A new church plant · Charlotte, NC Extended Grace Church
Formed by Jesus together,
to become like Jesus, for others.
Why we existEverything about this church starts with grace.
Extended Grace is a name and an invitation. We believe grace is the ongoing, unhurried work of God in us, not a moment we pass through on the way to something else. Here's what that means in practice.
Formed by Jesus, together
Transformation is the whole point. Not information about Jesus, but formation into him. That happens through daily practice, through surrendering ourselves to Christ in the ordinary and the hard, and through the Spirit's quiet work in unguarded moments. None of it happens alone. We need each other to become who God intends.
To become like Jesus
Every gathering, every conversation, every group answers one question: is this shaping us into the character of Christ? Not a program about him, an actual likeness, in how we love, how we suffer, how we treat the people in front of us.
For others
We're not forming for our own comfort. From day one, Extended Grace exists with an outward hand, toward neighbors, toward people with no church home, toward the needs already present in Matthews and Charlotte.
We're Vernon & Ashley Johnson, and this is a family plant as much as a church plant. We've been married for 12 years and have 4 kids (Emerson 11, Harlowe 9, Deklan 7, Cooper 4).
For almost two years, we felt God pulling us toward full-time ministry, and for most of that time, we had no idea what that actually meant. Ashley spent eight years as worship and creative pastor at Christian Hills, and Vernon came on as part-time executive pastor while working full-time in product marketing. We loved that church and those people — so when an opportunity came to plant a church in South Charlotte, it wasn't something we were looking for. But as we sought the Lord, traveled there, and prayed, we continued to feel God's hand in this. There's a lot we still don't have figured out, but the Lord is continuing to teach us to trust and lean on Him in this process.
Listen to the Podcast
Conversations on formation, Scripture, and what it looks like to become like Jesus for others, recorded as we build this church from the ground up.
Catch the latest episode:
How you can be
part of the story
Support Progress
Pray for the church plant
Lift up Extended Grace in prayer — for the team, the community we're reaching, and every detail of the launch ahead.
Support the church plant
Give toward the launch fund: our first meeting space, equipment, and first-year costs.
Support the Family
Help cover our relocation and the season before Extended Grace has its own income.
All donations are tax deductible. Your gift will be made to Christian Hills Church, to be set aside for Extended Grace Church. Every gift is handled with full transparency — counted, recorded, and reported under Extended Grace's financial policy in partnership with the Fellowship of Christian Assemblies.