Adventist Church completes $2.4 million expansion
Special to The Breeze
The Seventh-day Adventist Church of Cape Coral has completed a 12,000-square-foot addition of a new worship center and classroom complex at its 5-acre site at 1813 Eldorado Parkway, West, in southwest Cape Coral. The property is across from the Cape Harbour subdivision. A focal point of the new sanctuary is a stained glass window crafted by artisan Ken Casola of Fort Myers.
Grand opening celebration events take place throughout the weekend of May 15-17, and the community is invited. Friday evening at 7 is a consecration service. Saturday morning there is a 9 service recounting the history of congregation in Cape Coral. The 11 a.m. service includes recognition of key contributors to the project and features guest speaker Dr. Michael Cauley, president of the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. In the evening, a 7 p.m. Worship Music Concert features Grammy award-winning tenor, Larry Ford. On Sunday there is a Springfest Family Fun Day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The church website has full details at www.sdaccc.org.
After meeting in rented facilities in Cape Coral for about two years, the Adventist Church purchased the property in 2009 from the former Church of the Brethren and has been holding worship services and Bible classes in the multi-purpose building. With growing attendance, it became clear that expansion would be necessary and the dream became reality with the donation of two-thirds of the funds needed for the project.
“We are very grateful to our donors and faithful members to have this beautiful new worship center,” said Dr. Roger Lucas, founding pastor, in a prepared statement. “As a family-oriented, friendly congregation of Christians, we welcome all from the community to attend our services. The heart of our mission is to help others realize the hope found in experiencing a personal relationship with Jesus. We promote Bible study, Christian growth in faith and prayer, healthy lifestyle choices, and friendships built through helping others. In this way, we respect the entirety of God’s creation – spiritually, physically, and emotionally.”
The church holds services on Saturday mornings and a Wednesday evening meeting called “A Place for Prayer.” Membership is not required to attend any of the church’s services.
“The reason we meet on Saturdays is to honor the Bible Sabbath, as was the custom of Jesus Himself,” said Lucas, who holds a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies.
“We believe we are consistent in following the Bible where the Fourth Commandment states to keep holy the seventh-day Sabbath. Our worship service consists of singing, prayer, and Bible-centered messages of inspiration and practical value for everyday life.
“We want to be an asset to our community,” said Lucas, “so we also offer to the public a variety of religious and health seminars as a resource for people seeking to improve their spiritual and physical health.”
To that end, the multi-purpose part of the building will now be known as the Genesis Center for Better Living. And in downtown Cape Coral, the church also operates the Adventist Community Services center offering food, clothing, and resource counseling to those in need.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of the fastest growing Protestant Christian denominations with over 17 million members worldwide in 202 counties. The US membership accounts for approximately 1 million members in 5100 community churches.
For more information, please call Lucas at 239-540-1290 or visit the church website at www.sdaccc.org. For background to the worldwide Adventist Church, please see the brochure, “Who Are Seventh-day Adventists?” or go to www.adventist.org.