Who We Are

Grace City launched October 2015 at University City High School

We are a gospel-centered church with a vision to be a church for our city that seeks new life in Jesus. Our mission is to equip people with the gospel for everyday life. We invite you to join us this Sunday at 10:30 AM at University City High School.

Our Story

In October 2014, the Tonini family moved to San Diego with a call to plant a new church through a church planting organization called Stadia. God led the Tonini's and a small group of others to plant Grace City Church in UTC/University City. Grace City started with the vision of being a church for the city that seeks new life in Jesus. This meant building long lasting relationships in the community through serving at local events and neighborhood meetings, desiring to tangibly love the city with no strings attached. Small backyard bible studies, worship, and prayer were the humble beginnings of what would turn into weekly gatherings of many more, doing the same thing. 

Grace City launched its first Sunday service at University City High School on October 4, 2015, with the support of Momentum Christian Church, Rise City Church and the San Diego Church Planting Movement. Grace City celebrated its first baptism on Valentine’s Day of 2016, and has since seen many more people pronounce faith in Jesus Christ. God has grown Grace City to be a place where people of all cultures, ethnicities, ages, and backgrounds come together to be equipped with the gospel for everyday life, and who are then sent out to share the hope of the gospel wherever God has placed them. 

As UTC/University City continues to grow and become more urban, Grace City is seeing more people walk through its doors in search of truth, community, hope, healing, and so much more. By God’s grace, we are committed to being a faithful presence in this influential area of San Diego to reach all generations of people with the gospel for as long as God allows.

3 men having a conversation in a church

Our Partners and Affiliations

We started out of a larger network of churches planted in partnership with the San Diego Church Planting Movement to bring healthy, gospel-centered churches throughout San Diego County. We are affiliated with Redeemer City to City, Flourish San Diego, and The Gospel Coalition.

Founding Pastor and 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 M.A. 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 eight years before launching Grace City in 2015. He also serves as a church planting coach and trainer for City to City LA, which focuses on equipping the next generation of church planters in Southern California.

A father, mother, and their three kids
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