Our Story
The mission of Portico Church Arlington is Uniting People to Life in Christ. We do this only as we are united to Christ ourselves, depending on him alone for our salvation and our life together in him.
“Portico” is a reference to Solomon’s Portico on the temple. This was the threshold between the outer courts which were accessible to everyone, and the inner spaces of the temple moving closer to the Lord’s presence. Our hope is that we may be a place that is accessible to everyone and where the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ brings us near the presence of the Lord as we are made holy as objects of God’s redeeming power.
We were planted in 2010 from Portico Church Charlottesville with the hope that God might establish his people in Arlington to serve as a house of prayer and worship for his people who move to the area, for those new to the faith, and as a light to the nation as we proclaim Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Situated in proximity to Washington DC, we strive to embody our identity as an embassy of the kingdom of God, an outpost of Christ’s kingdom situated in the heart of this earthly kingdom, so that every member of the church can be an ambassador for Christ, sharing the good news of his death and resurrection and bearing witness to the goodness of life in his kingdom.
As Portico Church has walked through the natural changes of seasons, leadership, and membership that come in a transient area, the Lord has remained faithful. Everyone who has been part of Portico’s story has experienced the undeserved and extravagant grace of God as he has not only sustained us, but continues to form us into the image of Jesus.