BEYOND

Our Story

In 2019, Grace Church in DeMotte, Indiana stepped out with a bold vision: to build something for our community that didn’t yet exist. A place that would serve families, invest in kids, and create space for meaningful connection. Alongside initiatives like Night to Shine and Kids Hope USA, that vision included an indoor play park designed for the people of our community to gather, grow, and belong.

Like so many others, our plans were interrupted in 2020. What felt like a full stop for the world slowed our momentum too. But the vision never faded. Over the following years, we prayerfully reworked designs, refined plans, and stayed committed to the calling God placed before us—to create a space that would serve the next generation and bless the greater DeMotte region.

What was once a dream has now been built into reality. The Park on 8th was completed in 2025 and opened to the public on September 29. Today, The Park is open and already making an impact. It has become an incredible tool for building community and furthering our commitment to caring for the next generation of people who not only call Grace home, but also call the greater DeMotte area home. So many meaningful stories have already come out of the park, and we can’t wait to share more of them.

In 2024, we launched our Beyond Initiative with a goal to raise $1 million to complete The Park on 8th project. Since November 2024, $750,145.05 has been generously given toward that goal. While the park is open, our commitment continues. Giving is still open through the Giving tab under the name “Beyond,” and we remain committed to faithfully giving through the end of next year as we fulfill the full vision and plan God set before us.

We are deeply grateful for the generosity, prayers, and support that made this possible—and for what God is continuing to do beyond what we could ask or imagine.

“Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.” — Ephesians 3:20

For more information about The Park, visit theparkon8th.com.