City Life Philly

City Life Philly

At City Life Philly, we exist to lead individuals who are far from God to pursue a full life in Christ. Our mission is taking shape every week through the lives that are being transformed by God’s love. We believe the future for City Life is bright, and we know that when you experience God, your future becomes brighter too. If you haven’t visited us yet, we invite you to join us this weekend and experience firsthand how exciting church can be when the focus is simple: people are free to love God with passion.

Our Story – From Dream to Reality

The Beginning

In September 2010, Brad and Leah Leach moved to Philadelphia with a dream to start a church that would create an environment where real people, from all different backgrounds, could experience the life-changing love of God. One year later, in September 2011, that dream became a reality. City Life Philly held its very first service at The Academy at Palumbo in South Philly. The service was filled with energy, warmth, and a welcoming atmosphere—qualities we’ve strived to maintain every weekend since.

Growing Through Challenges

For the first seven years, we were a “portable church,” meeting in three rented venues throughout South Philly. These formative years built a strong, committed community. We learned what’s possible with a dedicated Dream Team of volunteers, who served each week to set up and tear down our worship spaces. Most importantly, God taught us that a church is not just a building—it’s a vibrant community on mission together to serve the city.

Our Vision – Love God, Love People, Prove It

Love God

Our goal is to help you develop a dynamic relationship with God. We believe that weekend worship services are the catalyst for spiritual growth, whether you’re new to church or have been following Jesus for years. Each weekend, we offer the opportunity to worship God and hear His message in a way that is both understandable and inspiring. We want to kick-start your week with God, helping you grow spiritually and practice spiritual disciplines daily.

Love People

Building great relationships is key to spiritual growth. At City Life Philly, we encourage everyone to join a Life Group, where you can connect with other City Lifers and experience true community. Spiritual growth happens best when we do it together, and following Jesus is never meant to be done in isolation. We believe that relationships matter and that the church is a family.

Our Values – Living Out the Gospel

Set Free by Grace

We believe that God will do anything to pursue people, and that He showed the greatest love by sending Jesus to live, die, and rise again for us. This grace has the power to transform lives—changing sinful hearts into ones full of love and forgiveness. By encountering the Truth of God’s Word, we can experience freedom and grow in a life-giving relationship with God. Grace empowers us to love and forgive others as we’ve been loved and forgiven. As a church, we’re committed to being “grace dealers” in a city that desperately needs second chances.

A Vibrant Community

City Life Philly is a community that is passionate, warm, and welcoming. Our desire is to create environments where people can experience the presence of God, preach with passion, sing with joy, and come alive together. We are a diverse family where our differences strengthen us, and every person’s story matters. We want to create a space where you can be yourself, have fun, laugh, and live life creatively while experiencing God’s love in community. This is the kind of church Jesus would enjoy—a place filled with life and love.