Grace Episcopal Church stands on Michigan Avenue in Holland, Michigan, a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes where the language of welcome is acted out as much as spoken. Whether someone has walked through the doors their whole life or is arriving for the very first time, the congregation greets them with what the parish calls "grateful spirits and open hearts." The community gathers to worship in the Episcopal tradition, grows through formation for all ages, and goes out into Holland and the wider Lakeshore region to live out a faith grounded in justice, kindness, and care for creation.
Three Services, One Welcome
Worship at Grace is rooted in the Book of Common Prayer and centered on the celebration of Holy Eucharist. Three services each week make that rhythm accessible to a range of schedules and preferences.
On Sunday mornings, the 8:30 a.m. service in the Sanctuary uses Rite I and is offered without music, a quieter spoken liturgy of prayer, Scripture, reflection, and Communion. At 10:30 a.m., the same Sanctuary hosts Rite II with music, a fuller service that draws the congregation into song alongside the prayer and preaching. Both Sunday services include a children's message and the formation hour that follows.
For those who want a midweek touchpoint, a Wednesday Eucharist is celebrated at 9:30 a.m. in the Chapel using Rite II, also spoken and centered on Scripture and Communion. The 10:30 a.m. Sunday service is livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook for those who are traveling, ill, or simply joining from home.
Newcomers unfamiliar with Episcopal practice are invited to "relax into worship and let the congregation carry you through the liturgy." All are welcome at Christ's table.
A Mission of Gathering, Growing, and Going
Grace describes itself as "a dynamic community of faith grounded in the Episcopal tradition, welcoming all, and serving Christ through worship, spiritual growth, and compassionate care for one another, the community, and God's world." The parish organizes its life around three movements expressed in the church's menu: Gather, Grow, and Go.
Gathering takes shape in Sunday and Wednesday worship, where Scripture is read, reflected upon, and brought into conversation with daily life. Growing happens through formation programs for children, youth, and adults, designed to nurture curiosity, faith, and spiritual imagination. Going is the outward expression of the parish's life, sending members into the community to work for peace, justice, and the care of neighbors near and far.
The parish grounds its values in the words of the prophet Micah, committing itself to "doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God." Grace is also working to become what it calls "the radically loving church that Christ called us to be," welcoming everyone who enters its space and becoming "generous voices and active participants in shaping the world beyond our doors."
Children: Wondering with Godly Play
Children's Formation at Grace serves ages four through fifth grade and centers on Godly Play, a creative, imaginative approach to Christian formation with a Montessori foundation and more than forty years of practice behind it. The program gathers every Sunday from September through May at 10:30 a.m. in the Godly Play Space, and it teaches children to listen for God and respond authentically through story, wonder, and play.
Godly Play at Grace models the worship life, symbols, and rituals of Christian congregations, allowing children to make personal theological meaning as they encounter Scripture. During the summer months, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, Summer Sundays offer simpler stories, response activities, and outings. Director of Spiritual Formation Rev. Christopher Roe welcomes inquiries from families wanting to learn more.
Youth: Community, Service, and Questioning
Youth Formation serves sixth through twelfth graders and builds on the childhood foundations already laid. The Youth Group meets every other Sunday at 12:00 p.m. in the Youth Room on the Lower Level, gathering around lunch for reflection, conversation, and community building. Some Sundays take the form of a service project, a social outing, or a retreat away from the parish.
Grace encourages its young people to serve across the parish's wider ministries, taking on roles as acolytes, lay Eucharistic ministers, members of the Grace Choir, and participants in fellowship and outreach efforts. Each summer the youth share in a multi-day Summer Experience of service projects and social activities, with pilgrimages, retreats, and immersion experiences on the parish's developing horizon. Diocesan summer camps and other programs are also open to Grace children, youth, and adults.
Adults: Forum, Books, and Conversation
Adult Formation at Grace takes many shapes. Adult Forum gathers on Sundays at 12:00 p.m. in the Forum Room from September through May, exploring topics at the intersection of spirituality, society, and self through short readings, videos, and teaching followed by shared reflection.
Grace Reads, an ongoing book group, meets on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. in the Forum Room. The books range widely across interests and styles, though many illuminate aspects of spirituality and the life of faith. Discussions extend the readings into personal sharing and topical conversation, building community around the table.
Music as Prayer
Music is a central thread in the parish's worship life. Director of Music Stephen Rumler-McClusky leads the multi-generational choir and serves as organist and pianist, contributing to the leadership and planning of liturgies throughout the church year. The 10:30 a.m. Sunday Eucharist is the principal setting for the choir's offerings, while the spoken liturgies at 8:30 a.m. and Wednesday mornings offer quieter musical space.
Outreach and Social Justice
"Go in peace to love and serve the Lord." With that dismissal each week, the parish moves from gathered worship into active service in Holland and beyond. Grace frames its outreach as a response to Jesus' call to love neighbors and care for the least of these, and as an opportunity to do that work "with" others, learning from partners and neighbors alike.
Grace's partnerships extend across the Lakeshore region and the wider world. Volunteers serve at Community Action House's Food Club, helping thousands of families access healthy food. The parish has welcomed thousands to the Holland Pride festival in support of LGBTQ members, neighbors, and friends. Grace supports immigrants through partnerships with Lighthouse Immigration Advocates and Singing Resistance West Michigan, and has provided housing and hospitality for refugees. Globally, the parish gives to Episcopal Relief and Development, and locally it channels financial gifts, physical resources, and presence into community efforts.
Refresh Ministries and Out On The Lakeshore are among the partner organizations that share in this work. The Outreach and Social Justice team is led through the Vestry with Carolyn Stich and Lynn Stubbs serving in those ministry areas.
Caring for Creation
Creation Care is one of Grace's distinctive ministries, pledging to love God's creation in ways that are loving, liberating, and life-giving. The ministry organizes its work around three goals.
Loving Formation grows love for the earth and all life through preaching, teaching, storytelling, and prayer, with attention to the parish's local watershed. Liberating Advocacy stands in solidarity with those most vulnerable to climate change, especially women, poor people, and people of color. Life-Giving Conservation adopts practical ways to reduce climate impact and live more gently on the earth across households, the congregation, and the diocese.
The Creation Care team meets monthly, with additional special events and activities throughout the year. Ed Hanson leads this work on the Vestry.
Leadership and Stewardship
The parish is served by a clergy and music team led by Rector Rev. Jen Adams, who oversees the ministries and administration of Grace, presides at liturgies, and preaches. Rev. Christopher Roe serves as Director of Spiritual Formation, coordinating programs for all ages, preaching regularly, and providing pastoral care. Director of Music Stephen Rumler-McClusky leads the choir and contributes to liturgical planning as organist and pianist.
The Vestry functions as a board of directors with a spiritual and faithful heart, asking at every turn, "How can Grace best serve God, one another, and our neighbors?" Elected at the Annual Meeting, vestry members serve in ministry areas that include Worship, Fellowship, Outreach and Social Justice, Creation Care, Spiritual Formation, Congregational Care, Personnel, and Buildings and Grounds. Senior Warden Karen Bylsma serves in Personnel and Congregational Care, and Junior Warden Abby VanBeek serves in Fellowship. Stewardship, understood as "the good care of all that God has given us," guides their work, balancing present service with responsibility to future generations of Grace.
Visiting Grace
Grace is located at 555 Michigan Avenue in Holland, Michigan. The parish is wheelchair accessible, and hearing assistance is available for those who need it. Worshippers are invited to come as they are, with no dress code or name tag expected. Communion is open to all who wish to receive, and the congregation welcomes children, visitors, and seekers at every service. The 10:30 a.m. Sunday service is livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook for those unable to attend in person, and giving is available online through the parish's Breeze giving page.
Newsletter subscribers receive regular updates from the parish, and the calendar on the parish's site lists everything from formation offerings to special events. The parish can be reached at office@graceepiscopalholland.org or (616) 396-7495, with individual staff members available for specific inquiries. For those wanting to deepen their involvement, formation programs for all ages and outreach partnerships with organizations such as Community Action House and Lighthouse Immigration Advocates offer concrete ways to participate in the parish's gathered and going life.
Beliefs and Identity
Grace is a parish of The Episcopal Church and a member of the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes. Worship follows the Book of Common Prayer, and the parish emphasizes baptismal identity, sacramental life, and the call to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.