When we arrived in Spokane we knew we wanted to get involved in a church community right away, however with the abundance of churches and church plants it made it very difficult to decide which church to become members of, much less visit. These are 8 churches (not ranked in any particular order) we went to that we really enjoyed and what was unique about each!

1. River’s Edge was planted around 2016(ish).  It is biblically sound, smaller, and focuses on being a family. It is a little more “eccentric” than some churches so if you’re a traditionalist, it may not be the right fit for you. They make an effort to reach out the the refugees in Spokane through BBQs and soccer games in the summer.  It is a very welcoming congregation and you won’t leave without being talked to and acknowledged, which we really enjoyed. Worship is small and intimate with just one guy leading the congregation, but it is powerful.

Sunday mornings at 10am

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2. Soma – Soma is a middle-sized church that feels like family. They are very “by the book”/ take scripture literally so you can expect them to believe marriage is between a man and woman only, there is a place of Heaven and a place of Hell, and women are in leadership. They have a great kids program and do fun things like summer family camping trips! The people I have met who go to this church have been extremely kind and welcoming. They have a lot of focus on their missional communities which makes it easy to get involved outside of just Sunday worship.

Sundays at 10am

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3. Life Center – If you want a megachurch, this is the place to go. This is a HUGE Foursquare (denomination) church with 4 services that are all packed. There are a lot of resources and groups to get plugged into. The worship is powerful and the band is amazing.  Life Center is very mission-oriented and has made it a mission to plant more foursquare churches around Spokane (although that hasn’t helped decrease their church size much!)

Sundays at 9 & 11am

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4. The Heights Church – this is a Foursquare church in Airway Heights. It is a smaller church and definitely has a Cheney/ Airway Heights vibe (which isn’t a bad thing! I love it! I don’t know how to explain it though haha). The kids area is secure and locked during the service.  The worship was acoustic and just one guy which made it very intimate. If you want to have your kids in the service with you, I saw a lot of babies and young ones in the sanctuary so feel free to do that! 

Sundays at 9:30am

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5. Summit is a church plant of Life Center, but has also grown quite large.  There are a good variety of age groups represented. The worship is powerful and meaningful, the messages are insightful, and the cold brew coffee is ON POINT! One of the things I loved was in their “pillars” they state that they are a financially sound church. I appreciated that honesty and openness that YES they make money, but they will use it in the right, ethical ways. They have quite a few groups to get plugged into including a foster-care support group, young adults group, divorced group, and more. They have 2 campuses – one on the South Hill and one by Gonzaga. In order to serve on the kids team you need to get background checked, so if you have kids you can be assured that they are in good hands!

Summit South: Sundays at 9am & 11:15am
Summit U: Sundays at 10:00am

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6. Haven Bible Church – this is a new church started by a young couple. At the time of writing this blog (2022) it is a brand new church and a very small congregation. You can expect people to greet you upon entering and when the service ends. Haven is another church that is very literal with the scriptures (again, nothing wrong with that, just stating the facts). They believe forgiveness is something we should grant readily and we can rest in the fact that eternal damnation by God or eternal salvation is not up to us, but God. They believe in traditional gender and marriage roles. If you want a church where you will be seen and chatted with, this is a great choice!

Sunday mornings at 10am

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7. True Hope Church is held at The Lincoln Center. The pastor is a younger guy who speaks very intensely, but he definitely gets the message across in love. When we were there they had just finished up a HUGE service day in the city called One Heart Spokane.  They sent out many different groups to get involved and help the community including giving away shoes, socks, sweatshirts, hygiene products, haircuts, and more to over 400 kids in the West Central neighborhood.

Sunday Gatherings 8:30AM & 10:30AM

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8. City Covenant reminded me a lot of River’s Edge. It is a smaller congregation and you feel immediately welcomed by everyone. The church building itself is beautiful with stain glass windows. The service is a little more traditional with weekly communion, citing the Apostles Creed, and a more relaxed worship. 

After the service people stick around to talk and get to know one another. They encourage you to volunteer in the community for organizations such as Cup of Cool Water which is a nonprofit organization in downtown Spokane that walks alongside youth who are homeless.

Sundays at 9 AM

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9. New Community Spokane – If you are looking for a VERY welcoming church – this is the one for you! They have very liberal views about women pastors, LGBTQ+, etc. I LOVED their kids program and felt safe dropping my daughter off. I also loved their coffee (provided by Indaba I believe) and it is a BEAUTIFUL building with a stunning stain glass window making it easier to worship the Lord!

Sundays at 10 AM

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10. Real Life Spokane (Northside) is a large-ish church. They are on the Northside of Spokane near Whitworth. They are NOT related to Real Life in Spokane Valley (which is a VERY large church with a great kids program). I enjoyed my time at Real Life Spokane. The worship was contemporary and fun and the teaching by Richie Shaw (the pastor) was engaging.

Sundays at 8:30, 10, & 11:30 AM

I know how overwhelming finding a church can be! I hope this helped you narrow down your search and gave you some insight. I barely skimmed the surface with the thousands of churches in the Spokane area, but I wish you the best and hope you find a new church family where you feel supported and loved!