Anchorage Grace Church sits on the corner of Pintail Street and Huffman Road in South Anchorage, just past Lake Otis. Since 1980, the congregation has built its identity around two anchors: the steady, section-by-section exposition of Scripture and a deep investment in Christian education. From that focus have grown a K-12 school, a Bible institute, a satellite campus of a major seminary, and a steady stream of missionaries sent out around the world.
Verse-by-Verse Through the Bible
Every Sunday the church opens the Bible and works through it, a book or a paragraph at a time. Senior Pastor Jeff Crotts is currently working section-by-section through Ephesians, and the sermons are recorded as audio so the congregation can revisit them during the week. Preaching runs around 45 minutes of the 90-minute service, and the church considers expository preaching the most indispensable element of its life together. The pattern follows the same template as the early church described in Acts 2:42, where the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
The two Sunday morning services are identical in form. A welcome from one of the pastors opens the service, the worship band leads the congregation in a blend of hymns and newer songs set to a contemporary style with lyrics projected on the front screen, a pastor leads in Scripture reading and prayer, brief announcements follow, and then the sermon is preached. Song lyrics are projected so visitors can follow along, and the auditorium is equipped with a sound system tuned for clarity rather than volume. Music is described as a way to express faith together in unison, and the church focuses on the content of the songs more than the musical style. In the end, worship is treated as something done for the Lord, not for the congregation.
First Sunday Nights: Worship in the Round
Once a month, usually on the first Sunday but with some flexibility for other major events, the church gathers at 5:00 p.m. for a special service called Worship in the Round. The service is family focused and includes baptisms, communion, congregational singing, and preaching. In the summer months, when the weather allows, the service sometimes moves outdoors.
What a First-Time Visitor Finds
Visitors are encouraged to come first to the welcome desk in the lobby by the main staircase. Someone is stationed there to greet them, help with checking children into the kids' ministry, and answer questions. Parking is plentiful in front of the building, with additional spaces on the sides and in the back. The main entrance is the large glass doors closest to the road, but those who park further away can also enter through the glass doors across the lot or through the double doors at the midpoint of the building.
Families with children will want to leave about ten extra minutes for the kids' check-in process. GraceKids is offered during the 10:30 a.m. service for infants through sixth grade. On the first visit, a volunteer gathers parent contact information, the child's name and birthday, home address, phone number, and any special instructions such as allergies or special needs. Children are checked in through an online database during the following week. After the service, children are released only to the parents, guardians, or adults they arrived with; they will not be released to siblings or family friends and will not be allowed to wander the building on their own.
What the Church Believes
Anchorage Grace holds to a doctrinal statement drawn from the historic Protestant Reformed tradition. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are affirmed as the verbally inspired, wholly without-error Word of God. The one true God exists eternally as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ is confessed in his preexistence and deity, his incarnation by virgin birth, his sinless life, his substitutionary death, his bodily resurrection, his ascension and present ministry, and his promised return. The Holy Spirit baptizes and indwells every believer at the moment of regeneration and fills them for Christian life and service.
The doctrinal statement affirms salvation by God's grace alone, received as a gift through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his finished work. The church is described as the one true body and bride of Christ, composed of all true believers of the present age, organized in local churches that are autonomous but cooperating in fellowship and work. Two ordinances are observed: the baptism of believers by immersion and the communion of the bread and the cup.
The church also affirms a particular eschatology: the personal, visible, and imminent return of Christ to remove his church from the earth before the tribulation, and his subsequent descent with the church to establish a millennial kingdom. Marriage is defined as the exclusive covenant union of one biological man and one biological woman. The statement also includes positions on sexual ethics, baptism by immersion of professed believers only, and the meaning of ministry as service modeled on Christ. Believers are considered free to differ on secondary matters such as eschatological schemes or particular views of divorce and remarriage, while being bound together on the primary doctrines of the faith.
The Distinctives
Four distinctives shape everything the church does. First, transcendent worship: the church seeks to reflect the majesty and holiness of the God who has saved it. Worship is about Christ, not the worshiper. Second, expository preaching: the Bible is God's perfect and enduring revelation, and it is treated as the central authority for everything the church teaches and practices. Third, building community: the gospel unites believers in true community, and the church is committed to fostering biblical fellowship. Fourth, making disciples: the church's mission is to make disciples of all nations, both through evangelism to the lost and through the integration of new believers into the life of the local church.
Underneath these distinctives, the elders lead with four core values: integrity, excellence, humility, and unity. The decisions of the elders, deacons, and staff are made solely for the purpose of proclaiming Jesus Christ and conducting the ministry in accordance with the church's stated purpose.
Governance: Elders and Deacons
The affairs of the church are guided by a council of biblically qualified elders nominated by the congregation, approved by the elder board, and affirmed by the congregation. The elders oversee all aspects of ministry, including the service of administration, and devote themselves to the ministry of the Word and prayer. They are assisted by biblically qualified deacons who handle the practical needs of the body, including the physical properties and finances of the church, the welcoming of attenders at services, the care of widows, and the administration of the benevolence fund. Caleb Terpstra serves as Lead Deacon, and the current eldership includes Bryan Laker, Derrick Zuk, and Matthew Zuk alongside the pastoral staff.
Becoming a Member
Anyone interested in joining walks through a defined process: read the church's constitution, submit a membership form (one for each spouse if married), meet with a pastor, and arrange for baptism if not already baptized. Once approved by the elder board, new members receive the Right Hand of Fellowship at an upcoming worship service. Membership is presented as both a joyful and a solemn responsibility, an opportunity to publicly identify with the local body and to exercise spiritual gifts within it.
GraceKids: Infants Through Sixth Grade
On Sunday mornings, GraceKids runs during both worship services, with the full children's program operating during the 10:30 a.m. hour. The children use The Gospel Project curriculum, which walks kids through the whole story of Scripture in a three-year cycle, beginning in Genesis and ending in Revelation, showing how every passage points to Jesus. All age groups study the same Bible passage each week, so families can discuss the lesson together at home.
On Wednesday evenings during the school year, the children gather for Adventure Club, a club-format program modeled on the AWANA approach that takes kids through a three-year cycle of systematic theology, covering God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, the Bible, mankind, salvation, sin, angels, the church, and the end times. Each club night includes worship, games, large group Bible lessons, small group discussion, and Scripture memorization, with awards to encourage memory work. Kids are organized into three tracks: Trackers (ages 4-kindergarten), Scouts (grades 1-3), and Trailblazers (grades 4-6). The club year runs from mid-August to mid-April, and online registration is required.
The children's ministry is staffed by Amanda Bondar as Kids Ministry Director, with Danielle Buller serving as Nursery Director. Parents are considered the primary spiritual influence on their children, and the church aims to come alongside parents rather than replace them.
Youth Ministry
Junior and senior high students are treated as maturing young adults, responsible to God for their own sin and called to obey him and their parents. The Sunday morning youth class, currently using the Truth78 "Abiding in Jesus" curriculum, meets at 10:30 a.m. in Room 221 and is led by Jacob Lundquist. The Wednesday night youth group, also in Room 221, brings middle and high schoolers together for a time of worship songs, splits them into separate lesson groups, and concludes with games. Pete Johnson serves as Family Pastor and oversees the youth ministry, with Matt Zuk, Derrick Zuk, Curtis Patteson, and Jacob Hulst serving as teachers.
Men's and Women's Ministries
The men's ministry exists to grow men in their faith and to deepen their relationships with one another through the study and application of God's Word. Two weekly gatherings anchor the ministry: the 3D Men's Group meets Wednesday mornings from 6:15 to 7:15 at the Village Inn on Northern Lights Boulevard to apply the previous Sunday's sermon, and a Wednesday evening Bible study meets from 6:30 to 7:30 in the GCS Library, working through the Book of Acts. Quarterly men's breakfasts and an annual retreat round out the calendar, along with occasional conferences.
The women's ministry follows the same pattern of Bible study and fellowship. A Monday evening study of Joshua meets in Room 221, and ladies' Precept Bible studies run on Tuesday mornings in the GCS Library and on Thursday mornings in the chapel, with childcare provided for the Thursday study. Summer hikes, a fall retreat, and spring teas offer additional opportunities to connect.
Young Adults and Fellowship Groups
The Young Adults fellowship group gathers during the 8:30 service at 9:00 a.m. in Room 221 and is oriented toward singles and married couples from college age into their early thirties. The group includes a time of worship and an interactive study in Scripture, with additional evening and weekday get-togethers scheduled outside the church building. Pete Johnson leads the group.
Four adult fellowship groups meet across the campus each Sunday. The Old Testament fellowship group meets at 8:30 a.m. in the chapel under Nathan Schneider, working through books of the Bible; the Sound Doctrine group meets at 10:30 a.m. in the chapel under Steve Hatter; the Family Life group meets at 10:30 a.m. in the GCS Library under Randy Karlberg. Each group emphasizes fellowship and solid teaching as they equip believers for Christian living on a practical level.
Grace Christian School
The church oversees and hosts Grace Christian School, a K-12 college-preparatory school built on a biblical foundation. The school shares space in the same building as the church, with the GCS Library serving as one of the adult fellowship group meeting places and Room 221 hosting both youth programs. Randy Karlberg serves as superintendent.
Bible Institute and The Master's Seminary
Anchorage Grace Bible Institute offers biblical classes in an accessible and affordable format for anyone who wants to be equipped for ministry. The institute sits alongside a more ambitious program: the church hosts a distance location of The Master's Seminary, allowing men to pursue pastoral training without leaving Alaska. Steve Hatter, the Executive Pastor, is currently enrolled in the M.Div. program through the Alaska Distance Location, as is Pete Johnson. The connection to The Master's Seminary runs through the church's broader relationship with the faculty and curriculum developed there.
Missions and Outreach
The missions ministry is organized around four priorities: the establishment and strengthening of local churches, biblical discipleship through the sufficiency of Scripture, expository preaching as the primary tool of missions, and outreach to regions with little or no biblical church presence. The church supports missionaries serving with organizations such as The Master's Academy International in Malawi, Africa, and Russia, InterAct Ministries, Pioneers, CHIEF Ministries, and a local partnership with the Community Pregnancy Center in Anchorage. The church's benevolence fund provides assistance to members in need, with non-member requests typically referred to local charities such as the Union Rescue Mission and St. Francis House.
Prayer Life
Prayer is woven through the life of the church. Each worship service includes a sustained time of prayer led by the pastor-teacher. Adult fellowship groups pray together during their meetings. Ladies gather several times each week to pray through the known requests. The congregation gathers for collective prayer on months with a fifth Sunday. Several faithful believers meet every Sunday morning for prayer before services, and the men gather Friday mornings for prayer and study of the Word.
Counseling and Discipline
The church holds that Scripture is sufficient for every area of a believer's spiritual life, including counseling. No integration with secular psychology is practiced, and the church teaches that the Bible alone addresses spiritual issues while medical doctors treat physical ones. Biblical church discipline follows the Matthew 18 process: private confrontation, the bringing of two or three witnesses, the matter being told to the church, and finally, if there is no repentance, excommunication and a call to restoration.
Music and Worship Arts
The worship ministry is led by Nathan Schneider, a classically trained pianist with a Master of Theology in Old Testament from The Master's Seminary. Music is designed to facilitate worship rather than to serve as an end in itself. The band looks different from week to week, drawing on a rotation of musicians, and the music is treated as a tool for expressing the truth of the songs' lyrics. Excellence is pursued in rehearsal and presentation, but the priority remains the wholehearted participation of the congregation rather than the performance of a polished program.
Giving
Giving is described as an act of worship rather than an obligation. Members and attenders can give online as a one-time gift or set up recurring giving through the church's encrypted giving page, give by texting 903.290.0969, or give during weekend worship services. The church does not teach tithing as a New Testament requirement but encourages cheerful, freewill giving as an act of worship. The deacons administer a benevolence fund for those in need, with a conflict-of-interest policy and a benevolence policy guiding how funds are distributed.
The Pastoral Team
Jeff Crotts serves as Senior Pastor, working through Ephesians on Sunday mornings. Steve Hatter is Executive Pastor and leads the Sound Doctrine fellowship group. Randy Karlberg serves as GCS Superintendent and leads the Family Life group. Pete Johnson is the Family Pastor, oversees the men's ministry, leads the Young Adults fellowship group, and oversees the youth ministry. Nathan Schneider is the Worship Pastor and leads the Old Testament fellowship group. Sandy Johnson serves as Administrative Director and Women's Coordinator. Heather Patterson is the Finance Director, with Kayla Sherwood assisting. Kellyn Sliwinski is the Administrative Assistant. Francisco Mixan serves as Facilities Director, with Cirilo Castro, Maks Korol, and Gary Choi on the facilities team.
The diaconate is led by Caleb Terpstra and includes Oleg Bondar, John Buller, Mike Cray, Daniel Felton, Cynthia Hatter, Gavin Huckstep, Chris Jones, Becky Jones, Lana Karlberg, Lori LeMaster, Josh LeMaster, Brian Leon, Marc Luiken, Suzanne Luiken, Marcelo Moya, Shavanah Moya, Aaron Payne, Natasha Schneider, and Kevin Snow.
Streaming and Online Resources
The 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday services are livestreamed, as is the monthly 5:00 p.m. Worship in the Round. A complete archive of audio sermons is available, organized by series. Sermons are also distributed through Apple Podcasts under the Anchorage Grace Church feed. The Christ & Culture blog carries written reflections from members of the pastoral team.
Visitor Information
The church is located at 12407 Pintail Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99516. Phone: (907) 345-3741. Sunday morning worship is at 8:30 and 10:30, with fellowship groups available during each service. Worship in the Round meets at 5:00 p.m. on the first Sunday evening of the month. Newcomers can request a Welcome to Grace luncheon through the church office.