Kay and Director of Family Ministries Daniel Baudin. The Sunday morning gathering runs from 11:00 a.m. to noon in Massey Tucker Hall room 207, with food, games, a lesson, and discussion groups while parents attend Equipping Hour classes.
Sunday nights during the school year belong to Crowded House, an informal gathering from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on the Grace Athletic Fields. Students eat dinner, play yard games, jam to music, and break into small discipleship groups. During June, July, and August the Sunday night rhythm pauses in favor of Summer Bible Studies on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Discipleship happens in homes. Abide Together Groups meet on different weeknights in the homes of Grace covenant partners who host dinner and lead 90 minutes to two hours of look-back-look-up-look-forward prayer, fellowship, and accountability. Once a month, all the small groups converge for Abide Worship Nights in the Sanctuary, with student-led worship music. Confirmation is offered in the spring for eighth graders and older, with eight Sunday lessons, a Saturday retreat, mentor meetings, a written Statement of Faith, and a Confirmation Sunday in late April.
Short-term mission trips are a major part of the student culture. Recent trips have included a high school journey to Whitefish, Montana for VBS, evangelism, and farm work, and a Houston-based middle school trip serving partners like the Houston Food Bank and West Houston Assistance Ministries. The Cole Knight Missions Scholarship Fund helps students with the cost, and donations can be directed to the scholarship through the church's giving page.
Young Adults, Men, and Women
G4 is the young adult ministry for singles and married adults between 18 and 35, gathering on Monday nights at 7:00 p.m. in Massey Tucker 208 for Bible study, prayer, and community. G4 hosts an annual fall retreat at Lake Livingston, and a Spotify and YouTube worship playlist keeps students and young adults connected between meetings.
Women's Ministry runs several steady rhythms. Women of Grace is a monthly gathering, September through May, organized into small circles that study Scripture together and serve the community through mission projects. Inspire! is a Tuesday small-group Bible study offered in the morning and the evening, with combined large-group teaching followed by small-group discussion. Grace Moms is a Tuesday morning study for mothers of young children, with childcare provided. The Chosen Discussion Group is a Wednesday afternoon gathering that watches an episode of the television series The Chosen and discusses it together.
Men's Ministry meets weekly on Thursday nights for the Cornerstone Men's Bible Study, gathering for dinner at 6:00 p.m. in the church and beginning the study at 7:00 p.m. in Massey Tucker 201. The men also host seasonal BBQs, a fall kickoff gathering, and a Friday night fireside hangout for fellowship and service. Throughout the year the men support the Wood Memorial Golf Tournament, which raises money for Friends of Westchase and student missions.
Encore is the ministry for adults 55 and older, and EPIC Courses (Equipping People in Community) are churchwide adult classes that meet during the Equipping Hour at 11:00 a.m. Recent EPIC offerings have included a fall journey through the Westminster Catechism, taught in a discussion-based format by Grace pastors and staff. Alpha Ministry offers an introduction to the Christian faith in a small-group setting.
Disciple Groups sit at the heart of the church's adult formation strategy. These intentional groups of three to five people meet regularly for prayer, accountability, and study, with the expectation that each group will eventually multiply by launching a new group. Each group begins with Greg Ogden's Essential Guide to Becoming a Disciple, follows with Discipleship Essentials, and is supported by a coach. The church's path to membership, called the Covenant Partner Course, is the formal door into the church's life, vision, and mission.
Caring for One Another through Every Season
Congregational Care is a whole wing of the church, organized under Assistant Pastor Denise Phelps. The pastoral staff is available for counseling appointments, can refer members to specialists, and includes a licensed counselor for ongoing care. The Stephen Ministry extends one-to-one Christian care to people experiencing crisis, and the church walks families through the end-of-life journey, from pre-planning memorial services to arranging funerals in the Founders' Chapel.
Grace Disguised is a six-week grief class built around Jerry Sittser's book of the same name, giving participants space to learn, share, pray, and find fellowship after loss. The Bereavement Report is shared weekly so that the congregation can pray for and support families in their grief.
For members who cannot easily attend in person, Grace-To-Go pairs volunteers with homebound members for seasonal visits, often including communion with an elder or deacon. Manna from Grace, sometimes called Monday Manna, prepares and freezes meals for members who are ill, homebound, or have recently had a baby; volunteers can sign out food from the Manna kitchen freezer at the north entrance of the church.
Friday nights at Grace belong to Alanon, which meets from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. in the Molly Ann Smith Building at the southwest corner of the campus. Prayer Shawls, knitted by women of the church who meet with Peace by Piece, are given to anyone dealing with illness or loss. Care Calendar and CaringBridge links on the Care Programs page help families organize meals and updates during a health crisis, and a peer-led NAMI family support group for caregivers of people with mental illness is also available.
Serving the Westchase Neighborhood and the City
Grace's Westchase location shapes its outreach. Friends of Westchase, a partnership of schools, churches, businesses, and individuals in the district, is a long-running commitment, and Grace volunteers serve as school mentors who spend about 30 minutes each week with elementary or middle school students facing academic, behavioral, or home challenges. The mentoring program trains new volunteers each fall.
Saturday Serve is a once-a-month, intergenerational service day with both on-campus and off-campus projects, including light home repairs through the Restoration Team. Disaster Recovery is a standing commitment, and the church maintains a Disaster Response Team that contacts every covenant partner household after a storm or crisis; an emergency contact form lets members identify a trusted adult outside the household who can be reached if no one at home can be. The North Carolina Disaster Response Trip is a regular short-term mission, helping families still rebuilding from Hurricane Helene.
Grace's local mission partners are extensive: West Houston Assistance Ministries (WHAM) for food and emergency assistance; Kids' Meals Inc. for summer food security; Clothed by Faith for clothing; Literacy Now of Houston for tutoring; Habitat for Humanity for home construction; Open Door Mission and Star of Hope for homelessness recovery; Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services; Camp Cho-Yeh for summer camp; Brookwood Community for adults with disabilities; Elijah Rising for recovery from human trafficking; and Hope Mommies for women who have lost a baby. Young Life Houston and Frontier Fellowship extend the church's reach to teenagers and to diaspora communities.
Mission Around the World
Grace's global mission partners include families and ministries in Eastern Europe, East Africa, and Central America. The Mukhas (Igor, Jasmina, and Mila Claire) serve in France through Youth With A Mission, building relationships through evangelism, small groups, Bible studies, and bilingual Vacation Bible School. Steve and Barbara Johnson lead a 16-person YWAM team in Budapest with a coffee house, street evangelism, Bible studies, homeless outreach, and a Discipleship Training School. Rosie and Akap Phom, also in Budapest, disciple international students, expats, and the homeless. Misha Reyes coordinates the Discipleship Training School for Central Europe and visits Grace every year around World Communion Sunday. Christopher and Grace Mancillas, who grew up partly at Grace and partly at West Virginia University, are preparing for college ministry at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
In Kenya, Grace has partnered with The Outreach Foundation and missionary Stu Ross to help build and dedicate more than 35 churches and girls' schools outside Nairobi, with regular summer trips for construction, safari, and fellowship. Friends of Samburu organizes a spring trip to north central Kenya, focused on building relationships and continuing a girls' school project.
In the Dominican Republic, Grace has partnered with Living Water International to bring clean water to remote communities through the WASH program, helping connect water lines to homes and schools. In Guatemala, the Fe Maya mission run by Grace en Español's mission partner Constantino Santiago equips Mayan children with school supplies and presents the Gospel in rural western Guatemala, where new churches and believers continue to grow.
The church also walks alongside Fuller Theological Seminary through its Institute for the Study of the End Times and other programs, and supports The Antioch Partners as it sends and coaches global workers.
Weddings, Memorials, and the Sacraments
Grace hosts weddings in two historic settings. The Founders' Chapel, lit by 150-year-old stained glass windows, holds up to 300 guests and is the most requested venue, while the Sanctuary accommodates up to 1,500 for larger gatherings. Wedding fees are $1,500 for the Chapel and $2,500 for the Sanctuary, and both include the pastor, wedding coordinator, organist, a soloist, two seven-tiered candelabras, and custodial service. A $250 facility usage fee applies for walk-in weddings and vow renewals. Pre-marital counseling is required, and the bride and groom will meet with the officiating pastor one to three times before the ceremony. Wedding Director Laura Maham coordinates the dates, pastors, and music.
Memorial services are guided by the Congregational Care Office, which helps families through pre-planning, the day of the service, and bereavement support. The Founders' Chapel is the most common setting, and Memorial Services Planning Guides and sample obituaries are available on the End of Life Ministry page. The church also baptizes infants, children, and adults as part of Sunday worship, with preparation meetings required and baptism authorized by the Session (the church's governing body of elders).
Grace School and the Wider Campus
Grace School shares the campus and is closely connected to the life of the church. The school serves preschool and elementary age children, and Grace Preschool Ministries and Grace Elementary Ministries each maintain their own Facebook and Instagram presence. The school is part of what makes Grace a multigenerational community, with shared spaces such as the Richmond Building for the nursery, the Learning Center for children's Sunday school, Massey Tucker Hall for adult classes and student ministries, the Molly Ann Smith Building for Alanon, and the Founders' Chapel for the Spanish-language service and intimate weddings.
Generosity, Leadership, and Governance
Grace teaches that generosity is a way of living, not simply a way of giving. Members can give by cash or check, by credit card or ACH transfer online, by gifts of appreciated stock, or by planned gifts through a will or beneficiary designation. The 5:10:5 Plan encourages proportional giving, and an annual operating pledge campaign funds the church's ministry each year.
Governance follows the Presbyterian model. The Session is the church's governing body, made up of elected elders who serve three-year terms in classes that rotate each year. Deacons care for the congregation through prayer, visits, and emergency contact after disasters. Both groups, alongside the church staff, share leadership in a servant model drawn from Mark 10.
The staff is larger than most congregations of comparable size. In addition to the pastors and ministry directors named above, Director of Facilities David Anderson and Senior Building Operations Ernesto Cabrera care for the campus; Mayda Mendiola serves as Controller, Judy Pushkin as Accounts Payable Coordinator, and Susan Dozier as Contributions Coordinator; Roger Medina leads Audio/Visual, with Nicole Saldivia supporting A/V and Communications; Laura Maham directs weddings; Narda Weierbach leads Human Resources; Doug Gleditsch leads Creative and Messaging; Jamie Horton connects first-time guests and new members; and Executive Director of Ministry Support Hardie Morgan, Executive Assistant Sharon High, and Administrative Coordinators Daniela Aranzazu, Tammy Box, and Stephanie Clarke keep the work moving forward.
Generosity at Grace reaches outward as well as inward. The church operates and supports the Wood Memorial Golf Tournament each fall, has helped build 65 beds for neighbors without housing through Christmas for the City, and joins with thousands across west Houston each Easter for a Camden Park community worship celebration. The Welcome Center is also where members and visitors pick up the Event Digest, a printed snapshot of everything coming up across the life of the church.
From its bilingual Sunday worship to its wide circle of care, from Vacation Bible School in June to Kenya trips every other summer, from nursery care in the Richmond Building to the Founders' Chapel's stained glass, Grace Presbyterian Church has built a ministry that asks one thing of its members: to come as they are, to be equipped in every season of life, and to let the gospel shape how they live, work, and play across the street and around the world.