Ed Flint / Leader.

I’m married to Hannah and we lead bread. We’re both from Britain. I didn’t always like church growing up. So when I went away to university in Cambridge, UK I stopped going. And after a while I stopped believing in anything as well. I found it judgmental and angry and boring and unreal. God didn’t seem very nice either. Ultimately I thought it was probably all made up anyway.

But everything changed when I wandered into a church, St Mary’s in London, aged 23. I was introduced to the real thing: the intellectually-satisfying, powerful, gracious, life-changing Jesus of Nazareth God. I found him utterly compelling. He was and is fantastic. Since then I’ve wanted as many people to meet him as possible. Especially if, like I was, they’re not sure whether any of it is true, or relevant, or good.

Over the years I've seen the real Jesus change countless lives for the better in extraordinary ways. I want to see more.

I ended up becoming ordained by the Bishop of London as a minister in the Church of England. I worked as a church leader at St Mary’s for around 10 years, and now, with Hannah and our three wonderful daughters, we've moved to LA to start bread in 2016. I like adventures. This one has already been a big one, I think it will continue to be. I love L.A. And I love the people of this city. It's for them that we're here.

Likes: 

herringbone / fire / italy / dogs / rare steak / irony / the world’s strongest man competition / wanderlüst / everything christopher guest has ever done / old european cars / new people / self-deprecation / people who say things they don’t believe just to get a rise out of someone / oysters / berlin / sparkling water / ice cream at the cinema (or anywhere anytime) / a good beard / undeserved generosity / roger federer / thick rimmed glasses / arsenal football club / the naivety of youth / flannel suits / ray kappe architecture / drinks at dusk on holiday / seat back tray tables / loose leaf tea / empty airports / balancing things on top of each other / champagne at weddings / freshly laid tarmac / second chances / miele appliances / soft metals.

Dislikes: 

cauliflower / domestic cats / air fresheners / high-end fashion for children / untuneable guitars / puritanical beliefs / haircuts / soap operas / hipster brand names that follow the ‘something & something’ formula / the expression ‘heading up’  / avocado / food-intolerances / call centers / slow internet connections / u2 / inaccurate signage / pointy shoes / twitter / hobbies / unnecessary politeness / big round handwriting / large expensive watches / slow-motion action sequences / pews / one-armed hugs / priority boarding / nudges to the ribs / ever-so-slightly-faster-walking companions / part-leather.

Hannah Flint / Leader.

I never dreamt I’d be doing this. Maybe the moving to LA part, but not the church leading thing. There are a lot of church leaders and missionaries in my ancestry, and it was never what I had planned.

I grew up the second of five sisters between the UK, the States and Asia, as pastor’s and ‘mish’ kid (ie - with all the baggage.) By the wise old age of 15, I’d decided for certain that christianity wasn’t for me, but after a decent search for meaningful experiences, via some mistakes of varying degrees, I found myself in a church again about a decade later. It was St Marys - our church in London - where I had a series of powerful and healing encounters, both with Jesus and other christians.

I wooed Ed after a long and highly competitive campaign in 2005 (Thank you. I know.)

Before we moved to L.A, I worked as an animation producer and writer, and as well as pastoring here, I still write as much as I can. I’m passionate about creating a church space where everyone can find a way to thrive. I’m also fascinated by the human mind, our relationships and how far we’ve developed a species, and by all the ways our ancient texts speak into those things. I love teaching, even more so when it involves demystifying misunderstood parts of the bible.

The prayer ministry at the end is always my favourite part of the service. Apologies in advance for my introversion.

Likes:

jumping off high stuff into deep water / happy hour oysters / that every day is new / pink skies / yorkshire / dancing with my girls / knowing what i did exactly a year ago today / a dry gin cocktail / seeing someone I know in traffic  / petrichor / a precise coincidence /a tight parallel park /sonoma / being in bed by 8pm / a crunchy harmony / reading in the bath / travelling somewhere new / elaborate cooking for the appreciative / scandinavian knitwear / the big forests of the pacific north-west / dream interpretation* / lists.

*seriously - bring me your weirdest recurring dreams.

Dislikes: 

unpacking / sequins / a missed joke / an unavailable condiment / every single thing about bowling /  being told I’m mumbling / / motion sickness /excessive levels of ‘hygiene’ being inflicted on children / naked trees in winter / picking the wrong line / repetitive sniffing /when people say ‘just kidding’ after obviously doing so / squirrels / gender-based assumptions / compulsively ‘keeping an eye out’ for something lost forever / when my kids say ‘it’s not fair’/ that I usually don't leave enough time

Nelly D’Alessandro / Director of Operations.

I’ve lived in Los Angeles for 16+ years and adore this city. I come from both a city (upstate NY) and a semi-rural town (Maryland) with a few years in Portugal working with Young Life International. I grew up in church and really loved it (not typical, I know), but it was in a funky house church in Portugal where I had an experience of the love of God and power of the Spirit that changed me. The safety of that community was massive—it’s not unlike what I’ve experienced at bread and what draws me in.

My work at bread is to help create processes and support to help the church grow from the inside out. I work alongside Ed and Hannah to serve the wider vision of sustainability and health for the church and staff team. Beyond bread, I’m a writer, producer, and Ph.d student in Bible at Fuller Seminary.

Likes:

good coffee too late at night / thinking about how memory works / tart apples / em dashes / Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) / throwing parties / playful yet intense arguments / the strand between Manhattan + Hermosa / a long meal with a friend / films in small cinemas / the contrast of dark green-blue hills against a pink LA sunset / southern Italy / handwritten notes / Rainer Maria Rilke / medium format photog / layers of poetry in the bible / pickleball / feeling seen by a good burn / stubborn hope / overusing the word “beautiful” / paradox / Marco Polo (the app) / a zinger bridge / fizzy water / friendly competition / long slow runs / a well-stocked cheese drawer / directness / xylophones / dreams within dreams at night / an unexpected line break in a poem / pushing the envelope / curiosity

Dislikes:

period pieces / passive aggression / having more books to enjoy than actual time / unexamined cruelty / papyrus font / low standards for pizza in Los Angeles / dismissiveness / the absence of passion / hustle culture / my name being mis-spelled / poor listeners / impractical rules / the scam that is skincare products / clichés / religiosity / inflexibility / lacking nuance / the inner city tendency to isolate / boredom

Tavia Grubbs & Ben Manusama, Worship Leaders.

Tavia’s Likes:

Airports / heavy knitted wool / fog / 5:30am / fig newtons / anytime a British person pronounces “tune” like “chune” / regenerative farming / Terrace House / writing songs / being a regular at local shops / ASL / hymns / black coffee (paired with the fig newtons - thank me later) / fashion / baking / miniature anything / audio books / slanted ceilings / small towns / hats / wandering / google maps / key changes 

Tavia’s Dislikes:

Tourists / ankle socks / digital watches / matching coffee mugs / karaoke / traveling with a group / just crowds in general / social media / sandals / being hot indoors / brussels sprouts / gender stereotypes / carpet / appendicitis / the Lakers (oops) / the Dodgers (oops again) / static electricity / anything with wires / make-up / purses / scary movies / writing bios / apple maps / key changes 

Ben’s Likes:

Video games / Movies / Researching economic disparity / Staying inside on hot days / La Croix / Buying furniture / Buying plants

Ben’s Dislikes:

Filling out online forms / Filling out any forms / Deadlines / Watching live music / Making scheduling decisions

Jake Cuddemi / Kid’s Leader.

I was born and raised in Ft. Collins, CO. I got my degree in Theatre 20 minutes down the road from my childhood home, where I was cast in a show with a sweet girl named Madi, who would eventually become my partner in crime (metaphorically speaking; we’re very below the law). In 2021, we ventured to L.A to pursue the entertainment industry- Madi, vicariously through me.

Six months into living in L.A, Madi and I were anxious to find a community to call our own. We tried a number of churches on the East side, but I left every service with a sour taste in my mouth. Something clicked when we visited Bread, though; a combination of authenticity, dry humor, and a buzzing energy (that I’d later find out to be the Spirit) piqued our interest. I’d never truly considered myself a member of a church community before Bread, but it’s been worth the wait.

I LOVE working with kids. I consider myself a kid at heart, and have an abundance of energy to back it up. I’m so excited to help provide a safe space on Sundays for Bread kids to have fun, build friendships, and connect with Jesus in ways that are relevant and exciting for them. If the kids aren’t dragging their parents to church, then I’m not doing my job right (again, metaphorically speaking).

Likes:

laughing / playing games (board, card, sports, mind) / rewatching TV shows / googling / learning new things / listening to podcasts / good acapella (yes it exists, no further questions) / gummy candy / pizza / spicy water / going to the movies / making others laugh / Madi / surprising people / words of affirmation / passively engaging in online discourse about movies and TV / making faces at babies / having meaningful conversations about feelings and other gushy stuff / movie scores

Dislikes:

how I feel after I eat gummy candy / when someone says that a film or TV show is ‘bad’ / cilantro / when people ask me if cilantro tastes like soap / snow / taking life too seriously / the question ‘Jake from State Farm?’ / cooking for myself / bed bugs / being told to ‘slow down’ / knowing I’m going to be surprised / when I overplay a joke or bit / letting others down / obligatory gift giving / not knowing the answer to a question 

Abby Powell / Sunday Services & Events Coordinator.

California has always been my home; Chico and the Central Valley for the early years, L.A. for the last twenty-ish. There's so much off-trail beauty and goodness here, and helping support community life behind the scenes is one way of experiencing that up close. My role at bread involves a little of this and a little of that: admin, volunteer training, and hopefully this year, adding more art and recreation to the event calendar. Can’t wait to meet you and learn what you love most about the place(s) you call home. 

For fun, I enjoy bird peeping near the L.A. River, doing mixed media illustration, and playing chase with my cat, Dr. Eleanor Arroway. 

Likes:

stone fruit / the smell of chlorine / California’s chaparral and coast redwoods / these gum tree flowers which remind me of Beaker from The Muppets / movie theaters with galactic squiggles-n-confetti carpeting

Dislikes:

skywriting / peanut brittle / the sound of the air brakes on a city bus / an always damp bath mat / gas pump tv