OUR STORY+
We have been meeting together and praying about God’s directions for us and we are excited to announce that on AUGUST 6th, we will officially open our doors to our community! We will begin meeting on SUNDAY NIGHTS from 5:30-6:30 PM at the Sheraton Hotel in McKinney.
ALL MEANS ALL.
It’s a simple statement, yet we believe everyone has a story of a time when they felt excluded or left out. It turns out, all doesn’t always mean ALL.
We’re here to change that.
Grace House Community Church began when a few people gathered around the mission of discovering if God in fact does love each of us as if there were only one of us as St. Augustine famously wrote back in the 4th century. We each came with our own stories of hope… and baggage. There were stories of feeling accepted by God and stories of feeling disqualified from his love. There were stories of great community within the Church and stories of exclusion that varied from subtle judgments to outright rejection.
Discontent to live in those narratives forever, we began to whisper and dream of a place where ALL really could mean ALL. We dared believe that we could ALL participate in the heavenly banquet of God rather than just looking in through the windows at the select and special few who made the cut. We became bold in declaring that God’s love for the world (John 3:16-17) included every person made in his creative and loving image.
January 22, 2023 - The Beginning
Some random conversations culminated in an informal gathering in late January of 2023. That night, 30 people came together and shared our stories of why we each felt the truths of ALL MEANS ALL to be personally important. As we listened to one another’s stories, hopes, fears and dreams, we decided it was time to quit just talking and to start praying about what steps God would have us take to make ALL MEANS ALL a reality!
February 22, 2023
We took the next few weeks to process our individual connection to the ideas that:
• God created ALL people in his image (Genesis 2)
• God sent Jesus to live, die and be raised again for the invitation to ALL people who wanted to enter into saving relationship with him (John 3:16-17)
• God’s love for ALL people is rooted in his character and not ours. He loved us while we wanted nothing to do with him (Romans 5:8) and he has done everything necessary on his end in Jesus to offer humanity the quality of life, about which we dream and for which we strive, freely (Romans 10:11-13).
And so, we committed the next six weeks until Easter to study the biblical book of Jonah and pray. We gathered weekly to share food, insights, laughs, worship and prayers as we fervently asked God to show us what might be next right steps. So, here we are—still praying, still seeking and still believing that God has great things in store for ALL who call upon Jesus as Lord and Savior.
EASTER, 2023
We gathered to celebrate Easter and to join hearts and minds to determine if we would move forward or not. God seemed to be continuing to open doors and unite hearts and minds. So, we agreed to take some more tentative next steps, trusting that God would continue to lead the way.
So, here we are—still praying, still seeking, and still believing that God has great things in store for ALL who call upon Jesus as Lord and Savior.
OUR STRUCTURE+
There are a million ways to organize a church. This is ours.
In a world where power and authority are so often abused, we turn to the example of Jesus for our leadership style and to the early church for our method.
• ALL people are equal when standing at the foot of the cross of Jesus (Galatians 3:28)
• Every person who calls Grace House home is a potential minister (Ephesians 4:12)
• Leaders are servants first. (Mark 10:45)
We are intentionally choosing organizational titles that are free from some of the historical constraints that have been divisive. We believe that the Spirit gifts every person with unique abilities and talents to share love and acts of service. These are given according to the Spirit’s good pleasure and not based on merit or privilege of one gender above another, one sexual orientation above another or one socio-economic reality above another. In this regard, we believe that:
• Our members do the work of ministry.
• Our staff serves and equips our members through training, encouragement and partnership.
• Our advisory team holds us all accountable for sticking to our mission, our budget and our goals.
OUR TEAM+
Gwendolyn Clubb Lau
Gwendolyn Lau comes to pastoring by way of the theatre. Following an undergraduate degree in Musical Theatre performance, she moved to Plano to begin a public school teaching role. While teaching, she met and married Dustin Lau in 2003. She eventually left the classroom and completed an MA in Humanities, Studies in Literature, as well as an MA in Biblical and Theological Studies. Between papers and finals, she and Dustin had two daughters, Kiana Rose and Elliana Ray.
Having served at Preston Trail Community Church in a variety of roles (from a character named Catfish Sue to Young Adult Pastor; from Residency Director to Director of an adult educational program named Equip) over a 22-year span, Gwen sensed God’s calling to go into the world for Jesus in a new way and to reach a different group of people that might not ever step foot in a church.
Her passion is for those who may feel distant or even disqualified from Jesus to find a rich and satisfying life in Christ.
When not leading Grace House, Gwen is proud to be Dustin’s wife and Kiana and Ellie’s mom… and mom to their rescue pup, Sir Thomas. She can be found spending much of her time cheering on the high school band or watching the choir performances of her girls. She loves to read, laugh and collect anything Chewbacca… or Lord of the Rings.
Founding/Senior Pastor
NAME - TBD
Associate Pastor (Evangelism)
NAME - TBD
Associate Pastor (Discipleship)
BEN GRIERSON
Associate Pastor (Missions)
Molly Hauser
Ministry and Social Media Coordinator
CHRISTOPHER KEANE
Financial and HR Consultant
Scott Roderick Bergeron
Scott Bergeron is so excited to be part of Grace House Community Church. He has a deep passion for teaching the truth about God’s love for ALL people, which we experience through Jesus Christ. He currently works as a full-time Clinical Pharmacist, but he studied at Central Bible College in Springfield, MO, and received a Bachelor of Divinity from World Evangelism Bible College in Baton Rouge, LA. He did one year of further pastoral training at Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, OK. People who meet Scott quickly realize that he has a deep love for world travel, commercial aviation, Birkenstocks, and man bags. He currently lives in McKinney, TX with his amazing husband Luke Yin, and their crazy three rescue dogs. He looks forward to the opportunity to help us ALL know and experience the true love of God in our everyday lives.
Advisory Team
Londa Grierson
Advisory Team
Katy Encalade
Katy Encalade is honored to be part of the Grace House Community Church and has an unwavering passion for spreading the love of Jesus to all and is committed to helping provide an environment where ALL can come to learn about, grow in, and explore their faith in God. As the Executive Director of Egg Donor & Surrogate Solutions, she has the privilege of assisting individuals and couples in realizing their dreams of starting a family. Beyond her professional endeavors, Katy is a loving wife to Blake and a proud mother to three incredible tween/teenagers. While juggling her children's busy schedules, she finds solace in indulging in her favorite pastimes, such as reading, practicing yoga, and avidly listening to a wide range of podcasts. Katy's unwavering commitment to her family, her faith, and her work is truly inspiring.
Advisory Team
TONI ALEXANDER
Advisory Team
BOBBY SALCIDO
Advisory Team
ELIZABETH STAFFORD
Stewardship Team
wade goins
Stewardship Team
JONATHAN BLACKMORE
Jonathan has spent a lifetime in custom design work for apparel, branding, marketing, websites, social media and more, and has worked with national retailers, brands, athletes, musicians, and celebrities. He wouldn't dream of doing anything else. He loves the process of taking an idea and putting flesh on it. Jonathan is a Brit by birth and has lived in the US for over 30 years. He’s a single dad to 4 kids and his dog, Betsy.
Creative Consultant
OUR PARTNERS+
Over half of the mission of Grace House Community Church exists of community and world evangelism and missions. Here are some of the partners with which we work and serve.
