This data was last updated on 8 July 2014.
Address: 59 Worthen Road, Lexington, MA 02421
Phone: 781-862-6499
Website: http://www.grace.org
History: Grace Chapel emerged in 1948 when a group of five Lexington families began meeting for worship in Nate and Jewel Hubley’s basement. Within about five years, they called a pastor to minister to the fledgling church and in 1959 constructed the first building. The name “chapel” was taken because the founders envisioned a small church, no more than about 100 families. The church continued to grow, however, and a larger sanctuary was built in 1965. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Grace Chapel's membership greatly increased due to a decision to invest in children’s spiritual growth by offering many programs for them. The by-product of that investment was that parents and families started attending the church as well as enrolling their children in the church's programs. Grace had a second major growth period in the late 1980s under Pastor Gordon McDonald. In 2005, Grace needed to expand yet again, and the Community and Life building was constructed on the site of the original chapel.
Description: The Grace Chapel building has two major parts that are seamlessly connected: the sanctuary and the Community and Life building. The former was built in 1979 and seats 1,250 people. At the time of its construction, the congregation was able to secure a loan from the town of Lexington by promising to build the sanctuary in the style of a semi-circular, two-floor amphitheatre so that it could sometimes double as a public symphony hall. The Community and Life portion of the building was constructed in 2005 and houses everything else. It is 80,000 square feet and three stories tall, with many rooms. The upper level has the youth rooms and the gym. The middle level has a chapel, visitor’s center, café, art gallery, overflow sanctuary seating and various classrooms for children. The bottom floor is “Kidstown,” a brightly-painted area covered in kid-friendly murals, that includes playrooms, a nursery and classrooms. There are large, open lobbies and comfortable nooks with couches and tables throughout.
Demographics: Grace Chapel continues to place a strong emphasis on children and attracts many young families. About 600 elementary-aged children and 300 middle and high school youth attend Grace each Sunday. Grace also prides itself on its multi-ethnic congregation, a trend that has been growing over the last decade. Many of these congregants are second generation Asian (Chinese and Korean) and Hispanic Americans. Recently, many of them have been bringing their parents to services as well. One component of Grace’s multi-ethnic identity is the lay-led ministry to reach out to international students at universities around Boston. Part of this ministry is an “adoption” program, where local families invite students over for meals and holidays. The religious background of congregants is quite mixed. In the 1980s, the majority came from evangelical backgrounds, but now about 50% come from “unchurched” backgrounds. Quite a few members also come from Catholic backgrounds. Great effort is made at Grace to acknowledge many people’s frustration with church and to provide a welcoming place where questions can be posed. Grace’s non-denominational status means that congregants and pastors worship in a way that is distinctively Christian, while leaving room for continued difference.
Membership: About two-thirds of Sunday worshippers are members. Members can attend classes and must sign a statement of faith (see www.grace.org/beliefs). They can then vote and hold leadership positions. Grace does not ask for donations during service, but does challenge members to give (financially), serve (by volunteering) and grow (show intentionality in their faith by taking a class). Grace Chapel does, however, leave a wide gate open for people to come and participate without being members, and volunteerism, even among non-members, is very high.
Activities and Schedule: Grace Chapel is an extremely active place, with 40 staff members and 15 pastors. There are four services on Sundays. The first service is hymn-focused and traditional, the middle two are more contemporary, and the evening service is an “edgy” rock-style worship. The church has a dance team, a drama team, and choirs, all of which perform during worship. All day Sunday, about 500 adults take part in 18 classes that are offered. Children’s programs are also held on the hour every hour throughout the day. These have a dramatic performance, which emphasizes a characteristic like “courage” or “wisdom”, and then a discussion. There is also a program for high school and middle school youth. Weekdays are also busy. The main programs are: the Celebrate Recovery Program, Women’s Bible Study, the youth group, Alpha and ESL classes, the Fire Program for young adults, and Gravity, a program for high school students. Although there are many activities year-round, there are a few key annual events. There are three yearly Alpha programs, where members and non-members come to have dinner and then discuss questions about Christianity. A week-long Vacation Bible School for children is held every summer with a different theme (like “science” in 2008). Once a year, the women’s ministry holds “Faithlift”, a program with music, food, workshops and speakers from around the country. Another important event is Winter Blast, a free carnival that takes over 300 volunteers to put together and attracts 4000 people. It is meant to welcome people to Grace and to show the friendly side of church. The Easter and Christmas services are particularly colorful and elaborate, with dramatic presentations, a full orchestra, a choir and, for Christmas, a candle-lighting ceremony.
Outreach: Grace Chapel sees its outreach as nourishing the spiritual, emotional, physical and mental sides of life. Programs like the Alpha courses and marriage retreats are open to anyone. There is a food pantry that operates on Wednesday nights and is run by donations from congregants. More widely, Grace partners with a number of regional and global organizations that work with people in need and on environmental issues. For example, Grace sends teams each summer to lay pipe and help with construction that will bring clean water to tribes in Ecuador. Every year, about 200 congregants travel to the developing world to help with projects such as this. Grace Chapel gives about $1.6 million, 25% of its annual budget, to support these projects.
Affiliation with Other Organizations: Grace Chapel is part of the Lexington Clergy Association, an interfaith group of religious leaders. It is also a member of an Evangelical Pastors Group, which is made up of about ten churches in the Lexington area that meet once a month. Grace is part of the Willow Creek Association, a loose network of churches that share similar belief systems and help each other with expertise in areas of ministry and worship.