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What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?)
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Can I wear jeans?
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47 comments:
*Name of church* New Life Church Santa Barbara
*City* Santa Barbara, CA
*Website* http://newlifechurchsb.org/
*Music* contemporary, w/the occaisional hymn. longer in the mornings. some fast, some slow. At least one or two people will dance during a properly motiviating song.
*Speaking* hm... deep teaching - Pastor doesn't stay on superficial Bible stuff, but really teaches us to go deep.
*Childcare* good childcare for infants up to jr high, i believe. people really love the kids. kids spend the whole service in sunday school. --except for the 1st Sunday of the month. then they join the adults for worship.
*Favorite Thing* GREAT teaching. Loving, commited congregation. And the 4:35 service: Non-traditional. People sit at talbes & bring food to share. Discuss certain topics through dinner, then listen to the sermon. A little long, but lots of connection. LOVE it!!
*What would you change?* It's a little flakey. not a lot of consistency. They tend to change their programs a lot. But they're getting better. :)
*Can I wear jeans?* YES! and shorts, too. and flip flops. and wear it all with a tie, if you want! ;~) I wouldn't recommend a suit. that sort of thing is generally looked down upon, anywhere in Santa Barbara. ;~)
Name of church: Cornerstone Community Church
City: Simi Valley
Website: http://cornerstonesimi.com/
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?): They mix it up. Contemporary, hymns, and original compositions by our worship pastor.
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?) Francis is a beast (in a good way). He preaches only the word, makes sure we understand it in a perspective that is relevant to biblical times, and how to see it play out in culture now.
What's the childcare like? its great. they take infants to 6th grade. after that, the other kids have to either come into the service with their parents or go volunteer with the babies.
What's your favorite thing? the community. we don't just show up on sundays for worship- people are getting together throughout the week, and everyone is learning and practicing how to "love your neighbor as yourself." it's so amazing, i haven't seen any other church like it yet.
What would you change? the parking layout. but we won't have to suffer with it as it is much longer, seeing as we're moving to a different location (Lord willing).
Can I wear jeans? yes. jeans, board shorts (which a certain usher wears every weekend, along with his birkenstocks. he's my favorite), suits, sandals, barefoot, whatever. its as casual as you want it to be (just be modest).
Name of church: Vintage Faith Church
City: Santa Cruz
Website:www.vintagechurch.org
What's the worship music like? Contemporary with hymns(both updated and original)Louder at the 7pm
What's the speaking like? Culturally relevant
What's the childcare like?Infant through kindergarten in class all service 1-6 worship w/ adults then leave for kidmo.
What's your favorite thing?We often have interactive elements to our services that really make the message stick.
What would you change? Buildong built in 1930s so no AC but you can deal with it:).
Can I wear jeans? Yes! Please! we are a multi generational church we have people who where ties and people who come right from the beach!
Coffee? We are opening a coffee house July 19, 2008. SO good coffee and snacks that are welcome in our service.
Name of church: First Baptist Church Cupertino
City: Cupertino
Website: http://www.fbccupertino.com/index.html
What's the worship music like? Mix of contemporary and hymns
What's the speaking like? Bible based, old fashioned, but revelant
What's the childcare like? More volunteers than kids. There were three teachers with my 3 year old last Sunday. And they can't wait to take care of my 6 month old.They are ready and waiting for more families with kids.
What's your favorite thing? I love that the church is like a family. There are lots of senior citizens, so it's like my children and I now have lots of extra grandparents. The people truly care about each other. They're also very interested in outreaching to the community.
What would you change? It would be nice if there were more kids for my kids to play with. Bring yours.
Can I wear jeans? Yes. Or a tie (Only 4 men do every week, including the pastor). Either. Anything. They'll be happy to see you there no matter what you're wearing.
Name of church:
NewLife Community Church
City:
Easton, CA (a small town on the southern edge of Fresno)
Website:
http://www.newlifeeaston.com
What's the worship music like?
We do "old school" hymns (though often in slightly edgier arrangments), some "classic" praise choruses, and a good bit of current worship music (think Hillsong United, Chris Tomlin, Passion, etc.) - and that's Sunday morning. Sunday evenings is NewLife @ Nite... which has a much rockier feel... think Delirious, U2, David Crowder, etc.
What's the speaking like?
I feel weird answering this, as I'm the senior pastor. In other words, if you come & visit, I'm the guy you have to listen to. I tend to bounce between preaching through a book of the Bible (w/lots of real-life application) and topic-driven series (also with real-life application.) One of my favorite phrases is "So what?" I use video, props, and a sense of humor to try & connect the dots. I'll let someone else from NewLife let you guys know whether I'm successful at it or not.
What's the childcare like?
We have a great program on Sunday mornings for K-6th grade... it starts during the Bible study hour (9:45 am) and continues through the worship service (11 am). The program for the younger kids is less directed (read: needs some work) but younger kids are loved on & well cared for. (I just wish we were doing a better job of helping them learn more about Jesus.)
Sunday evenings we have kid care for age 6 & under.
What's your favorite thing?
This church is a church that does change pretty comfortably - we've changed worship styles, added a 2nd staff person, started a rock'n'roll worship service (Sunday nights), increased the security level of our kid care, revamped our documents & built a playground... all without any kind of major hassles or foot-dragging. These folks want to do what it takes to reach the community.
What would you change?
Again, this is weird because I'm the pastor... but I pray that God will bring us more folks who can help lead us into deeper & better small-group community, both for youth & adults. That's probably the area that's been the most difficult for us.
Can I wear jeans?
Of course - I do! I'm the senior pastor & I'm usually wearing jeans & a shirt with a collar. Our worship & youth pastor is usually in jeans, sometimes w/flip-flops & t-shirt. (His tats are clearly visible when he wears a short-sleeved shirt.) In other words, avoid coming naked or wearing a T-shirt w/an offensive message & you'll fit in just fine.
*Name of church*
Berryessa Valley Church
*City*
San Jose, CA
*Website*
www.BVChurch.com
*What's the worship music like?*
Contemporary (Casting Crowns to Hillsong)
*What's the speaking like?*
Bible-based themes, powerful, relevant but not mushy
*What's the childcare like?*
Great. They're expanding.
*What's your favorite thing?*
The people. I can honestly say best church experience ever.
*What would you change?*
BVC is growing rapidly and is out of space. Need a new building.
*Can I wear jeans?*
Absolutely. The pastor (in his 30s) wears sandals.
Name of church: Faith Bible Fellowship
City: Santee (San Diego Country)
Website: http://www.fbfsc.org
What's the worship music like? Hymns with choir, followed by praise music with praise team. Light drums. Very low-key.
What's the speaking like? Solid Bible teaching. The Pastor focuses on loving one another as a family, on staying devoted to Truth, and on the basics of the Gospel.
What's the childcare like? Sunday school before church for all ages. After worship, kids go to children's church, which goes up to fourth grade. The church also runs a preschool.
What's your favorite thing? There's a great love between the older generation and the vibrant youth group. Everyone loves each other deeply. Which is to say, we keep each other accountable. The pastor is very open and honest about what's going on in the church, even in a conflict situation.
What would you change? I'd add more community outreach programs.
Can I wear jeans?Sure you can. Or a suit. People at this church don't really judge you for what you wear- what's more important is that Jesus loves you and so do we!
Church: Fairway Park Baptist Church
City: Hayward, CA
Website: www.fpbc.org
Music: blended between hymns and praise choruses. Occasionally, a hand or two will be lifted at this Baptist church!
Speaking: the pastor (me) attempts to build a knowledge of God's Word that develops into an intimate application of God's Word, that results in doing what pleases God. The sermons focus on this Know - Be - Do theme.
Childcare: provided for all services.
Favorite Thing: the cultural diversity of our congregation. Very few of us are from "around here." We come from Fiji, Hawaii, China, Italy, El Salvador, and even South Carolina!
What would you change? We tend to be a little formal. We are attempting to highlight the "family feel" we have and make it a distinctive mark of our church.
Can I wear jeans? Absolutely!
Name of church: North Coast Church
City: Vista, CA
Website: www.northcoastchurch.com
What's the worship music like? One of the great things about North Coast is the different worship venues they offer. Everything from Country Gospel and traditional hymns to contemporary to coffee shop to the newest edgiest worship!
What's the speaking like? Our two main speaking pastors Larry and Chris provide a great balance of preaching styles. Find them in person in the main auditorium or live via video in the other worship venues. To see a sermon, check out Searchable Sermons.
What's the childcare like? North Coast just rebranded the children's program and the new theming is incredibly cool. There are kids programs for birth through high school and they're all great!
What's your favorite thing? I like that Larry and Chris are very approachable. And that the sermons they preach are easy to apply in my own life.
What would you change? I'd love to get out of the industrial park the church is currently in, which is great because in a year and a half (hopefully) we will be moving to our new property right down the street!
Can I wear jeans? Absolutely. Our main two speaking pastors where Tommy Bahama aloha shirts and khakis, and tshirts and jeans, respectively.
Related sites:
www.northcoastchurch.com
www.searchablesermons.com
www.twoguysfromvista.com
Name of church: Journey Community Church
City: La Mesa, CA
Website: http://journeycommunitychurch.org
What's the worship music like?: 90% contemporary, loud, fun, pop christian worship music. They also try to do one secular song a week which they do a pretty awesome job of, great worship team!
What's the speaking like? Very much everyday language. The great thing about the teaching pastor, Ed Noble, is how he makes the bible make sense to even dullards like me. It's a great gift. He really is a biblical scholar as well, and is always telling us what the original greek, or aramaic or whatever language that part of the bible was written in, the etomology of the word. I think that's pretty awesome, it gives context to what the author was writing about. Shoot, I could go on about him forever, he's awesome. The guy that finally made all of this clear to me.
What's the childcare like? The kids love it, so do we!!!
What's your favorite thing? When I first started going my favorite thing was the frappachino-like things from the coffee cart outside the church and the great worship team. Now, I have to say that the message I get each week has to be the awesomest part about it.
What would you change? Sadly, I haven't seen a skittle throwing incident yet, or even a fake-kick-to-the-old-lady's face. We can only hope.
Can I wear jeans? Absolutely.
Fellowship of San Diego
San Diego
http://www.fellowshipofsd.org
What's the worship music like? Probably about 95% contemporary with the occasional modernized hymn thrown in. Music style reflects heavy doses of Crowder, Tomlin, etc.
What's the speaking like? Culturally relevant but biblically based.
What's the childcare like? i've been told it's good, but I don't have kids.
What's your favorite thing?
The pastor, staff and deacons are very approachable and available. The sermons are solid, well rounded and grounded in Scripture.
What would you change? Wish we had stronger programs for jr high/high school students and young adults.
Can I wear jeans? yes...the pastor even wears jeans from time to time and when it's warm enough I wear jeans and sandals most Sundays.
Name of church: All Saints
City: Newhall, CA
Website: www.allsaints-cec.org
What's the worship music like?: Raise up those hands! contemporary music, combined with traditional liturgy music (although done to guitars). No drummer right now, sounds more acoustic-y. But if you know a drummer...
What's the speaking like?: Old school Bible. Solid Biblical preaching and theology. The priest wears a collar and robes. He's interesting and funny.
What's the childcare like?: nursery care for 0-K, children's class during the sermon for elementary schoolers.
What's your favorite thing?: You feel like you really went to church and had communion, every time. Yet still had a rocking praise set too. Charismatic, evangelical, sacramental, together. Oh, and it's small enough to where everyone knows and fellowships with the Pastor and each other.
What would you change?: Not enough publicity or signs to find the place and know what time service is.
Can I wear jeans?: Come as you are. Some dress up, some wear shorts. It's hot in Santa Clarita these days!
Name of church: Rock Harbor
City: Costa Mesa
Website: www.rockharbor.org
What's the worship music like? Contemporary...some slow...some fast...but it's all good and the words really speak to you as you sing them.
What's the speaking like? The speaking is amazing. They start with passages from the Bible and then relate them to current every day life. They choose topics that really speak to you.
What's the childcare like? It's wonderful! I have a 3 yr old who goes to sunday school and he loves it. They have a band and they sing songs with the preschool/school age children. They also have a seperate service for Junior High and High School.
What's your favorite thing? The connection I feel with everyone there. It's held in a warehouse next to the airport and when you first see it, it's nothing fancy but you go inside and see all of the people there who are there for the same reson you are and it's just a great feeling of community with other believers!
What would you change? The parking. It can be difficult at times.
Can I wear jeans? Yes! You can wear pretty much whatever you want.
Name of church: Rock Harbor
City: Costa Mesa, Ca
Website: www.rockharbor.org
What's the worship music like?
Contemporary, authentic, and intimate. Similar to music like Chris Tomlin, Tim Hughes, Hillsong and Brenton Brown. Worship is used as a response to the message so most of the worship is at the end of the service.
What's the speaking like?
Conversational. Not that an actual conversation occurs but you feel like you're having a friendly chat in your living room with the pastor. Not at all preachy but I always feel challenged to get up and DO something week to week with my faith.
What's the childcare like?
Excellent. All volunteers are screened and have background checks. The teachers actually teach my 4 y/o from the bible as opposed to just babysitting or watching her. You'll want to get there early though as the capacity fills up.
What's your favorite thing?
The staff are all very genuine people. What you see from the front is who they really are. I'm impressed weekly.
What would you change?
More room. A reserved seating section for parents dropping off children.
Can I wear jeans? Yup, I do.
Name of church: Calvary Chapel of the High Desert
City: Hesperia
Website:http://www.calvarychapelhd.com/
What's the worship music like? Contemp.
What's the speaking like?Topical but verse by verse, chapter by chapter[i.e. straight up Bible]
What's the childcare like?Coupon for each child for all three services, from 0 mos. to 6th grade and Sunday school for jr. and high school.
What's your favorite thing? The music, the message, and the people
What would you change?VBS is limited to those who sign up in time. Not like how I grew up where it was a contest to see how many friends you can bring.
Can I wear jeans? Yes; shorts, tanks, as long as it's decent.
Name of church:
The Father's House Church
City:
Oroville, CA
Website:
http://tfhc-oroville.org
What's the worship music like?:
Contemporary, mostly. And very Holy Spirit-led. Sometimes our worship tends to go long, and unexpectedly supersedes the sermon!
We do songs made popular by the likes of David Ruis, Chris Tomlin, Brian and Jenn Johnson, John Mark McMillan, David Crowder, Hillsong; etc. Some old-school Vineyard songs are thrown in the mix, as well.
What's the speaking like?:
Very relaxed. Our pastor goes verse-by-verse in the Bible. On Sundays, he teaches from the gospels, and on Wednesdays, he teaches from the Epistles (currently, he's in Luke and Romans, respectively).
The podcast on our website gives one a good idea of what the speaking is like at The Father's House Church.
What's the childcare like?:
Very cool nursery. We believe that nurseries shouldn't just be glorified daycares, but that children can learn about having a relationship with Jesus at even the earliest age. Three-year-olds that go to our church can tell you more names of God than I can!
We also have great Sunday School and Youth programs.
What's your favorite thing?:
The relaxed atmosphere. The senior pastor and his wife really make you feel at home with their warmth and sense of humor. And the fact that it's a small church is very beneficial, as, like Cheers, "everybody knows your name (and they're always glad you came)."
God saves lives through The Father's House Church, as evidenced by Life Recovery Ministry, our successful 12-month in-house program for people recovering from addictions to drugs and alcohol.
What would you change?:
Not much. Let's see... they need to get new chairs.
Can I wear jeans?:
Only if it's too cold to wear shorts.
Name of church: Journey Community Church
City: La Mesa (East County area)
Website: www.journeycommunitychurch.org
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?) Contemporary, cool, fun, loud sometimes, includes non-CCM tunes that go with the message/theme. LOTS of talented people share their gifts so it's always fresh.
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?): Teaching Pastor is a rockin' dude - relates the Bible to real life, tries to help us understand what Jesus was trying to get across. There is video feed to a few different locations on campus so you can choose where to go.
What's the childcare like? Fun for everyone. Very caring people run the childcare programs. Infants through grade school. Middle school and High school have their own gigs and LOTS of kids attend.
What's your favorite thing? Ed.
What would you change?
Can I wear jeans? Yep. Flip flops, shorts, it's all good.
Name of church
Monterey Church
City
Monterey, CA
Website
www.montereychurch.net
What's the worship music like?
Very contemporary, they call it "rock worship". think 2 acoustic quitars, 1 elecric guitar playing lead, 1 electric guitar playing rhythm, 1 bass guitar, a drummer, a keyist, and 2 or 3 vocalists.
The biggest thing you will notice is "ambiance". this is NOT a church of the 80's. this is the church in it's intended state. a church that meets once a week for fellowship as a whole community, but the real work of the gospel goes on in the homes of the members. through smaller, more intimate group fellowship.
What's the speaking like?
Pastor Bryan speaks from his heart. he talks about culturally relevant stuff.
What's the childcare like?
I'm not sure, i know we have a nursery and child care, but since i don't have kids i don't really know much else on this subject
What's your favorite thing?
My favorite thing is that the church meets in an old theatre, that still functions as a theatre on weekdays.
What would you change?
I want this church to GROW!!!
Can I wear jeans?
Yes. Please.
*Name of church* Oakdale Family Church
*City* Oakdale, CA
*Website* http://OakdaleFamilyChurch.com./
*Music* mostly contemporary with some hymns, but they are always done in a fresh style by the band
*Speaking* Pasotr James uses "Hollywood Parables" to better explain the messages by relating them to the cultural context. Anything from Austin Powers to Shrek. He does onject lessons occasionally but its one of those kindof intimate get to know you kindof speaking like its just you and him
*Childcare* They have a toddler and infant nursery with those pagers that buzz when your child has a problem or emergency. The kids (k-6) stay in the service for the first portion (music, announcements, and greeting) and then go to classes that teach them in a relevant manner.
*Favorite Thing* Not to be cheesy with the name, but its like a big family. Careing, committed, genuinly nice people. But the best is OFC, as its called, is all about being the church not just doing it. thats my favorite.
*What would you change?* Size is little small but not bad typically 150ish right now (06/08) predictable at times I guess
*Can I wear jeans?* Absolutely! Do what you please, just wear clothes of some nature, nakedness isnt generally encouraged, being that its a family church and all....
Name of church - Calvary Church
City - Santa Ana (Orange County)
Website - www.calvarylife.org
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?)- at 8:45 it's more piano, choir, and mix of hymns and maranatha. at 10:45 it's more rock with full band and Hillsong United, David Crowder type songs.
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?) - a mix of 3 teaching pastors from 25-57 years old. Solid doctrine and pretty relevant.
What's the childcare like? - the nice thing about a church that's a bit big is that you have great children's ministry. They actually hate calling it childcare because it's so much more than that. Great safety, cleanliness, and good teaching.
What's your favorite thing? The way Calvary Church is trying to serve our local community.
What would you change? - It would be cool to be a bit louder in the 10:45 service.
Can I wear jeans? - definitely! Most people on stage at the 10:45 are wearing jeans, but you can wear whatever you want.
Name of church
Christ Church of Pasadena
City
Pasadena, CA
Website
http://christchurch.la
What's the worship music like?
Contemporary, often acoustic
What's the speaking like?
Pastor in a gym, some powerpoint, expository teaching
What's the childcare like?
We're a small church, so we have about 10 kids in the nursery and a small youth group. It is provided during the service.
What's your favorite thing?
We're very family-oriented, towards fellowship and being relational. God's word is preached faithfully.
What would you change?
I'd love to find a new facility to meet in, since we're renting a gym on Sundays...
Can I wear jeans?
Absolutely, or even shorts if it's really hot.
i have to put in another shout-out for rock harbor church in costa mesa, ca. so far, three of us have given it props. it totally deserves it. i'm adding mine to give even more perspective on why it's so great. this is a church i attended for five years back when i lived in CA, and i've never had a church family quite like it before or since. i can't speak highly enough of this beautiful, meaningful, totally biblical and completely relevant church.
Name of church: Rock Harbor
City: Costa Mesa, CA
Website: www.rockharbor.org
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?)
Contemporary. Totally metro. Totally heartfelt. Someone else already mentioned that the worship is a response to the sermon, so the worship is backloaded in the service. The other AMAZING thing about the worship experience is that communion happens every week at several stations around the room. You get out of your seat and go kneel down at a rugged, huge wooden cross near your seat. There are candles and a metal offering bucket (since tithing is part of our worship, too, but they don't pass a plate). Basically, this situation allows you to take communion when you're ready, to kneel at a cross to do it, to also offer your tithes as a sacrifice of praise, and to kneel in prayer at the cross as long as you want after you're done with communion. It's so intimate. I love it.
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?)
Mike Erre, the teaching pastor, is amazing. He's wicked smart but also your average joe. This means he gives both stimulating and hilarious sermons. Solid theology AND totally relevant.
What's the childcare like?
I don't have kids, so I have no personal experience, but the families seem to love it.
What's your favorite thing?
Hmmm . . . the whole package is awesome.
I love that it took something like 7 years to get our own building and that it ended up being a warehouse that was completely transformed into a totally urban environment by VOLUNTEERS. Seriously. The church built the whole sanctuary together, given the gifts and experience of the church body that was there.
I also love that they take a team leadership approach so that the senior pastor is not burdened with all the authority and responsibility of the church on his shoulders alone.
I also love that they have learned to do life groups amazingly well for such a large church. Life groups are where life and community happens, and it's what will make you feel like a real part of the church and make you feel known and loved.
And finally, I love how outward focused the church is. Not only do they give 11-13 percent of the tithes and offerings to other ministries, but they have also launched a huge "GO" campaign in recent years that trains people to go outward into their communities and the world. So biblical. Amazing.
What would you change?
Probably the parking. Also, they outgrew the warehouse space immediately and have, like, seven services including a satellite location and taped versions. I worry about the effects all of this will have on stretching the staff so much. But it does speak to the way the church is really reaching people.
Can I wear jeans?
Absolutely! The teaching pastor is famous for wearing only flip flops and shorts and a casual shirt every Sunday of the year except Father's Day. :)
Name of church
North Hills Church, affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist denomination
City
Claremont, CA
Website
NHillschurch.org
What's the worship music like?
Contemporary Christian, with some touches of folk. Lots of Tommy Walker, MercyMe, Newsboys, and a hymn every week or so. We have the best Christian Saxophonist in So Cal!
What's the speaking like?
Pastor Terry preaches from the Bible, and from the heart. He shares the love of God, but doesn't pull punches. Often a service will incorporate inspirational video, and/or a short, original drama. Listen to a
podcast on the website.
What's the childcare like?
Classes are offered for all ages up to middle school/jr. high, before church. (The Youth Group meets on Friday nights, so that they can help out with the younger kids, or the service, on Saturday.) Children's Church is offered on the second Saturday of every month, simultaneous with the church service. Otherwise childcare during the service is limited to babies and toddlers. A comfortable "family" viewing room is available with the music and message displayed on a large screen TV.
What's your favorite thing?
The honesty and integrity of the pastoral staff, the "family" feel of the congregation. It's a place we like to hang out!
Every Saturday morning, the "Hospitality Table" greets you with fresh coffee and juice, strawberries, watermelon, or other fruit, and delicious pastries.
What would you change?
I would love to see more people become fully involved in the "core" of our faith community. We have many new members, and we need to get them into Small Groups!
Can I wear jeans?
Oh, my heavens, yes! One thing I love about our church is that the ladies in dresses and heels are perfectly comfortable talking to 20-somethings in jeans and t-shirts.
Name of church
- South Hills Church
City
- Corona, CA
Website
- www.southhills.org
What's the worship music like?
- we have three different campuses so the worship varies between jeremy camp-type worship, to older darlene zschech, to tomlin-curious
What's the speaking like?
- extremely focused on personal application, usually topical (relationships, love, outreach, etc). one campus is live, the other two are video campuses.
What's the childcare like?
- we put a ton of focus into childcare. children don't like it or the parents don't feel its up to par, they won't return. we have kids programs for all ages during weekend services and mid-week kids programs.
What's your favorite thing?
- there are constantly stories of people coming to the church that have "never been to a church like ours." they really connect with our pastor, the message, and the people at the church.
What would you change?
- more outreach, stronger long-term discipleship.
Can I wear jeans?
- of course. you can where whatever you would like.
Name of church: Promise Lutheran
City: Murrieta
Website: www.promiselutheran.org
What's the worship music like?
Our music is contemporary…we do throw in a few hymns once in a while, but we sing them robustly!
What's the speaking like?
Pastor Chris is great! He keeps the sermons rooted in the Bible and culturally relevant. He used to be a youth pastor, so he likes to throw in a few object lessons, props and videos…but he’s also fluent in Greek and just amazingly passionate about Christ!
What's the childcare like?
We offer professional childcare during our services, but families are encouraged to stay together. We have Children’s Church during the sermon and Sunday School afterwards, as well as mid week youth groups for 3rd - 12th grade and adult bible study.
What's your favorite thing?
Everybody is so friendly and loving, besides my family…these people are my family. We have great fellowship, great Bible study, great community.
What would you change?
I don’t know…a moving sidewalk would be great :)
Can I wear jeans?
Yes!
Name of church- Valley Church
City- Cupertino, CA
Website- http://www.valleychurch.org/
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?)- The 9am service is traditional and the 1045am service is more contemporary.
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?)- Definitely Bible based and solid. Very encouraging and relevant.
What's the childcare like?- Great! There is plenty and the kids have fun and learn about the Bible and Jesus.
What's your favorite thing?- Everyone is so friendly and welcomes all who visit. People usually feel included during greeting time as well as after the service.
What would you change?- After being at Churches in Africa last summer, the service seems too short, the singing seems too structured... it is still quality, but is hard at times.
Can I wear jeans? Yep! :)
Name of church: Bel Air Pres
City: Los Angeles, CA
Website: http://www.belairpres.org/
What's the worship music like?Contemporary
What's the speaking like? Thought provoking, bible based and always tided into relevant life issues
What's the childcare like? As far as I know great (Sunday school, nursery) but I don't have kids
What's your favorite thing? How close to God I feel when I am there
What would you change? nothing, I would consider moving back to LA just to be able to go to this church
Can I wear jeans? Yes, but most people dress them up with a nice top
Name of church
Nems of church: third day fresno (nicknamed '3D")
City: Fresno
Website: www.3dff.com or http://www.myspace.com/thirddayfresno
What's the worship music like?
rock: Delirious, U2, Passion, Sinead o' Connor, David Crowder
What's the speaking like?
participatory, interactive, fun
What's the childcare like?
often kids stay in, sometime they gave a lesson, sometimes a road trip
What's your favorite thing?
informal, couches, not boring
What would you change?
Dave, the pastor, leads loosely
Can I wear jeans?
Most do..including pastor
Name of church Newsong Church
City Multisite Irvine, LA, skid row (yes that skid row we have a service there every week), Fullerton, Bangkok Thailand, Mexico City, London, so far
Website Newsong.net
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?)modern and relevant to location (ie hip hop in la, rock in irvine)
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?)relevant. justice, advocacy compassion focus. strong focus on living out our faith. also have several midweek medium and small group gatherings based on affinities, demographics or a topic.
What's the childcare like? awesome. (bias alert. I help out.) very professional and safe though. ratios meet state requirements. Bible lessons start as soon as they are walking. not child care but sunday school. my son digs it. he is 18months. doesn't want to leave.
What's your favorite thing? Dave, lead pastor. awesome heart for god and a vision for changing the world. www.davegibbons.tv his first book (of many i hope) will be released soon.
What would you change? not my place to criticize, but i would love to see more agressive site and plant strategy. I believe strongly that newsong is on the forefront of some big things in socal and throughout the world.
Can I wear jeans? yes. each of our sites would make anyone from that area feel comfortable. in fact if you went to skid row in a suit i am not sure you would feel very comfortable.
Name of church: Downey Adventist Church
City: Downey (Los Angeles area)
Website: downeychurch.org
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?) Praise music (not rock), usually one hymn - sometimes remixed.
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?) Very Biblical. We try to illustrate how the Bible is relevant to our lives today. Check out some of the sermons on our website.
What's the childcare like? Children's classes are from 9:30 to 10:30. Children are with the parents in the worship service. There is a room available for children who are restless.
What's your favorite thing? The incredible sense of love, acceptance and community. It comes from being devoted followers of Jesus.
What would you change? We'd do a better job of meeting the needs of the people we rub elbows with everyday.
Can I wear jeans? Yup. Some will wear suits, some jeans. Check out the photo pages for an idea.
Name of church: First Baptist Church
City: Cupertino, Ca
Website: www.fbccupertino.com
What's the worship music like? Blended worship with hymns and modern worship. We are a small church and currently only have the piano and guitar, but are working towards a full praise team if we are blessed with more musicians.
What's the speaking like? Passionate, scripture based preaching. Pastor Robin is a little old school, but is also fairly culturally relevant.
What's the childcare like?
We currently only have a few children, but are growing. We have Sunday School classes for kids as well as Children's Church during the message portion of the main service.
What's your favorite thing?
The overwhelming feeling of friendliness and love. The people are amazingly kind and welcoming.
What would you change?
I would have a more complete worship team and more ministries for different age groups. (Those will come as people continue to join the church)
Can I wear jeans?
Yes. In fact the "ushers" who help with taking the offereing are teenagers who are usually wearing jeans or even shorts.
Ss. Peter and Paul Church
Wilmington, CA
http://sppc.us
Music: Worshipful, reverent, hymns
Sermon: References to Catechism, Saints, Bible, in union with Magestrium.
Childcare: Not Applicable
Favorite: Traditional/conservative, in union with Magestrium, provides Tridentine Latin Mass and a Latin Novous Ordo as well.
Re: Ss. Peter and Paul Church in Wilmington
Can wear jeans if they are nice and not revealing - but most people dress up.
church: Mainers Church
City: Half Moon Bay (on the SF Peninsula)
Website: http://www.marinerscc.org
Worship: Very cool rock-contemporary, passionate and authentic
Speaking: Messages are real, understandable, bible-based, encouraging and relevant, but not "Christianese"
Childcare: Ok, so first thing - not childcare. It is a full-blown church for kids because they can be passionate for God too. Fun, crazy, taking kid's on faith steps.
Favorite thing?: It has to be the casual contemporary friendly environment that is not phony and is grace-filled.
What would you change? Would like a campus where we could do even more
Can I wear jeans? Yes, but you might be over dressed ;) flip flops and shorts are fine too - but so is a tie
Arcade Church
Sacramento, CW
arcadechurchonline.com
Music-2 services, first is more traditional-our church is almost 50 years old, so we need to respect those who built the place! Second service rocks!!
Speaking: Awesome! Our Pastor, Jake Larson, is such a great preacher! He teaches from his heart, from the Word. Never leaves a doubt that the Word is the final authority
Childcare-awesome! Each class has great teachers. Every age group, 0-12th grade meets Sunday morning.
Favorite thing-just one? I think it is that my kids are at "home" here-they have great friends, mentors, don't ever want to miss a Sunday, or any other thing that is going on.
Change-bring back the kid's choir!
Jeans-YES! We have many wearing their "sunday finest", but just as many in jeans, shorts, whatever. Come as you are!!
Name of church: Mosaic Inland
City: Chino
Website: www.mosaic.org
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?): Contemporary. They play a good mix of songs I've never heard before, DCB & Tomlin. It's usually a full band-acoustic guitar, bass, electric, drummer, sometimes a violinist, usually a lead male singer & female backup singer.
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?): Culturally relevant but still Biblically based--not pop culture themes. Pastor Ralph's teaching style is more conversational, and often times they do leave time after the teaching for a Q&A with the audience to partipate and dig into the message that was shared.
What's the childcare like?: I don't have children, but I know Mosaic is not constantly begging people to volunteer as teachers/leaders. That's a good sign.
What's your favorite thing?: Everyone is so genuine and friendly.
What would you change?: I can't think of anything.
Can I wear jeans?: yes
Mosaic Inland is part of Mosaic Alliance, which is just a bunch of Mosaic churches under the same "umbrella," I guess. The main Mosaic gathering is in Pasadena, but they also have campuses in Beverly Hills, Downtown LA, Whittier and other places you can find on their website. They meet at The Mayan downtown, which is a salsa club, on Sunday evenings and the atmostphere is definitely younger (between 18 and 35-ish?) with louder alternative rock type worship music. I've only been once but it was awesome. I've been going to Mosaic Inland for a couple of months and it's a pretty diverse group--age-wise and ethnically--and I really like it.
Name of church: oakhurst evangelical free church
City: oakhurst
Website: www.oakhurstevfree.org
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?): we play contemporary and some hymns. we like it to be based on Christ and not so much on us!
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?): expositional. our pastor preaches through a book at a time. real deep and tangible.
What's the childcare like? during the service we have child care from infants up to middle school. sunday school is before the main church service. we have a good a.w.a.n.a. program during the week as well as a lot for the jr. high and high school aged kids. we also have a children's choir.
What's your favorite thing? how kind and gracious everyone has been to me since i arrived . . . unmarried and pregnant. the church accepted my repentance and welcomed me warmly. they even threw my daughter a big baby shower after she was born!
What would you change? some of the music leaders . . . :/
Can I wear jeans? i do every sunday. and so do many many others! we're in CALIFORNIA!! :)
Name of church: Oak Valley Family Church
City; Calimesa, Ca
Website: http://ovfc.com/
What's the worship music like? Sunday mornings is modern praise, Saturday nights is more rockin'
What's the speaking like? The speaking is great. Our pastor and other teachers in the church are candid.
What's the childcare like? The childcare is amazing and since teachers rotate in the bigger classes month to month there is seldom teacher burn out. Some of the teachers have been doing it since 1990! All childcare staff has had a full background check and attend quarterly meetings.
What's your favorite thing? Beyond the teaching, I would have to say Saturday night praise and worship.
What would you change? You know, I'm not sure off the top of my head. Maybe that from the 10 freeway we didn't look like a Mexican Restaurant. Oh, I think it would be great if we were more culturally diverse.
Can I wear jeans? Yes you can and so can your grandma. You can wear ones with holes, frays. sparkles, patches, paint and oil from changing your car.
Church Name: Sierra Madre Congregational AKA-SMCC
Can you wear Jeans? Sure, I personally think the only thing you shouldn't wear to a church is a spaghetti strap tank top or dress without a sweater over. No one needs to see boobies popping out!
Music: Lots of Hymns they do a good job of mixing it up. Sometimes it's a choir singing other times they have a little band playing.
Speaking: REALLY GREAT! We had an amazing pastor who after 30 years left. The new pastor had big shoes to fill and he is doing an amazing job.
Childcare: Lots all ages from babies to high school. You can bring kids into the main service all are welcome.
Favorite thing: Every time you leave thinking that service was written solely for me.
I think this is a great church for any one who is thinking of attending a church in Sierra Madre/Pasadena area. It may seem like everyone knows each other but give it a chance and you will fit right in.
*name- calvary chapel living hope
*location- oceanside, ca.
*website- www.cclivinghope.org
*worship style- simple, usually just a guitar & cajon. the worship leader has the voice of an angel.
*teaching- straight up biblical, in typical calvary form. the pastor has good things to say, sometimes in hilarious & interesting ways.
*childcare- i was involved in the children's ministry in the past. the teachers really put their whole heart into everything they do.
*favorite thing- i'm spoiled, honestly. i'm so crazy about this church that others tend to disappoint.
*change- parking is pretty limited. lame sauce.
*jeans- of course. anything else is borderline offensive. board shorts are acceptable as well.
Name of church: Lifepoint
City: Rancho Cucamonga
Website: http//lifepoint-church.org
Music: Very modern with a mix of fast and slow. As far as volume is concerned, let's just say you can "feel" the music! Most songs are contemporary with a mix here and there of some older songs including a hymn once and a while.
Speaking: Verse by verse teaching through a culturally relevant series. There is a challenge to go deeper as oppose to staying at the surface level.
Childcare: Adequate for a small church. Infant-6th grade including Jr. High during the message in the main service.
Favorite Thing: It's very much like a family. Very relaxed, casual and friendly.
What would you change?: The location. The parking is really easy, but the building is smaller than desired. It can get pretty packed inside and if you're late you can find yourself standing in the back looking for a seat.
Can I wear jeans?: I can't think of anyone else that doesn't with the exception of a few older people. Jeans are the norm.
Name of church: EFC Harvest South Bay
City: Torrance, CA
Website: www.HarvestSB.org
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?) Mostly contemporary, with an occasional mix of hymns.
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?) Pastor Byron's sermons are a good mix of being fundamentally Biblical, but also practical and relevant to what's going on in our world.
What's the childcare like? Pretty decent Children's Ministry downstairs, children ages 3 to 5th grade have their own worship time, then Sunday school by grades. Pre-teens have their own program. Youth stays upstairs with the young adults/young families. Children 2 and under usually hang out with their parents in the nursery (there's a speaker so you can hear the sermon).
What's your favorite thing? We're a small tight-knit Asian-American church. My husband, along with some others, have been attending since they were little kids. A lot of history. Very family oriented. There is also an older Taiwanese adult congregation, and a younger Mandarin congregation. We're part of the "English-speaking" congregation (mix of Taiwanese-, Chinese-, Japanese-, Korean-American people) we're the 2nd generation that grew up here. Our congregation is mostly young families and young adults. Most of the young families have little kids (it's cool b/c our group is small enough that everyone is friends, we go on vacations together, do birthday parties and playdates, etc).
What would you change? Our youth group is pretty tiny. Hopefully once our little ones start growing up, more emphasis will be placed in this area.
Can I wear jeans? Yes, but people do like to dress up, so nice jeans with a nice top, I guess. Cute dresses are great too!
Name of church: Community Bible Church
City: Vallejo CA
Website: http://www.cbcvallejo.org/
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?) It's a very good mix, we do a lot of Sovereign Grace and Chris Tomlin, but also hymns thrown in there, and our band (3 guitars, 1 electric, 2 acoustic, bass, piano, drums, percussion) has even started to write a few songs here and there. Fast, slow, loud, and soft, depending on the day and song. In a typical singing time there will be people clapping if the song is fast, and we have a good mix of hand-raisers and non.
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?) Expository (verse by verse) teaching, very Christ centered and word centered.
What's the childcare like? First service we have nursery and kids' classes and Jr High and Sr high sunday schools, then there is children's church and classes for kids up to 4'th grade during the second service. Evening service has nursery for children under 3.
What's your favorite thing? The church is very ethnically diverse, more like heaven. People really love each other, it feels like a family. The youth group is amazing and has been used by God over the years very greatly, especially through the summer youth volleyball community outreach.
What would you change? Move to one service so that i could see some of the people that only attend 1st more often
Can I wear jeans? Yep, we have a lot of people that are very casual, some that dress up, but they are less, and the only person that wears a suit is usually the speaker and that's variable on the day.
Peninsula Bible Church of Cupertino
Cupertino, CA
www.pbcc.org
Music: Contemporary with lots of reworked hymns. Occasionally a church choir will sing.
Speaking: Scripturally based. In-depth.
Childcare: Full childcare program. One of the only churches I've been to where there are sometimes more volunteers than are needed. Great programs for Jr high and HS kids too.
Favorite thing: Community. It may take a little work to build a connection, but it's worth it. People here are great and there's an emphasis on creating a community that transcends per groups, etc. For instance a lot of the young singles work with the kids ministries instead of just the parents volunteering.
What would you change: It's a good-sized church with 2 services so it can be harder to connect than in a tiny church but there are ways to get connected. If you're single check out the "20's" group. It started out as a post-college group but people keep coming after 30 and beyond. It's a great group of people and a good way to make friends if you're new in the area.
Can I wear jeans? Yes. Some people dress up, some people dress down. You can pretty much feel comfortable in whatever you want to wear.
Fallbrook House of Prayer
Fallbrook, Calif.
What's the worship music like? Depending on which service you go to, we have contemporary, fast, reverent and even Latin based music! There are Bible studies on Thursdays at 7 p.m., an English service at 9 a.m. and Spanish service at 11 a.m. on Sundays.
What's the speaking like? The Speaking is a mixture of culturally relevant word with its roots placed in the Word. The pastor makes a point to use every day ties to the Scripture.
What's the childcare like? There are breakout groups for everyone on Thursday Bible Studies, we have pre-K to College aged groups.
What's your favorite thing? The fact that everyone is so friendly! Everyone is greeted at least once.
What would you change? The church is bilingual on Thursdays, and has English and Spanish services on Sundays. If you aren't used to hearing other languages in a service, it can be frustrating.
Can I wear jeans? Yes! There's a mix of people wearing suits, jeans, dresses, or whatever they feel is appropriate for church.
Name of church: Neighborhood Church of Anderson-Cottonwood
City: Redding, CA
Website: http://www.neighborhoodac.org/index.php
What's the worship music like? mostly contemporary (AKA Tomlin), medium loudness, occasional hymn
What's the speaking like? We have 2 main speakers and a few that fill in at other times. Culturally relevant, theological, and Biblical
What's the childcare like?
During service: ages 0-3 in nursery, 4-7 stay in service for worship singing, then go to Kid's Church.
What's your favorite thing?
The community and the Biblical teaching
What would you change? More culturally relevant - but we've been getting better at that.
Can I wear jeans? Yep. And shorts in the summer. There are some that dress up, but mostly casual.
Name of church: River Church San Diego
City: San Diego
Website: http://www.riverchurchsandiego.com
What's the worship music like? (Contemporary, hymns, long, fast, loud etc?)Contemporary, full band, loud and Spirit led.
What's the speaking like? (Old school Bible, culturally relevant, by video etc?) Multiple preachers. Howard is passionate and gospel centric. Don is professorial, educational and insightful. Fritz is extremely practical, step by step break down.
What's the childcare like? Amazing. There are 2 sections of child care and a sound proof crying room with a television streaming the service for people with babies.
What's your favorite thing?
The music ushers people into God's presence.
What would you change? Nothing.
Can I wear jeans? Yes, or a suit or shorts or pajamas. Anybody in any state or stage of life is accepted.
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