History
Grace Pointe Church was born in a tent revival in the summer of 1924 as the Westbrook Church of the Nazarene. After seventy-eight years, eight pastors, several building programs, a merger with the Bridgeport Church and a subsequent name change, Grace Pointe migrated in 2002 to the intersection of Morris Street and Raceway Road; a small congregation with a big vision of what God could do.
Part of that vision included a deep desire to minister to the growing Hispanic population around them. Many Hispanics had been part of the crews that worked on the new facility located at 10951 E County Road 100 S, on the dividing line between Hendricks and Marion counties. That dream in 2002, was nothing more than a prayer in the midst of God’s work at Grace Pointe.
Pastor Elena Gil was the answer to that prayer to lead a Hispanic ministry. Pastor Gil led the church’s efforts to reach out to Latinos by inviting them to worship at Grace Pointe.
Reaching out to the Hispanic Community
Pastor Elena Gil came at the end of 2002 to serve in the ministry from the Nazarene Church in Bogota Colombia. “After a conversation with Pastor Robinson, it was evident that God had a place for me to minister at Grace Pointe. He expressed to me that the church had been praying for someone like me. This was a very humbling, yet exciting experience,” said Pastor Gil.
From then on, Elena and the Leadership team began to put in place a ministerial strategy. The church had a simple and clear objective: to invite Hispanic families to join American families to worship together. “The church began working to integrate both cultures, respecting and appreciating the cultural differences, and developing the necessary tools to provide the Hispanic community with spiritual and social support.
The church acquired the equipment to offer simultaneous translations from English into Spanish, it built a sound proof booth, with a front window and a glass ceiling, where interpreters could have the privacy, yet the confidence to interpret the message without feeling isolated from the rest of the congregation. All the bulletins are translated from English into Spanish and the songs are also translated on the sanctuary screens. However, what really sets this church apart is that Hispanics are not the only ones who have to learn to sing in English. English speaking Americans have also learned to sing in Spanish. They always sing at least one song in Spanish during the praise and worship. “When we worship together as one in the Lord Jesus Christ, I can’t help but feel that we have a little glimpse of what Heaven will be like,” said Pastor Robinson. “Because of an intentional effort from Grace Pointe to make Hispanics feel welcome, now the results are very positive as the Hispanic ministry has grwn to 150 families.
Pastor Gil states that now, Grace Pointe not only has a strong Hispanic presence as a part of the entire congregation, but it also has families from other countries and cultures. That’s why we have become a multicultural church. “There is a mix of languages, cultures and races, in a place in which all of us speak the same language, which is the language of love,” said Pastor Gil.
Our Birth January 1926 Born of revival fires under The anointed ministry of Rev. Alvin E. Kerst
Organized as The Westbrook Church of the Nazarene By District Superintendent J.W. Short With 37 charter members
Significant Milestones
1924-1925 Tent meetings and house worship
1925-1960 Worshipped in 30′ by 50′ church building Studded with bits of shiny glass
1940-1950 Two-story education wing added
1960-2002
Worshipped in $150,000 sanctuary Exterior made of Indiana sandstone trimmed in Indiana limestone
1970 Added a Family Center adjacent to sanctuary
1941-1991 Radio ministry
1976 50 years old as a Nazarene church 5 Charter members honored Dr. Ross Lee, District Superintendent
1996 Merger with Bridgeport Church of the Nazarene
2001 Name change Grace Pointe Church of the Nazarene
2002 Relocation to new facility Corner of Raceway Road and Morris Street
2003 Integrated Hispanic community with Congregation for shared Worship, fellowship and ministry
November 2010 Day of Dedication Of building and Consecration of our people
2003-2010 and beyond… Grace Pointe is Multi-cultural, multi-generational, missional and discipleship driven For God’s glory!
Our Pastors
| Rev. Alvin Kerst | 1926 – 1931 (5 years) |
| Dr. O.L. Maish | 1931 – 1937 (6 years) |
| Rev. Harry Carter | 1937 – 1943 (6 years) |
| Dr. Leo Davis | 1943 – 1946 (3 years) |
| Rev. M.J. Jones | 1946 – 1951 (5 years) |
| Rev. B.L. Wilson | 1951 – 1964 (13 years) |
| Rev. J.E. Childress | 1964 – 1991 (27 years) |
| Rev. Keith Robinson | 1991 – 2009 (18 years) |
| Rev. Chris Galloway | 2009 – 2013 (4 years) |
Archival Moments
WESTBROOK’S CHARTER MEMBERS (* denotes charter member honored at 50 year milestone)
| Rev. Alvin E. Kerst | Pastor Clyde A. Bates | Cecil M. Bates |
| Bertha Kerst | Marjorie C. Bates | Opal Bates |
| Grover C. Bates | Thomas S. Bracken | Charles L. Brickert |
| Lelia Bates | Laura E. Bracken | Sarah E. Brickert |
| Cecil F. Clifton | Belle Darnell | John F. Ferguson |
| Rufus F. Ferguson* | John F. Herr | Henry Herr |
| Marguerite Ferguson* | Cora Herr | Lena M. Jay* |
| Clarence LaFara | Millard F. Martz | Emma Meyers |
| Sallie Meyers | Thomas Mitchell | Garrison H. Price |
| Ida Mae Mitchell | Sara A. Mitchell | Ralph Moneymaker |
| Elsie Grace Price* | Walter Price | Dora Phillips |
| Astrid Richards* | Elizabeth Trinkle | George Williamson |
The heritage of the past is the seed That brings forth the harvest of the future…