We would have to admit we are not very good at celebrations in Grace. Dates come and go almost un-noticed. However, when the years rolled up to 50 and this coincided with Pat reaching the 20th year in leading us we seemed to have the makings of an event! Then the Lord replaced our old building and delayed the completion of the work on the new one till a few weeks ago, it seemed like He was saying “Now will you celebrate all my goodness to you!”

And so it came to pass that we enlisted the help of our Dutch friends, the ‘Band of Brothers’ plus Bert to provide us with music to match the occasion. This band ‘Trinity’ has come a long way since the lads, as schoolboys, came to work on an Irish farm for part of their summer holidays. They have developed their Christian testimony playing at some of the major European venues and also in the Americas.

We have attempted to invite all those who in the past helped to make Grace the church that it is today. Some went to work in the suburbs helping to found the church which is known as ‘Dublin West’. Others from the Far East, Chinese-Malaysians and Cantonese speakers from Hong Kong were closely identified with us in their earlier years. They have built a new campus near Lucan and use the original premises in Dublin for a Mandarin speaking work to reach the many mainland China immigrants who come to Dublin to study.

Our home base in Pearse Street has proved to be a good venue for ‘Jobcare’. They are focussed on developing people who require some assistance to get into the Job scene. Taking their cue from the fact that all are created in the image of God and therefore of infinite worth, they have helped many over the years.

It is some time ago that one of our members felt the frustration of the demanding nature of the work he was doing, gave up his business and with the blessing of the Church re-located his family to Cameroon. The Lord led them to settle in the nDop Region and become involved in Wycliffe’s work of producing the Bible in the language of the people. This has prospered and teaching literacy is ongoing.

Allied to the translation work a number of people from Grace visited the Region and the Lord alerted one of them to the need for clean water. From small beginnings many wells have been dug and water filters manufactured. This work has prospered and thanks to the training of local people there are now many facets of the work continuing in local hands.

Our central location has given us an ‘All Nations’ dimension. Specifically, we cater for Romanian, Lithuanian and Russian congregations, each using their own language.
For all these things and many more we give God the glory. The name Grace on the front of the building portrays the Grace of God in all our ways. The words of Jesus are written in stone above our entrance depicting the primacy of Scripture.
“Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away” St Luke 21:33.