I LOVE having the option to be there in person when I'm not travelling or busy, OR listen to Pastor Judahs sermons online. He leads a solid growing church founded in good biblical theology. I guess you can say Pastor Judah reads his Bible well. Additionally, I have been apart of the City Church since 2009 and couldn't imagine going anywhere else...(have gone with friends to their churches and they've ended up switching to city more often than not). I have been blessed to meet an ever growing community of AWESOME truly happy people that are more encouraging and genuine than I have ever experienced before. This all despite what season good or bad that they may be in the midst of!!!! I recently switched to this campus as I felt it was a better fit for Young Professionals than the University Campus was... as well as its closer to where I recently move--in Ballard.. Super fun loving environment!!! I can comfortably and confidently give this church my seal of approval if you're looking for a sanctuary and church to call home the Seattle area... multiple campus' across the city!!! Anyone and everyone is welcome with no judgement whatsoever! This church has more heart and service than anything ive ever seen...its inspiring! I would suggest this church for anyone looking for a seeker sensitive gospel focused on who Jesus is and the love of God/how that applies to your life!!!! Multi ethnic and friendly for people of all types, shapes, colors, and sizes. Located smack in the middle of the University Greek System at UW. Parking is rough but where isn't it in Seattle!?:) Last 2 cents, check out some of the sermons on their website or youtube if you're hesitant... definitely worth checking out!!!! read more

I you want to seek God rather than "religion" this is the place where others will stand with and help in whatever way they can. Everyone there is human and it's not perfect. The focus is on knowing and following Jesus and helping each other on the way. The leadership is solid and pastor Judah is as real as they get not a perfect man but a Godly one. read more

It doesn't seem they have an actual building or in person services in Washington. We were hoping to go to church, but I think it's only online. read more

endless, daily, annoying texts from them. Nothing is more annoying than getting continual, ongoing texts from some organization where you can't even speak to a live person to tell them to STOP sending texts. I did not sign up to receive them & I have no idea how I got on their marketing list. read more

All are welcome! You are loved at this church. Message is clear and focused on Jesus and His desire to have a relationship with whoever asks! read more

Watered down gospel. No power of God displayed. Pastor seems to have his own agenda which consists of people pleasing and no fear of God. Never once did mention of obeying God ever come up in my 6years of attendance even though Jesus says if we love Him we obey Him. I'm grieved by it because Pastor Judah has a true gift of communication but sadly I believe he is leading people astray with his sermons that focus on very little scripture and seems to imply that anything goes and never preaches on the Holiness of God. read more

Unfortunately we have moved on from City Church or Church home or whatever else they decide to change their name too. I was a part of the Bothell location, served as a volunteer, wanted to get plugged in and be invested in the community but I simply couldn't. Judah, the pastor would be gone months a time, the preaching was rarely live, the preaching was boiled down to one bible verse and the rest mostly talking about his celebrity friend, some dumb corny or inappropriate story to try to make you laugh. Nothing to challenge your or make you grow, just feel good you can't do anything wrong preaching. I just can't keep leaving the place and wondering was that a sermon or story time? After the move into Hollywood the churches focus has been on converting celebrities and not on the Seattle locations. Many many others have already left. It's very sad to see what it has become. read more

I flipping LOVE this church!! Contemporary music is always at the start of every service, undoubtedly a mix of new progressive contemporary music & the classics with a fresh spin. There is a fantastic mix of young & old, every race and appearance under the sun. The message is always relevant and applicable to a real person who lives a real life. I have two kids who go to church with me and without fail, they are both raving about how much they love their teachers and how much fun they had. Just in case you thought that wasn't reason enough to drop by and check it out, The City Church offers tons of classes and small group meetings all around the Seattle area. I'm proud to call The City Church my new home church!! Feel free to call the church or message me if you want to hear more. read more

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If this place left you feeling uneasy, don't ignore it. We live across the street and while this isn't our "home church", we've gone pretty frequently just out of pure convenience. We went three weeks ago, and that will be the last time we go to this church. The worship is great, and the community seems to be pretty open and welcoming. That's where the good things end, IMO. Here are some anecdotes from the last handful of sermons we've attended: -During collection, they played a video of the main pastor running around Seattle holding up his new book, which was for sale. No, proceeds for the book weren't donated to the church or another cause, and yes, the pastor has every right to capitalize off of the book's success. But should collection, a time of reflection and giving to glorify God and his work, be appropriate for marketing a new book that lines a man's pockets? Nope. Never. -I've seen a lot of comments about the sound theology of this church, but we haven't experienced it. Every Sunday we've attended has consisted of 20 mins of random stories about the pastor's week, 10 mins of the sermon, and 20 mins of worship. Most of the time we leave thinking "what was that even about?" In that 10 mins of the sermon, they'll loosely tie one or two verses to daily life, but that's it. -Three weeks ago, the pastor opened up the sermon with a 20 min story about his friendship with a celebrity. This friendship had literally NO relevance to his sermon or to God--he just wanted to tell us about his friendship with this man. He talked about touring with the guy, going to some awards thing with him, talked about how they tweet each other, etc. While the pastor is certainly charismatic, I struggle to find the purpose of sharing these types of anecdotes if not to make oneself look important. There is little humility in stories like these--and it's not something I look for from a church leader. Worth noting that this was the week when Hurricane Harvey had slammed into the US, with Hurricane Irma not far behind; it seems like it would have been good to mention this, pray for those affected as a congregation, and offer support to those who need it. -Good luck finding where your donations to this place go. They don't publish their annual reports, which is standard practice at every other church I've been to. If I donate my money or my time, I want to make sure it's going to people who need it, or to the church's operational costs. Others may not care as much, but it's a sticking point for me. -The pastor makes himself essentially unavailable. The below is taken directly from the church's website: "Can I get an appointment with Pastor Judah? While Pastor Judah would love to have an opportunity to meet with everyone who contacts him, his responsibilities as the lead pastor of The City Church limit him from being able to do so. Our pastoral team is always available to pray with you down front at the end of any of our weekly Gatherings and would enjoy meeting you. Joining a Group can also be a great place to go to receive prayer and support as well." He's busy, that's fine. But saying that his responsibilities as a lead pastor limit him from meeting with his community? Isn't part of his call to be there for his community? I can think of other examples too, but I'm already hitting a high word count. Go and see for yourself if this church is for you, but like I said in my opening line, don't ignore it if you get an uneasy feeling. read more

I'm not a regular 'yelper' but just wanted to say that i have been a member of City Church/Churchome for nearly 25 years, since Kelsey Creek (God bless you Pastor Gini, God bless you Lee) but sadly it is time for another church. Pastor Judah, Jesus has been moved to the background and replaced with self-aggrandizement during the sermons. You don't have time to socialize with your flock who faithfully tithe and pray for you. But you always have time to spend with famous celebrities. This is not a good direction for Churchome, imho. And putting your trust in numbers can be misleading. I enjoy watching the sermons of Joel Osteen on TBN at Lakewood Church and may travel there later this year to attend a service, something I haven't done before. It's the largest church in the USA (43,500 average weekly attendance) and I want to sit within the first 10 rows on the main floor to be near Pastors Osteen or Gray but was unsure about how long before the service I should arrive. So I e-mailed Lakewood about my plans and was told to arrive 45+ minutes before service. The Lakewood e-mailer then said something that surprised me: she wrote that if I find an usher after the service and mention that I'm a visitor, I will be taken to an area where I can meet Pastor Osteen in person. After a service of 16,000 people and no doubt having a very busy schedule, Pastor Osteen wants to meet me!! And I didn't even ask to meet with him (I didn't think it would be possible). He sought me out by instructing the Lakewood e-mailer to offer this to visitors. Lakewood is blessed having a pastor with such love for people. Pastor Judah, I hope you are listening read more

I have never been to a church as fun a sthis one. No matter who is delivering the message, I feel liek they are taking right to me, not at me. The music took a bit for me to get used to, AMAZING worship team, but mainly all Hillsong music. Now I am addicted to Hillsong, not a bad thing at all. We have made really good friends, plugged into 2 different "City Groups" AKA small groups, and really feel at home. Church should be one of your safest places in life, and this church definitley is. L O V E it! read more

I love the messages, the church and the welcoming. It may seem hard to click on but the beauty of it is that your as involved as you want to be. No pressure. No judgements. read more

I was so happy to find a great church in downtown Seattle. My wife and I had gone to a City Church a year or so ago in Central CA, so we thought we should see where it all started. The worship was great, if not a little theatrical. They seemed in it for real, not just to put on a show. I can't speak for the preaching, because when we were there, we watched a sermon from Hillsong church in Australia. It was a great message, but I would prefer to attend a live sermon, not a video message. Then again, preachers on video talking to multiple campuses at once is a pretty common thing in these west coast churches. To me, it just makes the head pastor seem a bit full of himself. read more

I just love this church, so much. The message is always applicable to your life. Judah does so well at breaking the verses down and explaining them. He is also so funny that I cried laughing my first time in church. Very happy to have this church so close to me. read more

After church searching and waiting to find something that fits with my personally, I have settled in at Churchome. There are many aspects to finding a church, so don't quit when looking for one! Give a couple a shot. When you go to Churchome, there are a lot of misconceptions given about this place, because it is easy to judge. It is different than most traditional churches, so people commonly associate it with being "hipster" and have the annoying hipster young church vibe, but I see through it. Yes, its a little hipster.. lol But, Judah Smith is truly ordained by God. I have never been to a service I regret going to. Sure, the large amounts of people can feel a little isolating, but if you want a community, you can get one here, you just have to try a little and express interest. Once you express you want to build a community, there are SO many resources for you. But, you can also be a person who walks in and out, not talking to anyone, and getting your daily dose of Jesus on your own. It is much more valuable to stay and talk, but not necessary to gain something from attending this church. It is a great church. Every church has their flaws and the longer you're in one, the more you see. But Churchome regulars are good, and they will make you want to be a better you if you're around them long enough. Try it before you judge, and take what Judah says seriously because he can honestly relate to any person on this planet. And, they truly do focus on Jesus and love, no hate, drama, politics, etc. It is very straightforward, yet can take you really deep. AND the best part: THE WORSHIP. You'll see what I mean when I go. Overall: Ambiance: Modern, warm, contemporary, young, but has older crowds within, easily relatable Worship: Loud, spontaneous (sometimes), you can really feel it in your body, everyone sings and it sounds amazing, so you can easily sing loud if you want. People get on their knees sometimes, but for the most part everyone raises hands and it is easy to not feel like people are watching you or judging you. Location/Accessibility: This is a "mega church". It is everywhere and you will find people of all shapes, colors, sizes, interests, genders, and even faiths. How long I've been attending: About 5-6 years, from age 17-23. read more

I love this church, it is my second home. I have been going since '05 and my faith has grown so much since then. There are city groups (small groups) you can join to get to know people better and that makes this huge thriving church feel smaller and friendlier. The leaders are encouraging and honest. The thing that I first noticed about this church that is different then others is their message is positive and full of hope. I always hated feeling bad about my life after leaving other services from other churches. God is good and present at The City Church! read more

I knew this was the right church the moment we walked in the door. The message pastor Judah delivers is always spot on. The worship is a little different, but its good. I love it here! read more

I moved to Seattle a year ago and found The City Church. The messages are great. Tithes are a (biblical) part of every church, and you are not pressured to give at The City Church. (And you never ever should be pressured or embarrassed into giving at any church.) They encourage volunteering your time and prayers. The sermons are shown on a large television screen up front, but the band is live. There is also a church leader on site. I haven't volunteered for any of the programs, so I can't give an opinion on those. Check it out, and the Lord will let you know if The City Church is the worship center for you. read more

My first time here ....I moved from auburn, wa To downtown. .. I think I made the best choice for a church !! I think it's a great fit for me!! Felt very immersed there!! I thinking of going to the night service at 6:pm! Thanks for your kindness! I'll come again! I forgot to add this and maybe they can do something about it ....I've never been to a church where you had to pay for a cup of coffee. ..I guess I've never been to a church in seattle I'm not sure I'd that is normal here but that was the only complaint I had. (I do like live sermons! I hope to see nextime! And not televised! But it was still beautiful none the less!!) Every thing else was beautiful! Keep it up! Harmony o read more

Lately the church appears to not acknowledge the emergency needs of its own members. Emails are not responded to. Yet movie stars and pastor popularity are at the top of the priority list. If the church refuses to help it's own, then its mission is what?? read more

Update: 2018 I originally reviewed this church back in 2008, and thought I'd update my review. I've gone quite a few times since then, and most recently have attended many times over the last year or so, and it really feels like this church is headed in a great direction. I've listened to quite a few messages by the lead pastor (Judah) recently, and they have been impassioned cries for love and unity, with the grace of God as a focal point. There seems to be a recent focus on trying to be less "us vs them", with the topic of race being used as an example, and just a general focus more on loving and helping others the way that Jesus does. I've attended many recent Sunday services in person in Belltown, and the worship has been lively and encouraging and I walked away from the service uplifted. The service times in Belltown are also fantastic, with multiple options for either morning or evening. The lead pastor in Belltown seemed pretty down to earth, and a good fit for a downtown campus I think. He is definitely doing his best to present a welcoming and accepting message, a "no matter who you are, you belong here" vibe, which was super encouraging. The basic message was that you belong before you believe, and that as you welcome people and show them the love of Jesus, he can take care of leading people toward him, however that looks in their life, and we don't have to worry about trying to fix people ourselves. When I first started going back regularly I actually wasn't really sure what I believed, if anything, and I even told him as much. However, I was still welcomed to start coming, just as I was, and to join a group, etc. And it turned out to be an effective strategy in my life, as I find myself having more faith in God than I've had in many years, and see my life starting to shift more toward Jesus. This church is grounded firmly in Jesus and the Bible is used in every sermon. If you've had negative experiences with fundamental Christianity in the past, this sort of thing can sound a bit scary at first. However, they really do seem to back up these teachings with a strong focus on the grace of God that was gifted us through his son Jesus, and while there is nothing we could have done to earn it, our lives should be a response to that gift. Initially, I wasn't sure what to make of the giving section at the end of the service, and in general I'm cautious of the financial motives of churches in general. However, having sat through the giving section a number of times now, it is oft repeated that there is no obligation to give and to not give out of fear. It's even been said that if you never give you still belong and should be coming to church, and I do appreciate that. Tithing in general is a bit of a loaded topic for me personally, but I understand that organizations that benefit myself and others deserve financial support and wouldn't exist without it. All in all, I generally judge a church, even if I don't agree with every single doctrine personally, by whether it is a net positive or a net negative. With the strong push they have toward love and belonging for everyone I really think this church is solidly in the positive category. While sometimes the giving portion of the service isn't my favorite, it isn't really worse than most other churches, and Churchome has a message that I think is great for our city and our world at large. read more

This church was lively and had good music; I went to one of the Generation Church services during the week that serves college-aged students. Everyone seemed really friendly and the message was good, but there was one thing I just couldn't get over. Another reviewer already mentioned "speaking in tongues," and I thought the way the church pushed it on their members was somewhat legalistic. In the Bible, speaking in tongues was a rare gift/miracle. Not only that, legitimate occasions where people (both in the Bible and more contemporary examples) have spoken in tongues, it has not just been gibberish but people speaking other REAL languages (other than their own) that they had no way of knowing. I found this church's treatment of the idea of tongues to have been entirely bizarre and it will probably keep me from returning in the future. I guess I will be church shopping some more... read more

We visited the city church from out of town and they were very kinda and accommodating! They held our bags for us in a back room. Despite some small tech difficulties they crew worked it out and you could tell they cared so much for people. Real people loving Jesus and loving others. Thank you! read more

SO awesome! The energy here is so awesome. I am becoming interested in religion, I consider myself more of a spiritual person, regardless, the folks here were amazing and this smaller campus was still large without feeling lofty. I'd give this church a 5th star but at the beginning of the mass when the band was playing they had a song where everyone started to run around. I'm not a conservative person but I am not willing to run around or be run over in church. Beautiful people though and powerful speakers. I will def return. read more

I'm visiting from Texas, and I visited The City this past weekend. Pastor Billy was the guest pastor, and he was amazing. It left me feeling so uplifted. I'll be living in Seattle long term during the summer, and I'll definitely be making this church my home during my stay. read more

It feels funny to be reviewing a church, but here it is. I went because I'm again seeking a church. I was greeted by a policeman (Seattle's finest, in uniform) at the door (this was a bit disturbing). Another person said hi, and then nobody else said a word to me until the service started. The music was very loud. At least 120 dBA; it was PAINFUL (the sheer volume hurt my ears), and my ears are still ringing several hours later. The audio equipment was being tortured (the audio was clipping at several points). The message was over video by the pastor. While the content of his message was heartfelt and Biblical, I don't consider yelling to be an appropriate style of delivery. And then he talked about tithing, ranting a little about those who don't. Sorry, folks. Won't be going back. read more

I attend City of Life church in Kissimmee Florida. I Was visiting Seattle last weekend. I had the pleasure of attending worship at City Church in Seattle. Pastor Smith preached It was wonderful , great addition to my vacation. thank you God for blessings church and the wonderful people that attended. read more

This church has a lot of good qualities, the people are friendly and much of the worship is upbeat. Aside from the speaking in tongues issue there was something else that bothered me. After having gone to this church for about 2 years I started to see a couple of things that really were problems in the root of this church, I know churches need money to survive and that's fine. But to me it was extremely flashy. There were debit card donation machines, I don't think I've ever been to one service when a good half hour of it was basically praying that people would give thousands and in some cases nearly hundreds of thousands to the church. I understand that a good portion of the money goes to good things. But when a pastor told someone to pray that they get that shirt they really wanted from Nordstroms or Barney's New York I realized that church should not be sold to people, it's the heart and soul god wants from you not your wallet. One other thing that takes a while to notice is how much of the pastors seem to become Idols, which I know isn't the right thing to have in a church. People should be able to question their church, when I asked a fellow member of the church about where our money is going, which I willing gave every Sunday and Wednesday when I had the funds. They seemed almost offended when I told them that not all of it goes to Charity and that some of it goes to maintaining our church, which is fine.. but when the church becomes a mega mall there is a line that needs to be drawn, I honestly don't think it's beneficial for our pastors to talk about their $5,000 dollar suit they bought during a service and telling people that with god in their lives they too can have good things like that. I just don't believe in a god that is driven by things like money : / People who are put in power should really perpetuate a situation that is available to everyone. God won't always give you money but he will provide you the things that you need and that will make you happy. read more

I see a lot of negative and angry reviews which is odd to me. Most of the reasons seem to be personally specific situations and sound bitter. Im not saying bad experiences don't happen to people, but based on the preaching I hear, I don't feel the bad comments are valid. I don't hear a bragging,self-centered, egotistical man when I listen to the sermons. If you feel this way, then I do not think you understand the tone and humor of his preaching. I think he is very spiritually and scripturally sound and that's in comparison to big name churches as well as smaller traditional churches. And he's more sound than most I've heard in my 25 years of church memory. He comes across to me as genuine heart who loves people, and isn't afraid to challenge the comfortable thoughts of most Christians. Even when he talks of nice things he has,or may have done, he many times follows up with how they don't matter, and how silly it can be to focus on things before God. Now if you don't think Christians(pastors in this case) should talk about money, or have nice things, then you will have a hard time with churches in this country. If Pastor Judah had a small church, then he wouldn't make much money at all. But since his church is large, he makes a bit more money. But isnt that normal? Plus I just listened to him say "the road to happiness isn't buying stuff" and its genuine. If you own your own business you would never say its wrong to make a lot of money. I agree things can get corrupt and it is a heart issue. But can people really judge Him and the church and say they arent being faithful with the money given? Is not the church helping thousands of people who attend? And if those thousands of people give some each week that adds up. Trust me Im not a fan of the "prosperity gospel" being the focus, but I try don't focus on that so much. Can't a church be doing the right thing, and be financially blessed at the same time. God DOES reward you for doing the helping others and doing the right thing...and sometimes that does mean money. Not exclusively but I do believe Churchome does so much good in that community and in people's lives that they should be given the benefit of the doubt; ruling out extreme error or blatant misuse of funds and resources. No church is perfect,so its easy to find many faults in any church. But people aren't perfect and they seem to be doing the right thing. Plus if he had all the same qualities and was a normal person we had as a friend, we would love him and say how great of a person he was....yet he gets scrutinized for those same qualities just because he's a pastor. I have been critical on many big name pastors and churches for preaching and operating in error, but I haven't seen this to be the case with Pastor Judah Smith. So I support him! read more

Great people. Great service in general, and mostly good message. Elijah was streamed in from the Kirkland campus. What sticks with me, though, is the way he continued to throw his wife under the bus for forgetting her purse. Yes, he did acknowledge the bus throwing and acknowledged losing a kid at Disneyland (funny and insightful story), **BUT** the purse thing was obviously a source of irritation for him and something he should have seriously toned down, even in jest. It made her look bad. read more

I have attended this church for 10 years, and no longer feel comfortable there. It is only geared for ages up to 35. Everything is too cool for words. I don't like the lavish spending. Unfortunately I am looking for another church. I miss the days when Judah's father was the pastor. read more

Enjoyed the worship and the warm welcome but was really disappointed that Judah was escorted in and out with a security guard. Seemed to be no interaction with his flock of followers. I have watched his sermons online and he does have great messages but my experience in person was very different. read more

It is all about Jesus at The City Church. You cannot go unnoticed and you are sure to feel right at home. Amazing worship, amazing preaching and amazing fellowship. Come check it out! read more

My personal experience was quite different people at the City church where extremely caring loving and happy really Jesus kind of teachings I'm 65 I really think they were sincere and the pastor when out of his way to greet me I hope they continue the good work remember Jesus our redeemer is the only perfect One love you body of Christ. read more