Grace Lutheran Church with its beautiful Gothic architecture sits in a declining area of downtown Phoenix.  Much has changed since the congregation was first organized in 1914, the same year that Arizona became the 48^th state. 

Some photos from our breakfast.

As an effort to reach out and meet their neighbors, Grace began a monthly Pancake breakfast.  In the summer of 2000 the council and the new pastor, Roger Thompson, both with a better understanding of how to be a congregation that is “In the City for Good”, challenged the congregation to move the breakfast to a weekly schedule in the fall.  It was time to move beyond being a program that fed only the physical hunger of the guests.  A worship experience was planned that gave guests an opportunity to be spiritually fed as well.  The Sunday schedule expanded to two worship opportunities, a traditional worship in the sanctuary and a contemporary worship immediately following the breakfast in the fellowship hall where the breakfast was served. This urban congregation was beginning to look beyond charity to transformational ministry – the transformation of lives, community, and an aging congregation.  Some asked how Grace would ever be able to afford to do this on a weekly basis, but the new vision was cast and the members stepped out in faith. 

Letters were sent to suburban congregations asking them to be partners with Grace in this expanding outreach ministry.  Over 30 congregations were asked to bring $150 and eight volunteers to Grace to help serve at the pancake breakfast every Sunday of the month but one. 

Grace continued to support the breakfast once a month as it always had done.  It was hoped that enough congregations would respond to get the first few months scheduled.  What a surprise when in only a few weeks, so many congregations volunteered that the schedule was filled through July 2001. 

That year the numbers at breakfast grew steadily and peaked at 275 guests on Easter Sunday.  With this astounding increase of breakfast guests a request was sent to our partner congregations to increase their commitment to twelve volunteers and a donation to $200.  The congregations responded positively and the ministry continued to grow!  We now serve an average of 400 plates of pancakes and sausages, cups of coffee, and juice each Sunday.   With three pancakes per plate that’s 1200 pancakes a week! Now that’s a BIG stack!

Since expanding the breakfast to every week and adding a contemporary worship, God has richly blessed Grace.  The worship service that follows the breakfast has grown from only a few of our breakfast guests to a core group of about forty.  In addition, more of our own members are choosing this to be their regular worshipping time.  We have built relationships with our regular breakfast guests as we got to know them by name, listened to their stories, heard about their needs and recognized the gifts they bring to us.  Yet, once again this was only the beginning for just listening to the stories and becoming aware of their needs proved to not be enough.  There was more that God had planned!

(If your congregation would like to participate please contact Grace to see what Sundays are available.  contact Betty Shepherd at 602.258.3787)