Greater Portland Bible Church, a Christian church, has a wonderful food pantry which is open to the…read morepublic on Saturday afternoons. It is frequented by those in need of a little assistance. Quality food is brought straight from freezers and refrigerators from local grocery stores, and is directly deposited into the church freezers and refrigerators. It is only removed shortly before being dispersed among food pantry visitors. There are many happy individuals and families returning each week. This church is committed to doing God's work in the local community.

A Jesus-centered community that is active in their neighborhood. Jesus is the source, the reason,…read moreand the hope of everything we do. To be Jesus-centered means we are a community that points people to Jesus, allowing Him to gently call people to Himself and allowing Him to be the agent of transformation in our lives.

I like it - it's not perfect, but it's good and getting better, in my opinion. I can't compare it…read moreto many other churches because there's not a lot of churches out there for atheist pagans for obvious reasons. But that does mean I can say, from personal experience, that they really are sincere about welcoming people of any faith. While it welcomes Christians as much as any other and Unitarian Universalism did spring from Protestant Christianity originally, it's very much its own thing. Congregation-wise, yes, it is absolutely an aging white boomer church; I am probably thirty years younger than the average and I am not young. However, one thing I will say is that within the year I've been (admittedly somewhat irregularly) attending, which happened to coincide with the investiture of a new minister who I greatly respect, I have seen noticeable improvements about working to attract new people and retain them, and I feel like I'm starting to see the results of that in a few more younger people and maybe a few more people of color? They are definitely conscious of it and they are working to not just be that, but also yes, they are still that. It is sincere in its progressiveness and does a lot of real work in that regard. Entirely LGBTQ friendly, probably not as good at being POC-friendly just because I'm pretty sure there's a lot fewer people who aren't white in the congregation than there are people who aren't straight and in the end there's only so much well-meaning people can do without the affected population there to give them feedback, but certainly intends well. Services, eh. I think they give very, very good sermons. Regardless of which minister, I have never not liked their sermon. The music program does seem like it would be very rewarding to be a member of - they have multiple thriving choirs they are very proud of, and there are clearly many people there who absolutely love the music there - but frankly I'd be happier if they cut it short. But this is very much a personal taste thing, and it just is not particularly my taste. Community-wise, you're simply not going to make long term relationships with people just by showing up to service every week; it's too big a church. They have a huge number of programs running for people to join, and they're what you have to join to make community within the church. There is a weekly newsletter, and you pretty much have to keep an eye on that for the things that you want to be involved in. I know they're working on redesigning the website to be more user-friendly, so hopefully eventually it will be a little less extremely dependent on you getting a giant email once a week and carefully reading it for the sub-groups relevant to you, but right now if you want to get involved in this church I would strongly recommend that you do precisely that. Like most things, what you get out of it is dependent on what you put into it. But it is a good place to put the effort into it.

Soon after my son moved to the Rose City from the East Bay, I asked him what he liked about…read morePortland. His first and immediate answer was "No Blacks!" That unexpected answer was entirely inappropriate and I immediate told him so. His mother was glad that I corrected him, but added that she frankly echoed his sentiment. That conversation came to mind as Gayle and I attended a service last Sunday at the First Unitarian Church of Portland. My son's mother mentioned that this Congregation is perhaps the biggest Unitarian one in the World, and I don't doubt it. The Church grounds take up almost an entire city block and their Elliot Chapel is perhaps larger than most main sanctuaries that I've previously visited. And there's lots of people, progressive programs, and at least 3 Ministers to match. But you would think that a Church with so much going for it in terms of diversity and social action wouldn't be so overwhelmingly (~98%?) Caucasian. Perhaps their new Senior Minister (Rev. Bill Sinkford), the African-American and former President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) will help solve this riddle. My ex-wife (a member of this Church) is certainly excited about it, specifically mentioning his Obama-like charisma (with or without any perception of any tokenism UUs themselves abhor). I have been attending Unitarian services since my Grandparents took me to the Nora Church in Hanska MN when I was a child. This Congregation has many of the familiar Church trappings, but of course without any religious symbols outside of the Chalice. Unitarian Churches are also known for their music and I was not disappointed as the Chorus last Sunday was fabulous. The service itself flowed well, and the sermon by the Intern Minister about her adventures in the Transylvanian Mother Church countryside was fun to listen to and insightful. I still have issues with the depth of UU theology and some occasional pedantic psychobabble flareups. However, the atmosphere here at the First Unitarian Church of Portland is comfortable, accepting, and non-proselytizing. This Congregation is also ready to welcome any religious seekers or renegades who care to walk through the door. And as my son follows both his mother's and his father's early UU footsteps, I'm sure I'll drop by when I'm in town to see how he's doing.

New Hope is an amazing church one of those rare places that gets right to the point and gives you…read moresomething real to take home. Their band is lively, the kind that wakes your spirit up in the best way. The moment you walk in, you feel welcomed. They've got coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and water ready to greet you, plus a nice outside foyer where you can still hear the service if you want some fresh air. They even have a dedicated prayer room, and the whole place is spotless, cozy, and truly homey. If you're looking for solid substance real word, real teaching this is that church. It's clean, musical, inviting, and not overwhelming at all. Honestly, it's a great beginner church, a place where anyone can walk in the door, feel the presence, rejoice, worship, and enjoy some genuinely good singing.

We have attended twice and loved it. We used to go to Beaverton Four Square and I've had a hard…read moretime finding a Church here in Happy Valley. The moment I walked in, I felt welcomed and it felt like home. It is very clear this is a Bible church and people matter.

this chirch is awsome they got me so welcomed and my kid loked the bible school,the servise wasent…read morelong

Great community! Non legalistic, God and people loving congregation. Beautiful music, worship,…read morekids, teen and youth programs, rehab center for addicts, - great results. Highly recommend for anyone who is seeking a loving church family.

St Andrews is a welcoming community of loving families that care about the bigger community outside…read morethe church walls. The executive director of the local social service agency, Neighborhood House, has declared St Andrews as a key leader in the community supporting the agency's work. The church led the faith community in creating an annual food drive for the Neighborhood House food bank. Members also volunteer with children in transitional housing or Headstart. Every member participates in helping the Portland community in some way as volunteers or donors. This church is open to all and visitors will find a friendly reception. The sermons are thoughtful, provocative, and educational. You don't have to leave your brain at the door, as one of our prior pastors stated. The basic message is one of love and commitment to the words of Jesus.

A loving and welcoming church family that is committed to serving its' neighborhood. Has a very…read moreactive partnership with Neighborhood House, a local service agency.

I would say on the outside this church is nice and looks like any other large and wealthy American…read morechurch, however the Christmas Eve service I attended with my children left a lot to be desired. I was expecting worship music that glorified God and the season and I received that, but when we got to the message for the evening I was extremely let down. The pastor spent the last half of the service making references to pop culture and his own personal life. I did not come to hear your personal life story on CHRISTMAS Pastor Lindseth. Super disappointing but not surprised.

Wonderful worship service, amazing Christian music, very friendly people always make you feel…read morewelcome. Bible study classes, including men's Bible Study Fellowship class on Tuesday nights. PCC is the place to be.

this church changed my family's life for good, and they make me believe that there is no better…read moretime than god's time

Really disappointed that you are not sticking to a structured through the bible format as expected…read more When I heard you were going to go through the bible in one year, I knew it would be impossible to read through every verse, but I was very excited that perhaps we were going to begin studying the bible and the word of God and not skip around so much. Unfortunately, there is too much off-topic, side tracking that I get confused and I know other people do as well. Let's just get back to basics and teach the word of God in a manner that everyone can understand. The church is about God!

Born and raised Catholic, I've searched churches in Portland for over 5 years trying to find a…read moreplace that speaks the truth and doesn't hide from what's happening outside by only reading scripture and moving on. This church reads the scripture and translates God's words into love, justice, equality for all. I leave service feeling connected and not alone. The choir is beautiful, the people are friendly, the children are involved. We found our church family. So grateful.

We love this church--it is open and welcoming and preaches about love and acceptance. This is what…read morea Christian church should be!