I have never in my life seen a church that is so filthy on the outside. The amount of garbage they…read morehave on their property is so detrimental to the neighborhood. It makes the area look disgusting. Great first impression for the public too. Who would want to attend a service at such a place? They really need to do better. If someone from the church is reading this-- CLEAN UP YOUR MESS!!!!!

This church always has so much litter on their property even on days when they have service which…read moreis kinda crazy to me that they don't even want the people who attend their church to see it clean. The neighborhood already has a big problem with litter. The least you can do is clean it up on YOUR property and I can see that I am not even the first to complain about this. Do better

I moved to Chicago with my partner in January of 2009 without really knowing anyone in the city…read more We fumbled around for about three months and independently discovered that we were missing the spiritual aspect that church life brought to our childhoods. I was raised in a Pentecostal Church and he was raised Roman Catholic. We each stopped going to church because we felt a lack of acceptance in the churches of our upbringings. After an extensive online search for "gay friendly" congregations we ended up attending the Palm Sunday service at COS (which is what the congregation calls itself). What we found was a community that accepted us without needing to label us as "the gay couple." This is what we were looking for in a church. They are a vibrant group with a tremendous amount of community involvement including: Food for Friends (a group which provides meals to Chicago's Homeless residents on Saturday and Monday), multiple AA meetings, children's ministries, youth missions, a Monthly foot clinic for the homeless, a great choir, and much more. This church encourages active participation without pressure which I love. Are there negatives? Of course, as long as us humans are involved there will always be issues but the pros far outweigh the cons. PS - The parking lot is difficult to get too but there is a great video on the church's website that helps navigate this problem.

I went to a wedding here this weekend and was pleasantly surprised. It's an old church but not…read moreuptight. It has plenty of charm and neat ornate decorations. The kneelers look like they were decorated by different people (I took a pic, check the business photos) and they are so cute! They seem to be friendly to same sex couples and I see that by reading other reviews. I like that! Everyone should be welcome to worship!

Great teaching, friendly congregation and good safe children's programming. I forgot how much I…read morelove this church. We were in Chicagoland and had the joy of visiting Calvary church. We were longtime members until we moved away. Pastor preaches a good message from the Bible, relevant and informative. The music style is a nice blend of traditional hymns and more contemporary songs. Seating is all on one level but the stage platform is elevated enough that even I can see. Building itself is relatively new, ample restrooms and seating. The kids area is bright and well organized. The lobby has a small coffee bar and there is comfortable seating in the lobby too. In addition to weekend worship they also offer many weekday Bible study for men and women, a food pantry open to the public on Thursdays. They also offer a service in Arabic on Sunday afternoons.

Think twice before dropping your children off at their VBS (Vacation Bible School). For 1 week kids…read moretravel to different stations during a 3 hour period. The stations were not kid-friendly nor interactive. Kids tried to entertain themselves or each other as they were often bored. The VBS focused on quantity of children over quality of their VBS program. Daily, Calvary Church asked kids to bring more friends to VBS as they wanted to reach a target of 350 children. Again, quantity over quality. What happens behind closed doors? You will often find group "crew" leaders pulling kids aside to yell at them. Kids were often yelled at by station leaders if they picked up a crayon too soon or if they were clapping their hands, they were yelled at to stop. Traveling to different stations was chaotic and kids could easily get mixed into another "crew" group. Kids were told to line up against a glass balcony on the 2nd floor while waiting for another station and some kids were jumping on the balcony railing which is life threatening. Calvary constantly pushed their religious message (drink the poison, repent your sins, death, pray before calling police to help...etc.) throughout each station and was not age appropriate. They say that they want kids to have fun however their VBS program was not structured that way nor was the staff friendly or engaging for kids to have fun. They do not have Christian like behavior nor do they care about safety and quality of their VBS program for children. Do not be surprised, after seeing this review, that they make their parishioners write good reviews to negate this one. Don't be fooled.

Hands down the best church in Chicago! The congregation is incredibly welcoming, and once people…read morejoin, they truly feel at home. We absolutely love the pastors--their messages are inspiring and heartfelt. The music is uplifting and always fantastic. If you're looking for a place to grow in faith and community, I highly recommend experiencing this church and its services.

Reviewing as a member of the Lakeview Orchestra, which the Church has allowed to use their space…read moreone night per week: this is a great place to rehearse compared to the other places our group previously played in. The space is a little tight up front but the sound is intimate and allows us to play a wide range of dynamics. Easy to get to, just west of Wrigley Field. Our orchestra board chair is a member of the church and spoke to their long tradition of supporting the arts and launching new organizations, which is a unique mission for a church in my experience. According to their lovely website they have a very open and welcoming atmosphere for which I congratulate them: "Holy Trinity is known for being a place of welcome. In the early 1990s it was one of the first "Reconciling in Christ" congregations in Chicago, publicly welcoming gays and lesbians. In the past decade young adults and a growing number of families with young children have found a home. At the same time, many people who have struggled with exclusive or hurtful forms of religion have breathed a sigh of relief within a community of acceptance and openness. A number of Chicago urban folks travel to our Lakeview location to find a spiritual home that is both rooted in ancient practices and in honest conversation with the questions and issues of our day and time."

A welcoming congregation and active social ministry that's serious about Christ's message of love.read more

My review is solely for this being the location for the candle light concert series. I was so happy…read morethat we were able to park right near the location because I understand this area's parking can be very tight. The staff was very welcoming and made sure we got to our seats quickly and promptly. I want to say that the seats are not comfortable. It's just wood, no cushioning and we had to reposition and try to get comfortable throughout the concert. Definitely be advised. But this was the perfect venue I believe to host. It's intimate in the sound. carries very well and when the candles are lit and the lights are down and the music feeling the atmosphere was very pleasant and I enjoyed myself minus the seating.

My fiancé and I moved to Chicago in December and started looking for a new catholic church. Every…read moreSunday we went to a different church around the downtown area until we finally found what we were looking for...a small church, with a community feel, and an amazing priest/sermons. The following sums up Immaculate Conception: Great Priest --- Fr. Larry is amazing! He is very personable, remembers everyone by name, and most importantly delivers great sermons. We take something away from every mass we attend. Amazing Music --- The music is awesome. It's not traditional, boring church music. It's very modern, with a great rhythm and beat. Community Feel --- Fr. Larry is a big reason this church has a sense of community. Once he found out we were new to the area and church, he immediately introduce us to other parishioners and gave us a warm welcome. Free Parking & Easily Accessible ---- Do I have to say more? This is not something that's easy to find in Chicago. Immaculate Conception has its own school and parking lot that is free for parishioners. Flexible Mass Times --- Immaculate Conception also has a sister church called St.Joseph a couple blocks away. Between the two churches you have a lot of different mass times to pick and choose from. We absolutely love it here, and you will too! If your new to Chicago and looking for a great Catholic church, trust me....Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph are it! :)

The volleyball group I play with on Wednesday nights meets at this school to use the gym. So I…read morereally can only review that aspect of the school, and not the education or curriculum they provide. What I can tell you is that every person I've encountered at the school is extremely friendly and helpful, the gym is beautiful and clean, and they also have great sports equipment. Plus, there is a parking lot out front -- love that I don't have to search and pay for street parking.

The pastor is very nice and the sermon for Easter was great! Would definitely recommend to anyone…read morelooking for a new church.

Crossroads provides a great place to worship, grow in my faith and enjoy a community that supports…read moresharing Christ's love with the neighborhood we are a part of. The focus of the church is Christ and the what the Bible teaches. That said, its definitely not my parents' church, with the guitar-led songs and the fact that I am totally comfortable wearing jeans on a Sunday. There are lots of ways to check it out or get involved beyond attending the service on Sunday morning, such as tutoring refugee kids, rec league volleyball, small group Bible studies, or fellowship events like karaoke. If you are looking for a place to learn more about Christ and His love for all of us, I couldn't recommend Crossroads highly enough.

Love the in-person preaching. It's not in-person every Sunday, but more and more often it is. Love…read morethe singing and praise time before and after the service. The leadership appear to be trying hard to increase the frequency and intentionality of the communication as well as community engagement and opportunities for others to get involved. I have observed a youthfulness in the congregation and although a transient group (related to university and college attendees), there is also a contributing membership made up of young professionals and seasoned city dwellers. Handicapped will struggle to get up the stairs to the main worship area as there is not an elevator or lift. There are often people who can assist. They are welcoming to all. We found this church within walking distance of our apartment soon after moving downtown. It is fundamentally solid with contemporary praise and worship.

Seriously disappointed by this place, especially amid all their scandals...and they've only been…read morearound a few years! I'm glad that after having bee raised in a church that has survived 2,000 years, I can always go HOME to the Catholic Church.