Mentoring builds meaningful connections between children and adults, fostering love, acceptance, and encouragement that positively impact school, home, and community life. Research links student mentoring to improved academic, social, and economic outcomes. Friends of Westchase unites schools, churches, businesses, and individuals to strengthen the community through relationships. School mentors spend about 30 minutes with elementary or middle school students, offering consistent support to those facing academic, behavioral, or home challenges. Training is provided with activities, talking points, and games to build connection.

Training and campus orientation are offered in September and January. Please consider joining our mentoring program at one of our three partner schools:

Paul Revere Middle School (10502 Briar Forest Drive, Houston, TX 77042)
One-on-One Mentoring for sixth grade and eighth grade students
Wednesdays or Thursdays
30 minutes during lunch
School Coordinator: Tammy Box 

Walnut Bend Elementary School (10602 Briar Forest Drive, Houston, TX 77042)
Group mentoring with a group of 3 or 4 fourth–fifth grade students
Tuesdays–Thursday
30 minutes during lunch
School Coordinator: Debbie Kaplan

Emerson Elementary School
9533 Skyline Drive, Houston, TX 77063
One-on-One Mentoring for third–fifth grade students
Monday–Friday
30 minutes during lunch
School Coordinator: Becky Sikes 

Steps to mentoring:

Step 1: Apply to mentor or request more information by contacting Kristy Elmore.

Step 2: Complete background check, safety training, and the HISD Volunteer Application

We will guide you from there! 

February 14: Ronald McDonald House

Please make plans to join us for a special day of serving with the Ronald McDonald House Houston! On February 14, 2026, we will gather at Grace at 9 a.m. and travel together to the Ronald McDonald House to serve a special Valentine's Day Brunch to families with children receiving medical care in the Texas Medical Center and staying at the Ronald McDonald House. We hope to return around 1 pm. We will be preparing brunch and then staying to serve and fellowship with families! We have limited spaces, and due to health considerations, this project is open to anyone 18 and older. Please register HERE.

We invite you to be part of a life-changing ministry that offers care, hope, and encouragement to people going through difficult times. Stephen Ministry Training equips you with the skills and confidence to serve as a Christ-centered caregiver—someone who listens, supports, and walks with others through life’s challenges.

Our upcoming training is highly interactive, practical, and deeply rooted in faith. Along the way, you’ll also experience personal growth as the Holy Spirit shapes you into a more compassionate, grace-filled presence in the lives of others.

Training begins: mid-January

Come grow in faith and join a team that makes a real difference--we’d love to have you be part of Stephen Ministry.
Contact Lyn Sell (713-202-8656) for more information.

Throughout the year, some in our congregation are unable to join us for worship and church activities due to advanced age, illness, or other challenges. During the Christmas season, when so much is happening at Grace, it’s especially important to remind those who can’t be with us that their church family cares deeply for them.

Here’s how you can help: share the joy of Christmas by sending a card. Include your favorite Bible verse, a written prayer, or even a family-drawn picture. It’s a simple yet meaningful way to brighten someone’s season.

Visit the Caring Tree near the Welcome Desk, beautifully decorated with lights, garlands, and ornaments. Each ornament features the name and address of one of our Grace family and friends who would be blessed by your card. Take an ornament and spread some Christmas cheer!

MENtorUP is a wonderful opportunity for Grace men to broaden the horizons of Westchase-area middle school (and some high school) young men. A dedicated group of caring adult men meets monthly with 15 teen boys, building meaningful relationships through mentorship. Together, they do things as simple as sharing lunch or a game of basketball; or spend a little more time with one another as they explore college campuses, visit museums, attend events, and even a camping retreat to Georgia. Engaging in these experiences inspire their dreams and shape their futures. To get involved, contact Kristy Elmore today.

Mission Opportunity: Kenya - 2026

Friends of Samburu invites you to be part of something life-changing. Join us as we serve the Samburu people of north-central Kenya through missions that foster hope, healing, and connection. Trip dates are January 09-26, 2026.

• Build relationships
• Share Christ's love
• Support community-led change
• Grow spiritually and personally

"I came to Kenya expecting to see God in others. I left having seen Him more clearly in creation, in community, and in my own life."

To express interest contact Kristy Elmore.

We will have another trip in the summer, scheduled for June 05-22, 2026.

As you may be aware, Grace has a Disaster Response Team that monitors events which may impact our Grace family. Here is how the process works:

If such an event occurs, we want to be prepared, as a Grace community, to come together and support one another. Once a disaster response is initiated, Grace deacons are responsible for contacting each Covenant Partner household to determine whether any members of the household have been impacted. The protocol is to establish contact with at least one adult in each household to ascertain their status and assess any potential needs. The information gathered is then communicated to the Disaster Response Team for triage and appropriate response.

If a deacon is unable to reach any adults in the household, the next step is to reach out to an emergency contact—an adult who does not live in the household but would likely know your status during an emergency. It would be a tremendous help to our deacons if you would provide an emergency contact for our database using the form found HERE. The information will only be shared with members of the Disaster Response Team.

Grace and West Houston Assistance Ministries (WHAM) are teaming up to support families who are experiencing food insecurity as a result of the government shut down. We are welcoming food donations--please give shelf-stable staple food items such as
Peanut Butter
Rice
Beans
Mac and Cheese
Canned meats like tuna, chicken, Spam
Canned veggies and fruits
Cereals
Pasta/noodles

You may drop off these items in the donation bin located in the Connection Center, Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

On Sunday, December 14, join us for our 11th Annual Christmas for the City, as we bring the Grace family together for this special day of serving. This is always a special, intergenerational gathering to serve and love the city of Houston. Here are this year's projects:

• Sleep in Heavenly Peace: Help build and/or deliver a bed for a child in our community who is currently sleeping on the floor or sharing with siblings. Our goal is to build over 55 beds!

• Kids' Meals Lunch Assembly: Join us as we assemble 8000 lunches for food-insecure children across Houston.

• Kids' Meals Sandwich Making: Help prepare 2500 meat and cheese sandwiches to go along with the assembled lunches.

• Build-a-Bear for Bed Recipients: A perfect project for younger kids! Help stuff bears, pray over them, and send them along with the beds being delivered. Once you finish, feel free to jump in and help with Kids' Meals!

After worship, we'll enjoy our traditional BBQ lunch before heading out to serve. Be sure to register in advance HERE! Let's come together this Christmas to bring hope, joy, and love to children and families in our community!

All volunteers building or delivering beds also need to register on the Sleep in Heavenly Peace website. The link for those building beds is HERE. For delivering beds HERE.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Your generous contributions will help us reach our financial goal of $15,000 to make these projects a reality! Lend your support HERE.

Beds and Bears: Purchase a bear for children who receive a bed for $15; bedding for $30; mattress for $100; single bed for $250; or a bunk bed for $500.

Lunches for Kids Meals: 20 lunches - $30; 200 lunches - $300; or 500 lunches - $750.

Sandwiches for Kids Meals: 1 dozen sandwiches for $6 (please purchase dozens and dozens of sandwiches!)

Or you may kindly make a financial contribution of your choice.