History

In the spring of 1989, Jeff and Violet Steffel were serving in support roles at a church in St. Clair, MO when they felt the Lord leading them into a new season of ministry. While visiting some relatives on the Treasure Coast the idea of a church plant in Port St. Lucie was presented to them. While driving through the city one night they both became so convinced it was God’s will for them that they immediately returned to Missouri and began packing.

After arriving in Port St. Lucie and renting a house, Jeff and Violet only had a few hundred dollars left to start the church. God provided a free meeting room in the old community center and the leftover money was used to purchase fliers and signage.

After handing out flyers and advertising word-of-mouth, the first Sunday service was held August 27, 1989. Thirty-five adults and twelve children were in attendance. Pastor Jeff preached from a makeshift pulpit and Violet led worship to pre-recorded cassette tapes.

In 1991 the church had grown in numbers and moved from the Community Center to the since-demolished Village Green Shopping Center on U.S. 1.

As the church expanded it moved yet again to a bigger space in 1995. The years that followed saw the expansion of ministries, adding of staff and the addition of a second Sunday service. In 1997 consideration began for building a facility.

Through a series of providential events, God provided 17 acres of land. The church began to hold yearly meetings on the property, and members of Grace Family Church made a three-year financial pledge toward a future building.

In all, over $1,000,000 was graciously given by the church family during a five-year period. Construction began in 2003 and, thanks to a couple of hurricanes, took nearly three years.

The first service in the newly completed building happened on October 29, 2006, and it was a full house!

In the fifteen years that have followed, the Lord has been faithful. While always grounded in the Word, the church adopted the theological distinctive of Gospel Centeredness in 2015, while upholding its passion for Spirit-filled worship and world missions.

In 2021, we rebranded and relaunched our website and social media platforms to reflect our priorities and equip us for ministry to the next generation of leaders and disciples.