I went to pre-school here over thirty years ago. I have been to a couple of Bar Mitsvahs and…read moreservices and always liked the congregation. The mission of B'nai Israel Jewish Center is to provide an inclusive center for Jewish life that addresses the cultural, religious, spiritual, educational, and social needs of those who wish to identify with the Jewish community in Petaluma and surrounding areas. They carry out this mission well!

I've grown up attending this quiet unassuming church at the end of Sleepy Hollow. The church was…read moreupdated over the years, and seating configurations improved. There was a small parking lot including a handicap spot installed at the upper church level for easy access. It's had new windows put in and there's a Justice Garden in full bloom that helps feed the hungry. They even have a farm stand at the corner of Hidden Valley Rd and Butterfield Rd. Sat am 9-11am in the middle of summer! Who doesn't want a beautiful ripe tomato! Over the years ministers have come and gone but I have to say, Pastor Bev has been an exceptionally bright light leading the memorial service we had for my mother. Her kindness and uplifting demeanor was very welcomed. We were guided through the memorial service steps and found this most comforting in our time of grief. She even made house calls to my bedridden mother at the end of her life. This was so appreciated and my father bonded with Pastor Bev over her caring approach to soothing my mother. She continues to visit our home now that my father is not able to regularly attend church services and they have lovely chats on our back deck. This is the sort of thing you hear about in small communities and we're very fortunate to live here to experience this touching and compassionate gesture. There's a wonderfully talented choir of singers accompanied by musicians that offer beautiful arrangements before, during and after the Sunday service. The Sunday School kids all have some time with Pastor Bev before they're excused to go downstairs that's often both hilarious and heartwarming. She's incredibly engaging and you can tell how passionate she is when interacting with the young members of the church. Overall, since this is the church I've always known almost my entire 54 years of life, it's about time I reviewed it! But the five stars goes to Pastor Bev!

I had a decidedly mixed experience at this church when I and my two young sons attended for several…read moreyears. On the one hand, the ethics are socially liberal which aligns with my reading of the Gospels. Also, the church welcomes people of any denomination as well as non-Christians and agnostics, important because my partner and our children absolutely don't identify as Christian. On the other hand, in an odd series of events I learned that the pastor had shared information I gave her in confidentiality, and also that what she shared was quite inaccurate. Apparently, she wrote me in an email, she reported to church leadership that I believed my children were superior to the others in the church and was determined to keep them separate. When I tried to correct this misunderstanding with the pastor I found myself -- and my two children -- suddenly and completely pushed out of the community. My children were no longer welcome to attend worship as they had, I myself was censured and forbidden from church activities unless I stopped "asking for help" and "making people feel sorry for me." And the leadership actually contacted my husband and asked him to help "reign me in." As a result, I've lost my husband's support for bringing my children to any sort of church. He's quite disillusioned. And I'm rather broken-hearted. The take-home message is that this church is wonderful and open right up to the moment that it isn't, and honestly the odds are you'll have a fine experience yourself.

This is why I am in Marin…read more In spirit, anyway. It's just across the Golden Gate Bridge, a 15-minute drive. On Sundays at 10:00 am the celebration is usually at the Corte Madera Recreation Center, on Tamalpais Drive just west of Highway 101. During the week, classes are held around 6:30 pm in the learning center at 199 Greenfield Avenue, in San Rafael. That's just off 4th Street right before the San Anselmo border. I'm learning to ride Golden Gate Transit, to check out cars from City CarShare, and to ask for rides from my colleagues. On weekends My Lady will either check out a City CarShare car or rent a car from Enterprise or Alamo. Why do we do this? Because there is a wonderful atmosphere in Marin County. People are peaceful here. The air is fresh and the sky is blue. The sun is warm, and there are plenty of sun dresses, shorts, and bicycles. The services at GGCSL are well worth attending, too. The music is fresh, the minister, Rev. Karyl, is inspiring, and the congregation is welcoming. The theme is offering "practical spiritual tools to transform your life and help make the world a better place." It's a great contrast to the cold and fog of the Richmond District, that's for sure.

It's been 17 years since I walked through the doors of Golden Gate Center for Spiritual Living and…read moreit's always felt like home. I have been a practitioner here for 10 years and it has been so rewarding. If one is looking for a place to feel comfortable and at ease please come on Sunday at 10 am. You will always find something in the talk that pertains to just what you need at that time. It does for me.

I hope pastor Jeff can see this and understand how important he became in my life. I was away from…read morechurch most of my life until me and my girlfriend decided to visit Marin Covenant. Thats where we met Jeff he came and greet us he genuinely show interest in us going there. After listening to him i experienced true spiritual connection, unfortunately we left California and now im struggling finding a Church, Jeff set such a high standards as a Pastor that now i cant feel the same at any Church i go. I wish i never left California because i feel i left the only place i truly experienced the word of god

My children participated in the vbs Vacation Bible Schoolthat this church facilitated. The vbs was…read moreamazing, the children's director was very friendly, kind, personable, approachable and accomodating of our needs. She took the initiative and worked hard to make everyone felt as welcome and comfortable as only possible. There was nothing that we needed and weren't offered. They let the love of Christ through the services that they kindly offer to the children and families in the community. I'm grateful for their vbs and will recommend it to everyone!

Wonderful pastor who gives compelling, thought provoking sermons…read more Great community that supports each other and lots of great programs. Highly recommended.

My wife and I had a very bad experience at a prior church and spent a couple of years "wandering in…read morethe wilderness" seeking a new church. We had friends from our old church who had joined PCN and told us we should attend a service as they had found it to be a warm and welcoming environment, with people who live into the Word, not just preach it. We joined as members, knowing we had found a church home that just "felt right".

I've been going to this church for almost a year now. Here is a place with sound teaching and…read morecontemporary worship. This place has great music, intelligent messages, and a sincere congregation. I've heard it described as high-tech because of the many multimedia presentations they have. They even have a podcast! One of the most important things that I like about this church is their commitment to the community and the way they encourage the members to be active in their faith. It's called "The Big Idea." The only reason I didn't give it five stars is probably my own fault. I sometimes have trouble connecting with people from different demographics but there have been a number of people who have welcomed me and made me feel comfortable like Dieter, Valerie, Greg, Daniel, and Stacy. I could write a very long review but it might end up sounding like a sermon. I do encourage anyone to either attend, listen to the podcast, or check out the website. Don't worry about anyone trying to force anything down your throat. That's a common misconception that scares people from going to church. There is a very loving atmosphere here. If you were ever curious about Christianity, check this place out and look for me. I'm the dude that rides a motorcycle to church.

BayMarin is a bible-based, Christ-centered church. This is a place where you can feel at home and…read moreconnect with various ministries. They have an awesome and very vibrant children and youth ministry. The music team plays mostly contemporary music with an occasional hymn here and there. Pastor Matt is very passionate and sincere in proclaiming God's Word. His preaching is doctrinally sound, practical, and challenges you in a good way. The people here are down to earth and very friendly. Easy to find, lots of parking, and free refreshments, what else could you want?

My mom passed fifteen years ago and I still remember the very kind women at St. Isabella's who…read morehelped us. The priest was also very kind. Soft spoken and gentle. Angels on this earth. Mom was devoutly Catholic and very humble. Thank you very much.

"Scamming people in need"…read more This church apparently is connected to what claims to be a non profit where people can donate and purchase vehicles. After two days of being jerked around by them and 200 dollar inspection I offered to purchase the vehicles without consideration of the 2,800 dollar repairs needed reported by Subaru, ( which included a timing belt at the kelly blue book) private party listing price due to the absorbent repair cost . If it hadn't been for Subaru shifting appointments the people responsible for selling the car made it extremely difficult to get it scheduled for pre-sale inspection. All things considered what really upset me was that the response was given by those representing the church is that they demand dealership value. This is a non-for profit and I quickly reminded them. Expecting dealership value on a car needing repairs, because, you as a church representing a nonprofit organization, is pretty crazy. I wouldn't donate your vehicles to this church. They didn't offer any solutions and were okay not helping a single mom in the purchase of a reliable vehicle to see her daughter in.

This is a hidden gem!!! Gorgeous venue, hardly needs decorating at all. I had my wedding here and…read moreeveryone I dealt with was beyond wonderful. Janette, the event space director, is super sweet and flexible. My wedding guests kept raving about the breathtaking views. There is plenty of parking too!

I have attended some events and meetings here over the past year, but last week I decided to…read moreventure in to their regularly scheduled "religious" service on a Sunday. The greeting was beautiful, everyone had name tags, they were smiling, jubilant and welcoming. I filled out a form, put on a name tag, and was given a cute little gift bag with some Hershey Kisses and Andes candy in it, along with a bookmark, notepad, pen and information about UU. I've been on a spiritual journey/quest for a while, trying to find a new church home, a more open, accepting and welcoming place. I have been a member of another church (and still am) for going on fifteen years, leaving hasn't been easy, and as I visit other churches, I'm learning that I'm right where I need to be. It gets very warm in the room where they have their service, and frankly it felt more like a political rally of sorts rather than a spiritual experience. They music is interesting, they have a pianist, and a group of people who sing, a choir actually, it's solemn type music, almost put me to sleep, but not in a bad way, in a peaceful way, sort of like meditation. They have a time where you can write your joy and/or sorrows on a slip of paper, and say they reverend will read them (I did not expect what happened next), so, after a reading from a Dr. Suess book, they congregation was to hold up these slips and the ushers would come to get them, well, the Reverend; Joy took mine, and the others were brought up to her. SHE READ THEM ALL ALOUD to the entire room, the entire congregation, and it felt like a horrible violation as I misunderstood - I did not see or read or hear anyone say Reverend Joy was going to read them aloud, right then and there for all to hear. GOODNESS I was blown away, just in awe and shocked to hear what was written said out in public for all those people to hear. It felt like a huge violation of trust! Fast forward to the end of the "sermon" on earth day, they have some coffee, and water, with snacks after out by the beautiful fountain, and several people chatted with me, which made me feel more at ease after hearing what I'd written read to so many strangers. The warmth, love and comfort I received from complete strangers was more than I've received from any member, staff or pastor (current or past) at the church I've been part of and a member of for many years. Although I was hoping for more of a spiritual teaching, and not such a religious feel, in the end, UU was exactly what I needed on that day. It's different ... It's special ... It's a gem!