History

In the fall of 1976, a committee was first called together to begin investigating the possibility of starting a preschool at Grace Lutheran Church.

After canvassing the surrounding neighborhoods, and receiving a commitment from parents, the committee presented their findings to the church council, and the preschool was approved in January of 1977.

Grace Lutheran Preschool opened its doors on September 14, 1977. They had 20 part time students and two teachers. The preschool was initiated by Pastor Paul Johnsen who had come to Grace from another church where he had helped to establish a preschool.

Pastor Paul Johnsen had a passion for the Lord, and children. He wanted to reach out to the community and provide not only a service, but also an opportunity to minister to families who did not have a church home. Pastor Paul wanted all children to know that Jesus loved them.

Currently, GLS offers an academic program aligned to the California State Standards, and in accordance with the curriculum guidelines of California Common Core Standards for individual matter, as well as California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP). The curriculum focuses on reading and writing, mathematics, social studies, and science. Spanish is offered as a foreign language. Phonics, introduced in Kindergarten, provides the foundation for teaching reading skills. Enrichment/Special classes include music, band, STEAM, physical education, after school sports, and art.

GLS offers a quality extended day care program (RecClub) from 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. A responsible Rec Club staff oversees structured activities such as arts and crafts, games, sports, and study time in a homework club.

The GLS campus is located on McFadden Avenue in Huntington Beach, two miles west of Grace Lutheran Church. As an outreach arm of Grace Lutheran Church ofHuntington Beach, GLS teaches and practices the Christian religion according to the doctrines and practices of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). The NALC is a church family committed to the authority of the Bible as the inspired Word of God. In keeping with the Lutheran Confessions, NALC members believe all doctrines should and must be judged by the teaching of Scripture.

The NALC has embraced four core values: Christ-Centered, Mission Driven, Traditionally-Grounded, and Congregationally-Focused. NALC Churches are centered on the unique Gospel of Jesus Christ, animated by missions and evangelism, grounded in the two thousand-year tradition of the Christian faith. Since the Christian faith is the focal point of the school’s educational purpose, students and their families are encouraged to attend church and/or Sunday School on a regular basis.

Grace Christian School has held WASC accreditation since 2002; prior to that the school was accredited by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) church body.

The last complete full self-study was in the spring of 2014, which resulted in a six-year accreditation term with a one-day mid term visit. During the current six-year accreditation period, the school staff has engaged in ongoing improvement.

The administration plans, evaluates, and modifies the action plan annually. The accreditation was held in March 2022 and earned a 6-year term until 2028.