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Written by Suzi McKee

KINGSPORT — With all of the funding provided by tithes, offerings and community donations, Shades of Grace has worked extremely hard to develop a multitude of services that benefit all segments of our community.

“We wanted to provide things that some churches couldn’t provide to people in need,” explained Pastor Will Shewey. “We learned that some needs were not being met and began partnering with many local ministries. Prior to the pandemic, Shades of Grace served as an unofficial day center and opened as an emergency nighttime warming station when needed. Shades of Grace is not a shelter and therefore does not offer overnight accommodation at any of our locations. However, we support Kingsport Homeless Ministry, Inc. and Hunger First in their ongoing efforts to help little ones. Our hope is to be recognized as a house of worship rather than an organization. The primary purpose of this church is to offer a personal relationship with Jesus Christ to all who will hear our message.

One of the main changes after the pandemic was the offer of a new hour of worship on Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m. “We were observing worship at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon,” Pastor Will said.

“All are invited to join our congregation on Saturday mornings for wonderful music, time of prayer, relevant message of scripture and fellowship,” he said. Anyone wishing to participate in music ministry should contact Landon Bellamy at the church office. Our services are also available on Facebook, You Tube and Podcast.

There are several virtual options throughout the week as well as Sunday service at 4 p.m. Monday nights at 8 p.m., Pastor Michele Beck offers “Words of Inspiration.” She also offers “Journey Thru Grief” via Zoom every Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. For more information and how to join this Zoom group, contact the church office. And, Wednesday nights at 8 p.m., The Will and Jimmy Show is a time for interactive Bible study and up-to-date information on Shades of Grace happenings.

As United Methodists, we emphasize not only personal holiness, but also social holiness, explained Pastor Will.

Part of this involves ministry to those released from incarceration. After verification by the institution, the church provides newly released inmates with a backpack filled with necessary clothing, shoes and hygiene items.

Homeless people have difficulty obtaining photo ID due to the problem of not having a physical address. Therefore, we provide a community mailbox and allow those who need access to Shades of Grace as their home address. We facilitate a process of receiving mail here and moving forward in obtaining documents to help them get jobs and productive lives. Shades of Grace also offers a men’s shower for use upon request. The Kingsport Oasis offers laundry, shower and other essential services for women and young children.

Another service provided by Shades of Grace is the burial of the unclaimed dead. “We are working primarily with a local funeral home and the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Blountville to provide a suitable resting place,” explained Pastor Will. Immanuel is the oldest Lutheran congregation in the state of Tennessee. We also offer many memorial services for those friends who have no one to claim them. To date, we have facilitated the burial of 66 people.

Shades of Grace currently oversees five separate locations on East Sullivan Street. We were recently given the former Community United Methodist Church at 510 Gibson Mill Road in Kingsport. The Reverend Jeff Wright, District Superintendent of the UMC Appalachian District, has requested that we allow the name “Community” to be used as part of this new ministry. The property is now known as Shades of Grace-Community Campus. A new Filipino-American congregation was recently organized and will meet on Sundays at 1 p.m. This congregation is affiliated with Jesus Is Lord Church International and is the first of that denomination in Tennessee.

Our plans also include a new weekly children’s ministry, Grateful Thursday, which begins June 9. It will include music, instruction, prayer and food for children entering grades 1-4 as they learn more about Christian values. In time, we plan to offer recovery ministry at our community campus as well as movie night and gospel singing. Additional worship services for this community will be announced soon. You can keep up to date with all the happenings by following the Shades of Grace – Community Campus Facebook page.

Shades of Grace also has an international presence in Nigeria. Due to designated donations from loyal friends in our ministry, there is currently an elementary school with 180 students and eight teachers. The age of these students ranges from 1st to 5th grade and they are mostly orphans and victims of the civil war in their country. Several water wells, also known as boreholes, now provide fresh water to villages that did not have this need before. A major law school was going to be closed by the government due to unsanitary conditions, so Shades of Grace International stepped in to build a fresh water well for the school to keep the university open. One such well was sponsored by former parishioners of Pastor Will in Hiltons, Virginia. This well has been named the James and Edith Wood Memorial Well.

“God’s path isn’t always easy,” says Pastor Will, “but when you’re in God’s plan, the doors open wide and you find yourself moving at a pace you couldn’t achieve. by yourself.”

At every turn, Shades of Grace has grown and prospered.

“We never had a finance committee meeting or a budget,” he continues. “The money is always there for everything we need. We pray without ceasing and God always provides.

From professionals to those down on their luck, a diverse population finds comfort and hope at Shades of Grace. This storefront church has often been called God’s parlor.

“Our goal is to meet the needs of those who come to our door,” said Pastor Will. “God sends them to us, and we love them as they are.”

You can learn more about Shades of Grace on their Facebook pages: Shades of Grace: A United Methodist Congregation, Shades of Grace-Community Campus, or Shades of Grace International.

You can also make donations to Shades of Grace by sending them to Shades of Grace, 313 East Sullivan St., Kingsport, TN 37660 or make a virtual donation through PayPal at paypal.me/shadesofgraceumc.

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