Grace is Found At The Underground

Last year, Joshua was asked to leave the Underground indefinitely. It was a difficult decision, but necessary. At the time, his choices were disrupting the space we work hard to keep safe for every student.

Joshua didn’t stay away.

Over the months, he came back a few times, asking if he could return. Then one night, he showed up during Club, and his friends immediately stepped in, advocating for him to stay. Seeing that, we made the decision to give him another chance. We wanted Joshua to be in a space where he could hear the Gospel and be surrounded by positive influence.

A week later, Joshua came back and said something that stuck with me. He shared that his brother had encouraged him to apologize and ask for forgiveness. When we asked who his brother was, he said, Ethan.

Ethan had been part of our community years earlier, when he was in middle school and the beginning of high school.

Even after time had passed, the message of grace stayed with Ethan, and now, it was being passed down to his younger brother. Joshua came back because someone who had once been here believed in grace and believed this was a place where it could be extended.

That’s the kind of impact you don’t always see right away.

Because of your support, this is a place where accountability and grace go hand in hand, where students learn not just what it means to be held to a standard, but also what it means to be forgiven, welcomed back, and given another chance.

And sometimes, that message reaches further than we ever imagined.

Stephanie DelValle

Central Kitsap Area Director