Grace United Methodist church in west Sherman celebrated its 40th anniversary May 6. Five of the 10 founding members and other charter members attended the celebration. Other special guests included Henry Stevenson, the first pastor of Grace UMC, and District Superintendent Marvin Guier and his wife, Kathy.
Instead of doing initial planning for a new church at the conference or district level, Grace UMC began with a group of lay people who had the dream of a new kind of church. They wanted the church to be relevant to what was happening in the world, passionate about sharing Christ with that world and creative in its missional approach.
Among its services is the Grace Legal Clinic, providing free legal assistance. The church, along with co-sponsors Grayson County Bar Association and North Texas Legal Services, serves an average of 30 to 40 people at the monthly clinic, which also provides food and child care.
