Christ Church Berkeley

I’ve been involved in many Christian churches through my life– primarily Protestant non-​denominational or Baptist varieties. Christ Church has been a breath of fresh air for me and my family. People of all kinds of backgrounds are present and the message is relevant whether you believe or not. The pastors encourage us to be authentic with where we are at and that everyone is in need of grace. I’ve been a member of this church for 6 years and it’s been a transformative experience.
If you’ve been burned out in other Christian or religious environments this community will offer you rest and healing. If you’re new to the area and need a place to connect with those who live close by– join one of the parish communities offered within the church. If you want to explore what Christian faith is all about– this is the place.

I came today here with a clear mind and an open heart. Didn’t know what message I would be receiving or if I would be receiving anything at all– but I allowed myself to just be present and listen. I knew that I needed to be at church and continue on this path.
It was so weird… for a period of time, I got lost in my own thoughts and started to zone out while the minister was preaching, then all of a sudden, he said something so powerful and poignant, that my heart literally skipped a beat.
I won’t go into detail what he said, but it was the context in which he said things. Like, god was talking right at me through the minister. And he knew what I needed to hear in that moment.
It’s amazing when you slowly see the fruits of your labor come into fruition. All that deep soul searching introspection, the emotionally draining hard work of tearing down and rebuilding yourself, to let go of hardened pride and self-​seeking ego in order to fix the errors of your ways, to leave the past in the past, finally becomes a blessing. The message literally «saved me» from my own trappings. Thankful.

I’ve been going to Christ Church for over a year. I joined it after seeing its web site and wanting to stay connected to Christianity, even with my lack of commitment to any one Protestant affiliation and my skepticism. I had what you might call a «moderately religious» — watered down, perhaps — upbringing and most of my friends and coworkers through the years haven’t taken much interest in religion or have thought it’s passé. But something always brought me back.
What’s really important to me in a church is strong, intellectual sermons that show a church’s commitment to Scripture and Christian truth but that don’t shy away from the controversial or difficult questions. Christ Church is led by very, very smart and kind pastors and the sermons are great and often really poignant and real. The people are also all really interesting. The young professionals I’ve gotten to know come from diverse backgrounds and regions of the country, political parties, and world views, and I don’t find them cliquey or cultish at all.
So just to sum up, I’m a bit of an independent thinker/​seeker who feels very comfortable with this community and I look forward to continuing to grow with it. Hope to see you there! (I often help welcome new people on Sundays, so you might see me.)

Disclosure: I’m a committed Christian and have been a member of this congregation for over a year.
This church is very good at affirming the historical Christian tradition while providing a safe and approachable space for people to explore their spirituality at all levels. You’re not likely to hear a lot of Christianese without it being explained. The pastors often relate their teachings to common philosophers and thinkers as well.
Another strength of this church is its commitment to the community. It is constantly seeking stronger service partnerships and ways to connect its participants to one another within their neighborhoods. They’ve expressed excitement that their recent acquisition of their building will facilitate even deeper relationship building with the community moving forward.
Like others have said, the primary demographics in this congregation are young professionals and graduate students. I think that both singles and young families in particular can easily find a place to belong here, but all are certainly welcome.
I invite you to stop in and check it out one Sunday!

A solid community of believers that are really interested in the surrounding neighborhood, service, and spiritual formation. They really make an effort to make new people feel welcome and aren’t awkward about it like some of the churches we encountered when looking for a church home.

I’ve been an active Christian for over a decade now and have been attending Christ Church of Berkeley for about 1.5 years. The last year and half has been hands down the most spiritual growth I’ve had since becoming a Christian. The pastors work hard to be open and honest, and they have taught me how to grow in my faith.
Christ Church is a place where everyone from the non-​believer to the seasoned Christian will feel welcomed and comfortable exploring their faith.

An amazing church community. We had the awesome opportunity to be on the ground level of this church that was born Easter 2006. It was an incredible process that ended up with a very fruitful church that ministers to its congregation with home groups and serves the local community with service projects and open forums.
If you have been burned by «Church» or «Christians» this is a comfortable place for healing and open to people with doubts and questions.