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How Do You Say Grace With Us?
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Now that you have had a chance to learn something about Grace, we would like to learn something about you. We are looking for a rector with a playful spirit but a deep personal conviction and spirituality -- a priest who will walk alongside us as we develop our own spirituality and help us discern our call. We seek a rector who empowers the laity to use their own special gifts in service to the Lord.
We seek a rector who facilitates our efforts to connect with each other and with our neighborhood, our community and the world. We are looking for a rector who has the leadership skills to ask and listen, in order to hear how God is already at work in the world ahead of us and who manages the parish in a fashion that allows us to participate in God’s mission. If you are such a person we hope you will Say Grace with us.
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I love Grace Church because:
I wouldn't like it if:
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Comments from the Parish Survey "(We seek) a priest who has the heart of a poet but also grounded in practicality - who can inspire us to be our best selves and to give of ourselves." "The sermon should linger on one's mind longer than the end of the service, make one think, carry that message into their week and tie the Gospel teaching into everyday life." "We don't have to have someone that can do everything (preacher, celebrant, counselor, administrator, manager, etc.) but someone that has the skill set to do what they can and the wisdom to have people support them in other areas where they do not have a strength." |
Opportunities for Ministry
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Grace is a place with great love and commitment among its members. It has often been described as a place where you feel safe and at home. However, Grace is not without its challenges and vulnerabilities.
One of the biggest ongoing challenges is the budget. For several years now, Grace has operated in a budget deficit, often relying on bequests to make up the short fall. We have a large, aging building and campus that require constant maintenance. The addition of our tenant, Shiny Penny, will help in the long term, but we are still in our first year so those financial benefits are yet to be realized. Through the past few years, we have tried a variety of stewardship programs that have been met with modest success. We are open to new ways of approaching stewardship of our financial resources. During our small group meetings and parish survey, there were numerous comments about the number of people doing the work. Grace is a church that is right on the cusp between a pastoral-sized congregation and a program-sized congregation. We have many dedicated laity, but there is a large amount of cross over between the committees and programs. Burn-out of existing participants is a real concern. There is also the challenge of incorporating new members into existing programs. We are open to new ways of approaching lay involvement. Although there were many concerns about having enough people and money to carry out the ministry of Grace Church, there has not been a suggestion of cutting back what we do. In fact, it is just the opposite. There is a great desire at Grace for more opportunities for outreach to our community. The Brainerd area is very diverse in terms of economic status, race, and sexual orientation. In addition, more education offerings are wanted for both personal enrichment and as a means of outreach. We are open to new ways of outreach and education. Our new rector will face some issues from Grace’s past that may present some pastoral challenges. St. Nicholas school was begun at Grace in the 1950s and was there until 1995. Upon its departure, there were many hurt feelings, and that topic still gets raised when opportunities for input, such as the parish survey, arise. There have also been numerous comments about recent rectorships and one in particular that left many parishioners with feelings of unresolved anger and resentment. To pretend that these feelings do not exist would not be fair to our next rector. We are open to new ways of healing. These challenges may seem to be extremely diverse and possibly overwhelming, but the good news is that you are not alone. You will be supported by:
…and the many smiling faces that make up your new congregation.
Let us Say Grace with you. 
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Comments from the Parish Survey "If they (parishoners) knew what a pleasure it is to have a sense of ownership with the church they might be more inclined to give and volunteer." "I enjoyed the personal (stewardship) talks that members gave periodically during the Sunday service..." "I think Grace should be a leader in social causes such as care of the environment and serving marginalized groups. This is Grace's history with early involvement in 12-step group and care of the LGBT community. " " I would like to see a vibrant outreach to our surrounding neighbors - many of whom are refugees" "People are very busy and pulled in many different directions. We need reasons to make church events a priority. We need help with our faith. We want to be faithful and generous, but we have demanding jobs and family obligations." "It is very important that Grace maintains an open and welcoming atmosphere. There are so many members who are here, including myself, that came to Grace because a member reached out to them and invited to visit/become involved." "Outreach and Inreach seem to be black holes at Grace. Other than Family Promise and the Farmer's Market, I hear little about other opportunities available. With everything that Grace has to offer, we should be using every opportunity to share that message." "I'd like to see Grace partner with another church - hopefully a small congregation in a poor area - where we could visit one another, do things together - and really act like the body of Christ." "I would like to see us become involved in refugee ministries again. I think we're uniquely positioned to be a caring community for people fleeing war, injustice and oppression. We have the ability to care for people of other faiths without pressuring them or judging them." "Regarding social justice, currently there are many public sessions for faith communities to become involved in improving public education, faith based actions to reduce LOCAL poverty, and social justice in general. I hope we are represented at these. If anyone's going, which I doubt, how is the congregation informed? If anyone's not going, WHY?" |
About Grace
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Grace Church had its beginnings in 1885 as St. George’s Mission, a mission of St. Paul’s Church. The mission first met in stores and the fire hall in south Chattanooga until a building was donated by the Richmond family in memory of their daughter, Grace Chestnutwood Richmond. In memoriam, the name, St. George’s Mission, was changed to Grace Memorial Episcopal Church. The original cornerstone is incorporated in the wall of the narthex of Grace Church.
After initially being located in south Chattanooga, Grace moved to the Highland Park area of Chattanooga prior to moving to the present location in Brainerd. The current nave was completed in 1956 with the educational building being completed in 1962.
Grace Church is part of the Diocese of East Tennessee. The Diocese was born Jan. 1, 1985, when the eastern portion separated from the continuing Diocese of Tennessee along the line of the Cumberland Plateau. For more information, please click here.
For a detailed history of Grace, please click here.
After initially being located in south Chattanooga, Grace moved to the Highland Park area of Chattanooga prior to moving to the present location in Brainerd. The current nave was completed in 1956 with the educational building being completed in 1962.
Grace Church is part of the Diocese of East Tennessee. The Diocese was born Jan. 1, 1985, when the eastern portion separated from the continuing Diocese of Tennessee along the line of the Cumberland Plateau. For more information, please click here.
For a detailed history of Grace, please click here.
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The Grace buildings are nestled among a canopy of large, mature trees at the edge of the Belvoir neighborhood. The park-like setting stands in contrast to the busy thoroughfare of Brainerd Road, a major roadway running parallel to Interstate 24 and connecting the east and west sides of Chattanooga. The nave was completed in 1956 and has seating for approximately 400. The baptismal font is located in the north transept, while St. Luke’s Chapel occupies the south transept. The Undercroft (parish hall) is directly below the nave with a full sized commercial kitchen at one end and a stage at the other. The north transept of the Undercroft is often used for art shows. The first floor of this building also has an efficiency apartment that has sometimes been used to house a caretaker.
The educational wing was completed in 1962. The third floor of this building (nave level) contains the Bishop Barth Room (church parlor), meeting rooms, the Balch Reading Room, Grace Bookstore and parish offices. The floor above provides space for the EYC, yoga classes, children’s music, and the Grace quilters. In 2016, the second floor was renovated and brought up to state code in order to house our tenant, The Shiny Penny Child Care Center. For a number of years, The Shiny Penny occupied one of the small houses owned by Grace, but the owner maintained an ongoing waiting list and desired to expand her business. Grace is benefiting financially from the arrangement and is also being a good steward of its resources by not having a building sit empty for most of the week. As part of the second floor renovations, the choir suite was moved to the first floor of the building. This long-neglected area now includes a complete music suite housing the office for the director of music, music library, robing area and rehearsal space. In addition, money was raised through donations to buy a Yamaha grand piano. When this space was reconfigured, two restrooms were added to that floor. Prior to the renovations in 2016, other work inside and outside of the building was completed including:
Grace also owns the majority of the block where the campus is located. This includes four residences that are currently rented, the former Shiny Penny building, a soccer field that is maintained by the groups that play there, and a house that has been renovated, zoned commercial and is occupied by Belvoir Gardens. One of the current rental houses is a two-story, four bedroom home that has previously been used as the rectory. Recently one of the rental houses was renovated and sold. Plans are presently being considered about the future of the other rental houses, which include selling them or using at least one as a refugee-transition home. |
Altar of Grace Church
St. Luke's chapel
East side of the church
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The financial health of Grace Church is overseen by the Vestry with the aide of two active subcommittees: Finance and endowments. Drawing from generous pledges, endowment disbursements, and revenue-generating rental properties, Grace operates on a budget of approximately $508,000 per year.
Since 2010, Grace has operated under a deficit budget. To bridge this deficit, the parish has relied upon the generous bequests of former parishioners. While these bequests were expected to bridge the budget gap for a period of only two to three years, careful stewardship has enabled these funds to last six years. As of 2016, the balance of these funds was exhausted.
To plan for the long-term financial stability of the parish, Grace entered into an agreement to lease space on the second floor of the education wing to the Shiny Penny Child Care Center beginning in 2016. This rental partnership with the Shiny Penny (an independently operated business) is projected to eliminate the operating deficit over the course of 3 to 5 years while the remaining debts of the parish are retired.
Since 2010, Grace has operated under a deficit budget. To bridge this deficit, the parish has relied upon the generous bequests of former parishioners. While these bequests were expected to bridge the budget gap for a period of only two to three years, careful stewardship has enabled these funds to last six years. As of 2016, the balance of these funds was exhausted.
To plan for the long-term financial stability of the parish, Grace entered into an agreement to lease space on the second floor of the education wing to the Shiny Penny Child Care Center beginning in 2016. This rental partnership with the Shiny Penny (an independently operated business) is projected to eliminate the operating deficit over the course of 3 to 5 years while the remaining debts of the parish are retired.
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Grace has experienced steady growth in active membership with an increase in active communicants from 442 in 2006 to 512 in 2016. Although the total number of pledging units over the past five years has remained consistent, the total amount of pledges has seen an increase of nearly $55,000 or roughly 19%. The current year saw an increase of $28,000 or 9% in overall pledges for 2017 alone due to a rigorous stewardship campaign begun in 2016. In recent years, Grace has prided itself on consistently meeting the full asking amount for our Diocesan commitment
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Beginning in the 1970s, Grace began to purchase the remaining properties on the city block on which the campus is situated. Originally intended as a location for a parochial school, these properties have been operated as residential and commercial rental space overseen by the parish’s Rental Property Committee. In 2016, Grace began to discern a path towards retiring our remaining debts by gradually disposing of these properties so as to use those funds for enhancement of ministry and outreach.
The parish has existing loans totaling approximately $525,000 which are paid out of revenues from rental income. These loans have enabled the parish to install a new air conditioning system in the Nave and education wing, renovate the childcare space, create a new music suite, and renovate existing commercial rental property.
The parish has existing loans totaling approximately $525,000 which are paid out of revenues from rental income. These loans have enabled the parish to install a new air conditioning system in the Nave and education wing, renovate the childcare space, create a new music suite, and renovate existing commercial rental property.
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For 2017, Grace’s operating budget is projected to be approximately $508,000 of which $391,000 comes from pledges and other contributions, $43,000 is disbursed from the Endowment for outreach, and $74,000 is generated from rental revenues and other sources.
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About Chattanooga
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Grace Church is located at the intersection of Belvoir Avenue and Brainerd Road in the Brainerd neighborhood of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Chattanooga is the fourth largest city in Tennessee with a population of approximately 155,000. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Chattanooga metropolitan statistical area has an estimated population that is approaching 500,000. Chattanooga is located along the Tennessee River in Southeast Tennessee near the border of Georgia at the junction of three interstate highways.
One of the factors in making Chattanooga a very livable city is its neighborhood associations. They play a critical role in the Office of Economic and Community Development’s ability to interact with residents city-wide. Grace church is located within the boundaries of the Belvoir neighborhood and several church members are active in the association. Chattanooga has been a community to rally around those in need, and to support families dealing with adversity through: the “Nooga Strong” response to shootings in 2015, the response to support families affected by the Woodmore School bus tragedy, and the response to support Howard High School baseball program. The city has received national recognition for the renaissance of its beautiful downtown and redevelopment of its riverfront. The city is notable for leveraging development funds through effective public/private partnerships, with significant civic involvement on the part of private foundations. Chattanooga was one of the first US cities to effectively use a citizen visioning process to set specific long-range goals to enrich the lives of residents and visitors. Chattanooga is known as the Gig City®. According to thegigcity.com, “Chattanooga is the first city in the Western Hemisphere to offer 10-gigabit-per-second fiber internet service to all residents and businesses.” Fiber optic service is provided by EPB, one of America’s largest publicly owned electric power providers. The local economy includes a diversified mix of manufacturing and service industries, four colleges, and several preparatory schools known throughout the South. "Sustainability" is a key concept for industry and government working together for enlightened development. |
Additional information about Chattanooga can be found at the links below: About Chattanooga Chattanooga Visitors Bureau Gig City Belvoir Neighborhood 
Downtown Chattanooga
The view from Lookout Mountain
Aerial view of Chattanooga
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With its scenic beauty, stable population and economy, civic vitality and cross-sector partnerships, fiscal integrity, and strategic location, Chattanooga enters the 21st century as one of the most progressive and livable mid-size cities in the US. In this decade the city has won three national awards for outstanding "livability” and nine Gunther Blue Ribbon Awards for excellence in housing and consolidated planning.
The Chattanooga Convention and Trade Center is great facility that has recently been expanded and is solidly booked by groups who return to the city year after. Public entities and private citizens worked together to build the 20,000 seat Max Finley Stadium completed in 1998. The city and county have developed an extensive greenway system, The Tennessee Riverwalk, which includes a 13 mile riverside path beginning downtown and meandering through the historic art district and several parks to Chickamauga Dam upstream. The city supports a downtown shuttle fleet of zero-emission electric buses -- manufactured here in Chattanooga -- for commuters and visitors wishing to park-and-ride.
Attractions such as the Tennessee Aquarium, Lookout Mountain, Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, the African American Museum, the Cumberland Trail, Prentice Cooper State Forest and the Appalachian Trail running through North Carolina bring thousands of people to the area, as do events like the Riverbend Festival, the Bessie Smith Strut, Fall Color Cruise, the Creative Discovery Museum for children, and the Southern Writers Conference. Chattanooga hosts the national softball championships every year.
Chattanooga is a center for arts, culture, and entertainment. Some of Chattanooga's more notable attractions include:
The Chattanooga Convention and Trade Center is great facility that has recently been expanded and is solidly booked by groups who return to the city year after. Public entities and private citizens worked together to build the 20,000 seat Max Finley Stadium completed in 1998. The city and county have developed an extensive greenway system, The Tennessee Riverwalk, which includes a 13 mile riverside path beginning downtown and meandering through the historic art district and several parks to Chickamauga Dam upstream. The city supports a downtown shuttle fleet of zero-emission electric buses -- manufactured here in Chattanooga -- for commuters and visitors wishing to park-and-ride.
Attractions such as the Tennessee Aquarium, Lookout Mountain, Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, the African American Museum, the Cumberland Trail, Prentice Cooper State Forest and the Appalachian Trail running through North Carolina bring thousands of people to the area, as do events like the Riverbend Festival, the Bessie Smith Strut, Fall Color Cruise, the Creative Discovery Museum for children, and the Southern Writers Conference. Chattanooga hosts the national softball championships every year.
Chattanooga is a center for arts, culture, and entertainment. Some of Chattanooga's more notable attractions include:
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Chattanooga is also a community that supports and nurtures the arts. ArtsBuild, a private, non-profit advocate of the arts, has made it a mission to build a stronger community through the arts. For almost 50 years ArtsBuild has supported the creative future of Hamilton County by investing more than $70 million in our community’s leading arts organizations, funding arts integrations programs for our students and teachers, and ensuring that even our most underserved populations have access to arts programming.
ArtsBuild provides free professional arts experiences to more than 11,400 Hamilton County students in grades 1-4 each year. Events include Chattanooga Theatre Centre’s Youth Theatre production, Chattanooga Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Chattanooga Symphony & Opera’s Young People’s Concert, and a Theatre Express performance with the Southern Lit Alliance.
Chattanooga is also a center for outdoor recreation, offering hang-gliding, bass fishing, rock climbing, hiking and caving expeditions; whitewater rafting and kayaking centers are less than an hour away as well. The verdant Smoky Mountains and Tennessee River watershed support the greatest variety of flora of any area in the United States.
With all that Chattanooga has to offer, it’s no wonder that it is often voted as a “best” city in which to live, play and work.
ArtsBuild provides free professional arts experiences to more than 11,400 Hamilton County students in grades 1-4 each year. Events include Chattanooga Theatre Centre’s Youth Theatre production, Chattanooga Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Chattanooga Symphony & Opera’s Young People’s Concert, and a Theatre Express performance with the Southern Lit Alliance.
Chattanooga is also a center for outdoor recreation, offering hang-gliding, bass fishing, rock climbing, hiking and caving expeditions; whitewater rafting and kayaking centers are less than an hour away as well. The verdant Smoky Mountains and Tennessee River watershed support the greatest variety of flora of any area in the United States.
With all that Chattanooga has to offer, it’s no wonder that it is often voted as a “best” city in which to live, play and work.
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