Grace Church sits on Eggert Road in the Town of Tonawanda, a leafy stretch on the north side of the Buffalo metro area, and the congregation describes itself as a growing community of imperfect people learning to trust and follow Jesus Christ. Its mission is short enough to memorize: "Grace Church exists to make more and better followers of Christ." The verse underneath it, Matthew 28:19, sends the church in two directions at once: gathering on Sunday morning to be taught, and scattering the rest of the week to live and share what was learned. A friendly welcome, sound and practical biblical teaching, uplifting music, and a robust slate of children's and youth programs are how the congregation introduces itself to first-time visitors.
Sundays at Grace: Two Identical Services and a Welcome Center
Grace holds two Sunday services at 9:15 am and 11:00 am in its building at 2525 Eggert Road. The two services are designed to be the same, so visitors can pick the hour that fits their morning and not worry about missing content. The worship is uplifting, the teaching is biblical and application-focused, and the church's stated hope is that everyone who enters and leaves the building is "transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit."
First-time guests are invited to stop by the Welcome Center after the service, where a small gift waits as a thank-you for visiting. A Connection Card is available for anyone who wants the church to follow up, and the office is reachable Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at (716) 836-1525 or office@GraceOnEggert.com.
For those who cannot attend in person, services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and the entire sermon archive - audio plus downloadable PDF notes - is posted on the Sermons page.
Grace Kids: From Birth Through Fifth Grade
Grace Kids runs during both Sunday services (birth through fifth grade at 9:15 and 11:00 am) and on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm for kindergarten through fifth grade. The curriculum blends The Gospel Project and Truth78, two programs chosen so that the Bible's instruction can be taught at each child's level of understanding, with scripture memory, hands-on activities, and age-appropriate prayer woven into every lesson.
Safety is built into the routine. Each child receives a name sticker on arrival, and the parent or guardian gets a matching family sticker; both are used for drop-off and pick-up. First-time families are asked to register their child through the online form on the Grace Kids page before their first visit.
The team is led by Mary Bauer, Director of Grace Kids, with Rebekah Dahlquist serving as Grace Kids Administrative Coordinator. Volunteers are a major part of the program - a volunteer application and a separate volunteer agreement are posted online, and the church regularly invites adults into the rotation.
Vacation Bible School is a one-week summer staple. Recent VBS has run in the evening from 6:30 to 8:15 pm for grades K through 5.
Grace Youth: Wednesday Nights at the Youth House
Grace Youth meets on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 pm in the Youth House, a building across the parking lot from the main church. The group is open to middle school and high school students, and the church frames its mission with the same words used for the whole body: making more and better followers of Jesus. The team also sees itself as a partner to parents in the shepherding, teaching, and discipling that Deuteronomy 6 and Ephesians 6 place on families.
Wednesday nights mix large-group teaching with discussion and hang-out time, and the church walks through books of the Bible together (recent series include studies in Colossians and the Psalms). A release form is required for any student who attends. Pastor CJ Grossman, the church's Pastor of Family Ministries, oversees both Grace Youth and Grace Kids and is the main contact for parents with questions.
Grace Groups: Sermon-Based Small Groups Around Tonawanda
Grace Groups are the church's small-group ministry, and they are designed to do one thing simply: discuss the sermon from the previous Sunday. Groups meet on different days and times and in homes across the region, so newcomers can usually find one near them.
Current groups include a Sunday-evening gathering hosted by Kevin and Allie Laws in North Tonawanda, two Tuesday-evening groups hosted by Michael and Laurie Hart in North Tonawanda and Rich and Debbie Teal at the church, three Wednesday-evening groups led by Dave and Rhonda Bilson, Jeff and Amy Fadale in Amherst, and Nick and Jane Rodriguez at the church, plus Rob and Andy Meyer's men's group on Wednesdays at the church. Two Thursday groups round out the week: one hosted by Bob and Beth House in Wheatfield, and one hosted by the Samlands in Cheektowaga. A separate Tuesday morning women's Bible study, led by Patty Chittley, meets at the church at 9:30 am.
Anyone interested can fill out a Grace Group form online, or stop by the Welcome Center on Sunday for help finding a fit.
The FORGE: Men Growing Sharper Together
The men's ministry at Grace is called The FORGE, named for the Proverbs 27:17 image of iron sharpening iron. Its goal is straightforward: grow better men, husbands, fathers, and followers of Jesus. The men meet to study God's Word together, pray together, hold one another accountable, and build the kind of relationships that turn vulnerability into a strength.
The ministry welcomes every temperament and personality - the group's own description is that "the more men we have, the better we can sharpen each other." A WhatsApp conversation keeps men connected between gatherings, and the group points men who want more community to the Grace Groups as well.
The Gathering: Women in Every Season
The women's ministry is called The Gathering and is built around a simple promise: women of every season - college students, full-time working moms, bosses, retirees - can find a community here that wants to thrive in their walks with Jesus. The Gathering's stated objective is to draw women of all ages together to grow in Christ and make His name known around them.
The Gathering points women who want a smaller circle to the women's Bible study and the Grace Groups, and connects them with the wider women's ministry for occasional events and evenings of encouragement.
Outreach: From Eggert Road to the Nations
Grace's outreach philosophy starts close to home. The church teaches that God is calling the local church to share the gospel first with neighbors in the surrounding community, and then to expand the reach globally. Matthew 28:19-20 - the Great Commission - is the anchor text.
The church partners with The Timothy Initiative (TTI) as its global outreach partner, and a quarterly impact report from TTI is shared with the congregation to keep the broader mission visible.
A Teaching Team Built Around Hebrews
The pastoral team is led by Jon Haden, Lead Pastor, who also serves as an elder. Rich Teal serves as Pastor of Discipleship and is also an elder. CJ Grossman, the Pastor of Family Ministries, oversees Grace Kids and Grace Youth and is likewise an elder. William Fryburger leads worship. Three other men round out the elder team: Jeff Fadele, Michael Hart, and Jake Meyer.
The sermon archive shows a teaching rotation among the pastors and elders. The current extended series, "Hebrews: Jesus Is Better," has run for more than two dozen weeks and is supplemented by shorter studies in Advent, a Lenten series called "The Story of the Cross," and topical series such as "What is the CHURCH?" Past messages are available as MP3 downloads and PDF notes on the Sermons page.
What Grace Believes
Grace is an evangelical church, and its doctrinal convictions are summarized in five short statements on the "What We Believe" page.
- Revelation. People can know God only because He has revealed Himself - through the incarnation of His Son, through Holy Scripture, and through creation and conscience.
- Scripture. The Bible, in its sixty-six Old and New Testament books, is the final, complete, inerrant in its original manuscripts and infallible authority for the Christian life. As originally written it is verbally inspired by God and is truly the Word of God.
- God. There is one living and true God, infinite, eternal, self-existent, unchanging, ever-present, and sovereign. Within His being there is a Trinity of personal distinctions - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - who share equally in every divine perfection while executing distinct but harmonious offices.
- Jesus. Jesus is the eternal Son of God whose sacrificial death on the cross paid the penalty of sin for all mankind. He bodily rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and will one day return to earth.
- Salvation. Salvation is found only in Jesus Christ. Out of love, God sent His Son to pay the penalty owed for the sin of all mankind; by His grace and our acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice, we are reconciled with God and receive eternal life with Him.
Getting Connected at Grace
Grace keeps the next steps easy to find. A Connection Card is for anyone wanting the church to follow up. A Baptism Form is for anyone exploring or ready to be baptized. A Membership Form opens the door to the next membership class. Online giving is available through the Giving page, and the church has both a podcast feed and a YouTube channel so sermons can be followed from anywhere.
Regular gatherings beyond Sunday include the Wednesday-night Grace Kids and Grace Youth programs, the Tuesday morning women's Bible study, the Grace Groups that meet throughout the week in homes across North Tonawanda, Amherst, Wheatfield, and Cheektowaga, monthly game nights in the Fellowship Hall on the fourth Monday of each month, an evening worship and encouragement gathering called Behold, and a Discover Grace class for those wanting a closer look at the church.
The building at 2525 Eggert Road is open Tuesday through Friday, and the office team is glad to help anyone find their place at Grace.