Who We Are
Grace City SD launched October 2015 at University City High School.
From the beginning, our vision has been simple, to be a church for our city that seeks new life in Jesus. We are here to love our city with no strings attached because that is how Jesus loved us.
Our mission is to equip people with the Gospel for everyday life. We believe the gospel is the greatest news in the world and so we encourage one another to be the Church and live out the gospel everywhere we go.
We started out of a larger network of churches planted with the partnership of the San Diego Church Planting Movement to bring the Gospel throughout San Diego County.
Find out more about our partners and affiliations:
- City to City LA – City to City LA is a part of the Redeemer City to City network and exists to develop and deploy City-Focused Pastors to launch and lead Gospel-Centered Church Plants in Southern California.
- The Gospel Coalition – We are theologically aligned with The Gospel Coalition and its emphasis on the authority of Scripture, the sovereignty of God, and the centrality of the Gospel.
Founding Pastor & Family
Randall Tonini was born in Honolulu, HI and started following Christ at the age of 16. His wife, Laura, grew up on the East Coast and decided to follow Jesus as a teenager. They met at Johnson University in Knoxville, TN., where Randall earned his B.A. in Preaching and Youth Ministry, and Laura completed her MA in Education with an ESL certification. They married in 2005 and have three children. Randall has been a pastor for over 15 years, serving as a youth pastor for 8 years before launching Grace City in 2015. He also serves as a church planting coach for City to City LA, which focus’ on equipping the next generation of church planters in Southern California.