Grace Toronto Church

I do not know anything about Grace church, but I am an admirer of the building with its copper clad belfry. This place was quite tired and rundown (almost black exterior). However since Grace church took over, they have done an amazing amount of work on the outside, including sandblasting, new roof and changing the entrances. Just a great looking place now! It is on the corner of Jarvis and Carlton on the south east corner

This church was not welcoming Filipinos. Very Disappointed last Christmas service of 2022!

Such a great church in every way. We felt God’s presence and love in such a tangible way. This church made a lasting impression on us although we were just in Toronto for a few days. The worship, the sermon, the welcome. These are God’s people.

This church is solid in their preaching and you will get a biblical sound sermon on Sunday. I highly recommend all to attend this church even if you are a new Christian, long time Christian or even someone questioning what Christianity is about.Feel free to speak to the people at the front, or if you are shy, always welcome to enter the church and sit down to hear the sermon.

Great contemporary church in the heart of Toronto. Fantastic preaching and the music has an unbeatable variety. Love the 19th century renovated space that was preserved rather than destroyed or converted into a condominium. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed!

The community here is great!! I loved my small group, and how Christ-centred this church is.

The best church in Toronto

I came to this church as part of my church hopping endeavour in finding meaning in life and a community to do life with. It's been by far one of the most enriching, knowledge satisfying and kindred churches I have ever been to in my life. Would definitely recommend to friends and family who are curious to know more about the Christian faith.LocationThe church is located on a busy intersection of college and Jarvis. There is a Tim Hortons across the street and Allan Gardens right next door. Getting to the church is somewhat convenient if you are talk the street car (stops right in front of the building) or if you live nearby (what a wonderful stroll). It is also just a few minutes to walk to from college subway station (although in winter the few minutes seems much more longer). Since I live uptown, I have been driving down to this church through Yonge street. Not as convenient as if it were located off the highway, however, there is plenty of free street parking on Sunday mornings nearby off the streets. Did I say parking was free??ServiceService starts at 10:30am and goes until noon. There is free coffee and cookies afterwards and an open gathering session for further dialogue with the pastor after service. The service start time is pretty ideal for me, not too early and not too late. The sermons are also not too long, which is great for someone who is unable to focus for too long. What stands out for me with service here is: first the worship band and music - the musicians here are quite talented; and the focus on the bible teachings within the sermons - this church is quite theologically advanced in comparison to some other churches I have been to. There are a few different pastors who preach which gives a great variety on the sermon styles. The main pastor is Pastor Dan MacDonald, who was previously a lawyer, so you will see his logical and rational style reflected in his sermons. What I love most about the sermons here, is that they always end with practical messages of how we can apply what we have heard into our lives. I also love the fact that the pastors are open to having Q and A sessions with the congregants, which is not typical of many churches.AtmosphereThe atmosphere of this church is semi-relaxed, open and communal. They focus quite a bit on building communities with a number of small groups you can sign up for after service and regular social events that connect people with each other. There seems to be quite a large population of Young professionals who go to this church and diversity of church members is somewhat mixed. There is a sense of a strong structure in terms of the backbone to this church as they have an elders, diaconate groups and discipleship and membership town hall meetings. I think the fact that is Presbyterian is probably what gives a somewhat formal feel to this church.BuildingThis location was first opened in October 2017 after what looked to be significant renovations to the interiors of the building to the original Old St. Andrew's Presbyterian church. This building is absolutely beautiful and was originally built in the 1800s by the same architect who built the other three churches in that same block of land that surround the Allen Gardens. The interiors include simple-yet-elegant features of stained-glass windows and the main sanctuary has absolutely beautiful arched ceilings. This building is a real work of art.

If you are seeking a biblically sound church with excellent doctrine, Grace Toronto Church is unparalleled in the downtown core. This place of worship will suit Christians new, intermediate or experienced, and is also very welcoming to others who are curious about exploring their faith and learning more about God.Inspiring, light-filled and wheelchair accessible spaceThe space itself (wheelchair accessible) is beautiful, being set in a modernized church that still preserves aspects of the swooping ceiling and organ (I am a bit sad this isn't used at all), with a horseshoe-shaped seating on two levels. Stained glass panels allow and bright light to in, so the space is inspiring too. There's an upper hall for events adjacent to the balcony seating.Tasteful worship, talented musiciansThe worship and music is also quite tasteful, featuring contemporary songs featuring musicians on piano, violin, drums, bass, guitar (ensemble may vary by week) but it isn't too over-the-top or showy/flashy.What happens each week?There is a weekly Bulletin that highlights the program each week. You can pick up a paper copy in the lobby before the service, or access it online a few days before, and scan a QR code in the pews (so you can grab it on your phone). There's also a 'Greeting portion of the service (2min) that allows you to have friendly chitchat with your neighbours sitting around you, which is a nice way to connect briefly with others.Learning-age children can participate and sit in the pews through the opening prayers and worship, and just before the sermon begins they can be taken by parents to the children's programming area, where the kids' activities/groups take place.The sermons (30 min) are all biblically sound, and allow us to study and learn about the bible, with a substantial set of verses each week. This is highly practical, especially for new Christians who may not yet be encouraged (or know how) to tackle regular/daily Bible study. As for experienced Christians, you will surely find additional depth and learning through going over these familiar passages as presented by the pastoral team.Senior Pastor Dan MacDonald has an intellectual gravitas and a grasp of history/context which I truly appreciate and enjoy; his breadth of knowledge, devotion and conviction are commendable qualities I have observed in his sermons. There are also several other pastor/teachers who preach regularly, and I have found each has provided a fresh and (let me emphasize this) doctrinally sound teaching of the Scriptures, for the most part.There is always an opportunity to 'Ask Questions' about the passage in real time (text or email), that the preaching pastor will answer after their sermon has ended, out loud to the whole congregation. Speaking of the attendees, the congregation is a mixed (but young-ish) crowd of university students mixed with young families/young professionals. But of course there are outliers.Last but not least, one of my favourite things at Grace Toronto is that Communion is taken each week -- an event I always look forward to. At the beginning of service on your way in to be seated, there are single-serve packages that contain 'bread' (unleavened cracker) + a teeny sip of grape juice.All in all, there is a lot to like at Grace Toronto, particularly if you are looking to enhance your learning of the scriptures, and if you wish to receive an intellectually stimulating (yet accessible) sermon that ties into contemporary society and our current geopolitical plight. It is not stuffy, outdated or tired, nor has it gone the other way of being try-hard, flashy, Instagrammy, or over-the-top with marketing tactics or social media. It's a solid Presbyterian church that is relevant to all. That is something hard to achieve in today's world. Come and see for yourself :) you have everything to gain, and nothing to lose!