We visited my in-laws' church today at the 8 a.m. service. As others have mentioned, this is a…read moresuper hospitable congregation and a welcoming space. As soon as you arrive, multiple members come to greet you, shake your hand, ask where you're visiting from, generally make you feel welcome. It's a gorgeous wooden building with lots of stained glass in the sanctuary, beautiful landscaping with lots of succulents and trees. If you've never been to an episcopal church, it's a bit different in terms of having a lot of high liturgy, call and response portions, often sung. It's helpful you get a program that has music and recitations printed out for you. Anyway, it's quite the interactive experience. It was the day to bless pets so several congregants brought their dogs with them. I could've brought our cat had I known...there's always a coffee/tea snack time in the courtyard after the service for people to socialize. We didn't stay today as we had brunch plans but it's always super friendly and welcoming as well. The church has a thriving thrift shop on campus which is open on weekdays.

Welcoming church in the heart of Del Mar. Passed by many times, today I decided to visit it inside…read moreand the different parts that is composed, like the library, nursery, even the thrift shop (where I got super good deals). I liked the atmosphere and then fact that is so walking distance to the sea, you feel in communion with nature. The vitrals are very colorful and delicate and found interesting to see origami pending from the ceiling. They also have a no less interesting Saint Peter statue made of wood that looks like a totem. Peaceful place.

Have you ever ordered an In-n-Out meal ate the double double, all the fries and had a little…read moremilkshake left and said, "I wish I had just a few more fries to really round off this meal"...then you look in the bottom of the bag and find a handful of delicious fries left?! That's the feeling you get with Reve Church! Todd, Shannon, and the Dream Team (volunteers) welcome individuals and families with offerings from ages 3months to 85 years old! Reve Is an easy on ramp if your looking for a faith community and have such a great vision to serve the community!

This church is truly incredible. The sermons are grounded in truth, the people are kind and…read morewelcoming, and the pastors genuinely care. I joined their small group and have gained so much insight into emotionally healthy spirituality. You can feel the church's sincere commitment to the well-being of its congregation. I came and stayed during an incredibly painful season of my life and God has used this church to heal me in ways I never even knew I needed.

My first visit to this church was for Mass on a Sunday evening (5:30pm). The building and grounds…read moreare nice, and a statue of St. Therese "welcomes" you on your way into church. When I entered the church before Mass, a hospitality minister greeted me warmly and made me feel welcomed. The church interior is bright and well lit. The wall behind the main altar is all glass, with a south facing. Overall, the architectural feel is a contemporary interpretation of a California mission. I was impressed by the music ministry at this Mass, as well as the diversity of the congregation.

ST THERESE OF CARMEL @ DEL MAR…read more Parking was easy to find throughout their entire lot, and my friends and I had no trouble finding a spot on a Sunday during the 9 AM mass. They offer several masses throughout the week and on weekends, which are easy to find on their website. The church itself is beautiful, and the staff and community were incredibly friendly. We were greeted warmly, and there were lots of kids, which made it feel welcoming and lively. The priest was kind and inviting, and I really enjoyed the service. I also loved the architecture, which it's stunning and adds to the peaceful, spiritual vibe of the church. Conveniently located in the Del Mar area, I would highly recommend visiting if you're looking for a welcoming Catholic church.

This is my home church. I got baptized here 8 years ago. The Lord has worked wonders in my life…read morethrough this church. The brothers and sisters are truly god loving, devout people and we work together as members of the body of Jesus Christ. Come and experience the Lord Jesus first hand! He is our living God right here in this family. This is mainly a mandarin speaking church but English speakers are welcome!

Harvest Evangelical Church is affiliated with Evangelical Formosan Church (EFC) The parents here…read morespeak Taiwanese Mandarin and their children speak English. I used to go to Harvest Fellowship at UCSD, and some people who attend that fellowship also go to this church. People tend to be pretty nice here, and the church is in a scenic place. The Sunday speaker, Nick Hsieh is a very academic speaker. His sermons are well-researched and grounded in Doctrine. English service starts around 9:30 AM followed by a Mandarin service.

I have been attending this fellowship for several years now and always feel at home…read more The people are very welcoming, and I especially like the fact it is a liberal church and is involved in social justice issues. The services are held outside in a peaceful grove and the music's nothing less than amazing. It feels so good to finally find a group of like-minded people in this big fast-paced city of ours.

As agnostics, we were really intrigued to recently learn about the existence of Unitarian…read moreUniversalism. And, I can say with certainty that we would like to visit again. It seems to largely fit what we are looking for. As new parents, our desire to make the world a better place, even in small ways, has grown... We are also in search of additional positive influences to help guide our son as he grows. Outlets for community outreach is also something we want to do, and there seem to be many opportunities for that at UUFSD. The notion of being given a topic (sermon) to reflect on, even act on, is something we are attracted to as well. Learning more about the UU at the orientation was a real highlight for us. To be honest, we are still a little uneasy with some of the characteristics of a traditional sermon (words like faith and religion, prayers, and hymns -though from a musical standpoint we were impressed with the talented musicians and vocalists). But, both my hubby and I found the entire experience to be positive, the people welcoming. Our son also enjoyed the child care from what we could tell. After, he was chatty and smiley... Even with missing his nap. As an ICU nurse, unfortunately, my husband has only one Sunday off in the next 9 weeks. So, another visit might be some time from now. But, I thought it was well worth writing this review. I don't think many people our age know about this type of organization... This type of "church." This agnostic was drawn in by the principles and FAQs outlined on UUFSD's webpage. And now the experience today has us looking toward the future and how the UUFSD might fit into our lives (and hopefully our awkward schedule).

This church is unlike any of the ones I grew up going to. Granted, I haven't been to church since…read more2007 and a lot has changed since then. I started going because my friend loves it and her brother is part of the band. I remember when we were younger, seeing her brother play guitar and sing. It's very cool to see him perform on a church stage now. Personal ties aside, let's talk aesthetics. I know that's not the most important thing, but it's part of what drew me in after the kind of churches I remember as a kid. My first impression was the coffee bar. It's a really nice touch. The second thing that hit me was the size. The building is in an industrial area and has a sort of brewery feel to it, and I love that. It's bright and airy and very open. The third thing I loved was the bathrooms. In my youth, it was a three stall bathroom with very limited space and air. These bathrooms are massive- tons of stalls, sinks, mirrors. They smell clean and you can still hear the sermon and music through the extra speakers in there so you don't miss anything. The decor. Simple and minimalist but a nice, classy touch. Oh and plenty of parking (always a plus) and easy to get to. On to more important things. I've now participated in an online/Zoom group (my first Restoration event where I got to virtually meet a few members.) I did a wine/succulent ladies night on a Friday evening. I attended a midweek "relationship round table" event (where refreshments were provided even though it was a free event!) I've watched a few sermons online. And finally on Easter, I attended my first in-person service. (I call them sermons but they have a better term for it that doesn't sound as stuffy. Can't recall what it is.) What's great is that I got to attend all these other no-pressure events and get to meet people, feel the vibe, and check out the space before I ever attended a Sunday service. I immediately felt drawn to Restoration and comfortable. I even got my boyfriend to go with me on Easter. We've been dating since 2016 and have never gone to a church service together until last week. The fact that he was willing to come along and enjoyed himself spoke volumes. Pastors Kate and Kurt remembered me despite having only briefly met me at one or two of the events I attended. They are very engaging and talk about things in a way that gets me to see things in a new light. It's not nearly as restrictive and boring as I recall church being as a kid. (I attended Catholic Churches where my one grandma gave me candy to keep me awake. Armenian churches with my other grandma where I'd hide in the bathroom because I didn't have any friends and didn't know the language. Lutheran churches that I found dull and repetitive. And some other one where people spoke in tongues. I've been around lol) I was baptized catholic, confirmed Lutheran, and have never really found a church I fell in love with until now. My friend said she sometimes isn't able to get down there because, life. I was going to only go when she goes but I find myself feeling inspired to go in person on my own. I don't have kids but find it pretty nice that they have ALL sorts of kid groups and activities to keep kids engaged while the service is going on. (Really wish I had that kind of experience growing up, to engage me in Gods word, rather than being bated with candy and doughnuts.) I'm not big into music at churches but I found myself enjoying most of what I heard. There's no pressure to sing along (thank God) so I don't feel awkward standing there, just enjoying the music- not singing, not swaying. I literally just stand there. But because of the concert feel it has with the dimmed lights, I don't have to worry about sticking out like a sore thumb. I didn't have to raise my hand to let everyone know I'm new. They have options for people who ARE new to connect in a relaxed environment. Communion is also done in that manner, so I don't feel any pressure to partake if I'm not ready (they have a separate area to go up and take communion if/when you're ready during any point in the service.) And offering isn't a plate passed around while people stare at you, waiting to drop money in (that's how it was when I was young.) They have multiple options to give back and none of them put you on the spot. There's seriously so many things I've loved already and that's after only a few in person events and ONE service. I know it won't be for everyone and many people still love a lot of traditional aspects of other churches. But Restoration got me (and my bf!) to come in after not having gone to a church since 2007. I'd say that's pretty spectacular.

We attend Restoration Church when we visit our kids and grands…read more Pastor Kurt and Katie are so sweet. Solid Bible teaching, good worship, lots of very nice staff members that work with my grands.

St. James was our first parish when we moved to San Diego 25 years ago, and we recently came back…read morefor a friend's funeral Mass. I'm happy to make St. James my 1800th review. The church sits high above Solana Beach and Del Mar with terrific views from its parking lot. The church itself is a low structure that takes advantage of the hillside. When you enter the church, you find that seating is semi-circular with pews facing the main altar in the center of the arcs. There's not a bad seat in the church. Acoustics are very good. At the main entrance, there's a very large scallop shell that's the holy water font -- the Scallop Shell is the emblem of St. James. Behind the main altar, is a small chapel. The Liturgy at St. James is warm and inviting, as are the parishioners and clergy you will find here. In addition to the church, the St. James complex includes a school (St. James Academy) and a very nice function hall, both of which are a short walk up the hill from the church.

My daughter went to St James and then to Cathedral High …read more She called the office for info and was told they were to busy because of Holy Week . Wow , I don't think Jesus is to busy . What a shame . Another parish helped her . Very sad of the poor representation of the church . Oh yes , my daughter is pregnant and had questions about Godparents . All of alleged out reach by the church . Very poor representation. Gerry Connolly ( Father ).

Pastor Paul's messages are AMAZING---too the point and entertaining so it doesnt make you feel…read morejudged or that you're sitting in a lecture on a Sunday morning. Service is held at Torrey Pines High School and there are two services---one in the morning (1045 am) and another in the afternoon (mostly for college students). The community here is also GREAT---everyone is super welcoming and always willing to come up and talk to you--ESPECIALLY THE YOUNG ADULT GROUP!!!! After service, theres also a time for fellowship and snacks. If you're looking for a new church to attend in SD, COME CHECK OUT HARBOR!

Solid biblical teaching from amazing pastors! Highly recommend if you want to learn about the bible…read moreand strengthen your relation with Jesus.

We recently moved to Carlsbad and have been looking for a local church. Our current church in an…read morehour commute, but we feel it's worth the drive to hear expository teaching but it would great to find a local church. Some of my observations.... It's nice to see that there is a children's ministry, but since I've served for many years; I immediately noticed all the children leaving, still had their name tags on - this is exposing these children to potential risks of strangers. Next, the space is small as anticipated but there were so many people making it difficult to feel welcome and to figure out where to go. We found seats upstairs, it was nice to be sitting above the main sanctuary but eventually I regretted sitting upstairs because it was hot! As soon as the worship ended, the people behind us started taking and talked for most of the service. When the pastor came out, he introduced the new pastor and then begins his very long sermon. There were several verses being covered Ephesians 5:17-21 - his style is much different than what I'm accustomed too. I understood the message, but it was repetitive and didn't seem to progress. Pulling one word out the verses was not enough and then jumping all over the Bible to make a point was confusing. Finally; with 3 services, it's important to keep the message timely. We went to the 9:45 service, it actually ended at 11:30 - which is the exact time the 3rd service was supposed to begin. The pastor acknowledged that the clock was telling him to wrap it up, but he dismissed it and continued for another 15 minutes. This seemed rude to me, not taking into consideration the congregation's time and the next service. Multiple people walked out during the service. The worship team did a great job, although sadly the time of worship was very short.