I've been attending Freedom Church regularly for over 2 years. I have hesitated to write a review in the past because, well, how do you review a church? Here's my attempt to do my best:
Worship Team/ Music: The first time that I heard the worship team at Freedom Church I knew that I found my church home. The passion in their voices, the harmonies, visualizing their own worship experiences on stage, and the POWER in that 30 minutes of song moved me to tears - not once, but consistently for the first several months of my attendance. Music is one of the most powerful forms of communication and expression in my world. The mix of contemporary Christian music coupled with the soulful voices of the worship team members really makes me feel every kind of sweet, humbling, grateful emotion repeatedly each Sunday.
The Pastor: Gabe Bouch is currently the lead Pastor at Freedom Church and I truly enjoy his messages every Sunday. His style of preaching is very personal and intimate. First and foremost, he encourages personal relationship with Christ which really appeals to me. I value relationship over religion, but I am a Christian and I believe in the teaching and following of the Holy Bible. Gabe often develops sermon series that are heavily focused on scriptures from the Bible and that incorporate a lot of other literature and references from historical figures, pop culture, and his own human experience with family, education, and the world. During his messages you will not be surprised to hear a lot of laughter, see a lot of nods, and (at least for me) feel a compulsion to grow your own relationship with the Lord in whatever area the message focuses on that Sunday.
Congregation: Diversity is abundant at this church. There are a lot of students from the local colleges as the church has a large campus ministry that engages those communities in Philadelphia. However, as a whole you will find people ranging from the ages of several months to 80 years old. It's a beautiful experience to worship and grow in Christ with people of all different backgrounds, ethnicities, race, cultures, and economic classes. The sense of community at the church is palpable. A lot of the sermons that have touched me the most at Freedom focus on love for other people as the second greatest commandment, and love for your brothers and sisters in Christ. The church also has several small groups that meet outside of the main service on Sunday all around Phila/ NJ to help the congregation stay connected with each other as we all grow in Christ.
Service: I have been blessed with an opportunity to experience community at Freedom through serving on a few different teams. A church doesn't grow without the dedicated people working behind the scenes to help make that happen. There are a slew of opportunities to be in service at the church from the worship team, tech/video/ communications, usher, connection team, kids church and so much more. The teams at the church collaboratively do their best to make the congregation feel at home; so much that it inspired me to be a part of that experience for other members and visitors.
Location: Services are currently held at the Prince Music Theater in Center City Philadelphia off of Broad and Chestnut Streets. It's walkable from many areas and closely located to the Broad Street line and several bus routes. The space itself is beautiful, the acoustics are greats and ifs large enough to accommodate the hundreds of people that attend both services at 9:30AM and 11:00AM each Sunday. You will often see many people gathering in the large lobby before and after services to engage with each other and to find out more information on the church.
Families/ Kids: I do not have children, but I am always impressed at how much time and care goes into making the children's experience at church an educational and fun one. There are a few different children's churches (one for adolescents, younger children, and then infants-toddlers) and several members of the church who dedicate their time to caring for the kids while their parents enjoy the main service. I really appreciate that the church offers so many opportunities for parents to be spiritually fed while their children are also being educated on a level appropriate for their age.
I highly recommend Freedom Church and if nothing else encourage you to attend a service to develop your own understanding and connection. I've met some great, close friends and I know a few members who have started their families at Freedom. The dress is casual, the services are 90 minutes or less and I have a lot of fun when I'm there. Yes, services are actually fun at Freedom!! It's a great time with a great message, and at the church's core, I truly believe through my own experience that they are there to help you grow in your own spiritual journey. read more