Several posts have suggested Glide Memorial United Methodist Church as a must do when visting San Fransisco. Their web site has 2 sunday services. 9-10:30 and 11-12:30. Any difference between the 2? Which one to attend? Thank You.

Hi,

I visited Glide Memorial when I was last in San Francisco. I don't know if there is any difference in the two services, but make sure you arrive very early for whichever one you decide to go to. If memory serves, we arrived at 9:45 for the 11.00 service. We were near the top of the queue but not the first. The church is quite small and fills up very quickly. If you don't get into the church (and I'm sure there are lots who don't) you can watch the service downstairs on a screen, but that seems a shame to me.
Enjoy your visit.
Laura

The two services are, for the most part, the same. The music and the friendly atmosphere are very uplifting. As a visitor, I got the feeling that the church does an excellent job of reaching out to those in need, and making everyone feel welcome and accepted. There was actually very little mention of God or the bible in the service we attended, though. This made it very different from any other Christian church I've been to.

I will stay in SF from 9/17 to 10/17 for vacation and would love to visit a church service. They are very different than in Europe. I read that the Glide Memomorial is in a "better-not-go-area". What do you think? Is the area safe for a 37 years female?
Thanks for answers
I am looking forward to my stay very much.

Hello Gabi, you will be alright going to Glide Memorial for a service but I wouldn't stay in the area afterwards. You will probably be bothered by the homeless trying to get you to give them some money, a cigarette etc. I would strongly suggest that you just ignore them, don't make eye contact and keep walking. Do not go in that area after dark!!!

Gabi, there are lots of beautiful churches in SF so if you are interested in visiting any other ones you will have a very nice selection, many in good areas. Take care.

LoveItaly, thank you very much for your answer. I appreciate it.
Do you know services with gospel-singers where I could go?
Thanks

Hello Gabi, the Glide Memorial Church has gospel singers. As far as other churches I really don't have information. Hopefully someone else here on Fodors can give you some information.

If you like concerts The Shrine of St. Francis located on Vallejo St., at Columbus in North Beach has free concerts. I think they are on Sunday afternoons if memory serves me right. my daughter & SIL said the concerts are beautiful. Also, Old St. Mary's Cathedral which is located at California and Grant has various musical programs but there is a charge which is around $15.00 I think.

Grace Catherdral which is at California and Taylor has concerts and musical events also, but again do not think they have Gospel Singers. Their organ is suppose to be one of the largest in the US and is beautiful to hear.

Of course none of those suggestions incorporate Gospel singers. I am not being much help I am afraid.

I remember your post from some time ago. I hope you have found lodgings that you are pleased with. When will you be in SF? I sure wish you a beautiful visit.

Gabi, I would not let the location of the church keep me from going to Glide. We felt safe there on a Sunday morning with so many people around. We were in Union Square, and just walked a couple of blocks up Ellis St. from there. Just ask anyone the best way to walk there from where you are. The people in San Francisco are very friendly and helpful!

Onthego 919 thanks for your answer.

LoveItaly
I will stay in SF from 9/17 to 10/17 and I found a lodging in craigslist in Washington St.@ Leavenworth. I am looking forward so much. I already have 7 books (travelguide) about SF and printed a lot of your postings and postings from PamSF, Stu Dudley and SFImporter and others. There are so much things on my to-do/to-go-List. I am looking forward very much. I already count the days. Grace Cathedral is already on my list (its near my lodging). They have concerts on thursday evening. I am a bit sad that Dotties True blue cafe, the Tartine bakery and a few restaurants are also in better-not-go-areas. I read often about it and would love to eat there.
I will thank you for all good advices/postings. I wished every travelboard were so good.

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Hi gabi, I wish I could spend a month in SF. You are going at a beautiful time of the year. Let us know when you arrive! And wishes for a good flight. Take care.

On Sunday mornings there are so many people - both worshippers and homeless - the area is not dangerous at that time, just unpleasant. Around the corner there is always a long line to get a free meal. I think parking is impossible (what else is new in SF!) as the bus I take barely makes it through.

Had to jump in here to reply to GabiStephen. Take your warnings against "better not go" neighborhoods with a grain of salt. You mention having to skip Tartine bakery, due to the neighborhood, when that is completely unnecessary. The Mission District is not the safest neighborhood" in SF, but it is not particulary dangerous. I (female) moved to SF when I was 22 and my friends and I went out there all the time until I moved away a couple years ago. Just keep your wits about you, as it is an urban environment and can be a bit gritty. See this thread for a good description and judge for yourself if you'd feel comfortable there:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34445706

Oh, for goodness sake, don't miss Tartine Bakery! As Mel posted above, the neighborhood may be a little gritty, but it's not unsafe. Go later in the week, as their menu is pared down early in the week.

I agree about Tartine. I think you are falling for a bit of Eurocentric exaggeration about safety. S.F. is not a crime-ridden city and the areas you've mentioned are not dangerous. Gritty is a good descriptor.

We went to Glide a few years back on our first visit to SF. As other posters have suggested, best to get there early. The congregation is very diverse, which is fun, and they pack folks in. Music was pretty good, very lively atmosphere. My impression is that the church is more about social activism than the Gospel, but we were glad to have been there.

The area around is not the best, and we found that as we walked around SF we could go from a perfectly fine section to one that was more, um, gritty in a block or so, almost without noticing. One clue was the amount of trash on a street -- more trash seemed to equal more "gritty".

We did encounter the most persistent panhandler ever in SF -- he wouldn't take no for an answer, and crossed the street to pursue us in his quest for a handout! My panhandler rule is NO, because to give anything just reinforces the behavior without contributing to a solution. I'd rather give $$ to relief organizations that help the homeless in a constructive way. (My 2 cents...)

My wife and I are planning a trip to SFO in October and will be attending a service at Glide on the 23rd. Coming from the "white, conservative south" what social differences will we be faced with by attending. I know we will be out of our comfort zone, which is alright by me, sometimes you need to be forced out of your zone.

I thank you all for your postings. Now I definitly will go to the church and Betsy, reading your postings on Fodors, Tartine Bakery too.
I am Looking forward to my 4-week-stay in SF. I am sure it will not be boring.

jwmort- We come from the same background as you, and visited Glide on July 10. We enjoyed the music, the diversity, and the welcoming spirit.
I agree, though, that it is more about
serving meals,etc., than sharing the gospel. God was mentioned very little, and there were no Bibles in sight. The service was a cultural experience for our family (includes 2 teenagers), and a springboard for a lively discussion over lunch afterwards.