Life Classes

Fall Life Classes run Wednesdays September 4th-November 20th.

Nursery for infants- 2 years old is available. Grace Kids (3 years-5th Grade) and Grace Students (6th-12th Grade) Also Meet Wednesday Nights.

A Biblical Approach To Depression and Anxiety

    • Starting Date: September 4 

    • Projected weeks: 12

    • Instructor: Pastor Jay Knolls

    • Audience: Anyone 18+

    • Format: Live Teaching

    • Location: N108

  • Jay had the privilege of joining the pastoral staff at Grace in 2011, serving as the Discipleship Pastor for a little over two years before becoming the Lead Pastor in the fall of 2013. The church family welcomed us with open arms and has been a tremendous blessing to us since joining the staff. I received a Master of Divinity from Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary in Lansdale, PA. Before joining Grace’s staff, I served at Calvary Baptist Church in Orlando, Florida, and Trinity Baptist Church in Williston, Vermont.

    My passion in ministry is discipleship. To that end, I love to preach and teach the Scriptures in public settings as well as engage in individual discipleship through biblical counseling. My wife and I love being a part of Grace Baptist Church and we pray that God will give us many years to serve here in Wilmington.

Better Man - Men, Who has God called you to be?

    • Dates: September 4

    • Projected weeks: 10

    • Instructor: Ben Neal

    • Audience: Men 18+

    • Format: Live teaching then breakout small groups

    • Location: Library

  • Ben moved to Wilmington in 2005 to teach and coach at Wilmington Christian. He has enjoyed serving in many areas at Grace Baptist Church while attending. From men’s ministry to youth group, Ben loves building relationships and creating programs to strengthen the church. His wife serves as the registrar at WCA and their 3 children attend Grace and WCA as well. He loves being a dad!

Expectation: Living as Children of Promise (Acts 1)

    • Starting Date: September 4 

    • Projected weeks: 5 (Possible 6 more after)

    • Instructors: Amy Meshaw and Joy Coats

    • Audience: Ladies 18+

    • Format: Small Group- short video and Bible discussion

    • Location: N113

  • Amy Meshaw is a Wilmington native, married to Michael and mother of 3. Her family has spent some time living in Florida as well as Kenya, where they served at a school for missionary kids. She loves the beach, exploring new places and all things chocolate!

Biblical Discipleship

    • Starting Date: September 4 

    • Projected weeks: 8

    • Instructor: Mike Meshaw

    • Audience: Anyone 18+

    • Format: Small group- short video, Bible Study discussion

    • Location: N109

  • Michael Meshaw is married to Amy and has 3 kids. He worked in education for over 20 years in Wilmington, Florida and serving at a school in Kenya. He loves to speak, coach and meet new people. His goal is to impact people to live their life congruent with their values.

Biblical Foundations: Building on The Truth

    • Starting Date: September 4 

    • Projected weeks: 10

    • Instructors: Mike Pope and Susan Pope

    • Audience: Anyone 18+

    • Format: Team-teaching with Bible discussion

    • Location: N110

  • Michael Pope serves as the College and Career Advisor at Wilmington Christian Academy, where he also teaches high school English. He holds an MA in English and is currently pursuing an MEd in Curriculum and Instruction. Before returning to Wilmington, his hometown, Michael worked as a Curriculum Writer and ministered as Worship Director at Suber Road Baptist Church in Greer, SC. He is the husband to Deborah Pope and father to three boys--Elijah, Gavin, and Archer--who keep him and his wife very busy. In his spare time, he enjoys singing in the local community group Wilmington Voices and with God's people in the music ministry of Grace Baptist Church, where his family have been members since 1994.

  • Susan Pope serves as a high school History teacher at Wilmington Christian Academy and teaches 2nd and 3rd grade Sunday School at Grace Baptist Church, where she has been a member since 1994. She holds a MEd in History, MA in Crisis Counseling, and is currently a PhD candidate in History. She is the proud daughter of Doug and Carol Pope and Aunt to three wonderful nephews.

Biblical Finance- Faithfully giving God your best in what He has given you.

    • Starting Date: September 4 

    • Projected weeks: 4 (2 more after with Mrs. Teresa Holzwarth)

    • Instructor: John Tyrpak

    • Audience: Anyone 18+

    • Format: Live Teaching with Q&A

    • Location: N112

  • John Tyrpak has been a Certified Public Accountant since 2010 and has been in the public accounting field for more than 18 years. He earned his Master of Science in Accountant from UNCW in 2009. His specialization in graduate school was income tax and now in 2024 his firm concentrates on income tax planning and income tax return preparation. John and his wife, Jenny, have been married since 2006. Jenny teaches high school mathematics and dual-enrollment college mathematics at Wilmington Christian Academy. John and Jenny have four children who attend Wilmington Christian Academy.


Helping an Aging Family Member

    • Topic: Financial Help (Aging Family member crisis/ dealing with Medicare)

    • Dates: Oct. 9 and 16

    • Instructor: Teresa Holzwarth

    • Format: Live Teaching and Q&A

    • Location: N112

  • I accepted Jesus at age 12 in VBS; however didn't receive any discipleship and floundered for quite some time. I was invited to Bible Study Fellowship many years ago and it was through that study that I fully understood and committed my life to Christ. Since that time, I have been passionate about the importance of studying God's word and allowing it to transform me.

HandBells

      • Instructors: Scott Brier 

      • Starting Date: September 4 

      • Projected weeks: 15

      • Audience: Anyone 18+

      • Format: Short Devotional, learning Handbells for church/community service

      • Location: C100

  • Scott is currently on faculty at Wilmington Christian Academy where he serves as the music coordinator. He conducts WCA’s beginner, elementary, middle school, and high school bands, as well as the middle school and high school choirs. An active church musician, Scott currently serves at Grace Baptist Church where he accompanies the choir, conducts the handbell choir, and is the church pianist. As an accomplished pianist, he occasionally performs with the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra and teaches private music lessons.

Divorce Care

      • Starting Date: September 4 

      • Projected weeks: 13

      • Instructors: Roger and Beth Hayden, Wendy Rohm, Lori Morton, Sylvia Ponder

      • Audience: Anyone needing support from separation or divorce

      • Format: Video and discussion

      • Location: N114

  • Roger and Beth Hayden have been a part of the GBC family for almost 30 years. They enjoy living on their farm with their 23 chickens. Before they raised chickens, they raised children (Kate, Tanner, and Erin) all who graduated from WCA where Beth serves in the elementary division. Roger works for a local residential builder. Their family also has 2 son-in-laws and two adorable grandchildren.

Foster And Adoptive Care

Ongoing Wednesday Night Meetings

      • Topic: Answered/ing God’s call to foster or adopt? Would you like to join a support group and reach others?

      • Dates: TBA

      • Leaders: Heather Smith and Ben Neal (Also Bair Foundation)

      • Audience: Those wanting to adopt/going through adoption/have adopted

      • Format: Interest in Joining a group Meeting Startup

      • Location: Meet-up

Deaf BIble Study

    • Dates: Every Wednesday night 

    • Instructor: Bryan Palumbo

    • Audience: Anyone Who Uses ASL

    • Format: Bible Study IN ASL

    • Location: C102

  • Bryan Palumbo who is also Deaf, has a deep understanding of scripture and communicates that well using ASL as well as visual aids.


Grace Young Adults

    • Dates: Every Wednesday 

    • Instructor: Craig Tucker (ctucker@wilmingtonchristian.com)

    • Audience: College and Career

    • Format: Bible study and fellowship

    • Location: Off-campus

  • I grew up in Western North Carolina. Janet and I have been happily married 44 years. We moved to Wilmington in 2006 to join the faculty at Wilmington Christian and be a part of Grace Baptist Church. Two years ago Pastor Jay and I decided to work together in growing a ministry for young adults in our church. It's been exciting to see it grow from an original group of 4 or 5 to now having 18-25 people in our weekly fellowships and Bible studies.

Wednesday Night Service and Prayer Meeting

    • Topic: Wednesday Evening Service- The Importance of the Bible 

    • Dates: Every Wednesday night 

    • Instructor: Pastor Gary Jones

    • Audience: Anyone 18+

    • Format: Bible preaching and prayer time.

    • Location: Section C

  • I retired from full-time ministry after fifty years of being a senior pastor, the last thirty-five years at Farmington Avenue Baptist Church in West Hartford, CT. I graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in Bible. I later received an honorary doctorate from Bob Jones and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary. My love is to study God’s Word and to walk in His will.

    I have been happily married to Hannah Jones for nearly fifty-two years and the Lord has blessed us with four children. I am grateful to Pastor Knolls for allowing me to help in the ministry of visitation and other areas of the ministry. Our Lord continues to richly bless us as we continue to serve Him.