My husband and I love First Free, I have been attending since I was single back in 2003. I had…read morevisited quite a bit even prior to that when I was in college. The people are real, that is one thing that stood out to my husband. It is a diverse group of people, the arts and music are good. For me Pastor Bill is real, humble and not just someone up on the stage. I have always found First Free to be a safe place. I appreciate the ways they reach out to all of the community.

Well, I hate giving a church anything less than a 4 or 5 star rating, but I have some personal…read moreobservations that are very important to me that keep me from rating this church any higher. My one really big concern is one that I'm sure some will find equally important and some will dismiss as a non issue. First I'll start out with a minor observation that although it's not very important to me others may find it fairly important so I'll mention it. What I'm referring to is a pretty lukewarm welcome. There was a nice young lady at the door when I entered the church and a couple men just inside the entryway who smiled and said hi and that was the only welcome I received from anybody. Personally I don't go to church to make friends and am there almost exclusively to hear the Word of God through the sermon that the Pastor preaches. For other people who do want a warm welcome when they visit a church this may be an area that this church wants to consider making some changes to accommodate those peoples feelings. Now on to the reason I don't feel I can rate this church any higher. When I visited a few weeks ago the Pastor was preaching on family and at one point he read a verse from the Bible that stated along the general line that if a person divorces and remarries they are committing adultery. At that point he did acknowledge that yes that verse is an uncomfortable one for many people within the church and then he quickly moved on to other points. I'm not coming at this point from a holier than thou attitude since I am divorced and I'm sure if he'd have expanded on the subject I'm sure I'd have been kind of uncomfortable and squirming in my seat some, but hey I'm there to hear the Word of God not what I necessarily want to hear so I couldn't have complained if he had discussed this verse that could affect so many people, myself included. My problem is I honestly believe the churches of our society are almost becoming more like social clubs instead of places we go to hear the Word of God preached. Nowdays pastors seem to want to preach the parts of the Bible that give their congregation those nice warm fuzzy feelings, but won't take a stand and preach on the parts of the Bible that make their congregations really think about where they may really need to adjust their beliefs or actions. I do believe it is appropriate to preach those warm fuzzy parts of the Bible, but I also believe that ALL of God's word needs to be preached even if it makes the people in the congregation or the preacher feel uncomfortable. Maybe this was just a one time thing, but to me it really reminded me of so many other modern churches who are unwilling to preach about sin since people don't like to hear that. Hopefully I'm wrong in my assessment of this church, but this is my honest feelings on this church. I think a person could do worse than attending this church, but I can't help wondering if maybe this is just another "social club" like so many of our other churches. I honestly hope my impression of this church is wrong and I wish them well, I just don't feel that I'll be returning.

This little church on the corner in Lincoln Park is where I call home. It has been my family ever…read moresince I walked in the doors over four years ago. We have two services at 10:00 am and 5:00 pm. There are a lot of really cool people that come every Sunday. The pastors are sound in their teaching and have a love for everyone there. I would strongly suggest that you come check it out ASAP! We love having newcomers to our community!

This historic church which has met on the corner of Seminary and Lill for almost 125 years has…read moreundergone some changes. What has been Seminary Avenue Community Church is now New Life Community Church, Lincoln Park. 3 blocks away from DePaul University and nestled into the Lincoln Park community, New Life is a church for Lincoln Park. In the morning there is a more traditional worship gathering with young families, couples, single people, and college students. In the evening there is a blue jeans and rock band environment called Shift. In both gatherings you'll encounter a vibrant, brand new congregation as the church has only been open since the spring of 2008! I would recommend checking out either service if you are looking for a great place to connect with God and learn more about Jesus...or even if you are not, it's still an awesome time!

Urban Village Church: Wicker Park has become my home in Chicago!…read more My husband and I were originally drawn to UVC: Wicker Park because of its strong commitment to Biblical integrity while also being resolutely affirming of all people in the LGBTQ community. What we discovered was so much more. UVC goes by the motto of being 'BOLD' (boldly rooted in the Gospel message of Jesus Christ), 'INCLUSIVE' (radically affirming of LGBTQ folks, striving to be an anti-racist church, and working toward all other areas of inclusivity and diversity equity), and 'RELEVANT' (living into our faith all week long, not just on Sundays). This motto is beautiful and helps my husband and I live into the lives we want to be. In fact, it was this very community that married us and has been with us through thick and thin. Pastor Hannah is an absolute gem, bringing engaging/powerful messages that are relevant to our current context in Chicago/USA/world! Are you looking for a place that is spiritually rich and community driven? Then bring yourself over to UVC! We would love to have you join us!

I love this church, and how it became a safe, inclusive, and empowering home for me during the…read morepandemic. They truly do celebrate people of all backgrounds (i.e. they don't just give the LGBTQIA community a "seat on the pew", but actual voices and leadership roles). The people here are caring, honest, and supportive of each other, wherever you are on your life journey - even if you have doubts, trauma and uncertainty. Truly all are welcome here. UVC lives their mission of being bold, inclusive, and relevant by doing work in the local communities, and providing interactive ways to learn and give back during Black History Month, Pride Month, etc. with history walks and celebrations and hearing stories from the community lifted up. I've especially loved Pastor D'Angelo's creativity when it comes to services and community-building at Wicker Park; we've had breakout discussion groups during the service, creative use of the stage setup and props, we've heard testimonies, and listened to music together, and even ended the sermon early for a surprise coffee hour when Pastor D said "You know what? I can preach about community, or we can go do it right now," recognizing that coming out of the pandemic many of us don't know each other and haven't had real conversations together. Those conversations and laughter were much needed.

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.

My Husband & I started attending this wonderful church a couple of months ago. The pastor & people…read moreare very friendly & it is a very pleasant experience in every way. We do not live to far from this church. Often we would pass by & finally we did attend. We found out more from a friend of my husband & this is the place to be for sure. There is a big parking lot & someone always says Hi & also talks to us after the services. Hopefully we can get more involved. The service is very moving as well. There is a band & singers which is very nice too.

This is a very friendly church from the moment you walk in the door. Dr. Lenard Tavernelli is…read moresenior pastor & a great expository preacher. Emphasis on mid week community groups. Lots of young families.

Christmas Eve evening service here is going to be a new tradition for me…read more Outside, we were blessed with a white Christmas. Inside the elegant church on the corner of Berteau and Christiana, the service was packed, drawing a diverse crowd of attendees from the neighborhood..attendees who looked like they've been attending the church for years, and knew each others' children. The church was festively decorated, and featured the right mix of baaaaah pageantry. Aaah.. the solemnity of a candlelit service and the mindful humility of the nativity scene. Real baaaah baby goats and Baby Jesus and all! What *more* could you ask for in a Christmas eve service? What I adored about the space was that behind the sermon platform, the rows of the choir stood on an elevated layer. This richly textured presentation gave your eyes alot to rest upon while you listened to sermon and songs. A holy Protestant Peter Greenaway type of layering. The service was framed as an "indoor carolling session," and gave the attendees ample opportunity to sing all of Christmas' greatest carol hits. "Silent Night, Holy Night" was saved as the last carol, and it was a beautiful experience to reconnect to all the years long ago I used to sing this song, as an erstwhile regular member of a congregation. Ever so meaningful. This time, this rendition in this experience dissolved the many years that I've been away from the song.

Love the 11am service!! They also have ministries for every age group. I always feel welcomed and…read moreloved when I walk in the doors. This was my church while I was in college and I have since left after moving back home. If I was still in the area, this would still be my home church.

Historic church. Happy to have access to this facility for The Pan Hellenic of Chicago council…read moremeetings...

Looking for Bingo? Holy Angels have bingo on the 1st & 3rd Saturday of each month. It's a laid…read moreback atmosphere, great for a Saturday afternoon, doors open at 1:30p and play at 3p stops 5:30p. Just $12 buys your set up into the games, the also have $1 pull tabs. A concession stand for food or you can bring in something. I went for the first time March 21, 2015 and I got to yell Bingo! So that made them my favorite place for Bingo. Spread the word to friends and family that like bingo. They are trying to build attendance so let everyone know bingo is back at Holy Angels on the southside. (In the lower level)

First time to visit after a few years. New pastor is primarily a musician and worship leader, but…read morewow... his sermon/teaching today was solid, deep, and inspiring! It's a beautiful building with friendly people. Many function rooms where the community can hold meetings, events and outreaches. As in most churches, summer time us when the regular musical crew takes a break, but Im pretty confident this church would have a rich & diverse musical menu, well performed.

This is a warm, inviting community of all ages and backgrounds. Extensive youth programs for all…read moreages. Active all week with programs of music, Bible Study, Prayer and Fellowship.