Mission of Grace

Mission Statement:

To proclaim God’s grace and share God’s peace through love and service for all.

  Vision Statement: 

We seek to celebrate the image of God in all people, including every race, sex, age, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital and familial status, physical and mental ability, socioeconomic situation, and political affiliation. We are here to nurture meaningful relationships and chare out collective gifts in response to the worlds deep hunger for hope, love grace, justice and peace.

“Feed a man a fish, Feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.”

History: 

The Mission of Grace was started in 1974, located in the center of the 4th ward of Evansville, IN. We are an outreach ministry of Grace and Peace Lutheran Church, partnering with Grace of Jesus Christ Haitian Church.

In 1978, the Pastor and members of a small, inner city church became aware of a crisis in the neighborhood surrounding its church. People in need were knocking on the church’s door to ask for assistance with the basic fundamentals of life, including food, clothing, and other essentials. The need was vast, and many times overwhelming.

Because of the need a new outreach ministry was developed. It is called the Mission of Grace. The church began by seeking the resources of individuals who volunteered their time, money and prayers. Soon an organization was created and the Mission of Grace began its work. 

The Mission operated as a beacon for emergency assistance for over 40 years.  However, It became evident that while our assistance provided for immediate need, it did nothing to alleviate the underlying issues or move clients into upward mobility. As we began to take a further look at the root cause of residents needing quarterly assistance, we discovered several things.

Many of the clients had at least some income but lacked financial management skills, along with other daily living skills. Also, if a client was heavily dependent upon government subsidies, it was difficult to get them to visualize or embrace long term gains that could be acquired if they would adjust some things associated with their current lifestyle. Fear, or lack of security, is a great deterrent to upward mobility. 

As a result, we decided in 2021 to reshape our purpose by embracing the Chinese proverb "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime". Putting our beliefs into action, we needed to refocus our strategy and provide services that would aid in the upward mobility of those in need.    

Our programs are designed to provide the foundation and confidence to pursue various employment opportunities. We work to address the soft skills needed to be succesful in today’s environment.

 Our services include:

Monday Management Classes

English Second Language Classes

Resume Writing

Introductory Computers

Interview Skills

Job search

OUR PRIORITY IS TO WALK IN LOVE, AS CHRIST FIRST LOVED US, BY OFFERING OUR NEIGHBORS ASSISTANCE THROUGH THEIR ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DIFFICULTIES.

Working to make our community stronger.

Program sponsors: IN/KY ELCA SYNOD, TOYOTA, PC QUEST

General Information

Location:  

Mission of Grace

418 East Gum Street

Evansville, Indiana 47713

Office (812) 464-2919