In the spring of 2021, a few days before my 23rd birthday, I first visited Risen Church. I had…read morerecently graduated from college and returned back to the Bay Area in 2020. Amidst the lockdowns and social distancing, it was difficult finding a local church community when I was accustomed to that kind of support within a collegiate fellowship. After reaching out to a middle school teacher, he recommended Risen, a church plant that was about a year and a half old. The first time I visited, the church was meeting outside at the staff parking lot area, with everyone spaced six feet apart. After I was handed a radio with some earphones, I sat on a folded chair while seeking shade from the school bus. The sermon that morning was on hospitality and the transformative way that Jesus frees us from our selfish passions, changing us to be more gracious and compassionate towards others. I can attest that I've experienced this firsthand as I look back on the last four years here. I was not the most approachable person and was quite guarded and reserved. I even had some disagreements with people while bearing much bitterness towards them. Instead of being open and honest, there were a few times that I considered leaving this church in order to run away from those problems. However, people still went out of their way to invite me to late-night dinners and hikes, allowing me to share life with them. Despite the hesitations I had, I ended up staying time and time again, being able to fully experience that transformative power of community. God gave me the courage to eventually meet and talk with people about some of my issues. What catastrophic expectations I had before these talks dissipated as I really started to see in my fellow church members the Imago Dei, the image of God. Once I began to notice this bitterness dissolve after a couple years of attending Risen, I pursued membership and later started serving with the Connections Ministry (welcome team). Rather than being a consumer who was only taking what was being given, I was able to start giving more of myself and pour into others. Although it is not a perfect church, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ really embody that sense of hospitality that was preached about during my first visit. As our mission statement is to "Know Christ and Make Disciples," I have seen how God has really changed their lives as they seek to glorify God and use both grace and truth to truly love others. It has truly been a blessing to witness the growth and milestones our church has experienced over the past few years. We've gathered in many places--from the pastor's house to the staff parking lot, the Student Union downstairs, and later to the multi-purpose room upstairs. What began as a church plant has now become a particular church, marked by the ordination of elders last year. Looking back, I'm grateful I stayed through the discomfort and the hurt, because it is through those very moments that I experienced some of the deepest healing and growth.

Looking for a church and committing to a church isn't easy. So when I was prayerfully looking for a…read morechurch to commit to and live life with, I was looking for a church that: 1) preached the Gospel and 2) lived out the Gospel in their community. I've been at Risen for 7 months now and I am thankful that God has called this church into existence. First, Risen teaches and preaches the gospel. It's all about the gospel. The sermons usually go through a book in the bible or a topic that is centered around one of their Core Principles. Risen's 8 Core Principles are: Scripture, Sabbath, Prayer, Community, Gratitude + Generosity, Compassion + Justice, Calling, Mission. Second, Risen is a community of believers who live out the Gospel. The people at Risen are passionate about Sharing Christ and Making Disciples. That's our church's mission (I can say "ours" now). So there are all kinds of ministries that make it easy to Share Christ and Make Disciples - from our Community Groups that are extremely welcoming and unintimidating to our relational building fellowship events. So you can invite your friends to multiple different avenues depending on where they may be in life. If they're ready for a Community Group, there's quite a few to choose from where they'll be extremely welcomed, cared for, taught and encouraged with the Scriptures, and prayed for. Risen is a community that has your back, prays for you, and is there for you. If they're looking for something a little less official, there are several fellowship events that they can check out. For example, there is a Run Club at 8pm so parents who want to come out, after putting their kids down, can come. Our pickleball and park hangouts are family friendly, not only limited to pickleball players or "young(er) adults". We have hikes for those who want 'more of a challenge' in terms of exercise and incline, and also family friendly walks to encourage families with babies and toddlers to come out. At the end of the day, Risen is thoughtful about having biblical fellowship that considers people of all life stages. As an adult with no kids, I feel like I belong when I hang out with families with young toddlers and babies. I also feel the same when I spend time with other adults who don't have kids or are not married. But all of this is extremely intentional. It's all intentional to Share Christ and Make Disciples. Also, as a newcomer to the church, I appreciated the effort made by members to serve the church. Most people here really care and love this church. This was very encouraging and refreshing to see, which stirred up my heart to serve. A couple cherries on top: Risen has a good form of communication at all levels. The leadership cascades down really clearly why they do everything that they do-in their newsletters, Sunday announcements, to their ministries, and informal conversations. There's trust because there's clarity, and everyone is on the same page. Risen incorporates a good mix of hymns, christian contemporary music, and newer christian songs (thank you, David)! Risen does a real good job of blending the historic Christian faith with the modern world. If you're reading this far, I'm not sure what you look for in a church. Come check us out and worship God with us. By God's grace, I felt like this was a safe place for me to be myself, open up and be vulnerable with others. God calls all His children to worship Him together as a church - so come through!

Some Times you need a little Guidance!!!…read more Some Times you need some Spiritual Nourishment!!! Sometimes you need a Prayer !! Heritage Baptist Church is a Great Place to Worship and Pray !!! The Pastor is a Great Leader and a Wise and Humble Man!!! There are a lot of Nice People in the Congregation!!! This Church has a Special Sense Of Community!!! This Is A Baller On A Budget Approved Church!!! I Keep My Pimp Hand Strong!!! #34 On The Yelp List Of The Top #50. Yelp Most Prolific Elites Of 2025!!!

This church is seriously not like any other church! Things are obviously different now with the…read moresheltering in place orders, but just saw the Easter musical livestreamed and it was AMAZING, considering how seamlessly (and safely!) it was put together with a combination of music, drama, and a live message. In such an uncertain and spiritually needy time like this, it's been rough. But I really appreciate that I can still be fed spiritually even though the church can't physically meet up with messages that are live-streamed Suns 10am/5pm and Weds 7pm. But, this church is even better in person. Super friendly greeters welcome you with a gift as soon as you walk in and you feel at home! CLASSES: There's a nursery and classes for kids, youth, college, career, married, young parents, and adults. Parents can actually focus in their own class because there's kids programs at the same time. The teachers are even live scanned for safety so there's no need to worry. SPIRITUAL NEEDS: The messages are practical and Bible based. The pastor has tremendous wisdom and has the power of God on him. And he sincerely CARES! He takes the time to know people by name: he knows my name, my family's names, and my friends' names. He actually asks how my family and I are doing and prays for me! No matter how busy he is, he has personally taken time for me and my family whenever we have needed it. EVENTS: There's lots of special events that are absolutely amazing: kids activities, public safety/official appreciations, musicals, conferences, guest speakers, and great preaching. They are even equipped with their own culinary team for certain events! OTHER NEEDS: Complementary vans pick up those without transportation in the local area. There are classes and translation in Spanish and Mandarin. Looking forward to coming back with my family after the sheltering orders are lifted. Until then, I'll be watching by livestream.

Came here for a Matt Maher & Jon Reddick Concert…read more Quality/Quantity - Matt and Jon did a good job with their concert. They even came back out after the show to do one more song, too bad 5% of the people had run out, LOL. I like the new original songs as much as their top hits. Atmosphere - Plenty of parking. Good size church. All seats had a good view. We got here early and got good center seats. Approximately 500-600 people attended this event, not enough to open up the balconies. Service - The volunteers did a GREAT job. From the team in the parking lot, to the greeters, ushers, etc. Price - We bought our tickets so long ago I can not remember how much we paid. I am guessing approximately $30 a person + a $15 processing fee each...? Either way, I am pretty sure it was very affordable. Owner Suggestion - Congrats on your success for 65+ years. Look forward to attending more future events.

A few points of relevant disclosure:…read more - I am personally secular and not conventionally religious or consider myself a "person of faith," but do have a deep and ongoing interest in exploring spirituality/understanding of the unseen world around me. If you are looking for the perspective of someone who is an active and devout Christian, other reviews of Redwood Chapel may offer a more relevant perspective. - A High School friend is married to the Executive Pastor, Eric Junginger, who I've gotten to known socially over the past few years. All that disclaimer said, I have great admiration for the way Redwood Chapel is run. For the uncertain/ seekers/ unchurched prospective visitors concerned about "preachy" or high-pressure environments, Redwood comes across as a friendly, relaxed environment. I am particularly impressed by Pastor Junginger (who is too humble to brag about this on the church Bio section, but did in fact have a career as well-respected attorney; he walked away from a high-profile legal profession at a Partner level to serve as a Minister). He has a thoughtful, logical way of sorting out information and a fantastic person to discuss matters of faith, belief systems and social issues. If you are a "attend church once a year" type, or a secular/areligious person reflexively cautious about being lectured/preached at, you will find Redwood to be a very friendly place to explore these questions in a relaxed and thoughtful manner.

Great church! Visited for first time last week but wish they would turn down the microphone. The…read morepastors are great but the microphone was so loud it hurt my ears. Turned down just a tad! My husband said the same thing.:

This is an Awesome Church full of Life & Spirituality! They have lots of things to keep you going…read morewith programs for all ages & services at different times so that more people can attend!

7 years ago we were looking for a church who serves the city. We found a place we loved where they…read morejust preach Jesus. We were overwhelmed with the friendliness of everyone and how simple the Gospel of grace was told. Love God, love others. Through all the changes of the world these last few years, we have never felt more loved by God through His people at Resonate. Get there before service starts to grab some coffee and donuts, or tea and granola. Say hello to the greaters, check any kids you have into the childrens ministry and grab a seat, worship is awesome! If you're sensitive, there are even ear plugs available. This is a satellite campus so live worship is followed by a huge screen with the message broadcasted from the Fremont Resonate campus. It took me a minute to get used to a screen but that mostly because I'm easily distracted, so I just always sit in the front. Preaching is followed by individually wrapped communion and more worship and then you can have more coffee and doughnuts!

This has been my church for the last 5+ years. Here you will find a community of broken people…read moreacknowledging their need for more Jesus. All are welcome, and you are invited to come as you are. The number one message preached here is the Gospel, no frills. The worship is lively and loud. Contemporary jams are performed by a talented band using their gifts to praise and serve the Lord. The praise team even writes and performs their own music, which is so freaking cool. The kids ministry is awesome. My kids absolutely love going to church every Sunday (which was not the case with me growing up!), and have special bonds with the teachers and friends they make here. Most importantly they learn about Jesus every week and surprise me with how much they learn. It should be noted that there is no live preaching here. Every Sunday the sermon message is broadcast live via a video stream from the Resonate Fremont campus. It takes a minute to get used to, but is practically unnoticeable. If live preaching is a biggie, you can also check out the Resonate Fremont campus. Overall, I love being in community here. The people and staff truly love and care for each other and Jesus above all.

We found Gateway Bible Church on 9marks.org and really felt encouraged by the sermons because they…read moreare biblical and expositional and not to mention, easy to understand. Pastor Rod is a wonderful shepard and there is plurality within the elders and they are all humble and wise men. I find that there is so much grace and patience towards the congregation, the way Jesus showed the same grace and patience towards us. I also find that the members here have genuine faith in the Lord and genuine care for one another. My husband and I are so thankful to be here!

Great church! Has one of the best Praise Teams in the Bay Area, if not THE best! If you're looking…read morefor a ministry heavily centered on biblical education, you've found it! Great teaching, great preaching, great music ministry, and lots of things for the youth in ministry as well!

I went to the service here last Sunday because my dad and I flew in from LA and needed a service to…read moreattend. We were impressed by the zeal and knowledge of the pastor and churchgoers. Reverend McKinnley is so kind and welcoming. Next time we are in town we are coming again for sure!

A beautiful Catholic Churches that has withstand time with breathtaking architecture located in the…read morecity of Hayward. All Saints Church is a landmark. The twin steeple towers of the church can be seen from a far at the top of the hill and is lighted at night making it a beacon of safe passage all these years past and present. All Saints Catholic Church in Hayward was first established on June 18, 1898, and the current church building was completed in 1909. Yes it is ADA accessible. Plenty of parking available and entrance to the area is behind the church at the courtyard and inside the catholic school on the grounds. Another area is across the church with multiple parking slots and also street parking. Attending mass is very comfortable at this church. It is well ventilated and air filtration is constantly on and this gives a very comfortable experience during mass. Hand sanitizers are placed at the entrances as well as inside located visibly the church's pillars for everyone's use along with boxes of tissue incase it is needed. They have fun activities and events like fiestas in September and more. We are active volunteers helping out and everyone is welcome to participate just ask like we did. Daily Mass schedules and weekly scheduled confessions and times are posted on their website and they also have an APP that you can download and sign up and get more info. We were told to share suggestions on how to improve the church's APP and the website so please let them know. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/all-saints-parish-hayward/id6749620379 Or the website for more info https://allsaintshayward.org God bless and see you all soon.

All Saints Catholic Church is a beautiful church in Hayward California. My family and I attended…read moreMass there for the first time today and we've really enjoyed it.