Churches in Back Bay

Active churches in Back Bay

299 Berkeley St, Boston
flc-boston.org
1 sermon
645 Boylston St, Boston
oldsouth.org
1 sermon
67 Newbury St, Boston
cotcbos.org
1 sermon
15 Newbury St, Boston
emmanuelboston.org
1 sermon
206 Clarendon St, Boston
trinitychurchboston.org
1 sermon
351 Boylston St, Boston
anchorboston.com
1 sermon
18 Belvidere St, Boston
stceciliaboston.org
1 sermon

Types of churches in Back Bay

Non-denominational

Modern music, practical teaching, and a relaxed, come-as-you-are atmosphere — popular with young adults and families who want a welcoming community without strong denominational ties.

Mainline & historic

Traditional worship with beautiful sanctuaries, choral music, and liturgical services — congregations that connect faith with history and a long-standing community presence.

Students & young adults

With the University of Colorado nearby, many churches emphasize student ministry — Bible studies, worship nights, and service opportunities built for people in their college and early-career years.

Family-friendly

Strong kids’ programs, youth groups, and safe, supportive environments — with Sunday school, childcare, and age-specific ministries throughout the city.

Sermon clips from Back Bay churches

47s
“This peace is not the false peace of denial or complacency, but it is a peace that has seen the worst and overcome hell. This is the peace that is the great gift of Christ to all the faithful, a peace that surpasses understanding. It is this kind of peace that he offered to his disciples in that locked room, and it is this kind of peace that he invites us to offer to one another even now. Even now on the edge of war, even now despite the wounds we carry. We carry deeper than those wounds, a peace that this world did not give and this world cannot take away.”
53s
#ResurrectionAndWounds
“The resurrection had not taken them back to the good old days where the crucifixion hadn't happened yet. The risen Christ is not a Jesus shaped erasure of everything that happened. The resurrection doesn't undo the crucifixion. The wounds are still there, visible, touchable, real. The resurrection is not some kind of do over. It's not God pressing a reset button and making everything clean and fine and unscathed. Rather, the resurrection is the Christ of God, the redeeming urge of God saying, I was in that. I was in the suffering and the horror and the abandonment and the execution, and I am still here.”
33s
#enterHisHeart
“As Jesus forgives you all of your sins, he takes those wounds of yours and brings them into his holy wounds so that you would have that you would even experience the heart of Jesus as the very place of love for you. Anything less than that, anything less than entering into the wounds of Jesus and touch his heart will not do because it is there that we see Jesus as our Lord and God and we see our life in the light of his resurrection.”
50s
#ResurrectionSpace
“Did you see the Nutella floating 24,000 miles above your heads this past week? Today, we begin with space, But a space that follows the resurrection. A space that begins as empty, a tomb that echoes with nothing but a cast aside linen sheet and then becomes suddenly crowded, a narrow and crowded space as followers of Jesus huddle locked behind a door because of fear of the empire. It's into this space, this huddled confined space that Jesus appears.”
43s
#FaithBeyondFeelings
“Paul describes faith in a way that is not just try to follow Jesus, do it until you throw up. No. What we sometimes fail to realize is that faith with Jesus is a real intangible thing and that we lean into the scriptures. There is a rich underpinning to our faith. It is so much more than just feelings or emotions. In fact, it must be more than feelings and emotions because faith built only upon emotions is a weak and a shallow faith.”
37s
#SecondReadingPraise
“But, you know, when we look at this second reading, what happens to Peter? He explodes with praise as he writes, blessed be the god and father of our lord Jesus Christ who in his great mercy gave us new birth to a living hope. Wow. He recognizes the significance of what was happening. A new birth to a living hope. Do we really ever settle upon that and think about what the resurrection does to us?”
49s
#GenerationsOfWorship
“God of our ancestors, god of our lord Jesus Christ, open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us. Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this table for solace only and not for strength, for pardon only and not for renewal. Let the grace of this holy communion make us one body, one spirit in Christ that we may worthily serve the world in his name. Risen Lord, be known to us in the breaking of the bread. Accept these prayers and praises through Jesus Christ, our great high priest, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit, your church gives honor, glory, and worship from generation to generation.”
47s
“This peace is not the false peace of denial or complacency, but it is a peace that has seen the worst and overcome hell. This is the peace that is the great gift of Christ to all the faithful, a peace that surpasses understanding. It is this kind of peace that he offered to his disciples in that locked room, and it is this kind of peace that he invites us to offer to one another even now. Even now on the edge of war, even now despite the wounds we carry. We carry deeper than those wounds, a peace that this world did not give and this world cannot take away.”
47s
“This peace is offered by one still in his burial clothes, one who bears wounds on his head, in his hands, in his side, who has seen the worst, and whose love has overpowered all of the world's violence. The peace of Christ is not for the optimist, not for the unmarred one with a shining smile. It is for those in the ditch, those who are born with their backs up against the wall who have not caught a break since. It is for those who claw at the door of grief whose lives have been wrecked by death and who don't see how they might go on or who they are anymore.”
47s
“This peace is offered by one still in his burial clothes, one who bears wounds on his head, in his hands, in his side, who has seen the worst, and whose love has overpowered all of the world's violence. The peace of Christ is not for the optimist, not for the unmarred one with a shining smile. It is for those in the ditch, those who are born with their backs up against the wall who have not caught a break since. It is for those who claw at the door of grief whose lives have been wrecked by death and who don't see how they might go on or who they are anymore.”

Why Back Bay churches are unique

Tradition meets innovation: The spiritual landscape in Back Bay reflects both heritage and progress, with long-established mainline churches standing alongside newer congregations that emphasize casual gatherings and contemporary worship.
A culture all its own: Many churches mirror the city’s culture of inclusivity and connection to the outdoors, offering spaces where people of all backgrounds can experience faith and community in an authentic, welcoming environment.

Recent sermons from Back Bay churches

Nearby cities: 38 churches in Boston 7 churches in Roxbury 10 churches in Cambridge 6 churches in Beverly 7 churches in Bristol