I am amazed at the diversity in this church! Ironically, I am so used to seeing aging adults, that…read moreI am struck by the families with children and teens. the church comes alive and is vibrant with all the varied energy. services range from personal issues that we've all faced to national concerns. amazing church!

Do NOT send your children to the summer program here! On several occasions while there with my own…read more2 kids, I've seen the teachers bring the kids to the playground at Moakley & one specific teacher is clearly under the influence/smoking cigarettes the entire time they're there. I watched one of the kids in their program wander off last week & ANOTHER CHILD in the program noticed before this teacher. I've called the church to let them know multiple times with no call back.

A gorgeous little church in Central Square, CTK is a welcoming community that is not to be missed!…read more I search all over Boston for a place to call home, and this is what I was looking for. The building is beautiful on the outside, and just as nice on the inside. The pastors and staff are very inviting, accepting all backgrounds and lifestyles. People are cheery, including many young families in the congregation. Members come from all over Boston and the suburbs. It's a delightful service in a great location (walking distance from the Central Square T stop). Looking for a church that will love and accept you for who you are? And can teach you in a way you can understand? Look no further than CTK.

CTK is a thoughtful church community with lots of wonderful people. After the service, there is…read moreplenty of food and a chance to talk with others. Another way to meet other people is to join a community group.

A lovely century-old church dedicated to an affirming Christian faith and service to the community…read more Fabulous preaching and choral music.

Lovely old stone church, warm and welcoming congregation. A very high musical…read morestandard--breathtaking, really, at a recent Evensong service. It's kind of ideal, actually. Worth a detour if you're in the area.

Emmanuel is a very progressive and welcoming community. I have only been once, but they seem to…read morepromote tolerance and understanding among all kinds of people. I went for the Easter service because I heard there was going to be a crazy musical performance in the middle of the service and there was! Almost 45 minutes of a Bach cantata. Oh, and there is also a rabbi in residence - very cool.

Walking down the streets of Boston one day, my friends and I were confronted with a ten-foot-tall…read moreblack banner with bold white letters: "Get Your Ass To Church". How do you say no to that? I mean, if that's not a Sign... (heh.) I don't think any of the three of us had set foot in an Episcopalian church before -- I was raised alternately Unitarian and UCC Protestant, one friend is Catholic, the other I think Christian in the I-celebrate-Christmas sense. But I don't think any of us felt uncomfortable there. We attended the 5pm service -- I can't tell from the website if they're still doing it -- a low-key, intimate affair in the smaller chapel beside the church. The demographic was young and diverse, and the reverend and the folks helping with the service were friendly. We didn't end up going back, but that was no fault of Emmanuel's. I found the service meaningful. I think my Catholic friend was a little startled at the sermon's emphasis on social action and ministry -- I thought it was pretty great (and, okay, reminded me of home). I actually had no idea that Emmanuel did music in such a big way, or else I think I would have pushed for dragging ourselves out of bed for the main service. I'll have to go back for their concerts sometime.

This is a great, welcoming, open in many senses of the word congregation in a stunningly beautiful…read morehistoric Cambridge landmark building. If you walk by the church everyday, try stopping in one Sunday morning at 11 or for the evening Jazz service. The music is top notch, across the board. You can hear an organ played by Peter Sykes, which was designed by one of the congregants. The choir is lovely, but I'm biased. There are two ministers, Mary and Dan. Both are kind, smart, articulate, funny, approachable, and definitely in this profession for the right reasons. The congregation tends toward the academically inclined - but welcomes all types, and you'll see all types represented. I've been attending this church for about a year and a half, and every single Sunday or other day I show up for something, I learn something new about God, myself, and some fascinating bit about one of my fellow parishioners. Check it out.

I'm only commenting on this as a venue for the Boston Early Music Festival concert series…read more The venue is beautiful and decorative without being over(t)ly ornate. Seats were added at the sides so that you could view the stage facing or behind the performers. The sound quality was solid, the open space allowing for a clarity of sound to come through. It's located near the Harvard T stop, and close to eateries, making it a wonderful place to catch a concert. Kudos for BEMF and the First Church UCC for making it happen!

Yelp! We had an Amazing time at Jubilee!!! Everything was good! From the praise and worship to…read morePastor Matt's birthday celebration to the Holy Word of God to baby dedication! We enjoyed it all. We are from different church backgrounds, but we all felt blessed and received from Pastor Matt! Great job Jubilee! The Holy Spirit is in this place!

I visited the church while I was in Boston and my overall experience wasn't so great. It's a pretty…read morebig church filled with lots of people when you walk in no one is very welcoming. No one felt the need to say hello or welcome us as new comers to the church. The worship however was very good! They had an amazing singer who really did a great job ushering in the spirit. This part was short lived because then the younger pastor got up to preach and I just couldn't get into what he was saying his approach was a bit abrasive and not for me. I won't detour others from giving it a chance as they may like it but for me it just didn't work.

With several major churches in the Copley Square area it is easy to overlook what in many ways is…read morethe best, a smaller gem located three blocks north of the green line. First Church Boston is one of three Unitarian Universalist churches in Boston and a surprisingly lively place, 383 years old but more contemporary than ever. Every church talks about combining the new with the traditional, but First Church Boston does it. The building is original on the outside along Berkley St. but the inside is Paul Rudolph contemporary. The music can be Bach one week and Bernstein the next. Services address current issues of the day as well as lifelong spiritual concerns. There is a ton going on during the week besides the Sunday morning service, all of it accessible on line. Every UU church is different as there is no central authority in Unitarianism, a situation some call religious democracy. There is no single revealed truth to ascribe to, rather members are encouraged to discover their own spirituality in a course called Building Your Own Theology. Other churches share a set of beliefs: UUs share a set of values. Most Unitarians are made not born, as 90% of UU members transfer to this faith as adults, so UUs have a history of welcoming newcomers from all backgrounds. Members (and staff) of First Church include former Catholics, Episcopalians, Baptists, Jews, Muslims, atheists and agnostics, to name a few. And you want cool? First Church Boston counts as members President John Quincy Adams, John Winthrop, Anne Bradstreet, Anne Hutchinson, Paul Revere. And Ralph Waldo Emerson is a former minister. So grab a blue cup at coffee hour and make new friends as members introduce themselves to you.

When searching for a church that was conveniently located in Back Bay, there are many to chose…read morefrom. First Church in Boston has always been an open, friendly community with excellent ministry and the best music program in the Back Bay. This community is a great place to start or continue your spiritual journey.

Racist, Unwelcoming, and Shallow…read more I remember sitting down in the front row the first time I visited Symphony. Upon seeing me, the churchgoers in the row directly behind me started to whisper hurtful and denigrating comments. In particular, one of them was laughing, saying that "a mixed race asian isn't truly asian". Being mixed race, I couldn't help but feel as though that comment was targeted towards me. I was appalled by this comment, and to this day I regret not confronting them for their hateful, bigoted remarks. Unfortunately, the scene described above was not the only instance in which I felt alienated and excluded. Many of the groups at Symphony are cliquey college student groups, who measure your worthiness based on very superficial metrics, such as your major, what you're doing for work, and which college you're attending. They even segregate themselves based on alma mater. I am from a poor family, and I did not attend a great college, so obviously I was ignored or regarded with disdain. I recall a conversation that I had with a visiting pastor, in which he asked me what I was majoring in, and what I wanted to do with my life. I replied that I was majoring in Liberal Arts, and that I didn't really have a plan for the future. He did not relent, even though I was clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. At last, I blurted "perhaps something in administration". After that remark, he gave me a dull and sardonic expression, as if I were the biggest idiot in the world, and walked away without saying another word. Well, I'm working in administration now, thanks to all of my hard work, no thanks to your lack of support, pastor. After all of these events, Symphony church had the nerve to use my likeness in one of their videos, to show that they were "a diverse and welcoming community". If they are so diverse, then why is the church so ethnically homogenous? If they are welcoming, then why are the church numbers dwindling? If they are loving, then why did I feel so hated? If they are Christian, then why don't they serve the struggling communities around them? They should spend less time partying and more time helping the homeless in Mass and Cass. If there is a god, he is not in this house. I wiped the dust off my sandals when I last departed from Symphony.

Nice, young, vibrant bunch that meets at a rock club. What's not to like. The staff are great and…read morethe sermons are solid. It's mainly a bunch of young people in the 20s. I've attended one service and I would recommend this church.