I just love this beautiful church nestled in the middle of Old Irving Park. It has a wonderful…read morechildren's program that my kids love. The church also does outstanding mission work and is actively involved in the community. Pastor Vickie gives some of the best sermons I've ever heard that really make you think. The congregation is warm and welcoming without being overbearing. This church is truly a gem waiting to be discovered.

This church made me feel welcome when I walked in. It has a beautiful stain glass in the chapel…read more There was about 50-60 people in service. The pastor came up to us when service was done. Her sermon used several modern day examples to connect the scripture lesson in story form which kept my interest like a story time...not just resighting the bible. There was a children's group for 4-12 ?yr olds during church so I could have some quiet time to reflect and enjoy the service/music. Kids rejoined service with 10 mins to go and every kid went up for communion. (There was also a baby nursery). They had drinks and snacks after service. The music was modern (some traditional) and they projected everything onto a screen, so you didn't have to use the books. Loved the beautiful neighborhood of Old Irving Park, but also loved that they have a community food bank in their basement. I also appreciated that they had the rainbow out front to welcome everyone! It had young and old, mostly white and Hispanic...not as diverse as it could be, but friendly. Will go back.

I've been attending CCOB since I was born. This church is a wonderful one to grow up in... the…read moreavailability of children's groups, middle school programs, high school programs, college age and adult programs is fantastic! Plus with the options of both Contemporary and Traditional services, there's truly something for everyone. While the church itself is big, it will quickly seem small with the warmth and friendly atmosphere the community provides. Oh, and don't forget the live-streaming in case you're out of town on weekends, it's so great to never miss a beat. Highly recommend!

Of all the Christian churches I've been to this was certainly one of them. :-) The contemporary…read moremusic was radio worthy - the voices, the harmony, the guitars, piano, drums and violin playing. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. We were invited by some friends to join them for the 5pm service on Saturday. (They like the guy who was preaching). We got to the church before them so we walked around. It is certainly a place where you can get involved if you want. They have programs for all kinds of activities and groups. The church is modern, upbeat, and dare I say 'hip'? If you're looking for a group of people wearing their Sunday best and a gray-haired organist playing 8 verses of Amazing Grace, you're at the wrong church (which was pointed out to us by an old timer who was using the excuse his back hurt to leave so he could hang outside while his wife attended the service.) The minister we came to see did deliver a good sermon. It had enthusiasm, passion, sincerity and humor. It wasn't laced with a lot of bible quotes or hellfire. It was delivered to teach, inspire and encourage. If I was looking for a Christian church, this would certainly be one I'd consider.

Pastor assaulted me during a board of director's meeting. The church was financially a mess, bills…read morewere not being paid in a timely manner. The pastor was being paid $40,000 + per year plus a free 3 or 4 bedroom parsonage. At a board meeting I said I felt the pastor's salary should be reduced. That's when he threw me up against a wall and had me pinned there. The board lied to the police and denied it ever happened, for fear of legal action against their church.

I am happy to update my review for New Spirit Community Church. I attended the Sunday service this…read morepast weekend, and enjoyed it. The pastor's sermon was inspirational. It seems that the message was exactly what I needed to hear. The members are friendly and welcoming. If you are looking for a church in Oak Park, you are welcome here. The services are on Sundays at 5:30 pm.

Thank you God! Blessings to everyone that comes to Hilary church to pray and ask for help when we…read moreneeded. In this Christmas 2017 the Church was beautiful as always and full of people to receive all blessings from our Jesus that was born again to be with us during this new year 2018. Bless us always and give us strength for today and tomorrow bless our family and all the people that need warm, help, food, clothes. Thank you God again and always I'll be your daughter than need you and you are in my heart forever and ever, one day I'll be with you like my grandma and mom, take care of them.

Thankful for the generous hearts of the congregation with leadership of St. Hilary's parish/pastor…read morewho welcomed Filipino and non Filipino members of the Chicago Devotees of Our lady of Piat. Each year St. Hilary is the venue for the celebration of Feast of Our Lady of Piat where it starts with holy rosary, then concelebrated holy mass at the church and concluding fellowship in the hall. In our dialect I wish to say: Mabbalo, Salamat, Dios ti agngina

Yay! i'm number one, I'm number one!…read more First off, I've been going to Unitarian churches for about 15 years. It's my kind of place in general. If you are in between religions, or never had a religion and want some place to get your guided meditational/centered thoughts/sense of community/at peace with yourself fix, check it out. I highly recommend the book "Finding Your Religion" by Scotty McLennan. I've been a member at Third Unitarian for about two years now and have been going off and on for about five. This is one of the few churches where you can hear the pastor sing Lou Reed songs as part of his Sunday sermon, be encouraged to have an argument with the pastor, not feel outcast if you question the beliefs that you've been taught (this is encouraged), or get a full Earth, Wind, and Fire concert (Ba-di-yah, said do you remember! Ba-di-yah, dancing in September! I swear. People dancing in the aisles to "Sing a Song". It was awesome.) Aside from that, it is truly a warm place with funny, crazy, and loving people who work hard at making you feel welcome (but not that creepy welcome kind of thing. You know what I'm talking about.) If you are looking for a place to be able to embrace a wide diversity of beliefs, find your own set of beliefs, get involved in social action projects, or just drink coffee, eat cake, and chat with some amazing people who have lived truly historical and interesting lives, then Third Unitarian is your church. It is at the crossroads of two very different neighborhoods (Austin...not so affluent and Oak Park...much more affluent). The church has a rich civil rights history, hosting some great speakers, including Martin Luther King Jr. Speaking of diversity, everyone is welcome at TUC. It's a "welcoming congregation" which basically means that if you're LGBTQ (or if your hair is green or whatever) you're welcome there. It's definitely a "come as you are" kind of place, so don't feel the need to dress up when you come. Also, if you have kids and you want them to have a wide understanding of religion, I highly recommend TUC - the religious education program is comprehensive and pretty inclusive. I'll let others speak to that as I have no kids. Anyway, feel free to contact me if you have questions or you are thinking about going. It really is a great place.

I'm so proud to call Free Church my home. I've been attending for a few months and even though it…read moretook me a while to find a Church since I moved to Illinois (I visited quite a few before settling down) I'm so glad I found my place! The church goers and volunteers are genuine and warm. Pastor Chuck is funny and down to earth. The worship team is absolutely amazing! I love Free Church!

Free Church is truly a home for every story. People from all walks of life come each Sunday. The…read moresmall groups are incredible, the music/worship is current and executed with excellence, and the teaching is relevant and challenging. My kids love it at Free Church as well, and the community is vibrant and active in the community.

This was my church for several years. The re-organization or grouping of churches and change in…read moremass schedule did not accommodate my times, but every time I came to Santo Rosario I could find my peace and learned and participated in mass with my family. It is a shame it is not as accessible as it was. Many blessings to all.

I recently attended a wedding at this church in my old 'hood. Located on the fringe of the Ukie…read moreVillage/Humboldt Park neighborhood divide, this was once an old ethnic Italian parish that has been passed on to the current population of English & Spanish speaking parishioners. I remember when I was in 5th grade just down the road at St. Nicholas School, when Holy Rosary's school closed and my 5th grade class absorbed about a dozen students from this parish, most of whom were Italian. Yet I never set foot in this church till a few weeks ago. On the outside, I was not that impressed, but once I stepped into the church I really thought it was a beautiful work of art. While it's not a cathedral with a high ceiling and domes, it's still one of those sturdy old brick church buildings that would stand up to anything. Inside, the stained glass and the paintings on the walls and ceiling give it a touch that you don't see in the sleek, minimalist, more modern churches built in the 1950s or later. Though it was a hot day outside in the mid-80s, I will tell you that I didn't even break a sweat in the church despite there being no AC. And while I am not a parishioner here, it was a wedding I attended. I can say this place epitomizes what I'd envision a "wedding chapel" to be. It's not too big on the inside in terms of capacity, a wide center aisle and a large vestibule area for people to gather. Looking at the art on the stained glass windows, many of the saints are Italian. One that caught my eye was farther towards the back of the church. The stained glass depicted someone resembling a cardinal or bishop in attire, but he could have passed for a Godfather movie character in facial appearance. This is a nice, well-maintained parish and I was glad I finally got to see the place inside.

I was raised Catholic and this was the church I would come to "catch the holy ghost". The church…read moreitself is really nice inside and offers lots seating. As a child, I remember Saturday evening and Sunday services always being full. Services were offered in English and Polish. I attended the English masses. There were a couple of priests (Father Ted and later Carmelo come to mind) whose sermons were powerful and meaningful. As the years have gone by, the church has adjusted to the changing neighborhood and offers masses in English, Polish, and Spanish. I tried attending the Spanish which has a live choir who also play instruments and it offers an experience. Personally, I wasn't feeling it so no more masses en Espanol for me . Sadly, with the area changing, the church has lost many parishioners in both the Polish and English masses. Hopefully it survives and doesn't close down like their private school did.