Christ's Church Academy
| Christ's Church | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | non-denominational |
| Membership | 8,000 registered |
| Weekly attendance | 4,200 (Sunday) |
| Website | www.christs.church |
| History | |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Clergy | |
| Senior pastor(s) | Jason Cullum |
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".
Mandarin Christian Church (MCC) was founded in 1974 when Mandarin 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 (12,000 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.
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.
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