Been attending Renew Church OC for about 6-7 months now and purposely waited to write this review…read moreto be fair and offer an honest review. Since our first Sunday, Renew has been welcoming, friendly, and caring. All the Pastors and staff have big hearts and truly care about everyone that visits. There are so many different ministries from Youth, College, Young Adult, Young Families, Global Missions, and classes ranging for sexual addiction to divorce care for kids. There's also a sports ministry that includes basketball, volleyball, and pickleball. I'm sure i i didn't list all the ministries since i'm still very new but Renew has so much to offer. They've been very caring and supportive to me and my family. We just had a beach baptism at Huntington Beach where my Dtr was baptized and it was perfect. We also recently have this new partnership with Hope Intl Univ where Renew offers accredited college and seminary classes that are transferable to local colleges. How many other churches offer classes and for credit? Renew likes to share we're a church for imperfect people but nobody's perfect on this planet. Thank the Lord for Renew Church!! Blessings!!

I like how kind the staff and congregation are. I was blown away with how others took the time to…read morehear my story of getting closer to god. Truly a place for imperfect people only.

We're new to the area and really enjoyed ourselves--we'll definitely be back…read more We used to attend a church on the other side of Irvine while living in Huntington Beach. About seven months ago, we bought a home in Brea and have visited a few churches nearby, but none of them felt like the right fit for us. I didn't feel it was fair to leave negative reviews--everyone connects to God and the Bible in their own way. This church was recommended to us by our super sweet dog sitter. About a week ago, I stopped by when I noticed Lion & Lamb had opened (10/10 on the coffee, by the way), and realized it was the same church she had mentioned. I told my husband we should check it out. Right away, we were welcomed by Kellen (I may have his name slightly wrong), who was so kind and walked us over to the kindergarten Sunday school, where another very nice woman helped us from there. We really enjoyed the woman pastor--she was funny, relatable, and we followed the entire message without even checking our phones once. We're not big on music, so we came in around 9:40 and caught the tail end of the singing. Overall, the group felt incredibly welcoming. We'll definitely be back, and hopefully after a few more Sundays, we can call this our church. Side note--our son loved Sunday school so much that when I asked if he wanted to go back next week, he said, "Sure, I'll make more friends."

I recently came across the Yelp page for the church, and I was honestly shocked by what I saw. The…read morename has changed, and the sanctuary looks completely different it's just not the same place anymore. My parents were part of the group that helped build this church. I can still remember sitting in the sanctuary and looking up to an open sky because the roof was not completed yet.. It's heartbreaking to see how much has changed, seemingly in an effort to keep up with trends or popularity. This church played such a meaningful role in my and my brother's childhood. We grew up there, and the memories are something I will always cherish deeply. To this day, I still listen to Pastor Swindoll podcast and his past sermons from his time in Frisco before he retired. His teaching continues to bless me. It's just incredibly sad to see that the heart and spirit of the church we knew seems to have faded.

Awesome brothers and sisters who enjoy worshipping and making a joyful noise unto the Lord God…read moreAlmighty king of kings Lord of Lords and preach his second coming Amen

Cause Church is the absolute best church. I truly don't know where my family and I would be without…read moreit. I have gone through so much trauma and pain in my childhood, my family, and my life. I have also struggled with my own brokenness and the ways I have hurt others and made mistakes along the way. Over the years, I have come to Cause Church again and again feeling broken and facing some of the hardest circumstances of my life. Every time, I have found support, encouragement, grace, and help beyond what I can describe. The church offers amazing programs for people recovering from family dysfunction, addiction, and other life challenges. They have prayer teams, an Inner Healing Ministry, and so many opportunities to find support and community. Most importantly, it is here that I have truly come to know Christ as my Lord and Savior. I have been, and continue to be, supported and carried by God's grace through people who genuinely love Jesus and faithfully serve Him. I am incredibly grateful for our church, our pastors, and all the volunteers who pour so much love and care into others. Cause Church has been a tremendous blessing in my life, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Very good welcome team God bless you It really…read moreappreciated your effort and kind heart

PLEASE READ BEFORE ATTENDING…read more Please do your research before getting involved with this "church." My experience left me extremely concerned, and honestly, it felt more like a business than a church. One of the biggest things that bothered me was the way Jesus and Christianity were talked about during the service. There were comments and jokes that came across as sarcastic and disrespectful toward Jesus. In my opinion, the pastor was making a mockery of Jesus rather than honoring Him. That was extremely disturbing to witness in a place that claims to be teaching Christianity. The atmosphere was also very unusual. Before the message even started, everyone was instructed to repeat phrases from the screen, raise their hands in specific ways, and hold up their Bibles while following the instructions. The pastor even told the new visitors something along the lines of, "I know this might look weird, but this is our ritual before we get into the Word." I found that very strange and uncomfortable. There were also speakers throughout the property -- inside the building, outside, in the bathrooms, and even in the parking lot. With the constant audio, repeated phrases, hand motions, and instructions coming from the screens, the entire experience felt very trance-like and unsettling to me. Another major red flag was the amount of emphasis placed on money and donations. There was a presentation explaining multiple ways to donate, and the welcome materials seemed to focus heavily on tithing and giving financially. What stood out to me was how little I saw about actually teaching the Gospel compared to the emphasis on giving. The pamphlets even asked for credit card information, which I had never experienced at a church before.

My wife and I recently moved to the area and decided to check out Saddleback Church - Brea for the…read morefirst time. We were pleasantly surprised by the ample parking at the community center, which is always a plus. From the moment we arrived, we were genuinely welcomed by everyone, including their kids, it truly felt like a warm and inviting atmosphere. We even received a very nice, clearly not cheap, first-timer's mug, which was a lovely touch. We also filled out a connection request to learn more, as we're still searching for our home church. The worship was great; the singers and band had fantastic energy, and the slides were awesome. I didn't know any of the songs, but my wife mentioned they were all modern, which explains why they were new to me. While at the connection table, we learned that typically, the message is delivered via screen or recording. However, on our visit, their lead campus pastor was preaching live, and it was a real treat! He was incredibly engaging and delivered a fantastic message. This brings me to the main reason for my 4-star rating: I'm a bit puzzled why their ideology seems to focus around a main pastor delivering messages via screen when they have such a talented campus pastor right there. While I understand some churches might do this if a pastor is away, it seems to be the norm here, almost like a "long-term sub" situation, as another reviewer put it. For me, while community is vital, I also want to feel connected to the pastor delivering the message, not just from a screen. Their whole service is also only about an hour long. It was particularly disheartening to hear the campus pastor say, "I went to school for this and I don't get to do this every week," and that he "won't speak again for a very long, long time." As someone who went to school for graphic design but ends up doing project management all day, that comment resonated deep in my soul. I truly hope he gets more opportunities to speak because he's genuinely great. The message itself, taught from the NIV, wasn't boring, but it felt quite "generic" or basic. While it's good for newer believers or those new to the faith, for someone like me who's been a Christian for a while, it didn't go very deep. I appreciate delving into the lore, the original Greek/Hebrew words, and understanding the historical context behind the authors' choices. I know this might put me in the minority, but it's just not my preferred style of teaching for personal growth in my walk with Christ. I'm not trying to bash the church at all. This "hybrid" model might be the perfect fit for many people seeking a strong community aspect, and it is on the smaller, more intimate side. The campus pastor even made sure to say hi and goodbye to everyone after the service, which was a really nice touch. I'm just trying to provide all the information for anyone considering visiting for the first time. Please don't let my review sway you from checking it out for yourself to see if it fits your needs. This is just my personal experience, and everyone's will be different. They are still a solid church, and their teachings are aligned with my beliefs, but for my personal spiritual growth, I don't think it's the place for me. God bless.

Are you looking for a church you can belong to?…read more Saddleback Brea is built on a foundation of love...love for Jesus, community, service, discipleship and evangelism. I started going to Saddleback Brea about a year ago and it has made my life so much better. I was struck by how warm and friendly the people were. They really do care! And, I have been here ever since. We are a church that supports each other and has the biggest heart for service, not only on Sundays but with our different ministries and community outreach. But, most of all, we have fun together! If you've haven't found a church to plug in and get connected to community, then Saddleback Brea may just be the place for you.

Ill start with the morning I arrived at Freedomhouse for the first time. I was greeted by a woman…read morewho was very nice who handed me a pamphlet and a card that prompted me multiple ways to give. Not only that but to write my credit card # on the card which is crazy in my opinion. You say you want your church to feel like a safe place but having my credit card # on a piece of paper is wild to me, no matter how much you trust your employees. These types of handouts SHOULD NOT be given to newcomers! Have them pick one up if they want to and not forced to have one. Now the service. The worship team was great and I truly felt the love of Jesus in the room as they sang songs. However, things quickly took a turn when the pastor came out and preached his message. I felt like 90% of the service was about giving and 10% was about the actual Word. He started by explaining the new construction area and what it would look like and how it would work. He proceeded to show a 6-8 minute video of him just rambling on screen about what their plans were, I honestly was so bored and tuned out immediately. The actual message was great and it was something I needed to hear, but the problem was it felt rushed and like a second thought because of how much the pastor was talking about giving and tithes. In my honest opinion, this entire "Big Give Sunday" service that I stumbled upon as a newcomer should not be a Sunday service and if the church wants to raise money for their upcoming projects then make this "movement" a fundraiser seperate from Sunday service. I will not be coming back.

Love this church! God moves in everyone's' life and his presence dwells here. A Holy Spirit filled…read morechurch seeking God in spirit and truth.

Love it here great Pastors and community as well. Shaped in Discipline School and Boiler Room…read morePrayer group. Also great Lifegroup community. Love it's scripture based.

My family and I have been blessed by the genuine and authentic community that exists at Antioch…read more Following Jesus and being missional-minded (both locally and globally) is in the DNA of the church. We are so glad to call Antioch Fullerton our home and God has met us in powerful ways through life group, through worship and ministry time, and through equipping classes.

Clear message during service when I came myself. People are nice here and get involved, especially…read morehelping the homeless. Parking can improve a bit with more spaces but got ushers to guide at least. Little bit more community could be added like more events out of service. I mean just a solid place to worship God here.

Moved down to the OC and what do I see A church called…read moreLiving Hope, a chill community I went to other churches and no one said hi They were into their cliques and that's no lie Yet, there's something different that I found at Living Hope Didn't have the typical drama like Korean soaps The motto is a place to call home So here's an invite, try it out, don't be alone Living Christian life is hard, but you don't need to do it on your own So come check it out, make friends, learn about God, and be known So, my family and I were looking for churches in the OC, but we had no idea what was out there. A friend told us about Living Hope, and when I saw the staff and saw all Korean folks, I'll be honest, I was thinking, no thanks. I heard so many stories about Korean churches, that they were either drama or super cliquish. Not so with Living Hope, and I was really grateful for that. The kids program at Living Hope are great, but more than that, the teachers love God and love the kids. That's really all that I could ask for. But there's more. There are so many ways to serve, get connected, and to know people, so that it's a really great place to get plugged in. Here's a concise rundown of the church: Church Services: https://www.livinghopecc.org/sundays 9:30am Service - Mostly families because kids services are during this time (Infants - 5th grade) 11:30am Service - Mostly singles and college (though youth is during this time as well) - Cool thing is that the founding pastor is still here! Pretty amazing - They have cell groups for families and singles - If you're new and want to get to know the church, there's something called first lunch every month where you get to have lunch with some of the pastoral staff to get to know them and ask questions - They're non-denominational - But truly this is so unique in that their pastors have different stances, but the Christian core beliefs are all the same

Eastside has been our home for many years. My wife and I moved here just before COVID and were…read moredragging our feet in finding a church that matched the church community that we met each other at back in Chicago. After running into our former Chicago youth leader at Disneyland, he suggested that we give Eastside a shot. Eastside's values are to Pursue God, Build Community, and Unleash Compassion and you'll struggle to find a more genuine and compassionate group of Christians in any area of the country or world. They have a genuine heart for the broken hearted, the struggling, the addicted, and the unchurched/uncertain and anyone will find themselves at home here, even if you don't believe you are a Christian (in fact their unofficial motto is "this is for everyone"). There's a place for everyone to volunteer or serve here too, whether it's in Production, at the cafe, as a greeter or in the kids ministry, Kidside (which is always a highlight of my daughter's week!) I highly encourage you to give Eastside a shot if you want a church or are interested in learning more about Christianity! Interested in checking Eastside out? Please dm me. I'd be happy to sit with you in service and make introductions!

Eastside Christian church has been home since right before Covid and has always been the best…read more Starting from knowing no one to having a small group to finding my now wife through church events, God is always working. The pastors and people are very welcoming and families can enjoy with their loved ones. The best church in SoCal, including all locations!

Wonderful church. Love the pastor and church family. I can see God working in and through this…read morechurch, and am so blessed to have been led here. Bible believing, Bible teaching, mission focused church.

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