Welcoming Immigrants as a Form of Missions
December 2024
The Great Commission requires all of us—prayers, givers, welcomers, senders, and goers. Pastor Adam Copenhaver of Grace Church in Mabton, Washington, embodies the spirit of a welcomer. While his church prays and gives toward international missions, they’re also making a global impact right in their own backyard. In a town that’s 95% Latino, Grace Church is transforming lives among Mabton’s internationals.
In 2018, Grace Church launched “Cultivate,” a discipleship program designed to nurture faith in every generation. Every Wednesday, the church van weaves through town, picking up children and teens and bringing them to join local families at the church. The evening begins with a shared meal lovingly prepared by volunteers, and then everyone breaks into age-specific Bible studies—nursery, kids, youth, and adults. Each year, they study a new book of the Bible, such as John, Acts, or Exodus, with lessons tailored to meet the needs of every age group.
“Every year, we see people come to faith in Christ,” said Pastor Copenhaver. Many participants come with little to no knowledge of the Bible. He recalls one instance when the group was studying the book of John. During a preview of the next week’s lesson, Nicodemus was mentioned, prompting a woman in her sixties to ask, “What’s a Nicodemus?” Through Grace Church’s ministry, she encountered Jesus for the first time, surrendered her life to Him, was baptized, and continues to grow in her faith today.
This isn’t a transactional ministry—it’s a relationship-driven mission of hospitality. Pastor Copenhaver humbly insists there’s nothing extraordinary about what they’re doing, but it’s clear their approach is rooted in love. “It’s just loving your neighbor,” he shared. Hospitality is deeply valued in Mabton, and families feel that love when their children are cared for through Cultivate. “When we love their kids well, people are grateful,” he added.
Grace Church’s faithful ministry demonstrates the power of simple acts of love to make an eternal impact. Only God knows the ripple effects this work will have—not just in Mabton but among the nations!
More Stories
When Anna* was challenged to think about her goals for 2026, she sensed a clear nudge from God: begin preparing material to train others....
February 17, 2026
“In the 1980s, if you walked into a Christian bookstore in France, you’d find maybe two shelves of Christian books,” Florent...
February 13, 2026
As someone who’s spent much of his life planting churches in Asia, Ted now serves as the Director of Encompass...
February 10, 2026
Reaching the unreached is a beautiful idea, but it’s a lot easier said than done. Even so, Auburn Grace Community...
February 9, 2026
“I had no idea what Japan was,” Kya says. “Then my parents took me when I was 10, and now I wake up every day and think about...
January 30, 2026
Mika* grew up in Japan as part of a family that was culturally Buddhist, yet God gently placed people in her life who...
January 29, 2026
Grace Church in Simi Valley, California has been partnering with Encompass for over 60 years now, making us their primary missions agency. That...
January 23, 2026
The environment a child grows up in becomes their baseline for what’s normal. As you can imagine, children growing up overseas often form a...
January 23, 2026
“I never set out to become a crisis response person,” says Barb. In fact, if you had asked her younger...
January 21, 2026
