As one of the largest cities in the Bible Belt, Atlanta is home to over 1,000 places of worship. With so many churches to choose from, it can be incredibly difficult to find your faith home without talking to multiple people who have lived in the city for years. This Atlanta church guide contains a non-exhaustive list of some of the most prominent churches in Atlanta to help you save time and find the community you’re looking for. If you spot one that piques your interest, simply click through to read its full Insider Guide containing information about the church’s size, dress code, worship and music style, what to expect walking in the door, doctrine, demographics, atmosphere, and more.
Jump to: Anglican | Baptist | Catholic | Episcopal | Evangelical | Lutheran | Methodist | Non-Denominational | Orthodox | Presbyterian
Don’t see a church you’re passionate about and want to add it to the list? We’d love to get in touch and get it added! Simply contact us here.
Anglican
Trinity Anglican Church
Anglican | 3 Locations – West Midtown, Decatur, Dunwoody | ~150-500 people per service
Trinity Anglican Church is led by Kris McDaniel (with parish pastors Rev. Matthew Browne and Jon Ziegler) and aims to be a church and community of people who are growing to look and live more like Jesus. Trinity is home to many students, young professionals, and young families, and the church meets in 3 parishes (locations) across the city. As an Anglican church with roots in the more charismatic Vineyard movement, Trinity artfully integrates traditional liturgy, charismatic worship and prayer, and evangelical teaching. Sundays at Trinity—with 6 in-person services to pick from (as well as virtual options), between all 3 locations—have a casual and welcoming atmosphere. Music is led by a band playing a blend of popular worship songs and hymns, scripture passages are read, one of the parish pastors preaches a 20-30 minute sermon, and communion is shared. Wear jeans, come ready to be challenged with excellent teaching, and expect to hear at least one C. S. Lewis quote before the service is over.
If you’re new to Trinity, Neighborhood Groups are a great way to get plugged into the church community and build deeper relationships with others who live in your neighborhood. Groups meet in homes all over the city one evening a week. The Trinity Softball league is another fun way to get connected! If you’re looking for ways to serve the city of the world, check out Lazarus (a ministry to those facing homelessness), help in the kids ministry on Sundays, or volunteer your skills on an international mission partner trip.
You can find profiles on many more of Trinity’s ministries and activities here.
View the full Trinity Anglican Insider’s Guide here
Catholic
Cathedral of Christ the King
Roman Catholic | Buckhead | ~400-500 people per mass
Located along “Church Row” (on Peachtree Road in Buckhead), Christ the King is home to one of Atlanta’s most vibrant Catholic young adult communities. With ten mass times on Sunday, four on Saturdays as well as daily mass, there is something for everyone. From contemporary praise and worship (4 pm Mass on Sundays) to traditional mass with professional organ and choral musicians (9 and 10:30 am on Sundays), and even a service with no music (4 pm on Saturdays). The parish reflects the demographics of its neighborhood, while also being home to a large Hispanic population, and five masses are conducted in Spanish every weekend.
Mass is held in the church’s ornate, Gothic Revival-style sanctuary and follows a traditional Catholic order of mass. Each mass includes three scripture readings, confession, a homily, the Eucharist (for confirmed Catholics), a profession of faith, and hymns or contemporary music. Homilies, taught by Monsignor Frank McNamee – you’ll know him by his signature pre-homily joke – are very Christ-centered, focusing on the Gospel reading and the other readings of the mass. One tip: arrive early to get a parking spot and a seat! Both the parking lot and sanctuary fill quickly.
Two great ways to get connected at CTK are attending one of the bi-annual Welcome Retreats or joining a small group – both are designed to help you connect with others in the church community and deepen friendships. The 20/30 Somethings group leads monthly service projects, socials, and education, while other ministries at CTK are also focused on outreach, liturgy, education, marriage, and anything else you can think of. There’s no shortage of ways to grow and serve at CTK.
You can find profiles on many more of Christ the King’s ministries and activities here.
View the full Christ the King Insider’s Guide here
Georgia Tech Catholic Center
Roman Catholic | Midtown | ~200 people per mass
Located in the heart of the Georgia Tech campus, the Catholic Center is a great environment for young adults and college students. The Center has events all week long from adoration to family dinner. Father Branson Hipp makes sure everyone is welcome and focuses on the formation of young Catholic students. They offer both daily mass and weekly confession. The Center is mostly made up of college students who attend Georgia Tech but all students are welcome.
Mass is held in the sacristy right inside the Catholic Center. When the mass is not being held, you will often find students attending adoration or just hanging out in the communal spaces of the Center. There is daily Mass and Eucharistic adoration. They also have community prayer time twice a week. You can easily walk to the Center on campus or park in the back.
The Catholic Center offers plenty of community to all students. They hold weekly dinners, have Bible studies, and plenty of community service opportunities. The Center has an active college chapter of the Knights of Columbus. FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) is active and puts on Bible studies throughout the school year. There are plenty of ways to get involved with the group including visiting one of many weekly held events or joining their GroupMe.
View the full Georgia Tech Catholic Center Insider’s Guide here
Holy Spirit Catholic Church
Roman Catholic | Buckhead | ~400 people per mass
One of Atlanta’s largest and most traditional Catholic churches, Holy Spirit makes traditional Catholicism accessible to a modern crowd. The church’s cathedral-style sanctuary boasts beautiful stained glass windows, and all services integrate traditional hymns led by a full choir and are accompanied by an organ. Led by Monsignor Edward Dillon and Father Tamiru Atraga, homilies (sermons) during mass integrate exegesis of the week’s readings as well as the practical application of the text for people of all stages of life. In addition to its Sunday mass, there is also confession on Sundays from 9 am to 1 pm; Sunday confession hours can be hard to find at other Catholic Churches in Atlanta, so this wide slot can be helpful to those who have not already made it at the other more common days/times.
Many young adults and families are among the 6,000 people who regularly attend mass at Holy Spirit. Similar to Christ the King, it has a prominent and active young adult community with abounding opportunities to make friends and serve the church community. Because this church community is generally very well-resourced, there are numerous ministry and local outreach groups to get involved in. If you decide that Holy Spirit is the church for you, you can register to be a member, which will connect you to even more opportunities to get involved. While people may lean towards business casual dress on Sunday mornings (khakis, button-down, and dresses), many people dress more casually for the evening services (jeans are fine).
Morning masses are the most heavily attended, and you might want to arrive early to ensure that you get a parking spot. If you are interested in attending mass in Spanish, Holy Spirit’s sister congregation Centro Catolico is home to a thriving Hispanic Catholic community.
View the full Holy Spirit Catholic Church Insider’s Guide here
Evangelical
Resonate Church
Acts 29 Church | Decatur | ~150-500 people per service
Motivated by the call in Ephesians 4 for the Church to equip all people for ministry, Resonate Church in Decatur has a focus on disciple-making, community, and ministering to their neighbors here in greater Atlanta. Resonate has two weekly Sunday morning services with modern and contemporary music led by a band, gospel-centered teaching by one of the church’s pastors, and communion. Coffee is served before both services, so feel free to arrive a few minutes early and meet others before you find a seat. The church is relatively small – about 80 people per service – and has a relaxed and welcoming community atmosphere. If you have kids in elementary school, there are classes for your kids at both services. You’re invited to bring your kids into the main auditorium for the music part of worship, and there is a short break to take them to their classes before the sermon (infants/toddlers can be brought to their classes before the service starts).
Insider’s Guide: If you wish to learn more about Resonate Church, you can request the creation of its Insider’s Guide. Learn more here.
Non-Denominational
Buckhead Church
Non-denominational | Buckhead | ~2,100-2,400 people per service
Buckhead Church’s mission is to lead people to Jesus by meeting them in their life and at Church. It’s actually one location of many of North Point Ministries and is located off of Peachtree Road right in the heart of Atlanta. Joel Thomas is the lead pastor, while Andy Stanley is the Senior Pastor of North Point Point ministries as a whole. Andy is a dynamic speaker who leads many of the services in-person or virtually across locations. He engages members through his signature black, white, and yellow visuals that he uses to help members follow his reason and evidence-based messages about Christ. Adult services are at 9 am and 11 am and there are programs for all age groups at the same time: Waumba Land for preschool, UpStreet for elementary school, Transit for middle school, and InsideOut for high school.
As a Church, one of its strategies is to “cause people to say: ‘I’m glad I came and can’t wait to come back.'” This is definitely the case as it’s an epicenter for young adults and young families in Buckhead and the surrounding area – engaging members through its talented and professional band, countless ministries and activities to get involved, and its attention on forming virtuous relationships with each other.
Something unique about Buckhead Church is that they expect newcomers and unchurched people to be in attendance, so the volunteers, staff, and all the resources offered are intentionally very available and approachable to make people feel welcome.
You can find profiles on many more of Buckhead Church’s ministries and activities here.
Insider’s Guide: If you wish to learn more about Buckhead Church, you can request the creation of its Insider’s Guide. Learn more here.
Grace Midtown
Non-denominational | English Avenue (near GA Tech) | ~300-500 per service
Passionate, authentic worship, intentional service to the city, and a focus on spiritual formation are at the core of Grace Midtown. Located near Georgia Tech in the English Avenue neighborhood, Grace is an urban church committed to serving the city of Atlanta. Grace attracts a charismatic, creative crowd, and is home to hundreds of students, young adults, and growing families.
Services are informal, and with 3 to choose from every Sunday, you can find a time that suits you (most older adults go in the morning, and college students often frequent the evening service). Messages at Grace are focused on relating a short passage of scripture to our lives and culture today. The music at Sunday services is contemporary and spirit-filled, and led by a talented band; in fact, the popular worship band, Housefires, was formed by worship leaders at Grace Midtown. The band still regularly plays at Grace’s monthly worship nights.
One thing that sets Grace Midtown apart is the way it strives to be integrated into communities and homes of Atlanta through what it calls House Churches. House Churches gather weekly in homes across the city for meals, Bible study, and worship–providing a consistent group of people to do life with. These neighborhood-based groups are a great way to develop meaningful relationships with others in the church.
You can find profiles on many more of Grace Midtown’s ministries and activities here.
View the full Grace Midtown Insider’s Guide here
Passion City Church
Non-denominational | 2 Locations – Lindbergh and Cumberland | ~700-1500 people per service
Often known among young adults and students for its popular annual Passion Conference as much as for its regular church activities, Passion is just what its name suggests: passionate, extravagant worship with multiple vocalists, a full band, and professional-quality light and video production that make Sunday worship feel more like a concert at a large music venue than a church service. Sunday talks (sermons) are taught by Pastor Louie Giglio, who presents accessible, Gospel-focused talks to both locations. Feel free to wear what you are most comfortable in; most people dress casually. Church services last about 90 minutes, including a 45-minute talk and worship.
Passion is a big church, to be sure. However, the church makes a concerted effort to make you feel at home from the first time you set foot in the building. “Door Holders” – i.e. Passion’s church volunteers – will be ready to help with everything from finding a parking spot to learning about other ways to get involved in the church, and of course, they’ll hold the doors and guide you to an open seat as well!
Beyond Sundays, Passion offers a number of ways for young adults to get involved. A thriving women’s ministry called The Grove gathers each month for worship and fellowship; for men, 3-5 person Fight Clubs encourage accountability and intentional friendships. Community Groups, which meet throughout the city, are held monthly as a way to help make the church feel smaller and connect with other adults who live in your area.
You can find profiles on many more of Passion City Church’s ministries and activities here.
View the full Passion City Church Insider’s Guide here
Presbyterian
City Church Eastside
PCA | Virginia Highlands | ~125-150 people per service
Located in the historic Hilan Theater in the heart of Virginia Highlands, City Church Eastside is set apart by its commitment to serving the Eastern neighborhoods of the city and intentionally investing in both the spiritual and emotional health of those who attend. A small but growing church community, City Church has two services each Sunday with worship songs led by a band and sermons that are accessible to all, long-time Christians and new believers alike.
The church is led by head pastor Scott Armstrong, who typically preaches on Sundays; women’s pastor Kristen Armstrong; and formation pastor Mike Boland. Sunday mornings are relaxed. You don’t need to dress up, and you can expect to see lots of families and young adults catching up in the lobby as the countdown clock gets closer to service time. If you drive, parking attendants out in front of the entrance will direct you to the nearest available parking.
Beyond attending services on Sundays, you can get plugged into the church community by joining an intergenerational neighborhood community group, a Bible study, or volunteering with City Church at local neighborhood events.
View the full City Church Eastside Insider’s Guide here
North Avenue Presbyterian Church
PCUSA | Midtown | ~100-225 people per service
Located in the heart of Midtown, across from the landmark Bank of America building, folks have been gathering to worship at North Avenue Presbyterian Church (NAPC) for over 100 years. NAPC’s beautiful historic building was extensively renovated in 2017, adding more space for classes, worship, and fellowship. NAPC has two services on Sunday, offering a little of everything in terms of worship style and demographics. The early service attracts many families, and worship is led by an eclectic band of church musicians. The later morning service is traditional, with hymns led by a choir, and attracts an older, more dressed-up crowd.
Low-key and hospitable, NAPC is a place where anyone is welcome. The young adult community is eclectic, unassuming, and disproportionately educated (given its proximity to GA Tech, it attracts a lot of engineers and other grad students). After Sunday evening services, young adults often go out for impromptu dinner in the area, and they organize a number of other community meals and events throughout the year – both official church events and informal movie nights or hikes. A few Bible studies or topical small groups comprised of young adults (and young families) gather in homes or at the church throughout the week.
View the full North Avenue Presbyterian Church Insider’s Guide here
More Churches
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This is a non-exhaustive list meaning it’s driven by the churches our community attends and recommends; it’s not every church that exists, but we want to feature as many as possible! If you belong to a church that you think should be featured, we can add it! Learn how to add new churches here – Add Your Church.
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