Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I'm new here. Don't have much church experience. How do I get started?
A: We believe the Lord has led you here. He has already been at work in your life guiding you and preparing you. Because he created you, he wants a special relationship with you. Grace is the right place to begin this new journey.
The best place to start is our Alpha Course. We have a great course three times a year starting after Labor Day, after Christmas and after Easter. At Alpha you will make new friends with people "seeking" just like you. You will be able to ask ANY question in a no-pressure environment. Think of Alpha as going to the Saturn dealer. No pressure and no tricks. Take your time and see if Christian faith and lifestyle works for you. We believe it will.

Q: I was raised Catholic, fell away, ended up coming to faith at Calvary Chapel and haven't gone to church for a while. I'm not "religious." Would I fit in at Grace?
A: Being a follower of Jesus Christ has nothing to do with being "religious." Jesus was killed by the religious people of his day. It's about having a living faith in God and living that faith out in community with others seeking to live out their calling. Grace is a great place to do just that.

Q: I don't go to church but I want to get my baby baptized. Whom do I call? Can you do this for me?
A: We'd love to baptize your child. We just ask that you go through the Alpha course so you have an idea of what you are baptizing him/her into. Take your time. Make some friends. Check out what Jesus has to offer.

Q: Now that my wife/husband and I have kids, we want to raise them with good values. What can you offer?
A: We offer more than most any church in our area when it comes to opportunities for children and youth. Please call the following people to hear all about it:

Pre-School: Cheryl Knight (714) 899-1680.
E-mail: cknight@GraceHB.org
View our Preschool page.

Elementary School: Janie Andrich (714) 899-1600.
E-mail: jandrich@GraceHB.org
View our Grace Schools page.

Kids' Activities: Leah Niesl (714) 899-1733.
E-mail: lniesl@GraceHB.org
View our Kid City, USA page.

Youth Activities (Jr. High - Senior High): Nathan Thompson (714) 899-1725.
E-mail: nthompson@GraceHB.org
View our Youth page.

KID CITY (Sunday School) : Leah Niesl (714) 899-1733.
E-mail: lniesl@GraceHB.org
View our Kid City, USA page.

Q: We'd like to be churchgoers but are busy on Sundays. What can we do?
A: We have multiple worship gatherings throughout the week.

Sunday: GLORY (8:45am) and JOURNEY (10:30am) and SPANISH (1:00pm)
Wednesday: WOW (11:00am)
Saturday: 6:00pm

Q: My church no longer teaches the Bible and we are looking for a Bible-believing church. Will we be safe at Grace?
A: Yes.

Q: We are shopping for a church to get married in. Can you do our wedding?
A: We'd love explore the possibilities with you. Please visit our wedding page. You may also call Pastor Joe Johnson at (714) 899-1706 or e-mail him at jjohnson@GraceHB.org

Q: Someone told me that Grace is a charismatic church. Is that true?
A: We don't limit ourselves to any such labels. Grace is a renewal-friendly church and if you see spiritual gifts and signs/wonders in operation in the New Testament, you will probably run into them here. We affirm the use of all spiritual gifts within biblical boundaries. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever.

Q: Do you ordain women?
A: First of all, there is no such thing as clergy or ordination in the New Testament. They are human inventions which don't hurt, but aren't essential to the Gospel. We Lutherans have a fancy name for this: "adiaphora". Until we can be shown that Ephesians 4:11-13 and its list of leadership gifts cannot include women, we are going to promote women using their leadership gifts.
It would be wrong to construct a theology that excludes strong biblical women like Deborah (book of Judges) and Lydia (book of Acts). After all, the women leaving the empty tomb were the first to proclaim the Gospel. Why stop them now?

Q: Do you believe that healing is for today?
A: Yes

Q: What do you teach about homosexuality?
A: The Bible teaches that it is God's plan for male and female to bring forth new life through marriage. These are not just isolated verses here and there. This is a mega theme in scripture. And in nature all around us.
The Bible is clear that homosexual behavior is a sin. However, we are not condemning of those in a homosexual life-style and invite them/you to seek Jesus among us. There is a big difference between blessing sin and forgiving sin. We at Grace are not in the sin blessing business--we will never bless sin. But we would love to work out our forgiveness as you work out your forgiveness with us.
If you are engaged in homosexual or lesbian behavior, please call one of the pastors (714) 899-1706, and we would love to talk with you in a safe and confidential setting.

Q: I went to a Lutheran church and it was boring. Is your church boring?
A: Usually not. :-)

Q: Who will win the Super Bowl?
A: We have NO idea!