About
Grace Pasadena exists to experience and extend the life-giving grace of Jesus.
Grace Pasadena exists to experience and extend the life-giving grace of Jesus.
We envision a community transformed by grace — where renewed lives and healed relationships bring hope and flourishing to Pasadena and beyond.
We live this out as we grow in the knowledge of the gospel, in every sphere of life, for the good of our neighborhoods, city, and the world.
Our core values
We seek a personal experience of the gospel that both humbles us and assures us that we are more deeply valued and loved by God than we can possibly imagine.
We seek to be transformed in worship as we experience the wonder of God and respond appropriately.
We seek the flourishing of our city as we extend God’s grace by loving our neighbors as ourselves.
We seek to extend the Kingdom of Jesus Christ by creating community and global partnerships that can reach and serve those in need.
What we believe
At Grace Pasadena, the gospel is at the center of everything. It shapes our worship, our community, and our life together. All of our beliefs and practices flow from this message, which lies at the heart of the Bible’s story. The word “gospel” means “good news.” It is the announcement that, despite our sin and brokenness, God has acted in Jesus Christ to rescue and renew the world. Jesus lived the life we could not live, died the death we deserved, and rose again to bring us forgiveness, freedom, and new life. Through faith in him, we are reconciled to God, adopted into his family, and invited into the hope of his kingdom.
God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He exists eternally as one God in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — working in perfect unity to carry out his plan of redemption. Through the gospel, we are invited into a living relationship with this God who has revealed himself through his word.
God made us in his image, beginning with Adam and Eve. Like them, we have turned away from him. This rebellion is the essence of sin, and it separates us from God. Yet through Jesus we find forgiveness, reconciliation, and renewal. By his grace, God is restoring us to reflect the image of Christ and to live in the fullness of life he intended.
Jesus is the center of God’s redemptive plan. He is the eternal Son of God who became human to save us. He lived a perfect life, died on the cross in our place, and rose from the dead in victory. He ascended into heaven, where he reigns with the Father, and he will one day return to make all things new. Through faith in Jesus, we receive salvation, new life, and a place in God’s family.
The Bible is God’s word, inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error in all that it affirms. It is our ultimate authority for faith and life, revealing who God is and his plan of salvation. More than just instructions, the Bible tells a unified story that points us to Jesus from beginning to end.
The church is God’s people, called together to follow Jesus and share in his life. We are not a perfect people, but we follow a perfect savior. When we gather for worship, we taste the joy of the kingdom that is coming. To be a Christian is to belong to Christ’s body, expressed in commitment to a local church where we are nurtured by God’s word, the sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper), prayer, worship, and fellowship.
The Spirit brings us into the rest and grace of Jesus, but also sends us out in love. God calls us to love our neighbors, seek the good of our city, and share the hope of the gospel. He has prepared good works for us to do, and by his Spirit we participate in his mission — across Pasadena, throughout Los Angeles, and to the ends of the earth.
Grace Pasadena is part of the Presbyterian Church in America.
Leadership
Nick is originally from Ventura, California, and holds a degree in Biblical Studies from Azusa Pacific University. He and his wife, Katie, were married shortly after college and moved to Boston, where Nick earned both an M.Div. and an M.A. in Ethics and Society from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He later completed a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Nick served at Aliso Creek Church in Aliso Viejo for 11 years before coming to Grace Pasadena, where he began serving as lead pastor in July of 2025. He has a deep love for the church and for the city of Pasadena — its neighborhoods, its rhythms, and its food scene.
Nick and Katie have two children, Oliver and Harper. In his free time, Nick enjoys reading widely — from philosophy and theology to a good novel — listening to podcasts, rooting for the Dodgers, and getting out on his mountain bike.
Caroline is originally from Wakefield, Massachusetts, and moved to Southern California in 2013 to attend Azusa Pacific University, where she studied Music Education. During her time at APU, Caroline sensed God’s calling on her life to serve in children’s ministry. She spent several years serving at Highrock Church in Arlington, Massachusetts, before moving to Pasadena to pursue a Master of Divinity from Fuller Seminary.
Caroline has been on staff at Grace Pasadena since 2021 and serves as the Director of Children and Families. She is passionate about discipling the next generation and creating spaces for children, youth, and families to experience and know the love of Christ.
Caroline is married to Blake, and together they have two awesome daughters, Ellie and Irene. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games, watching a good show, and honing her barista and latte art skills — come over sometime for a latte!
Noah was born and raised in the greater Los Angeles area, growing up in a family of musicians and serving in music ministries from an early age. After finding a voice for his own personal faith in high school, he began writing worship music and leading in a variety of youth settings, eventually working professionally as a musician, writing and performing in a touring band.
After nearly a decade of attending and serving in different spaces at Grace Pasadena, Noah stepped into the role of Director of Music and Arts. During the week he works on a variety of musical projects — from music for his band and other artists to helping shape the music and liturgy for Sunday mornings. He has a passion for using the arts to direct our affections toward God and his gospel, seeking the intersection of beauty and theological intentionality in worship.
He and his wife, Caraline, have two elementary-aged children and share a passion for serving in the foster care sphere, welcoming people into their home and enjoying a good meal together.
Jessica was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a BA in Applied Mathematics and an emphasis in Economics. After graduating, she worked in San Francisco at Bank of America as a project manager in Technology and Operations.
She moved to Pasadena in the fall of 2008 and began working for Grace Pasadena in November 2013, supporting the church’s financial and administrative needs. She loves the opportunity to use her passion for detail and organization to serve the church and be a part of the work the Lord is doing at Grace.
Jessica also works for City to City SoCal in finance and human resources, and for the Pasadena Senior Center in data management, analytics, and reporting. When she’s not working, she enjoys lifting weights, jigsaw puzzles, podcasts and audiobooks, sharing good food with friends, and spending as much time with her family as possible.
Alongside the pastor and staff, a group of elders, trusted counselors, deacons, and deaconesses help lead and care for the congregation, as well as steward its resources.