Grace History

Grace Church was formed through the uniting of Faith and Evergreen congregations on January 31,1982 to create Grace Lutheran Church of San Jose. Today the congregation is known as Grace Church of Evergreen, ‘a family place’ as it focuses on attracting the culturally diverse and young Evergreen community.

The former Faith congregation began in 1964 meeting in the ‘Red Barn Restaurant’ and using the adjacent ‘Awful Awful’ Salon for Sunday School classrooms.  Evergreen Lutheran began as an additional mission start in 1973 at Eastridge Mall. 

The union of the two congregations in 1982 allowed them to pool resources, purchase the current site, build the sanctuary, dedicate it to God’s service in 1983 and grow under energetic pastoral and lay leadership. The Grace Hall was added in the 1990’s to facilitate growing the burgeoning congregation.

Current facilities in addition to the sanctuary include a nursery, classrooms, offices, landscaped grounds, pre-school playground, basketball area, gazebo and an outdoor patio. The master plan being implemented in stages, includes additional buildings to serve a growing constituency.

The congregation pioneered a Headstart program and a Homework Center before such programs became more integrally involved with the School District campuses. Grace continues to sponsor a large and active Boy Scout Troop 264, encourages Girl and Cub Scouts, pre-school and afterschool programs, music and language programs for young children.