I would like to start off by saying that I was never really introduced to going to church as a kid because my dad is catholic but my mom is atheist. I was invited to go to Redeemer by a friend of mine a few months ago and my whole idea of going to church has changed since then. I remember the first day I went, I was unsure of what I was getting myself into. The church was small and the pastor was wearing a flannel and jeans. However, as the service continued I started to really like it. People who didn't even know me welcomed me to the church and introduced themselves. They even sent me a welcoming package to my house with some information about the church and some brownies! (They were amazing by the way) I made friends with all of the people around my age the same day I arrived. Everyone there is so friendly and I feel as if I can talk to anyone there even if I don't know them. The church also has many programs to sign up for such as car washes, youth group trips, and so much more. It's a very interactive place to be. You're not just sitting in a chair the whole time listening to a long speech. The pastor makes everything fun to listen to. When it was time to go, I figured we would just leave right away and I would go home. However, I was surprised when I found myself staying after for a snack provided by the church and talked to a few people while we were there. We didn't end up leaving for another hour or so after! I had so much fun. I continue to go to this church and recommend it to everyone! People of all ages, races, genders, and religious backgrounds are welcome here. I can almost guarantee you'll love it! read more

I regularly attend the Redeemer Chicago campus and have gone to the Redeemer Park Ridge campus as well... the Chicago campus is much closer to us! We do know people from both sites and love the community we have formed. My wife and I moved to the area a little over a year ago and tried a few churches in the area and liked a hand full but really liked Redeemer Chicago. Its mission is 20 and 30 somethings which is one thing that got us in the door, considering we are in that age group! I am glad that is their mission because I do believe that age group is overlooked by the church at times. That said, it is not the only age group of people at the church and all are welcome! I do value that we have a wide variety of ages and walks of life at Redeemer. I love this church and love the people in it! I have formed a great community with people at this church and am in small groups as well. I gave it 4, really 4.5 but can't do half stars :), because I am a realist and no place is absolutely perfect this side of heaven... but I really love this church and have found a great community to walk with in my spiritual journey. Come visit us! I hope you enjoy it and if you don't... I hope you find a place that you can grow in community with people and your relationship with Jesus! Redeemer Chicago 6740 W North Ave Chicago, IL (773) 417-2399 read more

Redeemer has been a life-changing place and a life-affirming group of people in my life for the last three years. I worship at Redeemer's second site in Chicago the majority of the time, but my spiritual home base there wouldn't exist if it weren't for the courageous and sacrificial desire to share Christ's love with others that led Redeemer Park Ridge to reach out to a new community. The times that I have been able to worship in Park Ridge and the people I have interacted with there have challenged me intellectually and spiritually in the best possible ways. I'm so grateful that the Redeemer Park Ridge community exists and was willing to reach out to build up another community in Chicago! If you want to be a part of a Christian community that truly strives to follow Jesus, this is an amazing place to get plugged in! read more

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I regularly attend the Chicago campus led by Pastor Matt. I participate in the contemporary worship at 11 am. They were so welcoming and kind that I knew I had to go back. In addition to that, I love that they have a heart for 20/30 somethings. Tons of things to do to get involved no matter where you are on your path. I love this place! No judgment. Good people. read more

Redeemer Church. I don't even know where to begin. I started going to Redeemer Chicago about 1 year ago and it has been life changing. Literally. Life changing. The sermon is led by Pastor Matt who is in his late 20s/early 30s. Whenever I talk to my friends about Redeemer, I always tell them the story of the first day I met my Pastor. Pastor Matt was wearing a flannel shirt, khakis, and converse shoes. I couldn't believe he was actually a Pastor! The people were super welcoming and I loved the worship music. Afterwards I was expecting to leave right when worship ended, but no. I was surprised to see people hang back, have a snack, and interact with each other. People actually took the time to get to know each other or to ask each other how life was going. And they genuinely cared to hear the answer. The thing I love most about Redeemer is that we are not just a community. We are a family. When I first went to Redeemer, I was very skeptical about the idea of God and the idea that we are supposed to give our all to something we can't see, hear, or touch. I later learned that just because we cannot physically see God does not automatically mean he does not exist. I learned through Pastor Matt that there are many ways to see God. We see God's work when a child is born or something good happens, we see God's grace when we sin and are forgiven, and we see God's love everyday that we are allowed to stay on earth. Before finding Redeemer, I had no faith. I believed in nothing. I was angry, self-destructive, lost, and broken. I had no idea what my purpose was in life and I had no hope that things would get better. Redeemer helped me find my purpose. Redeemer helped me realize that, no matter what, I would always have someone in my corner. God. No matter what I do he will NEVER stop loving me. For me, that was epic. It was the most relieving thing to hear. On February 16, 2014 I was baptized at Redeemer Chicago by Pastor Matt. That day was the first actual time I can say I felt a real connection to God. I felt like I was sealing an eternal relationship and it was great. Thanks to Redeemer I have found my faith, a second family, a second home, and I have learned the meaning of not only being a good Christian, but what it means to be a good human being. I could not recommend it more. read more

Let me preface this review by stating that I am not Lutheran. I know someone who attends this church. This individual has been attending for several years now. The individual invited me to "go" to church several times. I attended about six times. However, I never felt welcomed by the people at this church. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I definitely felt like an out-cast at this church. One thing I noticed was the lack of multi-cultural people -- no diversity whatsoever. I also noticed the demographics consisted of people older than 35, and a few people with young kids and babies. Of course, there were people who were under 60 years old, but the only 20-somethings or 30-somethings that I noticed were some of the musicians and/or singers. The church was filled with potentially residents from Park Ridge and other nearby towns. This church is not too far from the City limits, so I am sure there were probably a handful of people from Chicago The church is located in the middle of a residential neighborhood. It is not visible from any major streets/roads/avenues. Redeemer also has another church location, but they intentionally left off the word "Lutheran" and call it "Redeemer - Chicago" which is a marketing ploy. The Chicago church is a newly planted church which is off North Avenue and one block east of Oak Park Avenue. That specific church is geared towards the 20-and 30-something demographics. Obviously, they want younger people at their Chicago church, but in some ways, I guess, it is an "exclusive" church and not an "inclusive" congregation. I don't recall Jesus Christ saying "I am only going to speak to the 20-something and 30-something crowd." I always thought Christianity was about accepting all people of all races, all ages, straight, gay, single or married. The Pastor at the Chicago church is 26 or 27, so perhaps this explains why they are targeting the "younger" generation. What did I like about the sermon by Pastor Fred? After all, it is all about GOD and not me or you! I like the fact that the Pastor did not wear a robe and that he was not reading the sermon from a teleprompter or lap top. He was not standing at a pulpit and came to the center of the main floor to preach the "Word" which was cool. Many other churches also do this today. Perhaps it gives the congregation a sense of connection and/or intimacy. Then, there was a petite and thin lady with short blonde hair and over-processed highlights. She was introduced as the Pastor's wife, Carol. OMG, her voice was like nails on chalkboard. It was incredibly squeaky, munckin-like and annoying. I couldn't wait for her to hurry up with the announcements and prayers. Over all, the rest of the worship service was rather boring and semi-structured. I like and enjoy modern, contemporary Christian music. I enjoy listening to Chris Tomlin, Michael W Smith, Building 429, Casting Crowns and Newsboys. The music was very good. Obviously, the musicians are very talented here. I only wish they would change it up from time to time. It seems to be the same old songs recycled over and over again (at least during the 6 or 7 times I have been here). The music is definitely lively at times and other times they will "slow" it down too. The different genre of music is interesting, but at times, awkward. On one occasion, they were playing music that was very upbeat or lively and sounded a bit like a rock 'n roll concert. I looked around and everyone had a stoic look on their faces. No one was clapping. No one was tapping their feet to the beat of the music. The people stood there like stiffs or zombies. The contemporary worship service is at 11 am, and although the music was fairly good, I thought it was way, way, way too loud (after all this is not Music City Radio Hall in NYC)! It is a small church. This is not a Beyonce or Jay-Z concert at Soldier Field where the decibel sounds must be at the highest level possible. I walked out of church with my ears ringing (and the ringing lasted for more than one hour). Finally, I enjoyed Pastor Fred's sermon. He's a cool Pastor who wears flip flops and looks like something out of the Hippy era from the late 1960's when the Beatles became famous in the USA. I am guessing Pastor Fred is in his early 50's. His sermon was very relate-able which I definitely appreciate. His sermon was thought-provoking. His sermon was powerful. Would I go back here again? No. Did I enjoy the sermon? Yes. Could I relate to the sermon? Yes. However, I would not return for the following reason: (1) I did not feel welcomed and felt like an out-cast (2) the worship service was a bit too structured for my taste (eg, shaking hands and saying "Peace be with you" to taking communion) and (3) No diversity -- they need to do a better job here I have been here more than five times, with my friend, and not one person has ever introduced himself/herself to me or asked "are you visiting today." Nothing. read more

The people of Redeemer were so welcoming when we first visited more than a few years ago. My husband and I had been checking out churches for a while and he found Redeemer to be just what we needed. I am slow to warm up and was not used to a church where people were so friendly. After a few more visits we were both 100% sure this was our church. We are so happy to have found a church that meets our spiritual needs and makes us yearn to be better people. We now have young children and Redeemer makes church very easy for young families. The nursery attendants are great and the tables at the back allow children to color, snack, etc. during worship. We also enjoy the band and the coffee hour after the service. read more

I first attended Redeemer about two years ago. We thought it was somewhere we might attend every once in a while and we have been back every week that we are in town since that time. Everyone at Redeemer is so welcoming. People make a point to talk to all of the newcomers each week. It is just like having a big family. The music is a big part of what drew us here. There is a traditional service in the early morning hours and a contemporary service at 11:00. We have attended both but regularly attend the contemporary service. It is fast and loud and designed to raise the roof! My husband was raised a Catholic and I was primarily Baptist in upbringing and yet this place is a good home for both of us. The contemporary service is so different from anything we both encountered growing up and yet it satisfies what we need. As with any church, you get out of it what you put into it. But this is a good place to start. Good to know it is nearby. read more

I love redeemer!! I use to go to this location before the Chicago location was made. Everyone is friendly and nice. we were welcomed from the beginning and we are Hispanic. The pastors here are the nicest most caring people you will ever meet. I can honestly say they are all my brothers and sisters in Christ. Its because of redeemer my family has been saved. read more

After moving to Chicago, Redeemer quickly became my home & my family. It's always hard to walk into a church for the first time, but I found the community extremely welcoming & friendly. read more

I am an old guy of 75 but I have been to a number of services at Redeemer. The contemporary service is not my first choice, but I don't mind a change of pace and every so often I like to experience new ways of doing things. I find the people at the church, young and old, quite friendly, but not necessarily the "come up and give you a hug" type. And that is OK with me. Sometime the music is a bit loud but that is most likely because I am not used to it. Other times it is fine and I enjoy the selections a lot. Most of all, I attend for the message and the sharing of worship in community with others. However, some people seem to want to pick apart and digest every element of the service instead of absorbing what you are there for, to worship. . It the church perfect, no, but neither is anything else in life. S,o you get the most out of what you put into it. I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I would not hesitate for a minute to attend Redeemer, or recommend it to anyone else. read more

Redeemer has been my church home for 10 years and we fell in love after a 6 month hunt for the right church for us. This is truly home for me. Originally we were looking for a church with a contemporary service and a good place for our kids. What we found is those things, but also have formed deeply important relationships with other members and consider the Pastors to also to be close friends as well as spiritual mentors. While the "target' is 20-30 somethings Redeemer is a multi-generational church they are welcoming to all ages and walks of life and I am still very comfortable there even though I'm pushing the later half of my 40's! And my teenage sons have found the youth group to be a powerful influence in their lives and they are totally bummed when they are unable to attend on Thursday nights. THAT makes a mother happy! read more

I have begun attending this wonderful church and am so grateful to have found it. I have not attended church in awhile, primarily because I have not been able to find a church that was a community and home as well as a good place to hear a strong and useful message. Redeemer has all of those qualities for me. It is not possible to walk into this church without someone coming to greet you, to ensure that you feel welcomed. Simultaneously, you are left to join in with others as you see fit. The two pastors are an impressive team - a married couple whose message each week is organized and thoughtful, and imagines that parishioners are growing and changing and so are ready for each next step along the way. Thank you, Pastors Carol and Fred as well as the entire Redeemer family.. read more