the best kept secret in the twin cities, an amazing congregation that makes you feel welcome,…read morewanted, valued and accepted from your very first visit. I highly recommend this church family.

Without question, I would heartily recommend River Valley Church to anyone, regardless of faith…read morebackground - or lack thereof. "The mission of River Valley Church is to lead people to an authentic, life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ." My girlfriend and I visited their Saturday early evening service in Apple Valley (4:30 PM), and we were amazed at the strength of the Spirit in that church. This is not your typical church "experience", so walk in with a completely open mind. The building itself is a rather nondescript office building in Apple Valley (a 35-minute drive for me from Northeast, but it was WELL worth the distance). But once you walk in, you will immediately be impressed with the warmth, energy, and spirit in that place. The church culture is casual, so you can dress down as much as you like. Head pastor Rob Ketterling speaks with passion, conviction, and creativity. His message that Saturday afternoon (2/25/12) was one of the best I have EVER heard, and I have listened to many hundreds of sermons (from dozens of pastors) in my adult life. The music/worship is as good as any church I have ever attended. In fact, to get a feel for the music style, check out River Valley's 2011 album "You Are // I Am" on Spotify or iTunes. But here's the thing: the worship there is clearly not at all about the musicians on stage; it is solely meant to praise God. The congregation belts out the song lyrics unlike ANY church congregation I have ever heard before. These people are passionate about their faith in God, and their love for Jesus Christ. If you're looking for a place to be uplifted, loved, to learn and to be challenged, check out River Valley Church. They also have campuses in Minnetrista, Savage, and Faribault. Check out the website for the various service times. And all this is coming from a guy who is a member at a church on the other side of the Twin Cities (and I have no affiliation or connection with River Valley...so there's my disclaimer!).

I am a christian. This church like every church has a lot of problems. But their leadership…read moreespecially in the women's leadership Is not only lacking but is abusive in nature. I'm saddened a church of this size has such poor leadership. I hope it works out for you. I did not find the authenticity, grace, kindness that is expected by Christ.

I am music director of this church (since Sept. 2019). This small congregation is friendly and…read morewell established, with a progressive presence on the west side of St. Paul, in the bluff area above downtown St. Paul. It utilizes a combination of in-person worship and livestreaming through its Facebook page. A blended congregation, CPUC embraces the traditions of Presbyterianism and the United Church of Christ (UCC). Committed to social justice, inclusivity, environmental stewardship, radical love, care and service for Loaves and Fishes and other local programs. Music is globally sourced, using a combination of traditional hymns, world songs in various languages, and contemporary compositions. Musical involvements include choir, song leadership through weekly cantor presence, and tailor-made solo and small ensemble experiences. Piano and Celtic harp are instruments heard each Sunday, with world drums sometimes featured. Guest instrumentalists (guitar, violin, and organ) indulge our interests in a variety of music. Pastor (pronouns: he/his) is highly regarded and cherished, having been called to CPUC from a field of 40 ministerial applicants in 2018. Communion is celebrated once per month, with grape juice and floured bread, adding gluten free bread option.

I went to this church after finding out that the other church I normally go to was being held at…read moreLoring Park for Pride. I found this church after doing a Google search for LGBT friendly churches in the Twin Cities area. It was close and I made it just in time for service to start. I was greeted by this cute little boy who hugged everyone and welcomed them. I was also greeted by probably half the people once I got inside the church. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly. They had a fellowship afterwords with great snacks and refreshments. If you're looking for a non judgmental, non discriminating church, I would recommend this place.

We attend here regularly. The youth program is very active and there are opportunities to connect…read morewith others. There hasn't been a perfect church yet but we appreciate that this is a Bible teaching church with friendly caring people.

I have been attending Faith Community Church (FCC) for more than 25 years and I love being a part…read moreof it. On Sunday mornings, I appreciate that FCC holds a high view of God and of Scripture, and teaches the Bible in an engaging and compelling way that speaks across generations. They believe we all wrestle with unbelief, no matter where we are on our faith journey, and they want to help us overcome it. The teaching is both inspiring and helpful. Faith Community Church also desires for those who attend to be in community, because it is a great place to live out and deepen one's faith in Jesus. The people there are warm and welcoming. They have recently completed a substantial addition to their youth and student ministry spaces along with a general refresh of the lobbies, and it is a joy to see families of all ages participating in the ministries. FCC has been a blessing in my life, and I think it can be one in yours too!

I was caught up in an addicted lifestyle 16 years ago, and a friend of mine from South St. Paul…read moretook me to this church. I loved the church so much that I have sent all 3 of my children to the school, and yes, we have attended this Church for the past 16 years. One thing that I have learned from this church, and the wonderful pastor who takes care of his flock, is that church is about community. If you are looking at a church only in the area of what can the church do for me,? you are really missing the point. Good churches are made up of people who continually invest themselves in changing peoples lives, based on the example that Christ gave us. If you are looking for a church of people that are broken and looking for God to change them, then 1st Baptist is the church for you. If you are looking for faults and perfection, than any church is probably not a good fit for you. My oldest graduated from this school, and she is a smart, ethical, christian women. I give some of the credit to this awesome school/church. If you come to check out this church, come say Hi. Look for a man sitting next to his wife and 3 children. Look for a "not so perfect man."

"Why are we here on earth? How can such evil and good exist? What happens after death? How…read morecan I please the Lord?" Many times we will wait until troubles or bad circumstances come into our lives to seek the presence of the Lord. But why do we wait?? We have His Word and all of His promises. We can have good, genuine fellowship with Gods people. We can build lasting friendships and strong supporters. And I have gotten all of this and more at First Baptist Church. I've been a member and a part of the Christian school since I was little. I am so grateful for my sweet church family and miss them when I am away. I invite anyone and everyone to check out my church! You'll be glad you did:)

Temple Israel is an extraordinarily warm and welcoming community. Liz Mack, the membership…read moredirector, connects potential members to people in the Temple community that they may like to create a sense of community to new families. The pre-school is superb, our toddlers love it! As TI is a large synagogue, there is something for everyone and you can be as involved as you choose, from weekly services and volunteer opportunities, to simply attending high holidays. Lifelong Learning director, Andy Helper is happy to meet with members to create new programs to meet congregant needs. Miriam Seidenfeld is accommodating to any needs that arise. All four clergy are SUPERB! If you're a reform Jew in Minneapolis, Temple is a must!!!

So my friend and I were trying to attend the High Holy Day's service at Temple Israel in…read moreMinneapolis Minnesota but were refused entry by Miriam Seidenfeld (her contact information is on the website) because we had not been attending long enough (even though we have been attending for 4+ months!). We protested at that service outside, holding signs showing our $75 tickets we got to attend. We were told that the services were "too intense" for us. We came dressed nicely, and there were people with shorts and t-shirts allowed in... Miriam saw us and stopped us from entering the door. She immediately called the Minneapolis Police Department and we were escorted off the property by an officer. We made signs and stood outside and were harassed by the police officer, telling us that we should leave! Yet we stood there as members of the church exited and they did not understand what was going on. The Cantors just laughed at us. Some members went up and offered us their tickets to the benefit of the congregation... it seems like there are some serious internal issues among the leadership at Temple Israel. We have been attending morning Torah studies and were told we could attend these services by a guy named Steve that claimed to be a board member at the church. We even got name tags for Torah study! So, if your looking for a new Temple to attend, I would recommend not attending this one. There are some obvious problems with the staff. Most of the people in the congregation seem nice and were very confused by the whole situation, too bad the rabbi's were too busy to come talk to us and resolve the situation.

A wonderful church that accepts everyone. One of their key phrases is 'no perfect people allowed'…read morewhich is true! People come in every shape and sizes and from every stage of life. I felt welcomed and accepted as soon as I walked in. Their pastoral staff was friendly, genuine and were happy to meet us. They also offer great childcare to allow you to go to services. Most importantly FREE DONUTS AND COFFEE!! Teaching are very applicable and I leave with something that easily applies to my life every week. They do some amazing work in the community and help put on many events that help others. They support the local schools and local charities and even help put on the Champlin Easter egg hunt. A great church that I would recommend to anyone!

Our family loves Riverway - the kids programming is excellent with leaders who truly care about the…read morenext generation! This church provides practical tools to apply God's truth into your life, no matter what stage of your faith journey you are in, and is very active in the local community!

River Valley Church purpose is to lead people into a life changing, authentic relationship with…read moreJesus Christ! What you'll find at River Valley Church is a place where you can make life-changing relationships and find your purpose in life. You'll also experience dynamic worship, inspirational messages and your children will love our fantastic programs designed just for them. We're a relaxed church and we're passionate about living our lives for God.

Love River Valley! We were looking for a small, but not too small church with a great program for…read morekids and youth, but with relevant teaching for adults. We found everything we were looking for here!