OUR FAMILY
John and Emily have been married since 2008 and have five children. As a family they enjoy traveling, spending time outdoors and making as many memories as possible while their kids are still at home. Besides keeping busy with their five kids, Emily loves connecting with friends over coffee, decorating their home and spending time at the beach. John loves connecting with friends and getting out on the water: kayaking, paddle boarding, boating and fishing. Having a large family they know the gifts and challenges of searching for a home church. Family is extremely important to them and that also means cultivating a sense of family within the church. They believe church can be relevant, life-changing and fun for the whole family and They would love to invite you to join their team to grow a life-giving church in Westchase.
John and Emily have a passion to join people on their journey and invite them to experience all that God has for them. They love challenging people to step out of their comfort zone and into their calling. In 2020 (after years of serving in both youth and pastoral ministry) God awoke a dream within their hearts to plant a life-giving church in Westchase, Florida
OUR CORE VALUES
Our values come from the scripture of Luke chapter 15. For a richer experience follow along in your Bible while going through each value.
JESUS IS OUR POINT.
Jesus is the point we rally around. Jesus is our north star. Jesus is the reason we are here. Jesus OVER everything. It's all about Jesus. He doesn't need us, but he chooses to use us! We GET to do this. (v. 1)
PEOPLE ARE OUR HEART.
Our heart is that EVERYONE’S invited - no matter who they are today or what they’ve done yesterday. We embrace all people at all times with open arms, loving them right where they are and inviting them to come as they are. We won’t stop until every person knows God’s transforming love and their God-given purpose. (v. 1, 20)
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FAITH IS OUR REACTION.
We are willing to bet-the-farm, take risks, dream big, and trust God. As soon as we are no longer willing to take a RISK, we become one. We refuse to play it safe when it comes to reaching people with the Gospel of Jesus. (v. 20)
EXCELLENCE IS OUR ORDINARY.
We pay attention to details because excellence honors God. We are always going to do the very best with what we have. We don’t do things halfway and if we are going to do it, it’s done to the best of our ability. (v. 22)
GENEROSITY IS OUR PRIVILEGE.
We will be known by our outrageous generosity. We live to give and love to give. Our time, talents, testimony and treasure are always available for God to use as He so desires. With cheerful hearts we will give generously and reach out into our community. We give resources sacrificially and generously to “fatten the cow” in preparation for the party. (v. 23)
CELEBRATION IS OUR RESPONSE.
We party on purpose. When God does something for someone we celebrate it as if God just did it for us. We celebrate every person and every story of redemption because they matter to both God and us. (v.23b-24)
HONOR IS OUR POSTURE.
We are vocal with honor, meaning we are not stingy with our words. We look for opportunities to add value to the Church and other people. We all wear the same jersey and so a win anywhere is a win everywhere. (v. 31-32)