Spencer and Amber Hyatt

Spencer and Amber Hyatt were engaged when Spencer’s job took him from Orlando to Jacksonville.

He was working for a company based out of Buckhead, GA.  A coworker attended Buckhead Church, a campus of North Point Ministries, and told Spencer that a North Point strategic partner was starting in Jacksonville—Access Church.

“We had tried other churches, but nothing was clicking,” Spencer said.

When Spencer and Amber tried Access, the church was just starting up. “They were in the early stages—meeting every-other week,” Spencer said. “It was a great fit for us. The church was just starting, and our marriage was just starting.”

To Spencer and Amber, Access was different from other contemporary service they had tried. “It felt really relatable,” Amber said. “The environment was welcoming and non-judgmental. It seemed that, at other churches, you were either an ‘insider’ or an ‘outsider.’ At Access we didn’t feel that way.”

Spencer said, “The service was just really comfortable. And it’s hard not to enjoy Andy’s messages. Once you get into the message, you get absorbed and forget that you’re watching a video.”

Spencer and Amber jumped in to serving at Access. Amber serves twice per month in UpStreet, the environment for elementary-aged kids. She serves as a storyteller, a host, or a singer. “It’s rewarding to see the kids get so excited about church,” she said.

Amber was a theater major in college. “When I saw that UpStreet was an actual production, I was really impressed,” she said. “When I started performing, I never thought I could use my talents while still serving God.”

Spencer and Amber also serve by leading a small group. This is the third small group they have been involved in, and it has been an amazing experience for them. “When we got married, our faiths were in different places,” Amber said. “But now we get up every day and pray together. And small group helped with that.”

Spencer said, “You go to church, but it’s tough to be mindful of what you learned in church during the workweek. Our small group is a consistent reaffirmation for us.”

Spencer and Amber are excited about being a part of Access Church as it continues to grow and impact Jacksonville. “Access is church for every type of person,” Spencer said. “It’s church for the unchurched. At least two or three times a week, I run into someone who has a connection with Access. It’s becoming entrenched in the Jacksonville culture and in people’s lives here, and that’s really exciting.”