The History of Spirit of Grace Lutheran Church

July 1, 1996 - January 10, 2024

A new home, a new life-style, new friends, and a new church. Many pulled up roots and planted themselves in a warm climate looking forward to retirement years. Sun City Grand located in Surprise, Arizona, a suburb in the northwest valley of Phoenix became the home to Spirit of Grace Church.

Over the years, Bible Studies, fellowship events, stewardship and building drives, men’s breakfast group, women’s circles, general meetings, golf tournaments, neighborhood care groups, volunteer work at the Lutheran Thrift Shoi. donations to the food banks, and regular service have all given purpose to the lives of diverse group of members from all over the United States and Canada.

Spirit of Grace Highlights

On July 1, 1996 the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA ) Division of Outreach purchased the four acres of land where the church stands today. at 15820 W Clearview Boulevard in the “heart of Sun City Grand.” At the same time, t called Pastor Joseph Carucci to be the “Pastor Developer.”

The first worship service was held on September 9, 1997 with sixty six people in attendance. The first service was held in the Sewing Center which was located in one of the community buildings in the Village Center of Sun City Grand.

The Charter was opened on March 22, 1998 with 51 people signing to become members of the congregations. When the Charter membership ended, more than one hundred and seventy members had signed their names as Charter members of the Spirit of Grace Lutheran Church.

In October 1998, the Spirit of Grace choir was formed with seven members under the leadership of Sharon Smith.

On December 6, 1998, the first stewardship effort and Dedication Sunday, resulted in $115,000 in pledges.

Pastor Carruci noted in the forward to the first Church directory, that Spirit of Grace came to its’ “Organization Sunday” on January 10, 1999 with 178 Charter Members. The early church worship services settled into the Sonoran Plaza main ballroom, the place for worship for the first five years.

In March 1999, the Congregation took title to the four acres of land on Clearview Blvd. where the new church building was to be constructed.

On June 4, 1999, Spirit of Grace was officially received as a congregation of the Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA at the American Synod Assembly. We thank, St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, (our mission founder congregation for their support) as well as Mission Partner congregations: Lord of Life Lutheran -Sun city West, American Lutheran, and Shepherd of the Desert Lutheran -Sun City Arizona.

In October 1999 the Women at Spirit of Grace officially organized as a unit of Women of the ELCA.

In November 1999 the Congregation votes to hire architect, Tom Hunt to design the building that would become the home for Spirit of Grace and the next month, December 1999, the Building Committee was established.

January 2000 was the first Annual meeting. A $250,000 budget was approved and the congregation got the first look at the Master Site Plan and Building drawings.

In February 2000 the “Grand Opportunity Capital Campaign” (known as the GO Campaign) started raising funds with a goal to break ground for a church building by the end of year 2000! By May 2000 the GO Campaign reached $900,000 in pledges.

In January 2001, Pastor Phillip Eaves accepts a part0time call as an Associate Pastor.

A new beginning on January 7, 2001 with the ground breaking for the new church building which continued to stir excitement into “bringing the Spirit of Grace to all people.”

On March 24, 2002 the first worship service in the new chruch building was held on Palm Sunday. The church was dedicated on November 24, 2002 with the Bishop of the Grand Canyon Synod in attendance along with other special guests.

In June 2003 construction began on the Columbarium and Memorial Wall. In the same month, Pastor Joseph Carruci retired and in July, Pastor Howard Wenners became the interim Senior Pastor. and the Call Committee went to work to find a new Senior Pastor.

Sources:

First Church Directory printed in 2000.

Spirit of Grace Cookbook printed in October 2001.contained a brief history.