The Beginning
In the spring of 2002, six families joined together to plant what would become Grace Christian Fellowship. Our intention was to add a gospel-centered, gospel-driven church utterly dependent upon the power of the Holy Spirit. We started in Mark William’s basement. Within a month we had moved to the Fireside Room at Fourth Memorial Church. A few months later we began meeting at the Eat Right Wedding Chapel on North Washington street.
The Early Years
During these early years, many curious people came to check out the new church in town. Some stayed, and with this loyal nucleus we began to put down roots and grow upward. Then, in the spring of 2004 we moved to Our Savior Lutheran on north Washington. A year later St. Paul’s Lutheran, at our current location on North Hamilton, contacted us with an offer to sell. In December of 2005 we purchased St. Paul’s and the Lutheran congregation moved to a different facility.
North Spokane Plant
In October of 2010 we were forced to move to two Sunday morning services due to our growth. In the fall of 2011 we leased space from Fourth Memorial Church for eight months so that we could go back to one service. In the spring of 2012 we moved back to our facility on Hamilton with the goal of handling future growth by planting a north campus, something we have always wanted to do. In October of 2013 we launched GCF North with 150 people.
Spokane Valley Plant
On November 1 2020, we launched the Valley plant. We held our first service at the Spokane Valley Event Center until our permanent building was completed Easter Sunday 2021.
New Beginnings
In the Spring of 2023, the elders of GCF happily agreed that each church was ready to stand on its own. As a result, the elders of GCF joyfully agreed to become three separate/independent churches by the end of 2023 (GCF Valley, GCF Central, GCF North). By God’s grace each church is healthy, strong, and eager for gospel partnership in the years to come.
Today, we can look back with amazement at the handiwork of God. From the tiny beginning of five families, the Lord has blessed GCF with hundreds of members worshipping at three independent and healthy churches throughout Spokane. Yet from the inception of GCF, the goal was never numerical growth, fame, influence, or prestige. Our goal has always been to glorify God through gospel-centered worship, evangelism, discipleship, and community. We need God's grace and power to continue to keep the main thing the main thing. We hope and pray that our great-grandchildren are even more committed to the mission of GCF than we are. “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth”(1 Cor.3:7). To God belongs the praise, the honor, and the glory!
For a more in-depth treatment of the history of GCF, you may read the history appendix from our membership class linked below.