Moving to Toronto? How to Find a Home Church
Six months ago, I moved to Toronto and finding a home church was one of my top priorities. I asked for recommendations from friends and as well as my then-pastor, while also spending lots of time searching on Google and Reddit. My verdict? It helps to get recommendations from people you trust, especially those in a similar life stage, as searching for churches online can quickly become overwhelming! There are a lot of churches in Toronto. Hence this blog post. If you don’t have people to reach out to directly, I hope my experience will be helpful.
This list is far from exhaustive, and is largely anecdotal, but it may be a useful start if you're:
A young professional in your 20s or 30s
New to Toronto and looking for both spiritual growth and friends
A former expat familiar with urban life
This is actually my fourth time searching for a home church as an adult. After undergrad, I lived and worked in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taipei (I’d be happy to share more about those church search experiences if you’re interested! Leave a comment below or send a DM). Each time, praise God, I was able to not only find a church that helped me grow deeper with God but also connected me with incredible friends to hangout and do life with.
My Toronto Home Church Search Process
I moved to Toronto in my 30s as a single woman who primarily works from home. At this stage of my Christian journey, my desire is to live unashamed before God, prioritizing his will above all. I prayed for a church that balances understanding and experiencing God—one that equips its members with theological depth while empowering them to discern and act on his calling for their lives.
I also have a passion for fashion, love exploring new adventures, and spent the last seven years as a restaurant reviewer, attending weekly media events. All to say, I hoped to find a church community filled with people dedicated to growing in their relationship with God and making a meaningful impact on their city, communities, and culture.
My church search process has looked different in every city I’ve lived in. Sometimes, I’ve found the right fit immediately; other times, it’s taken months. Prayer has always been central to the process, but if your experience is like mine, God may lead you to explore before confirming where you belong.
This time, I approached the search with an added sensitivity to healthy leadership, shaped by a past experience at a church I attended for years that later faced spiritual abuse accusations. Before moving, I sought recommendations from friends, acquaintances (including a few who attended my church in Hong Kong and now live in Toronto), and my pastor in Waterloo. The churches listed below were on my shortlist, and I’ll explain why in a moment.
Interestingly my current home church was the only one I ended up visiting. While I had planned to explore others, so many aspects—from the teaching and worship nights to the community and the vision shared by leadership at the annual conference—felt like an answered prayer. Rather than continuing to shop around, I sensed God’s confirmation to plug in, so I did.
Your journey may look different, but I hope these suggestions can serve as a helpful starting point for your search.
Top 5 Church Recommendations for Young Professionals in Toronto
Image source: C3 Toronto
1. C3 Toronto (Non-Denominational)
C3 Toronto is part of C3 Church Global, a worldwide network of churches “committed to helping people know Jesus in a fresh, personal way.” In the Toronto area, there are three locations: Downtown (near Dufferin Station), Midtown (near Lawrence Station), and Hamilton.
As one of the larger churches on this list, C3 offers numerous small groups—including discipleship courses like the Freedom course, focused on inner healing—and partners with local ministries and non-profits to serve the Toronto community. I’d guess most attendees are 45 and under.
Consider checking out C3 if you’re looking for a church that emphasizes Spirit-filled teaching, worship nights, morning prayer meetings, and maturing in creative gifts (they recently released a new album!).
Image source: Grace Toronto Church
2. Grace Toronto Church (Presbyterian)
When you start researching churches in Toronto, Grace will likely be a top hit. It’s located right in the downtown core, close to Toronto Metropolitan University and the Eaton Centre—and has a large young professional population. As a larger, well-established church, Grace offers a wide range of ministries, including men’s and women’s ministries, youth and young adults programs, outreach initiatives, and prayer gatherings. Their small groups, known as Grace Gatherings, tend to fill up quickly, but there are some open to new members each season.
Consider Grace if you’re looking for a larger church with a diverse community spanning various age groups.
Image source: Church in Regent Park
3. Church in Regent Park (Pentecostal)
Looking for a church that has outreach and urban missions at its core? Church in Regent Park (CIRP) is “a culturally and economically diverse church where all are welcome.” It was one of the churches recommended to me by my pastor in Waterloo who had previously served on staff at a different church with their former Senior Pastor.
No surprise given its name, CIRP passionately serves the gentrifying Regent Park neighbourhood and partners with Yonge Street Mission to feed over 200 people weekly. Every Saturday from 5 to 6pm, a hot meal is served and all are welcome. At the same time and location as the meal, there’s an in-person small group, with an additional online-only small group meeting on Wednesday evenings.
A few of my friends attend CIRP, and I had the chance to visit for an ice cream social this past summer—seeing youth, young professionals, and retirees joyfully mingling was heartwarming. (Side note: Be sure to check out Café ZUZU when you’re in Regent Park!)
Consider Church in Regent Park if you’re looking for a smaller church focused on social justice and community outreach.
Image Source: The Stone Church
4. The Stone Church (Pentecostal)
Stone Church “is a place where you'll find the love, grace, and forgiveness Jesus gives to everyone.” They have two locations, one on the Danforth and one in Davenport. Stone was recommended by both my Waterloo pastor and friends in Hong Kong who attended over COVID when they were still living downtown (but since moved to Midtown and found a church closer to their new home). I’ve been told that they have great worship and that their sermons are “strong and bold” (in the best way). I would honestly love to listen to some sermons but sadly their sermon podcast is not very active.
Consider Stone if you’re looking for a modern Pentecostal church in downtown Toronto.
Image source: The Peoples Church
5. The Peoples Church (Non-Denominational)
This is obviously not entirely accurate but it feels like the majority of people I’ve met who live outside the downtown core go to Peoples. Many of these people also have young children and are ambitious young professionals who value solid teaching and a strong sense of community.
The church’s mission statement reads, “A movement of gospel-centered and globally engaged Christians,” and they place a strong emphasis on their Global Mission Portfolio, an online tool that provides direct access to prayer updates and the latest news from their global partners, which is pretty cool.
Consider Peoples if you're closer to North York, globally minded in both work and faith, and looking for community—whether for yourself or your family.
A Reminder: Prayer is Powerful
Finding a church is not just a numbers game, amen? God will lead us to the right church so may we not forget to seek him! Let us notice when a church comes to mind, is mentioned by someone we meet, is stirring your heart in a different way. And if you’ve come across this post, I hope that it is helpful as you pray and enjoy the journey of finding your new home church.
God bless you on our journey. And if you’d like, let me know where you end up!
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