Very welcoming, especially for people who want to explore Christianity and learn more

I feel a strong urge, perhaps nudged by the Spirit, to share my experience with Reality SF, especially in light of recent events where Christian pastors in DC were arrested for advocating for Palestine, after being gaslit by Reality SF and its leaders that I was the only person in their entire three thousand people congregation that supported the humanity and dignity of Palestinians. My story with Reality SF is a long one, spanning over 12 years of attendance, from their early days in the Swedish American Music Hall, transitioning to Everett Middle School, and finally to their current residence in a lavish $15 million building. My relationship with the church has been complex, characterized by its lack of welcomeness, but the strong and insightful teachings, attracted me to stay and call it home. Despite never voicing my concerns publicly--unlike the 200 congregants who once left in protest against the leadership--I remained silent and mostly defended the church, until the church's (lack of) response to the Gaza genocide pushed me to the brink, when they have commented on Ukraine and social issues in the past. Reality SF's portrayal of the genocide as a mere 'war' and their silence on the human rights abuses inflicted upon Palestinians led me to question the church as an institution, my faith, and to question God's character and even existence. My efforts to discuss these issues, including some encouragement for my faith, were initially met with a wall of silence. Persistently, I sought to make my voice heard, only to be confronted with defensiveness and outright dismissal. The most disheartening part of my quest for dialogue was trying to engage with Dave Lomas, the head pastor, who, as I learned, 'doesn't do emails' and proved to as difficult to meet with as the Pope. This barrier to communication only compounded my frustrations, leading me to take a hiatus from the church. Yet, in a twist that felt laden with divine intervention, after weeks of abstaining from church services, a sequence of undeniable signs led me back to Reality SF one Sunday morning. Carrying a glimmer of hope that the day's sermon might finally address the suffering in Palestine, I was met with disappointment as a guest speaker took the podium, leaving my expectations unmet. In an extraordinary turn of events, as I was about to leave, disheartened, I spotted Dave Lomas by the exit. In over 600 Sundays, I had never seen him greeting congregants. Unlike the kissing babies and shaking hands type of pastor, I've always respected him in his introversion, which I thought fueled his insightful sermons and considered him a guiding figure in my spiritual journey. This encounter, whether by divine arrangement or sheer coincidence, gave me the courage to approach him and share my concerns directly. While I prefer not to divulge the specifics of our 1:1 conversation, it was dishearteningly marked by significant ignorance and a lack of the compassion and justice Jesus preached. This interaction left me more lost than ever, questioning the foundations of my faith and the leaders who are supposed to embody Christ's teachings. In my quest for clarity, I turned to what my generation does for anything--social media. It was there, that I found the accounts that Dave follows on Instagram--conservative influencers, luxury golf resorts, and luxury watchmakers (think Richard Mille, not even Rolex). This revelation served as a poignant lesson: God often uses the imperfect among us to serve His purpose. I was wrong for putting Dave on a pedestal for his teachings. This reflection brought me to a deeper inquiry: Why had God, through a series of undeniable signs, guided me back to Reality SF that particular Sunday, to a moment of face-to-face encounter with Dave? Initially, it seemed Dave, as the pastor, might have thought he had a divine message for me--"you don't have to agree with everything your church believes" and he encourage me to stay, or, he pointed to the door (it literally was as we were right by the exit). However, upon reflection, perhaps the message was to Dave - to have a more compassionate heart, one that embraces all of God's creation, including Arabs (Muslims and Christians). I hope this somehow gets to him (he's a foodie so I have a better shot of getting to him than by email) and my worldly message is: read works by Ilan Pappe or Richard Becker. read more

love this church really Christ centered. The sermons are great spiritual touching. Humble and wise people's praise and worship God our lord almighty God bless you all. read more

Best church ever. This church is my home and it is full of bright, caring, kind, outgoing individuals who make community easy. The worship team is phenomenal and the pastoral team have relevant, challenging and relatable sermons rooted in Christ. 10/10 read more

My family has been directly impacted by the generosity of this organization. I am very touched and humbled by the support they offer our community. I just wanted to share that donations are making a real difference in people's lives. I post this with humility and gratitude. read more

Unwelcoming to non-Christians who want to explore the religion based on my experience of bringing friends. Very difficult to feel like part of the community. Church leadership is rife with drama. Too many guest speakers. Definitely would not recommend. We had a better experience with Canvas Church and would highly recommend Canvas over Reality SF. read more

One of the most spirit filled and biblically solid churches I've been to during my lifetime. The teaching is founded on the Word and people are authentic; it challenged me to be authentic to God, to people and myself. This is my spiritual home and although it is not perfect, I'd like to do what I can to contribute to this place so people would know the Lord in His genuine way. read more

In places where the Holy Spirit is working and spreading, that place will always be 5 stars. Churches are not easy to plant, especially in the city where there has been a lot of backlash against Christianity But, this city is definitely blessed with Reality SF, right in the heart of Castro and Mission. I heard about Reality through a friend who went to Reality LA. I was church hunting, and because of the location and such, it seemed like a great place to check out. Reality is a quickly growing church, with new members joining every day. The pastors always have such solid messages and series geared toward growing the church spiritually, and encouraging all of us to spread the love of God in our communities. Our community is strong, building within our ministries, community groups, and families. It was a little overwhelming going to RSF, located in a large middle school auditorium, with grand worship and so many people around you, especially if you go by yourself. The church has offered great opportunities for its members to get plugged in. For example, they have eat ups every Sunday for new members to share a meal with members of the church after service so that they can talk about Reality and Christ in a more intimate setting. They also give a few minutes each service for everyone to meet the people around them. They had community groups, where members gather once a week outside of Sunday service to worship and learn about Christ in a smaller setting as well. Community groups are organized by location/neighborhood, which I love because it puts all ages, male and female, all these different people in different stages in life to gather and love God. I've learned so much from my community groups, and I am so thankful to be around such a loving group of people geared toward spread the Gospel in their lives. During service, there are moments of worship at the beginning and end, a great sermon by one of our pastors, communion, and prayer, They have prayer team willing to pray with anyone, which is very encouraging. In and out of service, there is great support from the pastors and elders of the church to help work through any questions you may have about faith and Christ. There are different ministries to get involved with as well, such as hospitality, music, etc. Personally, I am involved with the children's ministry, and I love working with the kids and the families of the church. I've always felt that RSF is encouraging of helping everyone, and there is support for everyone. I'm happy to be a support for the families in Reality. They also have different conferences geared toward the community's growth in faith, such as lectures on dating, technology and Christianity, and parenting. They hold women's and men's retreats to foster growth and intimacy with Christ. There are monthly prayer nights to pray for the church, and prayer nights geared towards different events such as Easter and Christmas. Reality also has great connections with the other Reality churches and churches and organizations around the city as well, supporting the work being done around the world. No church is picture perfect, but we are all flawed in some way. We are all working together to build the kingdom of God, and that's all we can aim to do. I'm extremely thankful for RSF, I love what Christ is doing in our church and in us individually in order to spread the joy and love of Christ in San Francisco, the Bay Area, and the world. Praise God! read more

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The sermons are great! The worship music is definitely biblical, but not exactly my cup of tea. I do like Hillsong and Elevation, but worship is repetitive (songs are stretched out) and feminine/wimpy lyrically and in key/octave. This probably works for Asian and White women; but as a black man... I'm more interested in thanking Jesus for breaking my chains, acknowledging my worth, and finding strength in the holy spirit to advance the kingdom despite daily adversity. I cannot get my spiritual needs met in an environment that appears to be chasing warm fuzzy feelings and emotional comfort. read more

Inspirational, deep, thought, heart and soul-moving sermons by Pastor Dave.... and a young community of believers that welcomes newcomers into the church-family. Don't miss Eat-Ups after the service. Newcomers CG on Wednesday nights is open to all. I highly recommend checking it out. read more

Dear RealitySF, I've hemmed and hawed about writing my thoughts of our church for the 3.5 years I have attended off and on since moving here. I've shared these thoughts with some of the leadership and other congregants privately, but feel the need to share them more publicly, in the hope that some of the concerns I share with others are addressed. Here it goes. The church has its excellent aspects, and has very much deserved its meteoric growth with poignant and timely sermons, committed leadership and staff, extremely strong community groups, communion each week, and overall really great people. Whether I have attended for my last Sunday or night, I am grateful for a few dear friendships and many kind acquaintances that I have made over the past few years. However, I never really felt at home or particularly welcomed at RealitySF, and I've decided to look elsewhere. I attribute part of this to my own choices - living a bit outside SF for the past 2 years, I have not been a regular at any Community Group, an absolute MUST if you want to feel included at a church of this size. But I also attribute part of this anonymity to the church model and its reluctant posture to embrace new ideas and change. Frankly, it is just too big for its britches. I have a feeling that the decision to keep one service time per week rather than expand is due to the leadership's choice to not have enough room for new people until they figure out what to do with the hundreds and hundreds who currently attend. RealitySF has reached a point in which it does not want to expand further in terms of numbers, but grow spiritually and in engagement. I believe this is a thoughtful choice, but it will result in many people on the periphery who fall through the cracks and stop going. A few weeks ago, when I met a newly arrived to SF first-time attendee at Mission Bay Community Church, and she asked for my recommendations, I told her about RealitySF and encouraged her to visit, but not without some serious asterisks based on my own experiences: - the church can feel incredibly impersonal - if you do not regularly attend a CG or go with friends, you will likely feel ignored; the 4 minute "meet and greets" feel much more procedural than genuine or enthusiastic - in spite of pronouncements from the senior leadership to bring your best ideas and energies to the church as opposed to church-hop when you are dissatisfied / longing for more, do not expect your efforts to be received or supported in more than words - like many evangelical mega-churches, the senior pastors predominate on Sundays; there is little room allotted to others, opportunities to bear testimony, or disagree In the smattering of times I have attended other churches over the last year or so, from MBCC to Cornerstone Church to the LDS Church to City Church, I have found the services to be more welcoming and more deliberative (with the notable and beautiful exception of the "emo" church series at RealitySF ... please look it up at realitysf.org). Partly this is due to the fact that these churches have much smaller numbers or break gatherings into multiple service times to accommodate the size, rather than wedge everyone into a middle school auditorium. While there are particular aspects of RealitySF that I realized were uniquely ill-suited for me personally and would probably not apply to many other young Christians (e.g., the focus on contemporary music and singing at the congregation rather than in a more inclusive manner that invites people to join in), there are still some key frustrations I feel toward what RealitySF is and is becoming vs. what it could be. The last time I checked with the church leadership, upwards of 66% of attendees on Sundays are not involved in CGs or any other capacities within the church (this was awhile ago, so this figure could be outdated, but I doubt it's much lower). This deeply saddens me, as it means that the vast majority of congregants to RealitySF show up for an hour and a half on Sundays, and then leave, often never speaking with anyone. When there is no other meaningful effort to engage them, and when the church is reluctant to embrace new initiatives and ideas from within the congregation to change this, that is a problem. On a number of occasions after services, I would walk up to someone who was by themselves or in a pair that seemed like they might be new and asked how they enjoyed the service. Often, I heard similar refrains, "I enjoyed the sermon and it seems like a lot of other young people like it, but I've been coming here for 3 weeks now and haven't spoken to anyone, and am going to check out _______ next week." After 3 years, I feel the need to do the same. read more

I have always hesitated about reviewing my church on Yelp, because to me a church extends beyond just rating a sandwich or beer selection. A 5 Star review can dangerously signal the impression that the church is perfect, which as we all know is never the case, and yet while no church is perfect, the impact Reality has had on my life is irreplaceable. Dave Lomas is an incredibly gifted speaker, managing to translate the Gospel of Christ into a both intellectual and practical realm, continuing to touch on the difficulties and questions the 20 and 30 somethings that flock to this church have. The worship music is inspired and extremely talented. On any given week you might get a cello, keyboard, guitar, drums, violin, and a rotating selection of singers, all of whom are phenomenal. And on one special occasion, I even managed to see one of the pastors on bass...pretty epic. Speaking of the pastors, they are not your stereotypical group, with one even having done jail time for drug dealing. While we are all flawed, they have a genuine enthusiasm for Christ and are such a perfect fit for this city. But the people here are utterly phenomenal. I totally get how you might get the impression that this is a clique-ish church...it's because they do such a good job facilitating close friendships outside of simply the services. My community group has been one of the biggest blessings in my life, and I have made close, intimate friendships with people I never would have expected to. There are so many ways to get plugged in outside of the worship services, from prayer nights to dodgeball tournaments to service opportunities to 50+ person Dolores picnics after church. So if you feel like everybody knows each other, I highly encourage you to attend a community group and some of the other activities...that's where my closest friendships have been made. It can admittedly be hard to make friends by only attending the insanely large service. Lastly, while some have mentioned the fact that there are drinkers and partiers here, a truly Biblical church should be a welcoming place for people from all types of lives and backgrounds...the fact that everybody from drug addicts to homeless citizens, and a healthy dose of tattooed hipsters, feels welcome here is a testament that the Spirit is at work here. The congregation is a mix of evangelicals to questioning skeptics, with more than a few people rediscovering the stagnant faith of their childhood in a deeper, meaningful way. The massive baptisms are a testament that this church is preaching the Gospel in a way that connects with the urbanites that flock here, and seeing 1,000+ people, of all races, ages, and "hoods" (Mission hipsters and Marina bros alike) worship corporately is absolutely inspiring. If you have questions about God, are seeking to figure out what you believe, or are looking for an incredibly challenging and Biblically centered environment to grow deeper in your faith, this is 100% the place for you. I cannot stress enough to get plugged in to a Community Group, however, because that is what took the services to another level for me and how I met the most people. I cannot, cannot, cannot stress what an unbelievable influence this church has been for my life, and my faith (and this is coming from a former atheist). read more

If you're checking out churches in San Francisco then Reality should be on your "must try" list. It wasn't the right fit for me, but it is the right fit for many lovers of Jesus in the city, and it might be for you, too- especially if you're a Millennial or a Hipster (or both). Go hop on your fixie and head over to Epic. My husband an I attended Reality for about one year, and we really enjoyed the people we were in community with there (through joining a community group, which I would recommend to anyone trying to get connected). The worship was a little emo for my taste (and I have a Vineyard background, if that tells you anything), but the music is well done and they really do have a heart for Jesus and bringing people into relationship with him. We went there at the old location in the Castro, so I can't really speak to the current setting, but do remember that they serve great hipster coffee (people without plaid shirts and skinny jeans need not apply for this ministry). To me, the atmosphere is very similar to a Campus Crusade for Christ meeting, which my husband didn't notice because he was not a Christian in college and never darkened the door of a campus ministry. I think this was really just a product of how young the church was in San Francisco at the time we attended, and the fact that most [everyone?] in leadership was straight from the Santa Barbara location. Ultimately we left for two reasons. First, we realized after a year that we were still being "vetted" by the leadership. Neither my husband nor myself are wallflowers, and sometimes we are probably a thorn in the side of people who are not accustomed to being questioned, ever. But what you see if what you get, and we love Jesus and have been a part of the greater Christian community in San Francisco for well over 15 years. Second, we just could not get over their position on women in ministry. They have no female elder/pastors on staff, and this is not an accident. If you're a woman there are plenty of other opportunities for you to direct things and/or organize, but you'll never be an elder or a pastor. This is not as clear on the Reality SF website staff page: http://realitysf.com/about/ as it is on the Reality Santa Barbara/Carpenteria site: http://www.realitysb.com/santa-barbara/about/meet-the-staff/. If you read the article in the Guardian it wasn't too far off. I think that Dave Lomas is a great guy, but I wish for Reality's sake that he had just agreed to an interview. The church in San Francisco gets into trouble when it's too closed off (I guess that's true anywhere). I think this is just one growing pain that they will experience though, and I believe that because they truly are focused on Christ that they will continue to grow and prosper. I love hearing when my friends find a home church there, and know that they will be well loved and directed in their faith. read more

Went with a friend and was somewhat disappointed. Meeting area is overcrowded. Service is longer than it should be. If you're not part of a Community group, you're probably not going to feel engaged with this community. Think of the largest class you took in College, and this is what that feels like. You're sitting in a large auditorium on wooden seats...for two hours. I hope you didn't drink too much coffee! I thought the pastor did a good job of covering an intellectual topic in a reassuring way, but it was a sermon largely full of hyperbole and one-sided. It also went on way longer than it should of and was overly complex when a simple thesis or idea would of been good enough. They've grown spectacularly to 2000 people every Sunday. The problem is, you're now just a number and community groups are the only way to get that small feeling again. read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE this Church! The setup is contemporary and the theology is sound. The sermons are topical and they do a great job teaching not only the feel-good part of the Bible, but also the consequences of disobedience that many churches often omit. The people there seem normal (rarity in the city - jk!) Looking forward to connect with the community groups :) read more

We've been here twice. My daughter's friend invited us. A very young church, with serious relevant teaching that makes you think, and make you want to take notes. Unfortunately, these days, we're running out of churches like that. Their fellowship time is extended, something like 7-10 minutes which is refreshing. You actually get to start a small conversation with the person/people around you, which is really the whole point of fellowship, isn't it? Extremely crowded. Don't be late or you will not get a seat. Worship was authentic. I actually heard people singing--not just watching. They take communion every week, which is a really cool idea to me. They have an interesting way of doing things. They have space up front for praying and reflecting during communion time. We're going back this Sunday. read more

This place is seriously such a special place. Every time I'm visiting the city I make sure to come and visit. The worship is unreal.. So so good. The pastor also really speaks to me. They have a lot of amazing guest speakers visit. When I lived here in SF, I would come here weekly. Its definitely a young church, with most people there being 30 and under. Really wish there was one closer to where I live now! read more

I love RealitySF and call it home. The pastor Dave Lomas is a phenomenal, but even better the congregation as a whole is so beautifully planted on the Word of God. I love the honesty that the elders of the church set, which has built true character and trust in our church. The complaint that most people have is that it's difficult to find community at this church, but honestly, if you stay committed to church and take advantage of their community building activities such as Eat Ups, or courageously meet others, you'd be surprised at all the wonderful people who attend this church. So if you're debating whether or not to come, I recommend it 10/10 and will be the first to openly invite you to reach out to me if you have any questions, or if you're just looking to build community! read more

This review is based solely on their youth ministry, specifically the toddler age from 18-24m. I have taken my son who is 1.5 years old to their newborn - 24m nursery twice, once in October 2016 and once again this past weekend. Both times, my son was left to cry without any of the volunteers attempting to calm him down. I will begin with the incident in October 2016. We visited Reality SF and I checked my son in the nursery before heading off. When I returned after service to pick up my son, I saw he was left sitting in a bumbo seat. The volunteers told me he was crying so they placed him in a bumbo (which restricts him from moving since my son was still a crawler at the time) and he eventually stopped crying. This really upset me as I feel they didn't bother to try and calm him by using gentle and caring method, like maybe holding him? The incident that happened on 4/9/2017 was very similar in nature as the one in October. I dropped my son off before heading off to Sunday service and received a text message from one of the volunteers saying my son woke up from a nap (in which i find this odd since my son hasn't taken a nap around Service time in months) and started crying and asked if I can go check on him. I walked into the nursery room looking for my son, only to find that he was laying in a playpen that he was clearly too big for. The volunteers told me my son was crying, so they placed him inside the playpen and he eventually cried himself to sleep and was woken up and started crying again. I completely understand that there were other small children in the area but I can clearly see that there were volunteers who weren't tending to children. What strike me most was I saw the Assistant Director of Children's Ministry standing there chatting with another volunteer while my son was crying. It surprises me that someone couldn't have attempted to calm my son down from crying instead of leaving him inside a playpen that he clearly didn't fit in. I can see maybe the volunteers prefer to tend kids whom they see on a weekly basis and since we don't go often, we're not a "regular" so to speak. But it's unacceptable that my son was treated the way he did. From a mother's standpoint, this is not loving and/or caring of the volunteers to behave. On top of that, the Assistant Director is suppose to lead by example, but instead what I saw was the complete opposite. I honestly don't feel the volunteers care and they're just there on a Sunday fulfilling their duties of serving their church. We've been to other churches and though my son would whine a bit at the initial drop off, he's usually all smiles and doesn't want to leave when I pick him up. And I know my son could be calm easily with a bit of gentle caring and distraction of a toy. So I know this isn't an issue base on my son but it's based on the unprofessionalism of the volunteers. We will never pay another visit to Reality SF for Sunday service. read more

One of the best churches I found during my time in SF. You should be involved in a community group as this is a vital part of the church. It was worth the effort and if I were still in the Bay Area, would make Reality my home church. read more

It feels strange to rate a church. I am not giving it 5 stars because no church is perfect. I am actually writing this review in response to Sang L. I'm so sorry that you had a terrible experience. Finding a good church isn't easy. I am new to the area so if you are still looking for a church, please let me know. Maybe we can look together! Let me start off by reiterating that Reality is NOT my home church. I just moved here so I checked out Reality a few times. I actually thought Reality was quite welcoming. I met someone who's been tremendously helpful with my move-- showing me where thing are, where to buy things-- and she's even helped my wife explore job opportunities here. And, I have a lunch meeting scheduled with another person who just wants to get to know me and help me get plugged into the community. Cliquish? Most definitely not based on my experience. In my humble opinion, the sermons are not at all watered-down. They seem to be based on solid orthodox theology and are relevant to our modern culture. I particularly like that the preacher does not assume that he is speaking to a Christian audience. He doesn't use much "Christianese" and explains things thoroughly. From today's Easter Sunday message, I got "sola fide" and "solus Christus"---- isn't that what the gospel is all about? The preacher quoted extensively from scripture, cited well-known theologians, and made a case for why we need Jesus. He even cracked a couple of jokes that were actually funny. I went with some non-Christian friends I just met and they enjoyed the preaching and said they got a lot out of it. Lastly, I absolutely LOVE that there are ex-hipsters or wanna be hipsters there. Maybe they aren't EX at all. Maybe they are the biggest binge drinking party people in SF. However, I'd rather go to a church that is welcoming to those that many churches reject and condemn. Jesus welcomes white, blacks, asians, fornicators, left-handed people, homosexuals, those who cheat on their taxes, those who hit their dogs, and those who are overly-religious. He is an equal opportunity Savior. I am looking for a church that preaches that Jesus came to heal the sick and to make us fully human-- alive in Christ. I don't want to go to a church that merely turns people into Christians. The healthy do not need a doctor. I may not party and get drunk on the weekends all the time, but I am probably a bigger sinner in my heart than those who do. As for finding the perfect church.... well, if you find one, tell me to stay way from it because it will become imperfect the moment I join. But if there are other churches that I should visit, please let me know! read more

There are a few things I liked during my first experience here and a few I didn't. The worship music and all was great. This church seems to cater more to people in their early 20's to late 30's. As a result, the vibe is very indie/hipster-ish, with the worship being almost like a Decemberists concert than Hillsong. The girl leading worship that morning had a great voice that wasn't typical. It was a nice switch up from what I'm used to. The message was relevant and I did find myself very engaged which is always a plus. I even found myself chuckle a couple times. Very reminiscent of the youth church I attended before moving here. They also served cups of coffee and tea along with small breakfast muffins (not that it matters all that much). That said, there were a couple of negative aspects of my visit as well. Now no church is perfect and I do not expect them to be. This is just my observation as I'm looking for a new church on the West coast. I've heard Reality is rapidly expanding. This might explain why it felt so cramped in here. Walking through the lobby was like a video game, having to dodge all these people just to get to the auditorium. The chairs were hard and very packed together both side by side and front to back. There was very little space for me to put my jacket without it getting into other people's personal space. I was also perpetually worried about knocking over my cup of tea I had placed on the ground, and even moreso once communion began and people started to get up. I know they have been adding more services to help with the crowd issue, and perhaps they might move to a larger location in the future that will help as well. I also have to agree with Sang L somewhat when he said people are standoffish. That's not to say the people are mean, but they aren't exactly welcoming. I came with my bf and his two friends who were from out of town otherwise I would have felt a bit out of place. You would walk past a group of people and they'd glance at you but wouldn't say anything. I just felt like I was being judged a little. *shrug* I'm also kind of bothered to find someone who clearly attends this church on a regular basis attacking someone who had a bad experience. Perhaps turn the other cheek and use it as a base to reach out to new people and show them first impressions aren't always accurate. Overall, I enjoyed the contemporary approach, and honestly, the number one thing I look for in a church is message. Perhaps I will come back. For now, still searching. read more

Reality SF is a group of people who really love Jesus. I recently worshipped with this church for the first time and felt extremely welcomed and blessed. The musical worship is very meditative and you feel free to worship whatever that looks like. They are committed to serving the city and the world, supporting non-profits in both these settings. They put a huge emphasis on community and they have almost sixty small groups throughout the city! I pray you encounter God if you visit, and that God continues to move through and bless this church. read more

Reality is what a church should be. The worship is simple, reverent and spiritually moving. The preaching takes scripture and makes it relevant to the current challenges of life in SF. It is a church open to the unchurched as well as those who have known a relationship with God for a long time. It is a place to grow in relationship with God and others and be encouraged. The crowd is generally pretty young and the church just started in January 2010. As a result, they lack some of the infrastructure of more established churches like a children's and small group ministries. However, this should come in time especially as the more volunteers rise up to serve. They are packing the house at Cafe du Nord weekly on Sunday. Coffee is top notch and a serious reason to show up early and stay late. read more

Heartfelt worship. Authentic community. Wonderful people. Amazing and challenging teaching. Points towards Jesus and is actively seeking to be the church He has called us to be. You will receive as much as you put into becoming part of the life of any church you choose to go to and Reality SF will no doubtedly bless you regardless of the amount of participation you put into it. I was totally new to the area and Reality SF felt like coming home on the first day of going. read more

I moved from LA after attending Reality SF for 6 years. The teaching at RSF is Scripture-aligned, and applicable to daily life. The prayer team is also so gifted and humbling. read more

Visiting SF from Orange County and found the nearest church to where we stayed. The church meets in a middle school theater. Young vibe. Moving worship, with some responsive liturgy included. Don't think the church is very old (5 years?) so great opportunity for people to get involved on the ground floor of what God is doing here to bring His Kingdom to SF. read more

This is an awesome church! Great to hear the word and the different ways it's applied into our lives. Very friendly church and easy to get integrated in. This is the place I go whenever I am visiting San Francisco. read more

Love this place :) Good feel. Good speaker. Good people. Good worship. Annnnnd it's nearby Philz and Dolores Park :)

good church wtih a nice crowd. pastor talks about good topics and uses scripture to back it up. its a rather big church so it can get rather intimidating. the crowd is generally young SFers in their 20s and 30s. i believe they just started a childrens ministry in order to accommodate the young families. parking is kinda crazy since it is located in the middle of castro but they generally get parking at the funeral home down the street but you can't linger after church as they need you to move your car right away and plus if there is a funeral then no parking period. parking isnt TOO hard if you come for early service or right after the first service gets out.. spaces open up like crazy. i recommend using public transit if you can avoid driving. @Sang.. you sound like a very judgment, pompous, entitled and arrogant know-it-all. first off its spelled 'cliques'. 2nd, for a congregation this big, cliques are almost inevitable, should they be there? ideally no, but for everyone to know everyone and be bffs is unrealistic and impossible unless you were at church ALL day. why do you expect everyone to come greet you. you can always go talk to others. quit asking for hand outs. this is a two way street. if you're sitting there and sulking about no one talking to you then no one is going to talk to you. i don't know which sermon you listened to but the one i heard is nothing like what you heard. mine was about what it really means to pray and how we should pray and the general misconceptions on how we understand prayer. if thats not for you then i guess thats just not for you. as to the gathering you went to, well guess what, no one is perfect and not everyone who goes there is christian. its a sad truth that you seem to be just realizing. im not saying its ok for people to be like that when professing the name of God but for you to judge the entire congregation is pretty jacked up. there will be bad eggs at every single church you ever go to. that is just human nature. i guess you grew up in a pretty conservative bubble and probably just realizing what reality is really like (no pun intended) read more

The first time I went to Reality SF I was really excited because I loved the worship and I loved the sermon. I was a little disappointed by the demographic because it was very techy and representative of the gentrifying populations that are currently flooding the Mission, and it makes me sad that there are so many church plants who just focus on the young professional and don't try to include the people who were there first, the poor, and the marginalized. In that sense the Catholic Church in the Mission has done a much better job at meeting the needs of the original inhabitants than many of the protestant ones like Reality and that makes me sad. A lot of new young churches invest a lot of money, in fancy music equipment, and their appearance when it would be better for them to invest some of that money into community group's in Spanish, some ESL classes for recent immigrants, some midweek tutoring for kids, housing advocacy... anything that shows some initiative to be relevant and part of the community where they are located. The church should be the loudest voice for the marginalized of their neighborhoods. From what I saw there was minimal awareness of their role, and place in the community, and a lot of the people I met just talked about their camping trips, their fancy jobs, their vacations etc. It was a bubble. An upper middle class oblivious bubble. I was also sad especially after I attended the budget meeting and saw how much money this church has. It is definitely enough to hire a Spanish speaking Pastor, and start a few relevant community programs. Another thing that made me sad is that my friend and I wanted to join a community group and to do so you have to email the church secretary so she can connect you with one. She refused to give us information about a community group because we don't live in SF and I don't attend the church on a regular basis. Not only are we getting pushed out of our hood, but those of us who miss the Mission and still like coming back once in while, can't even join a Bible study which is supposed to the one place we should be able to go. read more

I am a Wheaton College graduate and also from the Wheaton, IL area. Being that I grew up in the flagship area and went to the corresponding flagship college for Christianity to obtain my undergraduate degree in science, I found San Francisco to be a rather spiritually dry city. I have had the opportunity to attend many, many churches all my life and then get completely inundated with Christianity while at WC. One major hallmark of a healthy church is the presence and interaction of a multi-generational congregation that can benefit from wisdom/ experience of the older generations while being energized and perpetuated by the younger generations. Additionally, the continual presence of small groups within the church is the core to creating spiritual growth and support that looks something akin to what we call the 'body of Christ.' Reality SF was quite weak in the former when I joined more than 18 months ago. However, the church has grown by leaps and bounds, including the increased presence and attendance of a families and older generations. Nevertheless, San Francisco itself has quite the hi flux of young people moving through the city every couple of years (either for school or job related), thus it should be no surprise that a church in San Francisco has similar demographics to an area with a relatively young population. In the latter point, Reality SF small groups have been exploding in size and number recently. I personally enjoyed small groups and the quality of people I met in the small groups to the extent I started attending several groups every week. Small groups communities are a definite strength of this church. If you thrive off community, this is a wonderful church where communities are energetic and supportive to your walk with God. Church service styles and formats can make it or break for many people who want more or less traditional styles. Reality tend to have a more contemporary style, with a live band. However, I really appreciate the worship approach taken in this church. It is very reminiscent of Wheaton College all school communions. Lights are dimmed during service, so as to take the spotlight off the performers and locate it on the better focus of our worship, Jesus Christ. Additionally, prayer ministers and prayer areas are designated (and fully utilized) during the closing worship set. Pastor Dave has grown immensely in his ability to feel what are pertinent messages and issues applicable to the church members. Seeing that I grew up surrounded (often) by rather well known pastors in wheaton, I will definitely say Dave is not the best pastor I have ever heard in my life, but that is not the point of church at all. It should not rest on the pastor/ CEO/ worship leader of the church to make it a vibrant, spiritual place of growth. Christ is the head and all other leaders should redirect focus continually toward Him. Pastor Dave has preached the Bible in a very simple (nevertheless, well researched and thoughtful), applicable, convicting manner that has definitely caused growth in me since the first day I walked into Reality SF. While Reality SF is not perfect, I have grown and been challenged in my faith more than any other time in my life. From my personal experience, Reality SF is the best thing about SF! read more

Has a good community if you join a community group. Generally a fairly professional educated SF crowd. The sermons are biblical and the worship is modern. It is a big church with maybe 2,000 people in the morning and 1,000 people at the evening service. Overall, I would say the church is well balanced and rather hip and casual. People don't mingle as much as they could after service but some people do get dinner and lunch after service. read more

I have been praying for Reality SF since the beginning, and I'm so grateful to God for His annointing on this fellowship. Love the teaching, love the worship. I live in SoCal, and never miss an opportunity to worship with the Believers at Reality when I'm in the Bay Area. Such a blessing to see the young, multi-ethnic, church body growing miraculously, coming together out of the spiritual darkness of San Francisco, hungry for the things of God. read more