Very solid, Christ-focused church. If you are really interested in growing in your relationship with Christ, in learning more about God's love and how to how to serve Him and follow his commands as recorded in His Word, then this is the church for you. On the other hand, if you think you are basically a good person and are not interested really in making any changes to your life or growing in faith with other Christians, then you may be happier elsewhere. The website says 'No frills,' and they are not kidding. I love this church! My review was removed earlier for having insufficient info, so this is a concrete example of why I keep coming back: I have attended since 2018, and one of my favorite things about this church is how open the leadership is to questions. Even on very busy Sundays when I approach the pastor with odd questions such as 'what does Ephesians 3:13 mean by 'heart'?' he always makes time to discuss. Also a favorite: once every few months he encourages the congregation to submit questions about the Bible or how it relates to the culture, then he spends a week in research and addresses the questions in a sermon. It has been both helpful and edifying to be able to get a verse-by-verse perspective on tricky cultural issues, such as abortion and divorce. I think Pastor Roger is very bold to address these so openly, especially in California, but his responses tend to abound with contextually researched biblical evidence. Even if his response to a particular issue surprises me, I come away happier knowing a true biblical perspective and, being human, am glad for the impetus to 'excel still more!' In addition to having God-fearing leadership, I've found the congregants to be kind and sincere followers. I have made many friends here. They currently meet at 11am Sundays at 789 E Poplar in San Mateo. Parking is easy--it's the big lot across from Fiesta Gardens International School on Poplar. read more

It's unfortunate that I find myself writing this but I feel convicted to share and caution others to the state of this church. This is a church I'd have once given a good review for its commitment to preaching from and expositing God's word - in fact, I thought I did so. I started attending as a new Christian about 7 years ago, becoming a member soon after. I left in April this year. Though the word may be preached, there are serious flaws a prospective congregant should know about. In my time there, the largest board of elders consisted of 2 men, including the pastor. This is admittedly a challenge for small churches, but sadly I saw how a prolonged period of too few elders can play out practically. In essence, there's a concentration of power and a lack of checks. Accountability of leadship is, to me, the most glaring concern. I'll leave it at that in an effort to caution prospective congregants but also not get my post deleted. The remaining church body is in my regular prayers, but it's no longer a church I can recommend. read more

From the moment I entered the doors I was greeted and felt welcomed. The service starts with worship, a teaching from Pastor Rogers and prayer. He teaches from a passage in one book that leads us to other passages that link to the main message. The services last approximately one hour. I leave with my heart filled with wisdom directly from the Bible. They serve communion on the first Sunday of every month. Please note, this location on Poplar Avenue is temporary while their main church is being renovated. I look forward to remaining with Grace Church of the Bay as my home church. read more

It is heartbreaking to have to write this, but I am doing so in hopes that the truth will be exposed. My husband and I attended GCBA for less than a year before we ended our membership and left. In terms of polity, we found there to be little to no checks and balances within leadership. The pastor held all authority with one other elder and two deacons. Though we no longer attend, and to the best of my knowledge, it is worth noting that all these positions were recently vacated and the pastor is now the only one leading this church. In terms of personal experience, we found there to be several issues including: - Gossip about other congregants - Inappropriate and needless communication/conversations - Intrusion into our personal life and our families' lives We lovingly confronted the pastor and his wife but were met with excuses and gaslighting. Instead of taking my word for it, I'd rather encourage you to understand that according to the Bible, this church and pastor are objectively disqualified without any anecdotal evidence. Ask your questions and see for yourself. I pray the truth will be exposed for the glory of God, and also for the pastor's repentance. read more

Stay away from this church. The preacher was not welcoming to me when I visited. Preaching was not good. I'm editing my review as others have because of complaints from the organization for leaving an honest review. Does this speak to the character of the leader(s)? You can decide for yourself. read more

My family and I attended Grace Church of the Bay Area for over 8 years, were members and regular attendees. We made the difficult decision to leave because of repeated concerns. We experienced a pattern of poor accountability, questionable decisions, and a lack of transparency when concerns were presented. These actions undermined our trust and created an environment we no longer felt was healthy. In our view and firsthand experience, the leadership culture failed to demonstrate the humility and integrity that should be expected, and that ultimately made it impossible for us to remain. read more

I attended this church from 2019 to 2022, and for much of that time it felt like a great place--I made friends and grew in different ways. Sadly, I left because of repeated issues with Pastor Roger Chen's leadership. In my experience, he has prioritized his ego over genuine care for his congregation. During my time there, I witnessed patterns of him involving himself in gossip, meddling in personal relationships (including unwanted matchmaking and interference in marriages, inappropriate interest in single members dating lives-especially women), dismissiveness toward mental health crises, and a general refusal to hear feedback. I also saw instances of clear homophobia, classism, ableism, and sexism. It was clear the accountability he claimed to have was all smoke and mirrors. His lies and manipulations pushed many members away--including myself and many of the founding members. I no longer identify with the Christian faith, but I believe truth and integrity are above all. I'm sharing this because people deserve transparency, especially when the church publicly claims to stand for truth. You can report these reviews, but God knows the truth. You are hurting your community, the time has come to give up the grift. read more

GCBA is a solid, Bible-believing church that holds scripture in high regard. The leadership is welcoming and friendly, and is a great place to take your family! read more

Grace Church of the Bay Area has undergone a transformation/rebirth. The pastor preaches/teaches straight from the Bible. Come and see/hear for yourself. Ultimately, God's words will speak to you through sound, biblical preaching. Blessings! read more

A community of committed Christians helping each other grow in their sanctification through exceptional expository preaching and edifying fellowship. read more

Sadly, the wonderful teaching was not lived out by the pastor. so disappointing. avoid this church.

If you ever wondered what a small church with earnest seekers and Christian looks like - please take a look at this church. Whenever I go, I feel like I'm among the early church christians who are seeking God in an earnest way, like we are with Paul and the disciples in our sandals and we are seeking and praying. I don't enjoy the concert-like scenes of contemporary christian worship. I don't like the breathy-croning voices of youthful music worship leaders like they're pining for their high school crush. I don't like the distracting attraction of cute fonts, succulents, coffee and cake hours. I most don't like the concept that Church is Entertainment and a Social Scene. This sounds harsh but I don't like using church as my personal development for productivity or psychologic counseling. These are just my preferences. God forgive me! Grace Church is no frill, no thrill, no distractions place - without seductive and distracting attractions, and I find this exceedingly refreshing and pure - it's like for God's sake, for just one hour a week in one day a week, it's a place to seek God and hear about something that is not of this world. It's a place for seeking and it's awesome to see other worshipers who are also into this time. read more

My wife and I are new to the area and were looking for a new church, we prayerfully decided on Grace Church of the Bay Area. Upon entering the church (Burlingame High School), we were warmly greeted and offered coffee and a pastry. During the church service, the music was pleasant and peaceful, focused on Jesus Christ. The sermon was Biblical, Christ-centered, and expository. After the service we were able to chat with some very nice people. We are very thankful to God for bringing us to Grace and excited to see what He has planned for us here. I would highly recommend this church to you! read more

My family and I highly recommend this church. You will learn/hear sound biblical truth. They are a Christ-like church family, love them!

We have been attending Grace Church of the Bay Area since 2012. Prior to finding this church, we had visited many churches in the area but never felt quite at home. When we visited Grace Church, we loved the warm feeling where everyone was friendly and welcoming. One of my favorite things about this church is the worship time. The worship leaders are very talented and have this amazing ability to lead the congregation into a wonderful time of worship. There have been times when I've gotten teary-eyed while singing because there will be a line in the song that tugs at my heart. To me, that's a sign of a great worship time--when you can just block everything around, and just focus on you and God. I'm often amazed that, while the congregation is still small (it's a fairly new church), everyone sings with all their heart and it's often louder than some large churches I've been to! The sermons are awesome also. Pastor Roger preaches God's Word with enthusiasm and passion. The topic series are interesting, relevant, but also challenging and not watered down. Our current series is: "THE HYPOCRITE'S GUIDE TO RELIGION." There is also a Q&A Session every 5th Sunday, as well as weekly fellowship hours and monthly fellowship lunches. It's wonderful to find a church home where we can worship God, delve into God's Word, pray together, and fellowship with other believers. There are so many opportunities to serve in this church too! This church is great for people of all ages and cultural backgrounds. I would highly recommend this church to anyone who is looking for a strong, worshipful, Bible-believing church. read more

I've been attending this church with my Fiancee since last year. Interestingly enough, we found this church through an online search. After the first time that we attended, I knew that we would have to come again to see what this church had to offer. This is a church plant. It was nice to get in on the early stages of a church plant. The beauty of this church is that Pastor Roger teaches the word using expository teaching from the Bible. The sermons directly correspond to Bible verses and Pastor Roger always has my attention. He is concise, to the point, but also relatable and understandable (if that makes sense). His sermons are not ever confusing and I am always engaged. I have been to other churches from small to mega-sized and often times, I either get bored or tune out or I feel like the message is lacking. I feel like some pastors are highly opinionated and make assumptions that sometimes lack in Biblical evidence. Pastor Roger has the perfect amount of interpretation and opinions that are always backed up by the Lord's teachings in the Bible. Over the time that we've been a part of this church, we have since gone through the membership meeting and have become members of this church. I like the idea of going through a several hour orientation meeting with Pastor Roger in order to understand the vision of the church and what is expected of a member. Although you can attend without becoming a member, if you plan on being a regular, then why not become a member? It's a nice and welcoming place to gather for worship. There is a coffee hour (which is actually half-hour) before service starts which allows you to socialize with the other members and attendees. I really feel like I'm part of a family and do not feel like I'm just a number as in some other churches that I have attended in the past. If you are looking for a new church home, I suggest that you come by and give this church a try. You won't be disappointed. read more

"But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." 2 Peter 1:20-21 Generally speaking, church is a place to be encouraged by God's Word and to be in fellowship with believers. This encouragement and fellowship is founded upon the faithful teaching of God's Word, the Bible. Why? Because as believers, God's Word is the source of the knowledge of God, salvation, and how we are to live our lives for Him. So then, it is a huge responsibility to teach the Word of God -- not based on opinion or on what people want to hear -- but based on what God purposed to say through the original authors of Scripture (2 Peter 1:20-21). The careful study and teaching of God's Word is essential. By the grace of God, Pastor Roger understands this. And those who make their home at Grace Church understand this. It is not about personal preferences and opinions, but ultimately about living to glorify God--the God who has lavished His boundless love and grace on those who believe through Jesus Christ--according to His Word. This is a church where, by grace, people love God's Word, seek to follow and glorify Him, and reach out to the lost with the truth of the Gospel. We are united in this: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." -Ephesians 2:8-10 In the goings of day to day church life, I have both sinned against others and been sinned against by others. But, I thank God for fellow believers at this church who have forgiven me and also are humble enough to ask for forgiveness, overlook offenses, and even encourage me towards Christ-likeness...because of God's love and forgiveness towards us. I am thankful for friends and mentors who have helped take the splinter (or log) out of my eye and encouraged me to excel still more. I'm thankful for fellow believers who want to follow the Lord with a similar fervor, knowing that we have been purchased by Christ's death on the cross, saved from slavery to sin and condemnation to hell. Anyways, if you desire to grow in your love and obedience to God and His Word, I would definitely encourage you to visit read more

I first attended this church in January 2014, right before I left for grad school. I have a pretty unique first impression of the church, so I will share it here. In the Lord's perfect provision, I went to the small group after the first service I ever attended. I didn't know anyone well, but I told the small group about some logistical problems with starting classes. They prayed for me, and literally that night when I went home, I received the email that the issue had resolved. It reminded me of James 5:16-- the prayer of a righteous person has great power. The folks who have been there the longest have been with me through various seasons of life, and I am especially thankful for their godly encouragement and advice during the trials. Every time I was home on break, I would look forward to attending Grace for its Gospel-centered worship and expository preaching. It is truly refreshing to hear a pastor preach the Bible faithfully without staying away from topics that are weighty but necessary. I trust the sermons. One of my other favorite parts of the service is singing at least one hymn every Sunday. Hymns are theologically rich and help me feel connected with Christians all over the world and with Christians throughout the ages-- to think that the early Reformers also sung to the Lord these same songs! What a rich, blessed heritage we have. One unique strength of this church is its diversity. This is the first Bible- preaching church I've attended with a congregation from various ethnicities. On a given Sunday, you'll see Hispanics, African Americans, Caucasians, and different kinds of Asians all worshipping Christ together-- a sight to behold! On top of that, the different ages and life stages are pretty well represented, with new families, elderly, students, newlyweds, young adults, etc. And with that, there are always ways to serve and learn from other Christians. I've seen the church grow a lot through the years, both in terms of numbers and in people's sanctification, and I am so thankful to God to witness this. read more

Such a great church! As a young adult I have met so many spiritually driven people my age and older. Great sermons that are TRUTHFUL and hold so much GRACE and LOVE! Small groups Wednesday nights and men's/women's group every other Thursday night. Both gatherings are very enriching! An amazing community driven by truth. read more

A solid little church gem tucked away in Burlingame Community Center. Refreshments and conversation in the morning for starters then comes some pretty in depth preaching by Pastor Roger. For a good idea of what they're about, here is a recent "Q&A" talk: http://gracebayarea.sermon.net/main/main/20481640 read more

I've been attending this church since October 2013, and have found the community and the leadership here to be encouraging and God-centered in terms of being a light in this world. I have had a lot of growth here, so much so that I finally received baptism in April 2014. Growing in the Bay Area and being Chinese there are a handful of churches that people grow up in. Many of my friends grew up in the church and still attend their churches, that have been cornerstones of their communities. Having not grown up in one of those churches, it was a challenge for me to get plugged-in the community after returning from Southern California. I heard about Grace Church of the Bay Area, and it had what I was looking for, expository preaching, and a smaller, church plant-type community. The expository preaching and theology is along the lines of the teaching and high view that John McArthur has on the Bible. The community, though in Burlingame, has many Bay Area transplants as well as a diverse group of ethnicities and ages. Under the pastoral leadership, I have been able to expect convicting preaching that is just purely based on the exposition of the Bible. I'm sure if you're a new visitor, you'll hear that we have been going through the book of Matthew verse by verse, and yes maybe we will never get through the whole Bible, but it's better to hear truth, than to just get a watered down feel good message. What can you expect when you attend or visit Grace Church of the Bay Area? You can expect dedicated preaching of the Bible, supporting of global missions, a welcoming, diverse community of people, and serving opportunities. Hope to see you on a Sunday! read more

I wrote this same review for Google, but for those who are exclusive Yelpers, this is for you... Looking for a solid, Bible teaching church? This is the place. I am not a member but am visiting on business for 3 weeks. A quick Google search a few weeks ago showed me that there are plenty of liberal churches in the Bay Area featuring feel-good theology, outright rebellion against God's Word, and overall loose doctrine. Grace Church is the exception. The Pastor unapologetically preaches the wonderful truth of the Gospel. Here you will find expository preaching (very much like listening to John MacArthur) and the hospitality is reminiscent of coming home to a loving family. What an encouraging and Godly group of people! The Lord is moving in this church and I am so encouraged to know that there are unapologetic believers in the Bay Area. If you are on business, drop by! If you live in the area and are looking for a church, this is the spot. read more

I've been attending Grace Bay Area since October. I think my first time attending was actually the 2nd or 3rd service since the church started. My husband and I wasn't looking for a new church, but we heard about Grace so we wanted to check it out. We were immediately very attracted to the strong Biblical teaching and Biblical foundation of the church. The sermons are consistently solid in the Word and this is really core for us. Extra perks - being such a small church, you really feel at home pretty quick and get to know everyone. Monthly church lunch. Delicious home baked communion bread! :) I'm looking forward to seeing how Grace will grow in the next few years! :) read more

Solid Bible-driven teaching from a pastor who desires to shepherd people with love, compassion, and truth. Combined with a community of loving believers, this is an excellent and faithful church. read more

I'm gonna give it to you straight. The short version - if you want a summarized quick read about what Grace offers - and the longer version - if you want more details about why I, personally, like Grace. SHORT VERSION Here's why Grace Church is great: (1) Expository-style Biblical teaching (our pastor went to Master's Seminary, so teaches in John McArthur-style). (2) Weekly church small group that is still small enough to connect and fellowship; small group does a solid, Biblical study together. (3) Bi-weekly men's and women's groups - perfect for fellowship and more Bible study! (4) Warm, connected fellowship - people serve each other and support one another in life! Women give one another baby showers; men play basketball together to connect. (5) Biblical counseling - for married folks or for singles who want to stay on the right track. (6) One of the few true, solid Bible churches on the Peninsula in the Bay Area (most are watered down here). (7) Monthly fellowship lunches - so you can stay after church to connect with others. (8) People from all ethnicities, backgrounds, and life stages (single, married, young, old, black, white, Asian, engineers, retirees, etc.) (9) Annual church retreat which provides both fellowship as well as the opportunity for spiritual growth. (10) Coffee and home baked goodies on Sunday morning during the weekly fellowship time right before church so you can connect with friends 30 minutes prior church service! (11) About 40 people come on a given week so it's small enough to really connect with people on Sundays. (12) Weekly Sunday school class for adults (right now on parenting) and SS for kids. (13) Even worship songs are chosen based on their alignment with Biblical truth - if they aren't Biblical, we are not going to be singing them! Mix of hymns and contemporary songs are sung. (14) The gospel is clearly preached and presented in church services, and all attendees are exhorted to be sharing the gospel ourselves in this dark, pagan area of the country. LONGER VERSION Why I like Grace: I like all the above about Grace, as well as because of the mini-book I wrote below. I am from the South, the Bible Belt. There is a church on every corner! While a lot of the churches are not necessarily grounded in what the Bible teaches (as perhaps they used to be many years ago) and have compromised for the sake of having attendees, there are still MANY, MANY true Christians in the area. I have many solid Christian friends back there. Here, however, in the Bay of CA it is very dark spiritually. When I told my Southern mother I was moving to the Bay Area, she was very concerned about us finding fellowship and I think figured we weren't going to do so successfully. I assumed about the same. I had no idea how my new husband and I were going to find Christian fellowship and godly, Biblical teaching. But God has His ways of leading us exactly where He wants us! And it's a long and unique story about how we found Grace Church, but all glory be to God for leading us here. As mentioned, I came out here newly married, and my husband and I had not pre-marital counseling. As a result, we found ourselves going through a lot of stress between the adjustment to moving in addition to the adjustment of marriage. God led us to Pastor Roger for marriage counseling and God used him to prevent us from ending up in divorce. It sounds severe, but, frankly, that is the honest truth. That is where we were sadly headed, and without godly counseling I am pretty confident that is where things would be now today. But we are still very much together, praise God! Our marriage not only was saved, but was made stronger. I am happy to say that today my husband and I pray on a daily basis, and our marriage is both sweet and stronger than it ever used to be. Pastor Roger's teaching style is very similar to the expository style of my former pastor back in the South. It is hard to find expository teachers - teachers who will go through a book of the Bible verse by verse, and use Scripture to interpret Scripture. After all, which is easier? Doing a topical "feel good" inspirational sermon? Or preparing for a sermon doing all the research necessary to accurately divide the word of truth verse by verse? Clearly the latter is much more involved than the former! But it is much preferred, I believe, by hearers who prefer the meat over the milk of the Word on a Sunday morning! If you want a place where truth meets grace, then this is the church home for you! read more