Greater Things | Ocala Christian Church

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PASTOR

It’s still about reaching the lost. It’s always been about reaching the lost. When 12 people began meeting in a living room, we had no idea where God would lead us, but God is revealing to us that greater things are in our future! We have moved to several locations and dreamed of a facility we could call our own to minister from. After much prayer, we have launched the Greater Things Initiative.

The leadership of Ocala Christian Church believes that God is calling us to take this step…

THE NEED

Ocala Christian Church has been part of the NE Ocala community for several years. While we have a great relationship with the Church of God who own and operate the building we use, the facilities have never truly met our needs and are only available to us twice a week. Renting facilities to meet in has led some in the community to speculate that we are not a “real” church and that we may never have our own building. Preparation and set-up of the building each Sunday requires many volunteers and much time. The small foyer restricts fellowship before and after worship and the Fellowship Hall is visually unappealing. Our congregational meals and events are often held off-campus because the facilities where we currently meet are inadequate. We would love to grow our Children’s Ministry, add a Sunday school, and many other things that just can’t happen in our currently rented facilities.

THE VISION

A church isn’t a building–it’s a family of believers. God no longer dwells in physical temples; His Spirit comes to live inside those who follow Him. We are not trying to improve our community or city with an ornate building, but to create an outreach center to reach the lost for Christ. The options and opportunities for new ministries are endless!

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THE PLAN

We are planning for a minimum of a 10,000 square foot facility with a projected cost of $1 million. This will be built on the 12.6 acres of property we own on NE 25th Ave. By the time we break ground, we plan to have accumulated about $700,000 in cash. We hope to sell our property on Oak Road and obtain about $300,000 from the sale. We have also included in our budget an increasing percentage of our expected mortgage payment, and saving it in the building fund. The leadership of Ocala Christian Church believes that God is calling us to take this step and equally believe that God will continue to provide financially.

WAIT... I THOUGHT OCC WASN'T REALLY INTO BUILDINGS AND MONEY

You are absolutely right! Facilities and money are merely a tool to help accomplish Kingdom goals. But rest assured that no one here is interested in having the biggest, prettiest, or most expensive building in our city.

WHY DON'T WE JUST KEEP RENTING AT THE CHURCH OF GOD? IT SEEMS TO MEET OUR NEEDS PRETTY WELL

The Church of God has been a home to our Sunday morning worship service for over four years, and it’s been a blessing to us. However, our rental agreement only allows us to use the building on a limited basis. The need for set-up each Sunday is getting old and the Fellowship Hall cannot accommodate our needs.

IT SOUNDS EXPENSIVE

Yes, it’s a lot of money; and if we are only building a building for our own benefit, it wouldn’t be worth it. However, we firmly believe that God will use the ministry facility to bring hundreds–if not thousands–of families back to Him over the coming decades.

WHAT WILL BE ASKED OF ME?

First and foremost, we’re asking everyone to pray. Pray for God’s guidance. Pray for God to use OCC to impact our city in a profound way; and pray about how He wants you to be involved. The Greater Things Initiative will also challenge each family to make a sacrificial 30 month commitment (beyond regular giving) toward this building project.

HOW SOON WILL WE BE IN OUR NEW FACILITY?

We hope to begin construction of the facilities to our community in early 2018. That target date will depend on the commitments to the Greater Things Initiative and the sale of the Oak Road property.

AWESOME... I'VE BEEN WAITING ON A BUILDING! WILL IT HAVE A PETTING ZOO, IMAX THEATER, SKATING RINK, EXERCISE FACILITY, PIPE ORGAN, ETC?

Well, no. We are still working out the details. Our main priority is to build something that will allow us to engage our community more deeply, with the goal of seeking and saving the lost. You’ll hear updates as we continue to plan out the details!

ISN'T THERE A BETTER WAY TO USE ALL OF THAT MONEY?

We are, and will continue to be, a church of faith and compassion; one that will support the ministries around the world. However, God has placed us in Ocala for a reason, and we are responsible for helping our own city to follow Jesus. The facility will help us to bring the Kingdom to our community.

CAN'T WE JUST BORROW THE MONEY?

From the very start of this ministry we have been conservative stewards of God’s funds. Our goal is to have as little debt as possible. This will only be possible if we work together to support Greater Things.