SF Campus Celebrates Four Years of Ministry
Today was our 4th anniversary of doing ministry in San Francisco. It’s hard to imagine that 4 years ago, there was no San Francisco ministry of Gracepoint. I still remember that nearly 5 years ago, a handful of Hastings and UCSF students moved across the Bay Bridge in order to plant the San Francisco campus. The extent of our ministry back then was to have a Hastings and UCSF joint bible study, meet other graduate students, and travel back and forth to Berkeley for Sunday service and prayer meetings. When we started having worship services in San Francisco, the pastor of the church we were renting welcomed us warmly… and then challenged us to outgrow the building!
Fast-forward 4 years later, and we outgrew that building—we are now having services at Bessie Carmichael Elementary School, with over twice the capacity of our original location and a wonderful stage to create a powerful Sunday worship experience. We have nearly twice as many people per Sunday than we did years ago. Now we are actively ministering at SFSU, with a campus group that is growing exponentially, and still we’re looking to reach other college campuses. Our Mission Bay Bible study attracts UCSF and other students living in the housing units—this group is learning about the gospel through Starting Point. Who could’ve imagined that starting a housing association would lead to a new Bible study? We have a vibrant married couple’s ministry that has been such an encouragement to our church--many have crossed the line of faith! And we are expanding beyond Hastings to meet graduate students from other schools, as well as more working professionals through our Praxis ministry.
It's hard to recognize us now because God has demonstrated that He is incredibly faithful. There are still so many to be won here in this city, and I am thankful that God has chosen to use, grow, and mold our community to reach those around us. It’s easy to forget how God has worked sometimes—but noticing that less than a quarter of the current Sunday attendees were the founding members, and seeing new faces and new ministries reminds me that God is always at work. I am so thankful that God has chosen to include me in this work, which I have been able to observe and participate in, so that I could share God’s heart and mission to reach this city. With gratitude and anticipation, I look forward to how God will work in the year leading up to our 5th Anniversary.