On Easter, I was up in the north Bay and looking for a church to celebrate. I drove over to Mission…read moreSan Rafael for the first time when a beautiful church an amazing history. I set a free prayers in the side chapel just after their service they had quite a community buzz going on as they had live music for the service. Just being on the grounds of Mission San Rafael brought a calmness to me. If you be looking for a spectacular place to pray or reflect. I highly recommend visiting Mission San Rafael.

Nice to be back ..church is the last resort haha ...saloon de Jesus ..don't forget ...get outread more

I LOVE Open Door San Rafael. The first Sunday I attended, I was blown away by the quality of…read moreworship, the genuineness of its congregates, the generosity of it's leaders and the intimacy of the preaching. I went home to my wife, who was on bed rest at the time, and told her "I think I've found our church"! She started attending with me after having our twin boys and she agreed! In a time where Christians are often times being labeled as fake or hypocritical, Open Door goes the extra mile to be genuine and real to those who attend. To summarize Open Door's theology, I would say they are conservative. I would call Open Door Pentecostal light. You won't see anyone rolling in the isles but some folks do raise their hands in praise and The Holy Spirit is talked about from the front. Nothing shocking really, unless you are used to extremely conservative worship. Worship style is probably first or second quality in the county and very current. This is coming from a person who makes it my job to visit churches as a part of my job. The size of the congregation is average in Marin, around 100 on a given Sunday. Congregates are a little more working class than most churches in Marin but that doesn't mean everyone's a contractor. Children's ministry is smaller than some of the bigger churches but is super intimate so it's easy to know the people your kids are interacting with. The building is the San Rafael Community Center, so it's a bit dated but totally functional. Hope that all helps! Please ask questions if you need perspective

Very welcoming loving church with members that go back 35 years…read more Rock and band worship band can be awesome and spirit filled. Worship leader likes to experiment with new music styles but some also does some old time hymns that at really beautiful. The musicians are extremely talented. A diverse pastoral staff. Four different preaching styles. Very bible based and Christ centered. Comfortable atmosphere with a diversity of age groups. A real church family. you have the sense of a a family the minute you walk in the door. Very accepting and loving. You get a sense of a nice little country fellowship. Outreach missions all over the world, ie Africa and Mexico. Supports World Vision to feed the hungry. Good sunday school and lots of little children and young family. You can feel God's love at Church of the Open Door. Easy to find, next to Safeway at the Recreational Center in San Rafael. Parking is easy to find.

A sacred space for your busy life. All are welcome; come as you are.read more

I am new to the church, returning to faith. This place feels like a comfortable and safe place to…read morebegin. I enjoy the support of digging into bible study and book club. I am looking forward to involvement in the church's community charity and service works.

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'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?

I went to Santa Sabina for a weekend yoga retreat and it was perfect. The grounds are peaceful and…read morelovely; gurgling fountains, chirping birds, woodsy and serene. The facility has a spacious studio for yoga. The dining room served an array of healthy and tasty foods, with choices at each meal. The coffee was ready each morning at 6:40, in time to enjoy a little socializing before our pre-breakfast 7:30 yoga session. And the facility is beautiful. It's filled with quiet reading rooms, an art studio, a library, a chapel and a central atrium with garden and fountain. It's the perfect location if you are looking for pure serenity.

The fact is, this place used to be a nunnery, which at first may not seem like a plus (especially…read moreconsidering I spent 9 years in Catholic school). But after going to a weekend writing retreat here last summer, I have to say this is a beautiful, wonderful place to regain your inner sense of peace. While the first day of silence drove me a little cuckoo, by the next day I was in that Very Good Zen Place. There's a library and multiple reading nooks, lots of garden-y spaces, gurgling fountains, birds chirping, quotes from Buddha posted all over the walls, that kind of thing. It was lovely, lovely, lovely. Not all retreats are silent ones, and they're careful to schedule, say the silent writers with the silent gardeners, rather than the marching band or jazz choir groups (not that there were any of the latter there, I'm just hypothesizing). You can just sign up for a night or two for a really low rate of $75 (?), I think. Oh, and they FEED you, great organic food, a full meal of entree, sides, dessert, beverages, 24 hour snacks and tea/coffee (they have the coffee/hot water urns in the lobby). It's SO wonderful. Go to recharge and nourish, restore your faith in the universe.