Jesus

Jesus was a social justice hero. He spoke out against inequality, helped the oppressed, condemned the oppressor, and embraced the alienated. At Grace, we believe in ministering the gospel in word and deed. Jesus did not just verbally affirm the causes of the oppressed; He devoted His life towards actively seeking positive change. Therefore, at Grace, we believe that in order to “love people to life,” we must devote our efforts towards helping the exploited, ignored, mistreated, enslaved, and the abused.

Jazz

Jazz music teaches us how to relate to others. In jazz, you see different instruments, from different traditions, that aren’t supposed to play together. However, they play the same music, around the same theme, in the same key, but is given the freedom to solo. It is creative, unpredictable; it can be emotional, raw, moody, smooth. Regardless of the tradition, and or background a person comes from, we believe that part of “loving people to life” is recognizing that everyone brings a valuable and jazzy perspective to our common life.

Jeans

Jeans define comfort. Comfort, however, is a word people rarely associate with God. A lot of people view God as this unfriendly, mean, and serious judge who is waiting to pounce the moment we mess up. However, we believe that we can have a real, intimate, and even a comfortable relationship with God. And part of “loving people to life” is showing them how they can find their “sweet spot” in God, perhaps like we’ve found in a favorite pair of jeans.