A red-painted church door under a stone arch in a Philadelphia brick facade, standing slightly ajar with warm light along its latch edge, above a white marble stoop.

Revelation 3:8 · Written to the church in Philadelphia

“I have set before you an open door.”

Portico Church · South Philadelphia

Portico Church — I have set before you an open door.

Come in.

Sundays · 10:00 AM

Worship, then bread at the long table.

Wednesdays · 7:00 PM

Supper & prayer.

1931 Fitzwater Street
South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The red door is unlocked every daylight hour.

Find the red door →

Threshold I · The red door

Who we are

Every church begins at a door.

A warm fellowship hall: a long wooden table set with bread and enamel cups, mismatched chairs, coats on wall hooks, morning light pouring through a tall sash window.

Portico takes its name from Solomon’s Portico — the temple doorway where the first church gathered, out in the open, where anyone could stop and listen. We are a small congregation in a 140-year-old brick chapel in South Philadelphia. In 1931, the deacons painted the front door oxblood-red to mark it a place of sanctuary, and it has stood unlocked every daylight hour since.

The letter was written to Philadelphia in Asia Minor. We’re the other one. We’ve spent ninety years trying to deserve the mail.

Weathered hands breaking a loaf of bread over a wooden table, enamel cups nearby, in warm window light.
Sundays after worship · the bread is broken

Threshold II · The narrow gate

What we hold

An ancient pale limestone wall pierced by a single tall, narrow doorway filled with white light.

“The gate is narrow… and those who find it are few.”Matthew 7:14

  • We keep the door unlocked, because it was opened for us.
  • We hold a word we did not write, and will not amend.
  • We set a table longer than our block.
  • We are small, and we are not ashamed of it.

“You have little strength. Yet you have kept my word.”Revelation 3:8

Threshold III · The stone

Even the grave has a door.

A great circular hewn stone — a first-century rolling tomb stone — seen straight on against darkness.

The stone was rolled away — not to let him out. To let us see in.

An olive garden at first light: the low sun flaring through silver-green leaves over ground mist.

No one can shut it.

Threshold IV · Many rooms

Many rooms

A Philadelphia brick rowhouse street at blue hour, every front door standing open with warm lamplight spilling onto white marble stoops and wet brick sidewalk.

“In my Father’s house are many rooms.”John 14:2

A lit rowhouse doorwayKidsSunday mornings, ground floor. Noise welcome. A lit rowhouse doorwayStudentsWednesday nights. Bring your questions. A lit rowhouse doorwayTablesSupper in a different rowhouse every month. A lit rowhouse doorwayMercyCoats, groceries, and the stoop fund.

The door opens toward you

A white painted paneled church door with aged brass hardware, photographed straight on.

“He stands at the door and knocks.”Revelation 3:20

This Sunday, we answer by opening ours — to whoever is on the step.

I was a stranger and you welcomed me · Matthew 25:35