ABOUT ALIVE
Our Story
In 2023, Jason and his wife, Allie, launched a homegroup for young adults in their tiny one-bedroom apartment. Through preaching God’s Word in the language of the rising generation, building the kind of God-honoring, irreplaceable community young adults are desperately seeking, and raising up leaders to disciple their city, it grew like wildfire.
Twenty, thirty, fifty young adults were coming ALIVE every week—realizing that, in a world of constant temptation and confusion, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. [But Jesus] came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
2024
In 2024, we launched an ALIVE homegroup in Isla Vista—equipping student leaders to facilitate homegroups, disciple peers, and bring their campus to Jesus. Sports teams, dance teams, and campus clubs were giving their lives to Christ, and the group grew to 80+ students.
2025
In 2025, we led multi-church worship nights with over 200 believers gathering in unity to worship Jesus. In a city ranked in the top 10 most post-Christian cities in the U.S., and in a generation where suicide rivals car crashes as the leading cause of death, over 100 young adults have fully surrendered their lives to Christ through ALIVE.
Today
Looking back on this past year, all we can say is: thank you, Jesus! And now, with the support and mentorship of multiple churches and pastors in Santa Barbara, we’re planting ALIVE as a new church in November 2025.
Join us in our mission to change Santa Barbara and help every generation to live fully ALIVE in Christ.
Behind the Name
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
John 10:10 (ESV)
"All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved."
Ephesians 2:3-5 (ESV)
Our Beliefs
We believe we are called to be Jesus centered, others focused, and constantly in pursuit of holiness.
Our Dream
Santa Barbara is on the top ten list of post-Christian cities in the United States. Our dream is to put Santa Barbara on the map as one of the most Christian cities in the United States.
Our Commitments
1. We are committed to remaining rooted in the uncompromised Word of God. While some attempt to reach the next generations by distorting the message of Jesus, we know the Truth will set us free.
2.
We are committed to
always leading into mentorship, walking in humility, and understanding that the body of Christ is strongest in collaboration.
3.
We are committed to
honoring the momentum God has created, and obeying James 1:6-7: "Let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." We know God desires for our city to turn to Him in masses, so we boldly pray for and pursue revival in Santa Barbara.
We believe that:
The Bible
The Bible is the inspired, infallible, authoritative Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
The Triune God
We believe in the one living and true God, existing in unity as three equally and fully divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19–20).
God the Father
We believe God the Father created all things for His glory according to His own will (Revelation 4:11), through His Son, Jesus Christ. He upholds all things by the Word of His power and grace, exercising sovereign headship over all creation, providence, and redemption (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3).
God the Son
We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son, moved by love in accordance with the will of the Father, took on human flesh (John 1:1, 14, 18).
God the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ during this age. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He draws the unredeemed to repentance and faith, and at salvation imparts new spiritual life to the believer, bringing that person into union with Christ and the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit sanctifies, seals, fills, guides, instructs, comforts, equips, empowers, permanently indwells at salvation, and bestows spiritual gifts to the believer for Christlike living and service (John 16:8; 13:15; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 1:22; 4:11–12; Romans 8:9–17; 12:4–8; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 12:4–5, 11–13, 19; Galatians 5:25; Hebrews 2:1–4; 2 Corinthians 12:12).
Salvation
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as the substitutionary atonement in our place, and that salvation is found in none other than Jesus Christ.
The Church
We believe that by placing one’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, the believer is made part of the Body of Christ, of which Jesus Christ is the Head. The Scriptures command believers to gather in order to devote themselves to Jesus through worship, prayer, teaching, fellowship, equipping through the development and use of talents and spiritual gifts, and fulfill the Great Commission (Ephesians 1:22–23; Acts 2:42–46; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Matthew 28:18–20).
Baptism and Communion
We believe that Christian baptism is a public declaration of the believer’s salvation in Christ, identifying with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection symbolized by immersion in water. The Lord’s Supper is the united commemoration by believers of Christ’s death until He comes and should be preceded by a careful self-examination (Acts 2:41; Romans 6:3–6; 1 Corinthians 11:20–29).
Our Purpose and Calling
We believe it is the privilege and call of every believer and local church to glorify God as active participants in the Great Commission call of Jesus Christ to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).
We are a multigenerational church.
Behind every young adult exalting Jesus are hundreds of saints from generations that came before them praying, participating, and financially contributing relentlessly.
Jason PAras
Meet Our Pastor
Pastor Jason Paras is the Founder and Lead Pastor of ALIVE.
For the past six years, Jason has dedicated his life to bringing Santa Barbara to Christ. With a foundation of ministry at Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara, Greg Laurie and Ricky Ryan’s Harvest on Maui, Community Covenant Church of Goleta, and by leading Santa Barbara Worship’s All-City Worship Nights, Jason is passionate about preaching the uncompromised, deep, and accessible gospel — and discipling communities to do the same.
Jason and his wife, Allie, have been married since 2022. In September 2024, they welcomed their first child, Holly James Paras. They enjoy going on beach walks with their Pitt-Husky, Iris, being addicted to pickleball, and loving life alongside the ALIVE family.
