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Spanish Version is Available here. |
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Introduction Episcopalians have had a presence in Weslaco since the late 1930s when a small group gathered to consider starting a church. Early services were held in the auditorium of the city hall, using a portable altar that had to be set up and taken down at every service. When the congregation decided they wanted their own building, it was the women's auxiliary who took the lead in raising funds by having church supper, Easter egg sales, a gift shop, and selling Valley fruit all over the country. Within two years, the congregation had raised sufficient money to erect a church building, and when they moved in on January 14, 1940, it was without one cent of indebtedness. From the beginning the church had been called Grace Church because of the spirit of graciousness and cooperation that prevailed, even during he days of the Depression. In 1946, Grace Church became a full-fledged parish of the Diocese of West Texas. Today the church is the spiritual home of about 160 family units and is one of the most culturally diverse congregations in the diocese. Located in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, the locales draws heavily from Mexico and is also the winter home of about 130,000 "Winter Texans" or retirees from all over the United States. These three influences - Anglos, Hispanics, and retirees - are heavily reflected in the make up of the Grace Church congregation. In March 2001, the congregation of Grace Church gathered on a Saturday morning to assess where they see themselves at this time in their life together and where they believe God is leading them for their future. This document is the result of that parish profile meeting and is intended to provide and image of Grace Church for prospective rector candidates. Weslaco The Rio Grande Valley is one of the fastest growth areas in the nation, with a 37 percent population increase since 1980, Weslaco is one of several cities that string out from Mission to Brownsville, with a conglomerate population of 850,000. Weslaco currently has a population of nearly 30,000. The economy of the Valley is primarily agricultural with citrus, sugar cane, cotton, and vegetables being produced. The weather is hot in the summer and moderate in the winter, with sunshine about 253 days a year. Weslaco is situated only 65 miles from South Padre island, a favorite beach resort of Texans and many north Mexicans. San Antonio is about a five hour drive north. The U.S.-Mexico border is only six miles away. Excellent shopping and Mexican cuisine is available in nearby Progreso across the Rio Grande River. For more information about the city, check out the website at http://www.weslaco.com. Ethos of the congregation: Diversity is the hallmark of Grace Church and has been intentionally developed by the congregation. Three services are held each Sunday with one completely in Spanish. A Misa Familiar is held in the homes of various parish families, incorporating a dinner and a Eucharist. Winter Texans are folded into church life, not just the church, with enthusiasm and anticipation for their autumnal return. The congregation perceives that their diversity extends to all ages, income and social levels, and enthnicities. The congregation also identifies itself as being extremely open, friendly, and accepting. They feel a strong sense of family among themselves and believe that they warmly welcome everyone from college professors to street people. Believe themselves to be relaxed and very collegial with a strong sense of cooperation. When a task needs to be done, people step up and say, "I'll do it." There is also the presence of a "can do" attitude; if the church is short of money, someone will say, "Let's have a barbecue." At the same time, the congregation recognizes as a continuing challenge the need to narrow the cultural gap. While there is an appreciation of the importance for Spanish-speakers to be able to worship in their own language, that some sometimes careerist a sense of having two separate congregations. The congregation hopes to develop strategies to bring the two cultures more closely together in worship and fellowship.
Liturgy and music: The congregation makes a concerted effort to offer a variety of worship experiences English, Spanish, traditional, and contemporary, using guitars, piano, and organ. They feel strongly about having a Sunday worship service in Spanish and would hate to lose that aspect of their spiritual life, even though many who normally attend that service are bilingual. Worshiping in one's first language, they believe, offers an important level of comfort. There is a bilingual service offered on the fifth Sunday of each month when this occurs. While they are pleased with their music program, they'd like to increase participation in the choir, at both the English and Spanish services. In addition to the three Sunday Services, a once-weekly Eucharist is conducted at a Weslaco retirement home, and the congregation feels good about that offering, saying it takes church to those who are unable to attend.
Outreach: Kairos prison ministry is well-supported at Grace Church, with a number of parishioners serving on teams or attending the closing services. A second major effort is the annual mission trip to Honduras when several members go along to assist the medical team as translators. Situated close to the U.S.-Mexico border, Grace Church is also host every summer to mission teams from other Texas and U.S. cities; in 2000 a team from Houston did construction projects on both sides of the border and ran a vacation bible school that brought as many as 162 children on one day. The congregation is proud of their outreach efforts, but feels more can be done. The vestry has set as a goal that 10 percent of the church's income be used for outreach.
Christian Education and youth ministry. As a family-centered church, Grace Church is committed to its youth and children. Five or six years ago, say the parishioners, there was hardly a child to be seen, but now they are everywhere. Sunday school attendance runs between 20 and 30 children each week. An active youth group brings three to ten teenagers together. Both children's education and s strong youth ministry are priorities for the future. Parishioners want to involve their young people more in the life of the church and want to find ways to recruit adults to work with young people in acolyte programs, Sunday school, and youth ministry.
Programs: A strength of Grace Church, in the congregation's view, is the participation by everyone in the programs of the church. The once-a-month Men's Fellowship Breakfast is an example, with twelve to eighteen men usually in attendance. When a new group is attracted to the church, new programs are often added to utilize their talents and skills. The parish works at accommodating al members, no matter their stage of spiritual development. The congregation would, however, like to see preparation courses developed such as lay reader, altar guild, and vestry training. They would also like to see more inter-cultural programs developed - from Bible study to retreats and celebrations to more closely unite their two cultures.
Physical Plant: Many parishioners feel that the facilities at Grace Church evoke a sense of serenity and simplicity, and most are pleased with the physical plant. One dire need for is for more bathrooms, especially an expansion of the women's bathroom. The kitchen also needs additional upgrading, as do Sunday school rooms and the nursery. A large rectory is in the same block as the church. The rectory has four bedrooms and three baths and a two car garage. The church also owns a school building which is adjacent to the church. This is rented by a private day-care service and adds to the the operating funds for the church. The children of the church have access to the playground during the Sunday morning services. The office is equipped with a fax machine, photocopiers, and a recently acquired Compaq Presario computer with inkjet printer and sound system.
There is a strong voice at Grace Church for the need for making the church more well-known in its community. Parishioners would like to embark on a public relations campaign through their local media. At the same time, they are considering ways to reach out to their "Missing members" who are on the rolls but not regularly in their pews. They see this as a cooperative effort of the rector and the laity. Outreach to families with young children and to young adults married or single is also a priority for the future.
Grace Church is one of 91 congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, which covers 60 counties in south central Texas. Diocesan bishop if the Rt. Rev. James Folts, and bishop suffragan is the Rt. Rev. Robert Hibbs. The diocese is currently engaged in intentional growth and in moving from maintenance to mission with some determination. In fact, the bishop has called for the doubling of membership in our churches in the next five years. The diocesan office is located in San Antonio. There is a strong collegiality among clergy within the diocese, and strong support for congregations from the diocesan office in the form of frequent workshops, seminars, and consultations. Statistics of the congregation:
 Grace Episcopal Church (956) 968-7014 |
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