Ask Pastor Steven Speaks what his bosses at Seven Rivers Presbyterian Church in Lecanto think about a Villages-area campus opening its doors this fall, and he smiles. “It’s been 10 years of prayer in Lecanto,” he said. “They are happy that this will be a reality.” Seven Rivers Villages will hold its first worship service at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 3 at the Wildwood Community Center. Seven Rivers Villages is one of several new churches to open in or around The Villages this year. As Florida’s Friendliest Hometown continues to grow, churches, ministers and faith-based organizations are seeing opportunities to spread and expand God’s Word to new communities and neighborhoods.
Speaks and his family first came to The Villages area in 2019 so he could interview for the Seven Rivers position.
“There were people from all over the country gathering at Lake Sumter Landing Market Square,” he said. “And with the unique architecture at the square, I felt like I was transported to a college town.”
He would know — he was a campus pastor for nearly 20 years at Clemson University in South Carolina.
Speaks said Seven Rivers Villages plans to worship at the Wildwood Community Center for at least one year, with the goal of building a permanent sanctuary in the area.
“This is a church for retirees, young professionals, families, everyone,” he said. “We are a multigenerational church and proud of it.”
The launch will include something for everyone, such as a nursery for infants and a children’s church-like gathering for kids up to second grade. Congregants and others from Seven Rivers Presbyterian’s main campus in Lecanto also will be on hand to introduce themselves and welcome Villages Campus congregants to the family.
Speaks said the Lecanto Campus has congregants from all across Central Florida, with some traveling two hours or more to attend a service. He noted the new campus in Wildwood will be a benefit for those long-distance travelers.
“On any given Sunday, you will see congregants from as far as The Villages, Ocala and Bradenton attending our services,” he said. “We have one congregant who has traveled from The Villages to Lecanto and back almost every Sunday for 15 years to experience Seven Rivers. He’s asked more than once about a campus closer to home, and I know he’s happy it’s becoming a reality.”
For more information on the church and the new campus, visit sevenriversvillages.org.
Kent McDowell serves as Kingdom Coalition Pastor for First Baptist Church at The Villages. It’s a unique title for someone with a unique role in bringing ministry and fellowship to an ever-growing Villages population.
The Kingdom Coalition is a partnership of churches and Baptist associations that have teamed up to help spread God’s Word in the South Villages. It’s all part of an initiative called “AIM to Change.”
“The ‘AIM’ stands for Accountability with one another, Intimacy with God and the Multiplication of disciples,” McDowell said. “We are a church without walls, a kingdom without borders, serving a God without limits.”
The Kingdom Coalition includes First Baptist Church at The Villages, as well as First Baptist Oxford and First Baptist Wildwood. The group has helped spread the AIM to Change initiative through a series of gatherings.
“We’ve been launching small groups in the South Villages, both in homes and elsewhere,” McDowell said. “These usually consist of 2-8 people. The AIM Gatherings are the time where we bring the AIM Groups together.”
AIM Gatherings take place monthly at Brownwood Hotel and Spa. McDowell described the gatherings as events where there are stories of hope from the community, times of encouragement through worship and fellowship, and the sending out of God’s people to live out His mission.
Learn more about the initiative by visiting aimtochange.org.
Justin Davis has served as youth pastor for First Baptist Church of Wildwood for the last eight years, but come this fall, he will be planting a new church, Family Church Sumter, in Sumterville, with the first worship service scheduled for Sept. 12.
“The Holy Spirit helped lead me to this moment,” he said. “There’s also a need for faith-based options in Sumter County that are not near The Villages and Wildwood. Sumterville is in the center of the county, and I see a need for more options there.”
Davis is hoping that Family Church Sumter not only attracts congregants from The Villages, but also from communities like Sumterville, Bushnell and Webster.
Davis’ pledge can be seen on Family Church Sumter’s website in a video that plays on the main page. It is a collage of places that can be found across Sumter County, from Brownwood Paddock Square in The Villages to the Sumter County Fairgrounds in Bushnell and downtown Center Hill.
“This is a church for all of Sumter County, regardless of age or the town you call home,” he said. “Sumter County is seeing incredible growth, with tens of thousands of homes expected to be built in the next few years. There is a growing need for those who are moving into our community to be reached with the Gospel.”
Davis is getting plenty of help to make Family Church Sumter a reality. First Baptist Wildwood is assisting with the planting process.
Family Church Sumter will be at 2210 County Road 528 in Sumterville, inside the Better Life Academy building, about 17 miles south of The Villages.
For more information, visit familychurchsumter.com or the Family Church Sumter Facebook page.
Senior writer James Dinan can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5302, or james.dinan@thevillagesmedia.com.
