I’ve heard it said that Elk Grove is “an oasis between Sacramento and Stockton”. I’ve never lived in either of those towns, and I trust that they each have many good qualities – but I think that whoever said that is right. Elk Grove is an oasis – it’s a great place to live. Here at Grace Church we say that we have “great grace for a great town”, and we mean both halves of that. We preach the good news of Jesus, crucified for our sins and risen from the dead so that we can be right with God. This is great news. And we proclaim this great news to a great town. Here’s what makes Elk Grove great:
- Crime is simply lower here. Nonexistent? Of course not.1 But the justice authorities seem very responsive to the people they serve.2 Regarding homelessness, the city – in my opinion – has chosen wise and constructive methods to address it. We don’t need to pay teams to pick up human feces off of our streets. You will notice a distinct change as you enter the city – the lack of homeless encampments. It’s striking.
- The cost of living here is certainly going up, with the rest of the country, but it is closer to “sane” – certainly more so than the Bay Area. You can buy a house here for your growing family, and that house will be “normal”, too. No odd quirks that at first seem quaint but then grate on you over time.
- Recreation opportunities abound. Elk Grove boasts an excellent trail system. It sits right between the Bay and Tahoe, and just a little farther to Yosemite. Fishing and boating opportunities abound up and down the Sacramento and American Rivers. The foothills are a short drive away.
- Elk Grove boasts a wide variety of school options. In addition to public schools, there are private Christian schools, and a growing community of homeschool families, some of whom meet together and pool their resources here at Grace. We invite you to check out our “School House” project to learn more.
- There is a vibrant community of Christian churches here. We think highly of our own, but in the end – as we tell everyone – we want you to be where God would have you, where you will thrive in Him and where that church will further thrive through you. So we invite you to check us out!
If you need anything in your process of evaluating Elk Grove as your new home, please don’t hesitate to call on us.
Cordially,
Pastor Jed Brown
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1 Unlike the Bay Area, our drug stores don’t need to lock up toothpaste.
2 Unlike a certain DA in San Francisco: https://www.dailywire.com/news/san-francisco-d-a-s-aide-likens-those-concerned-with-citys-crime-surge-to-kkk-members-locks-twitter-account