Church to celebrate anniversary with picnic, special service
Christ Community Church of North Fort Myers will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a picnic Saturday, Oct. 17, and a Celebration Service Sunday, Oct. 18, at 6 p.m.
Food and fun is free at the picnic.
“We’ve had several different picnics,” said Pastor Bob Hamway. “The purpose is to just get to know the community and let them know we are an established ministry that has been around for 10 years.”
The church started 10 years ago in Cape Coral.
“We’re in our second year at this location in North Fort Myers,” he said.
The church is now located at 4801 Orange Grove Blvd.
“The campus is a beautiful 6 1/2 acres close to the corner of Orange Grove and Hancock Bridge Parkway,” he continued. “What’s befitted us is having a community to concentrate on. In our last location we were surrounded by industry and now we are in a neighborhood setting.”
At the picnic there will be games for kids, and the church plans on live music from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. along with food. The event runs from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.
The pastor reflected on the last 10 years.
“Pastor Adin Herndon and his wife, Karen, came to Cape Coral 10 years ago with a vision,” he said. “They came from Pennsylvania to start the church.”
Pastor Hamway and his wife, Mary Lou, had moved from Pennsylvania about a year earlier and had been with Pastor Adin in ministry in Pennsylvania. Pastor Dan Roth and his wife, Natalie, also moved from that state.
The three families, guided by Pastor Adin, started Christ Community Church in September 1999. They moved from Pastor Adin’s home to the movie theater at the Coralwood Mall on Del Prado Boulevard in Cape Coral, then to the Caloosa Middle School on Del Prado.
After three to four years of setting up chairs and moving equipment, they wanted a more permanent location.
“The first step was an office building on Viscaya Boulevard. It provided a place for youth, children, discipleship classes and counseling,” said Hamway. “The second step came when we were able to purchase and transform Mugs & Jugs into a sanctuary. As the ministry developed, Pastor Dan moved to the Bahamas to be involved in missions and Pastor Adin felt called back to Pennsylvania in May of 2007.”
Pastor Hamway then started to develop a new staff and moved to the present location in March 2008.
“Pastor Ivor Marchany has spearheaded our outreach ministry by developing our food pantry,” Hamway added. “His volunteers give out a bag of groceries to about 150 families each Wednesday from 10 a.m. until noon. Pastor Jesse Robinson is building our youth program which is called UnVeiled and is geared for 6th through 12th graders U.V. meets on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. Our present ministry is constantly looking at ways to connect with our community.
“I believe the community is starting to get to know us and trust us,” he continued. “Our food pantry this week had about 165 families benefiting.”
The pantry is for those in need.
“If they have ID fine, if not that’s OK,” he said. “There are no restrictions but we do like to track for the Harry Chapin Food Bank, who we are affiliated with.”
Services include Sunday School (for all ages) at 9:30 a.m. and regular Sunday Service at 10:30 a.m. A nursery is available for infants and toddlers.
Children’s Church is at 11 a.m., and there is a Wednesday Mid-Week Service at 6:45 p.m. and the Wednesday Awana Club at 6:45 p.m.
The church is located at 4801 Orange Grove Blvd. For information, call 652-5530.