About Grace City
For The One
A multi-ethnic church in Irvine pursuing one life at a time with the Good News of Jesus.
A multi-ethnic church in Irvine pursuing one life at a time with the Good News of Jesus.
Who We Are
"For the One" is our guiding principle, drawn from Jesus' parable of the lost sheep and reflecting God's heart for every person.
Jesus described a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to search for the one who is lost, revealing the radical love of a God who notices, pursues, and rejoices over each life.
At Grace City, we join Jesus in that pursuit — whether it's someone who has never heard His name, someone who has walked away from faith, or someone silently struggling in the middle of a crowd. We believe every life matters and every story can be redeemed.
This isn't just a slogan, it's a posture. It shapes how we see people, how we serve, and how we follow Jesus into everyday life, pursuing people one by one.
Meet Our Lead Pastor
Stephen Kimbrell is the Founding and Lead Pastor of Grace City. He moved to Irvine from North Carolina in the Fall of 2015 with a team of committed families for the purpose of starting a new church that would reach people of all nations.
Stephen received his Masters in Christian Ministry from Liberty University. Stephen is married to his best friend, Lauren. They have 3 beautiful and hilarious children.
He is passionate about helping people trust and follow Jesus. Stephen loves walking alongside people as they discover Jesus for the very first time and also equipping them to share their life-changing story with others.
Explore Our Heart
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Our Vision
We seek the transformation of Irvine through the Good News of Jesus ONE life at a time.
In a city known for achievement and opportunity, where the nations gather and cultures converge, we see a quiet ache beneath the surface. Relationships under pressure. Families longing for connection. Souls searching for meaning.
We believe the Good News of Jesus offers a whole new way of life, restoring our relationship with God and giving us hope and purpose. This is the kind of renewal we long to see awakened in the homes, neighborhoods, and people of Irvine.
So we join Jesus in His pursuit of the ONE, believing that every life matters and every story can be redeemed. We trust that the renewal God brings to our city will echo far beyond it, through people of every background and culture, made new by His grace.
Our Mission
We reach the people with the Good News of Jesus, help them follow Him fully, and equip them to join His mission.
We boldly share the Good News of Jesus with people far from God, believing that every life matters and every story can be redeemed.
We walk alongside people as they learn to trust Jesus, grow in His Word, and live in authentic community, guiding them toward spiritual maturity.
We train and encourage people to live on mission in everyday life — at home, at work, in their neighborhoods, and beyond.
Our Beginning
Grace City Church began with a simple but bold conviction: that God was calling a small group of families to leave comfort behind and move across the country to help people in Irvine discover the grace of Jesus.
In the fall of 2016, four families from North Carolina stepped out in faith and relocated to Southern California with a vision to make disciples who make disciples. What began as a small gathering in a local elementary school has grown into a vibrant, multi-ethnic church family rooted in the heart of Irvine.
From the beginning, our prayer has been the same — that God would transform lives one by one through the Good News of Jesus. As we've grown, moved locations, and taken steps of faith, we have seen Him build a diverse community of people passionate about loving this city and making Christ known.
And we believe He is just getting started.
Our Team
Sunday Experience Director
Children's Ministry Director
Administrative Assistant
Our Leadership Team is composed of disciples who help move the mission of Grace City forward by serving the church, embodying the life of a disciple, and leading others.
Our Values
These values express the heart of Grace City. They shape how we love people, how we lead, and how we live our faith in everyday life.
Some of our values reflect what we believe every church should embody. Others reflect what makes us unique. Together, they create the culture we pray people experience the moment they walk through the doors of Grace City Church.
We trust and obey the truth of God's Word as our final authority in all of life.
We live out a genuine, humble faith that reflects the ways of Jesus.
We show up for one another with grace, truth, and compassion.
We multiply disciples, leaders, and churches to expand God's Kingdom.
We take bold risks to follow Jesus and reach the ONE.
We depend on God for everything and pray like it matters — because it does.
We are one family from many nations.
We seek to follow Jesus in every area of life.
We believe every believer is sent — to their neighborhoods, workplaces, and beyond.
Our Beliefs
We believe the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God. It is trustworthy and the final authority for faith and life.
We believe there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and co-eternal, working together in creation, redemption, and restoration.
We believe Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, revealed the heart of the Father, died on the cross as our substitute for sin, rose bodily from the dead, ascended to heaven, and will return again in power and glory to establish His Kingdom.
We believe humanity was created in the image of God with dignity and purpose. Through sin, humanity became separated from God and in need of redemption. All people stand in need of God's grace.
We believe salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Through His death and resurrection, we receive forgiveness of sins, new life, and reconciliation with God. Salvation is a gift of God, not the result of human effort or works.
We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer, empowers holy living, produces spiritual fruit, and gives spiritual gifts to build up the Church and advance the mission of Jesus.
We believe the Church is the body of Christ, made up of all who trust in Him. The Church exists to worship God, make disciples, love one another, and carry out the Great Commission in the power of the Spirit.
We believe the Kingdom of God was inaugurated through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and is advancing through His Church. The Kingdom is both present and future — already at work in the world and awaiting its full fulfillment at Christ's return.
We believe God created humanity in His image as male and female, equal in dignity and worth. We believe marriage is a covenant union between one man and one woman, designed by God to reflect Christ's love for His Church. We believe God's design for sexual intimacy is to be expressed within the covenant of marriage.
We believe Jesus Christ was physically raised from the dead. We believe in the future resurrection of all people — those who trust in Christ to eternal life with God, and those who reject Him to eternal separation from God.
We'd love to meet you this Sunday and introduce you to our family.