Nestled in the foothills of the Cascades where the Columbia and Wenatchee rivers join, Wenatchee, Washington, is a true slice of Americana. Known as the “apple capital of the world,” this small, blue-collar town is also home to Grace City Church, which is leading its community to Christ.
Grace City got its start in 2008 as a home Bible study made up of 10 families. According to Josh McPherson, its lead pastor of preaching and vision, the small group had little knowledge about church planting at the time. They simply wanted to find other like-minded individuals and families to worship with.
“The more we began studying Scripture, the more we realized that the church was an outward-facing family. Everywhere we read, the church was ‘going out’ and ‘being sent,’” McPherson says. “We realized we existed in this new family to help love the people who were not yet a part of it.
“Honestly, it’s almost embarrassing to admit,” he adds, “but this was revolutionary for us. We began focusing on loving the people who weren’t yet in the room. We resolved never to have a small group without involving unbelievers.”
Simplicity became the order of the day for Grace City. Their focus was on relationship-building and spreading the gospel to everyone in their sphere of influence.
“We kept church programming simple so we had time to be in relationships with our unbelieving friends,” says McPherson. “All of a sudden, we began seeing Jesus change real people, in real-time, right in our own homes. We were hooked.”
In Search of Home
The church grew rapidly, improvising as they went. Along the way, they focused on the three pillars of gospel, community, and mission. From that threefold focus, Grace City coined its mission statement: “We exist to help more people meet, love, and follow Jesus.” This vision compels them to this day.
“Charles Spurgeon said that there are only two kinds of Christians: missionaries and impostors. That really gripped us,” says McPherson. “In the denomination I grew up in, missionaries were folks who were paid to do hard things in foreign countries. For us, becoming missionaries meant embodying the person of Jesus with our neighbor across the street.”
It wasn’t long before the need for a permanent church home became pressing. McPherson’s team knew the design of Grace City’s future building needed to flow from the church’s mission.
“You can’t serve and help people if you’re always in a posture of being served and needing help,” he explains. “Just like a family needs a home before they can host guests for dinner, we realized our church family needed a home where we could welcome outsiders.”
That realization led the Grace City team to consider what kind of space that would be. After years of looking and praying, Grace City purchased property that overlooks the beautiful Wenatchee Valley, a scenic locale that draws locals and travelers alike.
“Finding the land and purchasing it was a huge relief,” McPherson says. “But then we realized we had to build something. The endless possibilities were daunting and overwhelming.”
McPherson took a step back and reframed the situation. Instead of leading with an earthly perspective, he began to consider God’s creation. McPherson envisioned a worship space that would invite people in and nurture them like family—not just a functional building that checked a box.
“I just looked at what God built. When God created the garden space, it wasn’t just functional; it was beautiful. It was creative and interactive. If we were going to consider our space an expression of his kingdom as an extension of God’s five-star garden, we shouldn’t build a one-star building,” he says.
“God built a beautiful place and then filled it. God makes us new creations and then fills us. It’s a biblical theme. We became more and more convinced of the importance of a home, and in so doing, I sort of stumbled into a theology of space.”
A Living Story
McPherson got in touch with my team at PlainJoe: A Storyland Studio after a false start on their first building plan. We came alongside Grace City’s leadership team to imagine a facility that embodied their heart for Wenatchee. We brought our three-dimensional storytelling into the mix, getting intimately familiar with the area and its local culture, visiting historic locations and museums, and absorbing Wenatchee’s story.
From there, we created a detailed master plan for Grace City’s future campus that embodied the church’s story and infused local culture into the environment. Some of the design points we integrated into the architectural design were meant to help visitors view the river’s confluence with better clarity. We also designed lookout spots and a prayer tower as part of the overall plan.
Elements of Wenatchee, such as its fertile soil, lush landscapes and even the presence of a power plant not far from the church, lent themselves to Grace City’s story. We worked together to develop five overarching themes: restorative, life-giving, intentional, relational, and redemptive. Those qualities are part of the church’s DNA, which they’ll carry into the future through their presence and their physical location.
Bearing Fruit
Through multiple roadblocks, pandemic lockdowns, and seemingly insurmountable odds, Grace City pivoted, reimagined, and finally emerged with a multiphase plan for its new facilities.
“They are fighters,” says Matt Molsberry, principal architect at PlainJoe. “If I were to describe the church in a few words, I would say they’re scrappy, creative, and bold evangelists.”
Grace City’s chapel and event center, called The Hub, is now completed and open for regular services. They’re currently working to build out a rooftop patio, an atrium, and an event barn, which will also hold their offices. After that, they’ll focus on adding to their kids’ ministry spaces.
McPherson and his team had a vision for making Grace City a central “Jacob’s well” for Wenatchee, and in practice, it has become much more. Four years later, the city has grown around the church. With nearly 700 baptisms, 4,000 members, and a big heart for the surrounding community, Grace City is making waves in Wenatchee and beyond.
“Our facility is open and used seven days a week, from local Stage Kids performances to over 40 regional law enforcement officer agencies using it for patrol tactics training,” McPherson says. “We now have a home we get to invite our community into that’s beautiful, creative and tells a redemptive story.”
Learn more at GraceCityChurch.com.