Mill Village Ministries is a collection of social entrepreneurs whose mission is to unite with God’s vision for individual life change and holistic transformation of under-resourced communities. Mill Village Ministries strives to build relationships, leverage resources, and empower individuals to transform their communities by providing healthy food options, training teens in job and leadership skills, launching local entrepreneurs, and more.
Founded in the mid-1990s by Pastor Steve Watson of New Jerusalem Baptist Church, Greer Community Outreach Center focusing on meeting needs in the Greer community. To that end, the GCOC runs an after-school program and summer camp, a shelter for the homeless, a food bank and a resource center to provide for needs, while also developing a variety of partnerships to build affordable housing, and support those who need it most in more than twenty units.
Allendale County is located in the lowcountry of South Carolina, and our partnership with local churches in Allendale began over a decade ago. We believe communities are best transformed through the gospel-centered work of their own local churches, and we desire to serve with them on their terms. Grace Church has been invited into ministry in Allendale by Fairfax First Baptist Church and Nazarene Missionary Baptist Church. The leaders of these churches desire to invest in the youth of the area to create a self-sustaining community. To do this, they focus on providing opportunities for children and teens to know Christ, know Scripture, and become leaders in their areas of influence through community events and a summer camp program, Camp Impact.
Griggs Church is a local congregation serving the historical Poe Mill neighborhood of Greenville, which has seen economic downturn since the mill’s closing in the 1970s. Our work with Griggs includes providing manpower to run a three-week summer day camp for children in the Poe Mill area with Student Ministry volunteers.
Reconcile Church is a church plant we support in West Greenville. The church’s mission is to preach the gospel, produce disciples, and pursue justice in the area of White Horse Road.
Homes of Hope is working to develop foundational, safe environments for low- to moderate-income families in the Upstate. By providing affordable, energy-efficient rental and homeownership options, their clients can now afford housing and power bills. Supplemented by Homes of Hope’s financial wellness program, affordable housing gives families the freedom of a disposable income so that they can begin saving and investing. Homes of Hope also runs a workforce development program for men overcoming drug and alcohol addictions.
JUMPSTART’s ministry focuses on long-term discipleship of men and women currently in prison and those recently released. With thousands of success stories, they are convinced that with Christ, anyone’s future can be greater than their past.
Jasmine Road is a two-year residential program for women recovering from human trafficking, prostitution, and addiction. Jasmine Road has three social enterprise programs that give their residents meaningful work experience and provide financial support for the program.
Grace Church is committed to caring for vulnerable children through a growing community of foster and adoptive families, as well as supporting biological families in partnership with local organizations. Showing up and serving these children involves opportunities for all Grace members to engage in some way throughout each year. Check out these links to find out more about fostering, adoption, or serving families within this community.
We believe it is important to care for the seniors in our community with compassion and love. The Bible is clear that old age deserves dignity and respect, and we are thankful for the wisdom our seniors bring to the body of Christ. Through our Senior Honor ministry, Grace Church volunteers provide worship services, build one-on-one relationships, and facilitate other opportunities at elderly care communities across the Upstate. Individuals, families, and groups are all welcome to serve in Senior Honor.
Project HOPE provides a lifespan of services for individuals on the autism spectrum, offering programs that help families, open minds, promote inclusion, and expand potential for children and adults with autism. Volunteer with Team Hope to support staff and families who are part of a clinic near you.
Piedmont Women’s Center is an Upstate organization committed to caring for women in crisis both during and after their pregnancies. Whenever possible, the hope at PWC is to prevent abortion through free pregnancy tests, OB ultrasounds, and counseling. A major component of their ministry is geared towards post-abortion recovery, but their desire is to see each woman avoid the bondage of abortion altogether.
When a crisis or natural disaster occurs in our area, we are rightfully concerned about how people will be affected physically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually. Because we want to help ease suffering, we may be tempted to respond impulsively in ways that are more likely to help us feel good than do real good. As a church, we want to be intentional, purposeful, and reflective in how we reach out to those affected. If a major crisis happens in South Carolina or within a few hours drive, we believe we need to assess our responsibility and ability to respond well. See our crisis response plan to learn more about our approach.
To train to respond to a natural disaster, local crises, or refugee resettlement with qualified organizations, email [email protected] for more information.
Local, regional, and international ministry is accomplished in many ways beyond formal church programs. We value the individual passions and strengths of our members and believe God intends to use them to build his kingdom both here and around the world. Missions Grants help support covenant members and specific projects or programs of their personal ministry.
Each Grace campus invests in partnerships with organizations in their local community. The campus outreach team maintains the relationship with these organizations, identifying needs and rallying campus members to serve in ways that meet those needs and help disciple our members.