Barbara Hoffmann

Police officers, restaurant workers and university students are just some of the people who gather every Wednesday night at Good News Baptist Church in Jacksonville for a lesson in Japanese language and culture. But teaching Japanese is not the only reason for the class; the weekly class provides an opportunity to share Jesus with those who come.

Eighty-five percent. On Florida’s Atlantic coast, that is Gonzalo Perez’ focus.
Perez, pastor of Mi Iglesia in Stuart, estimates that 85% of the Hispanic younger generation in his community is unchurched, and his church aims to reach those individuals with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

At Central Baptist Church in Port St. Lucie, church members recently lived out how to “have fun while loving God,” with about 450 community residents joining in on the fun at the Eggstra-Special Easter Egg Hunt.

Amid the flowers and balloons celebrating the 30th anniversary of Premiere Eglise Baptiste Haitenne de Jacksonville, Pastor Oreste Coulanges focused on the future, saying, “Pray that we can keep serving God, being a light in the community.”

An unexpected encounter in his doctoral class led to Curtis Haynes’ decision to plant a new Southern Baptist church on the southside of Jacksonville. The seasoned church planter will launch The Lord is My Shepherd Church this September.

Three decades ago, Neil Helton laid the groundwork for a fledgling congregation located northeast of Jacksonville in the quaint coastal town of Fernandina Beach. Now for the past two years, he has laid new groundwork for the next generation to assume the leadership reins of Amelia Baptist Church.

With a desire to generously share the grace and love of Jesus, church planter and pastor Joel Stuckey is reaching out to Jacksonville’s diverse Riverside neighborhood and seeing lives transformed.

Helping usher in the Christmas season in this Space Coast city was First Baptist Church in Melbourne’s annual Christmas program held during the first weekend in December.

Despite moving seven times to locations on every side of Jacksonville except the east side, Barry Townsend, pastor of Elevation Church, has not given up.

Burdened to reach his fellow Vietnamese people for Christ, Quang Nguyen has developed “Nails for Eternity,” a method for sharing the gospel specifically with nail salon employees.