Christ's Church, Jacksonville
Encyclopedia
Christ’s Church is a non-denominational Christian
megachurch
located in southern Jacksonville
, Florida
. According to the church's website, attendance is over 4,200 at worship services in their three locations. According to the Christian Standard, Christ's Church is "one of the finest church facilities in the country".
was still rural; Interstate 295
and the Buckman Bridge had recently been completed and St. Augustine Road had two traffic lanes. The family of Loraine Oden donated 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) of land for the first church building which contained a sanctuary with seating for 160, a handful of classrooms, bathrooms, and offices for Pastor Gene Helmey and the church secretary. Forty members attended the dedication of the sanctuary on October 20, 1974, but membership grew rapidly, necessitating construction of a fellowship hall and more classrooms in 1976.
As of June 2010, Dr. Dennis Bratton has retired from Christ's Church with the title "Pastor Emeritus" and begun his own project to go "beyond relief" in helping those in extreme poverty in different places around the world through the Kore Foundation. Lead Pastor, Jason Cullum, has stepped up to the Senior Pastor position.
As the church grew, it expanded in membership, requiring more space and more staff. In 1982, the church constructed a Family Life Center. Church members themselves volunteered their time and expertise to lower expenses of construction, finishing the interior of the professionally-assembled shell. In 1987, the church increased its services for families with young children in the area, opening the Sharing Tree Preschool. It also extended its offerings for teenagers with a teen program eventually settled in a separate property called "The Ranch". Along with new staff to address the needs of youth and children, staff was added to assist with seniors, pastoral care and outreach, as well as to address needs in the church like music.
Growth continued to exceed space. A 1,000-seat worship center built in 1986 had to be expanded in 1991. Nevertheless, and even with the addition of multiple services including the popular "Saturday Night Alive" service on Saturday evening, the church realized in 1994 that it needed more space. At the same time, it decided to open a Christian school.
The school has an enrollment of 641, with 114 students in grades 9-12, but began fielding varsity sports teams in 2007. In the 2008-09 school year, they began competing as a member of Florida High School Athletic Association
class 1A.
In the summer of 2011, the decision was made to change the school's name to more closely associate it with the church, and Mandarin Christian School became Christ's Church Academy.
was selected to design the new facility. Ground was broken on January 25, 1998 and the members received frequent progress reports. After the last service concluded at their old facility on June 6, 1999, the church members made a symbolic walk to their new church building, 4½ miles away. The new church complex was designed to accommodate growth in the church, which was located adjacent to major highways. State Road 9A (soon to be I-295) borders the property on the north, while Interstate 95
is 1/10 mile to the west.
Phase I included a 115000 sq ft (10,683.8 m²) Sanctuary with seating for 2,500 that expanded to 3,500. It also contained office spaces, conferences rooms, classrooms and nurseries, among other rooms. A 1,600 seat auditorium is located nearby. The entrance to the Sanctuary is an enormous atrium
where hundreds of members and guests can meet, talk and enjoy refreshments before and after services.
The original plans included a future Phase II 80000 sq ft (7,432.2 m²) Community Center, which would contain a chapel, preschool, dining hall, gymnasium, offices and student center. The future became reality when construction began in 2002. Phase II was completed in February, 2003.
In 2005, MCC hosted the Southeast Regional Conference of the North American Christian Coalition (NACC).
, a name was needed that was conducive to other locations. It was decided to drop “Mandarin”, and the name officially became Christ’s Church on January 9, 2005. Their mission was to “Make Disciples, More Disciples, Better Disciples”.
, so in December, 2004 the church began holding a service at St. Johns Country Day School
. Initial attendance was 200, which doubled when a second service was added. Christ’s Church Fleming Island
(CCFI), south of Orange Park
, was announced on March 20, 2005. The church leaders began to search for a permanent church location on the west side of the St. Johns River
.
chicken hatchery on U.S. 17 was quickly identified as a possible location. After negotiating a lower price than the $6.3 million originally sought, the church acquired the building in August, 2005 with the help of several church members who made substantial donations. Renovation began soon after, but Christ’s Church Fleming Island did not officially open the doors on their new campus until May 12, 2007. CCFI offers most of the programs available at Christ’s Church Jacksonville, including programs for children of all ages during both worship services and a full staff.
. A group of families began meeting for services at the Camden County Recreation Center in Kingsland
with staff supplied by the Jacksonville Christ’s Church. Their first full-time pastor, Scott Clevenger, began January 1, 2009. On April 5, 2009, services at Christ’s Church Camden (CCC) were moved from the community room to the gymnasium. Then on January 1, 2010 they purchased the Methodist Children's Home located at 201 Kings Bay Road immediately across from Walmart. Renovations were completed and their first service in the new facility was February 7, 2010. Since that time they have seen a growth rate of over 100%.
Non-denominational Christianity
In Christianity, nondenominational institutions or churches are those not formally aligned with an established denomination, or that remain otherwise officially autonomous. This, however, does not preclude an identifiable standard among such congregations...
megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
located in southern Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. According to the church's website, attendance is over 4,200 at worship services in their three locations. According to the Christian Standard, Christ's Church is "one of the finest church facilities in the country".
History
Mandarin Christian Church (MCC) was founded in 1974 when MandarinMandarin, Florida
Mandarin is a neighborhood located in the southern most portion of Jacksonville, in Duval County, Florida, United States. It is located on the eastern banks of the St. Johns River, across from Orange Park...
was still rural; Interstate 295
Interstate 295 (Florida)
Interstate 295 , an auxiliary route of Interstate 95, is a bypass route around central Jacksonville, Florida, which is currently signed on the western half for...
and the Buckman Bridge had recently been completed and St. Augustine Road had two traffic lanes. The family of Loraine Oden donated 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) of land for the first church building which contained a sanctuary with seating for 160, a handful of classrooms, bathrooms, and offices for Pastor Gene Helmey and the church secretary. Forty members attended the dedication of the sanctuary on October 20, 1974, but membership grew rapidly, necessitating construction of a fellowship hall and more classrooms in 1976.
Dennis Bratton
Pastor Dennis Bratton began his ministry in the summer of 1978. According to Bratton, every activity of the church helps fulfill Jesus' great commission to "preach to the world and to provide for the less fortunate".As of June 2010, Dr. Dennis Bratton has retired from Christ's Church with the title "Pastor Emeritus" and begun his own project to go "beyond relief" in helping those in extreme poverty in different places around the world through the Kore Foundation. Lead Pastor, Jason Cullum, has stepped up to the Senior Pastor position.
As the church grew, it expanded in membership, requiring more space and more staff. In 1982, the church constructed a Family Life Center. Church members themselves volunteered their time and expertise to lower expenses of construction, finishing the interior of the professionally-assembled shell. In 1987, the church increased its services for families with young children in the area, opening the Sharing Tree Preschool. It also extended its offerings for teenagers with a teen program eventually settled in a separate property called "The Ranch". Along with new staff to address the needs of youth and children, staff was added to assist with seniors, pastoral care and outreach, as well as to address needs in the church like music.
Growth continued to exceed space. A 1,000-seat worship center built in 1986 had to be expanded in 1991. Nevertheless, and even with the addition of multiple services including the popular "Saturday Night Alive" service on Saturday evening, the church realized in 1994 that it needed more space. At the same time, it decided to open a Christian school.
Mandarin Christian School
On August 29, 1995, Mandarin Christian School began providing a Christian education to students in kindegarten through fifth grades. Sixth, seventh and eighth grades were added in 1996, 1997 and 1998, respectively. After the church moved to their new home on Greenland Road, the school began to utilize all the space in the building for the 1999-2000 school year. Ninth and tenth grades were included in 2005, eleventh grade in 2006 and twelfth grade in 2007. Their first high school graduation was held in May, 2008 and the fully accredited school is "one of the (Jacksonville) area's largest private, Bible-based educational entities".The school has an enrollment of 641, with 114 students in grades 9-12, but began fielding varsity sports teams in 2007. In the 2008-09 school year, they began competing as a member of Florida High School Athletic Association
Florida High School Athletic Association
The Florida High School Athletic Association is an organization whose purpose is to organize sports competition for high school It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations ....
class 1A.
In the summer of 2011, the decision was made to change the school's name to more closely associate it with the church, and Mandarin Christian School became Christ's Church Academy.
A New Home
The search for a new church location identified a 37 acres (149,733.8 m²) parcel on Greenland Road. Notable local firm KBJ ArchitectsKBJ Architects
KBJ Architects, Inc. is an American architectural firm based in Jacksonville, Florida. The firm designed 17 of the city's 30 tallest buildings and "created Jacksonville's modern skyline", according to The Florida Times-Union newspaper. The firm designed the first high-rise in downtown...
was selected to design the new facility. Ground was broken on January 25, 1998 and the members received frequent progress reports. After the last service concluded at their old facility on June 6, 1999, the church members made a symbolic walk to their new church building, 4½ miles away. The new church complex was designed to accommodate growth in the church, which was located adjacent to major highways. State Road 9A (soon to be I-295) borders the property on the north, while Interstate 95
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, running parallel to the Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Florida and serving some of the most populated urban areas in the country, including Boston, Providence, New Haven, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore,...
is 1/10 mile to the west.
Phase I included a 115000 sq ft (10,683.8 m²) Sanctuary with seating for 2,500 that expanded to 3,500. It also contained office spaces, conferences rooms, classrooms and nurseries, among other rooms. A 1,600 seat auditorium is located nearby. The entrance to the Sanctuary is an enormous atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
where hundreds of members and guests can meet, talk and enjoy refreshments before and after services.
The original plans included a future Phase II 80000 sq ft (7,432.2 m²) Community Center, which would contain a chapel, preschool, dining hall, gymnasium, offices and student center. The future became reality when construction began in 2002. Phase II was completed in February, 2003.
In 2005, MCC hosted the Southeast Regional Conference of the North American Christian Coalition (NACC).
A New Name
In 2005, the church began an outreach through satellite campuses. Mandarin Christian Church had been in their new facility for six years, and because the church was no longer “in” MandarinMandarin, Florida
Mandarin is a neighborhood located in the southern most portion of Jacksonville, in Duval County, Florida, United States. It is located on the eastern banks of the St. Johns River, across from Orange Park...
, a name was needed that was conducive to other locations. It was decided to drop “Mandarin”, and the name officially became Christ’s Church on January 9, 2005. Their mission was to “Make Disciples, More Disciples, Better Disciples”.
Satellite Campuses
The church had 4,000 members in 2004, but one quarter of those did not reside in Jacksonville. A membership study found that a majority of the 1,000 lived in Clay CountyClay County, Florida
Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2010, the population was 190,895. Its county seat is Green Cove Springs, Florida. Clay County is part of the Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan area.- History :...
, so in December, 2004 the church began holding a service at St. Johns Country Day School
St. Johns Country Day School
St. Johns Country Day School is an independent, coeducational private college preparatory school in Orange Park, Florida, USA. It offers a K–12 education, including a preschool, an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school, and maintains an enrollment of about 735 students each year.-...
. Initial attendance was 200, which doubled when a second service was added. Christ’s Church Fleming Island
Fleming Island, Florida
Fleming Island is an unincorporated community in Clay County, Florida, United States. It is located 15 miles southwest of Jacksonville, on the western side of the St. Johns River, off US 17. Fleming Island's zip code became 32003 in 2004 separating it from Orange Park.It is primarily a bedroom...
(CCFI), south of Orange Park
Orange Park, Florida
Orange Park is a town in Clay County, Florida, USA, and a suburb of Jacksonville. The population was 8,412 at the 2010 census. The name "Orange Park" is additionally applied to a wider area of northern Clay County outside the town limits, covering such communities as Fleming Island, Lakeside, and...
, was announced on March 20, 2005. The church leaders began to search for a permanent church location on the west side of the St. Johns River
St. Johns River
The St. Johns River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant for commercial and recreational use. At long, it winds through or borders twelve counties, three of which are the state's largest. The drop in elevation from the headwaters to the mouth is less than ;...
.
Fleming Island
A vacant 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) brick Tyson FoodsTyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc. is a multinational corporation based in Springdale, Arkansas, that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork only behind Brazilian JBS S.A., and annually exports the largest percentage of beef out of...
chicken hatchery on U.S. 17 was quickly identified as a possible location. After negotiating a lower price than the $6.3 million originally sought, the church acquired the building in August, 2005 with the help of several church members who made substantial donations. Renovation began soon after, but Christ’s Church Fleming Island did not officially open the doors on their new campus until May 12, 2007. CCFI offers most of the programs available at Christ’s Church Jacksonville, including programs for children of all ages during both worship services and a full staff.
Camden County, Georgia
Another outreach was begun in January 2007, this one in Camden County, GeorgiaCamden County, Georgia
Camden County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is one of the original counties of Georgia, created February 5, 1777. As of 2000, the population was 43,664. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 48,689. The county seat is Woodbine.-History:The first European to land...
. A group of families began meeting for services at the Camden County Recreation Center in Kingsland
Kingsland, Georgia
Kingsland is a city in Camden County, Georgia, United States. The population was 10,506 at the 2000 census.The City of Kingsland hosts an annual Catfish Festival on Labor Day weekend each year.-Geography:Kingsland is located at ....
with staff supplied by the Jacksonville Christ’s Church. Their first full-time pastor, Scott Clevenger, began January 1, 2009. On April 5, 2009, services at Christ’s Church Camden (CCC) were moved from the community room to the gymnasium. Then on January 1, 2010 they purchased the Methodist Children's Home located at 201 Kings Bay Road immediately across from Walmart. Renovations were completed and their first service in the new facility was February 7, 2010. Since that time they have seen a growth rate of over 100%.