Convergence

I went to this church twice with my aunts and cousin who live nearby and was so impressed with the people attending and how enjoyable the services were. I dont actually go to church often but if I lived near this one I think I’d be inspired to.

Real, imperfect people seeking to love God, one another, the local and global community. Come check it out!

It feels kind of awkward to rate a church. But if it helps for you to check it out then all the more power.
I can sum it up by saying, «I can see that God you’re moving. A mighty river through Convergence»
The church is planted in Oakland and how they’re actively reaching out to the community is amazing. I was instantly impacted by their day in the park. The church is using this community center type building and I like how they made it their own. I’m not trying to knock the churches that have been able to buy multi-​tiered ampitheatre seating with crazy sound systems, but sometimes you can get lost in all that and it can be really distracting. Convergence takes it back old school style and I like that.
Check it out once. Give it a shot. It may be out of your way. But then God always calls us to places outside of our comfort zones. Be challenged.

When I think of Convergence, I am reminded of an email I received some years agao. It goes like this:
The next time you feel like GOD can’t use you, just remember…
— Noah was a drunk
— Abraham was too old
— Joseph was a daydreamer
— Jacob was a liar
— Leah was ugly
— Joseph was abused
— Moses had a stuttering problem
— Gideon was afraid
— Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer
— Rahab was a prostitute
— Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
— David had an affair and was a murderer
— Elijah was suicidal
— Isaiah preached naked
— Jonah ran from God
— Naomi was a widow
— Job went bankrupt
— John the Baptist ate bugs
— Peter denied Christ
— The Disciples fell asleep while praying
— Martha worried about everything
— Mary Magdalene was, well you know
— The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
— Zaccheus was too small
— Paul was too religious
— Timothy had an ulcer… AND
— Lazarus was dead!
…no more excuses now.
— God can use you to your full potential.
— Besides you aren’t the message, you are just the messenger.
I have been at Convergence since the start and know that I would come off as being biased for write about my church so I really took my time to try to write an objective review. Writing a review for a church seemed strange to me anyway, but I have seen people enter our doors because of it so I wanted to share my experience. Back to the above message… our church embodies this. We are a church of misfits. We are as imperfect as imperfect comes. We are not trying to be perfect, we are trying to follow Christ. We represent all of those names above and just as God has used them, God has been using us. If you want to come to a place of perfect people, you won’t find it here. If you want to be with real, authentic, loving people who strive to follow Jesus and love the community, you will be at home. One last thing, if you want a full experience, I encourage you to visit more than once :) Your life may never be the same again!

I’m a pastor on sabbatical, so I went incognito to check these guys out.
I was blown away. Pastor Bobby is fun to listen to, authentic, teaches really well and inspires. The community is vital, active, and rightully excited about its present and its future; they were warm and welcoming.
If you’ve been wondering about checking out a church in Oakland, you’ll want to give them a try. They’re confident — but gently — and genuinely loving. Your life could really get changed there.

The food is less than gourmet, terrible acoustics, it gets cold and wet when it rains, kids making a racket in the back, overly competitive cooking competitions, unpolished worship, production value doesn’t compare favorably to megachurches, chairs are either kind of saggy plastic or hard metal, corny jokes, occasionally uncomfortable conversations.
Earnest, passionate, fun, creative, and loving. Five stars where it counts.

My good friend Kev was the one who first invited me to check out Convergence when they were first starting out and I can honestly say I loved every aspect from the first day I attended.
I’ve never truly been religious or attended church regularly, and the couples of churches that I have attended throughout the years never felt over the top good with me. Convergence on the other hand opened my eyes and my heart to a new found love for God and to learn and grow with the people around me.
The people there are all so welcoming and Pastor Bobby is amazing and most of all inspiring. Definitely a warm community to walk in to.
Verdict: I wish I lived a little closer to attend weekly again but hope to go back soon. This place is simply amazing.

Where do I even begin to describe why Convergence rocks my world?
I met Pastor Bobby 3 days after moving from South Carolina to Oakland back in September 2008. During our first meeting, as I was telling him all my junk and expecting for it to be too much for him, I found the opposite reaction. He was easy to talk to, encouraging, and opened up about his mission for Convergence; a mission for diversity, where people from different ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural backgrounds, etc. would converge in God’s kingdom. He envisioned a church where people could «bring their junk» to the table and be authentic about who they were and what they wrestle with. That was music to my ears. And it has been my experience here so far.
I have been part of Convergence from the beginning, and it has radically changed my perspective of God, community, and how I am meant to serve both. The people are real. We struggle. We serve. We love Jesus. And we do the best we can. And we’re pretty dang fun, too. If you are looking for awesome people with a heart for God, service, and community, come check us out!

I have been attending this church for a few months now. What I like about it is the people. It is still a new church so the structure is a little messy and really just starting to take shape. But the people are real. Everyone is welcoming and honestly striving to serve. It is a very challenging and hopeful community in which to worship God.

after a couple months of searching i finally found a church in the east bay that feels like home. as even the pastor says as a disclaimer, it does take a couple weeks of investment to really get the full experience though. it was a good month or so until me and my girlfriend decided to make a fuller commitment to stay and it was well worth it.

Authentic diverse growing community genuinely wrestling with what it means to follow Jesus in Oakland and beyond. This church is not for somebody looking for a feel good self help faith but for one that desires to struggle with Scripture and ask hard questions about what it really means to obey and follow Jesus. This community will help u see that you are a precious child of God. They love their community and love each other.

I… am not the Pastor’s wife. So this means I’m TOTALLY unbiased, right? Probably not, but I’ll do my best.
I’ve been coming to this church for the past few months and I can honestly say that God is here. What more can you ask for? Nothing, but since you’re already here, I will go through a short list of what else is here at Convergence.
Solid teaching? Check.
Good worship? Check.
Tasty snacks? Check.
Folks who are real and are seeking after God? Check.
I’ll be the first to tell you that this church isn’t perfect. In fact, it will never be perfect. Know why? Because it’s full of people. That said, if you want to be part of a community of imperfect people who are daily trying love other imperfect people with God’s perfect love, Convergence is the place for you.

Been attending Convergence for over a year and the first thing that comes to mind when trying to describe my experience so far is «Come as you are». Doesn’t matter where you are with your walk with God, this is a church that invites everybody with open arms and is focused on loving Jesus and loving people.

I’ve been attending this church since it first launched. It is my first time serving in any capacity at a church, and let me tell you, it really feels great to be serving the Lord.
Whether you’ve never been to church or been attending church your entire life, all are welcome! The people here are amazing and you really get to see how God is working in other people’s lives, as well as your own.
Come on out, and say hi to me on Sunday morning!

I’ve been attending Convergence for over a year now and I LOVE IT! This is an awesome church that is authentic and genuine. It is made up of a warm and welcoming group of people and led by a pastor that has a vision to bring together the local community and really be united in Christ.

Hi… I am the Pastor’s wife. So I guess this means this review is TOTALLY biased, right? Well I am going to try to convince you otherwise.
Since i am the Pastor’s wife, I get to see all of who Bobby is and what he’s like when he’s not in front of a congregation. And let me tell you — he is far from perfect. He has flaws, shortcomings, and a multitude of habits I wish he would change! He does not have the best tact in the world, so I have found myself apologizing to people for the manner in which he says things (honesty=100%, tact=0%).
That being said, I can tell you that he loves God with all his heart, mind and soul. His whole being pulses with a love for God that overflows into everything he does. The way he loves his family, the way he talks to people, the way he worships and especially the way he preaches are all testaments to how much passion he has for God. I’m telling you, this love seeps into every aspect of his life and I see it — even when he’s not talking in front of 50 or 1,000 people. I see it in every day life. Now I must admit — I get jealous sometimes that he’s putting God in front of the family. But again and again I am reminded this is what God called us to — to run the good race, to live by faith, to be passionate about Him and life and to love others more than yourself. Bobby reminds me of this when I see him totally moved when someone accepts Christ, when he embraces a homeless person, when he prays with our kids, when he makes bold decisions to follow God, when he worships with no abandon…
‘And so now I hope you will not think I am being biased when I rate this church with 5 stars, but that I am merely being… honest. I see the man who God called to start this church and, by the grace of God, He has provided us with a community of believers that all want to live authentically, live passionately for Him, and want to see God’s Kingdom «converge» with our lives.
**side note — The Convergence community ROCKS and Bobby and I are SO blessed to be a part of it!!!

If you are in the East Bay, Convergence is the church to go to. Not just because they have an amazing worship team. Not just because Pastor Bobby Lee is honest, loving and inspiring. But because its a church that truly seeks to converge Oakland. And because it is a church that challenges you to live outside your comfort zone. Convergence brings people together to embrace their differences. And its through those differences that we are all able to see God in a new light.
I strongly encourage people to go to Convergence because its a small space with a big mission. Its intimate but not intimidating. And its doing big things that you will want to be a part of. Go check it out and say hi to Pastor Bobby-​he is awesome.

A pretty cool church that cares about the Oakland community and it’s people.
Authentic pastor and attendees.
Has that homey– down to earth feel. anyone is welcome!

I ain’t gonna lie… I’ve been here since the beginning and moved to Oakland to be a part of this church, so yes, I’m a little biased =)
However, the reasons why I chose to join this community are the same as why I continue to stay involved here everyday. It’s obviously a Christian community, and there’s a pastor, a worship band, and we meet on Sundays (in addition to all the other functions). But at the core of it all is something that stretches and challenges my understanding of what Christianity or «Church» has always been to me.
The pastor is both engaging and entertaining, lives out what he teaches and sacrifices for this community. His family is pretty amazing too. The leaders and the community appear to gather for a common vision… to embrace diversity and walk with each other through life. It’s a «come as you are» community that celebrates our differences and embraces our ups/​downs. It’s a place to thrive and fail, to experience great joy and painful reconciliation. It’s outward focused. It’s constantly growing and changing, a reflection of the congregation.
I love this community for all it is. Doesn’t mean it’s perfect, it just means it doesn’t have to be for me to call it home.