Featured Missionaries

Brent & Stephanie Batiste
Abby, Hannah, Hope, & Jacob

CRU - Athletes in Action

Supported Since 1997

The Batistes began an AIA ministry at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myer. They meet with young believers to train and equip them while modeling a lifestyle of discipleship & evangelism themselves. Students are encouraged to live out what they are reading in God’s Word, and to effectively communicate the Gospel to the lost.

Brent says, "THANK YOU so much for your prayers! We are so thankful for your intercession and partnership in the mission!"

We would love your prayers for:

Let’s Pray 

• Pray for the students we minister to who are leaving for the summer. Some are going home to very encouraging environments, others who came to know the Lord on campus are going back to some spiritually challenging settings. Harrison is one of those students. He came to know the Lord with us and his parents are atheists, as was Harrison just two years ago! We went to his baptism earlier this year and his parents were willing to go and support him. It was amazing! They heard the Gospel and have warmed up slightly to their son's life change. We are praying that they would experience the Hope of the Gospel!
• Pray for Sam, a young soccer player from Venezuela. He came to know the Lord with us and has been growing in his faith! He was recently cut from the soccer team and is seeking the Lord for his next steps. He knows God is in control of life and his future. He is trusting that the Lord will lead him to a place where he can not only play soccer, but make a difference for Christ in powerful ways.
• Pray for our summer mission. This summer we will serve with Athletes In Action's baseball ministry. AIA owns two baseball teams, one in Ohio and one in Anchorage Alaska. Brent will be a chaplain for the 30+ baseball players competing in the Alaskan baseball league. He will have opportunities every day to lead the men in prayer and God's Word. He will be doing group Bible teaching and one on one discipleship as well as ministry equipping. We have had our own baseball players take part in this mission, and they have come back thoroughly equipped for Gospel ministry and compelled to be ambassadors for Christ.
• Pray for our summer training with Cru in Milwaukee in July. Pray that God would use that time together to refresh and renew our own hearts in the Lord and in the mission. God always uses that time to encourage us to press on in the work He has called us to.
• Pray that our own children would walk closely with Jesus and be a light to those around them.
• Thank you so much for your love, support, and prayers for us. We are blessed beyond measure by your partnership in the mission.

Missions has been a part of our DNA from the very beginning!

1964 our first full time missionary was sent.

1966 we hosted our first missions conference.

Presently we support over 40 missionaries near and far. They include church planters, college campus ministries, international ministry, and training / discipling / mobilizing.

Who are our missionaries?

First of all we call our missionaries, "Global Partners". We consider our support of them a partnership, and we take it seriously! We pray for them continually and strive to keep in touch with them so that we can remain involved in their work. Their stories are amazing!

Grace Church Global Partners are young adults just heading out on the mission field. They are couples and families choosing to live in other countries to form relationships so they can share the gospel. They are individuals entrenched on college campuses. They are seasoned workers of God who have spent their whole lives in service to Him to share the love of Jesus and further His Kingdom. And they are people who live and work in their neighborhoods and churches to share the salvation of Jesus Christ in their own countries.

How do we support our missionaries?

No money is used from the operating budget of Grace Church to support our Global Partners.

The financial support for all our Global Partners comes directly from the generous family of Grace Church. Pledges are made in the fall of each year to help the GO Team oversee the yearly budget and make decisions on support.

Are there other ways Grace Church fulfills the command of  Matthew 28:19?                                                 YES! The GO Team supports

Short term missions trips (Adult & Youth)

Annual Missions Garage Sale (an outreach to the local community the benefits our Global Partners in a big way)

Conferences & learning opportunities