STORIES
The Valentine Family – Parenting Toward Faith
Kurt and Shannon Valentine both grew up in a relationship with Jesus Christ, but as their lives became increasingly hectic with demanding careers and young children, they found themselves drifting away from their faith. “We were trying to carry our heavy loads all alone,” they explain. “Over time, this left us feeling depleted and void…
Read MoreThe Andrews Family – Friends & Faith
Kate and Rob Andrews and their son, Jake, started attending Access in October 2017 when a friend invited them. The Andrews had recently moved back to the Jacksonville area because of Rob’s job. Jake was about to start high school when they moved, and they wanted to find a church where they could meet people…
Read MoreThe Hall Family – “All In”
Elizabeth Hall attended church with her grandparents as she grew up, and she committed her life to Christ at a church camp when she was 12. Similarly, Rick Hall went to church with friends while growing up, putting his faith in Jesus at the age of 11, but neither went to church once they moved…
Read MoreThe Platten Family – Experiencing Authenticity
Right away, the value placed on excellence was evident to Shane as a musician. “I liked the excellence,” he said, “but it was the atmosphere of caring that Darin and Kevin created for the band that really made Access different.”
Read MoreMeet Kyal and Shana Rector
Kyal and Shana Rector are familiar with the task of finding a church in a new area. They have been through the process before. Their military background has moved them all over the United States. But a career change placed them in the St. Johns area, and they found themselves once again looking for a church.
Read MoreThe Hamilton Family – Changing Expectations
Angie and Shane Hamilton thought they knew church. They both grew up attending church and had tried various churches off and on as adults. “It was boring, and I felt I had to change my life to be a part of it,” Shane said. “It just seemed easier not to go.” Angie’s disenchantment began as…
Read MoreThe Kircherts: Invest and Invite
Access is committed to being a church that’s easy to invite people to. “Invest and invite” is shorthand for our desire for the people in our lives to experience what has impacted us. Yet as easy as we try to make it, inviting remains a very personal thing. What makes Access people so passionate about inviting?…
Read MoreThe Grass Family: Excited About the Ride
“Fun and laid back” describes the Grass family perfectly, so it’s no surprise these are things they would look for in a church. Because of where they were in their faith journey, they knew they also needed “open-minded and practical.” “Dave and I both had been away from church for so long and had questions about our faith,”…
Read MoreThe Arns Family – Connection in Crisis
Before the diagnosis, life was “pretty normal” for Kristi and Joe Arns. They spent their time keeping up with kids (JT, 14, Adri, 19, and Jeremy, 22), family, work, and their neighbors’ tennis team and enjoying the beach on weekends. “Normal” also included being a part of Access Church, serving in Waumba Land and Guest…
Read MoreThe Joyners – From risk to reward
Every Sunday the Access volunteers and staff share and celebrate “win” stories – the ways we’ve seen God at work in people’s lives. Christina and James Joyners’ story is one such “win.” Both James and Christina grew up going to church. But after a painful experience with church as adults, they stopped attending altogether. For 10…
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