Lakewood Ranch megachurch still growing

To hit megachurch status, a church needs to have at least 2,000 members. Grace Community Church welcomes about 4,500 members each weekend.

When designing the church on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, Grace only had about 750 members. Seating for 1,000 seemed like plenty, but the day the church opened, it already was at capacity.  

The congregation grew so much that, even split among four weekend services, 1,000 seats weren’t nearly enough. 

The staff had to move out of the church offices so that space could be converted into the Lighthouse, a viewing area for services that seats an additional 300 people.

In April, the church bought the building on Communications Parkway that used to house the upper campus for the NewGate School. The school relocated to Palmer Ranch in Sarasota.

The building is currently being renovated for the church’s administrative staff to take over. 

An overflow parking lot is being built across the street from the church that will accommodate 550 more vehicles. A shuttle will drive church members back and forth. Eventually, shaded shuttle stops will be added, too. 

But the major expansion is happening right next to the church — the construction of a $6.5 million student center. 

The two-story, 15,000-square-foot building will likely accommodate overflow seating for holiday services and some adult programs, but the Barry Martin Student Center is being built for the younger members of the church.  

Courtesy image

“We want our students to understand this is not just their parents' church, it’s their church,” said Barbara Ammirati, a ministry team director. “We say that to them all the time. 

Ammirati’s husband and Grace’s executive director, Michael Ammirate, interjected that they have to show the youth members that those words mean something, so they made the students the church’s priority for what would be built next.

The student center’s main common area will feature pingpong tables, couches and a coffee bar. There’s also a mini-gym where students can play volleyball and basketball. 

“This is for students, not just on the weekends,” Michael Ammirati said. “They can come after school, and they can hang out.”

Both floors will have three rooms in the back of the building that can accommodate smaller groups or provide a quiet space for studying. 

The center will serve fourth grade through high school students. The younger children will continue to receive ministry in the church’s main building.  

Michael Ammirati noted that often as churches grow and age, more focus is placed on the older members of the congregation. 

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” he said, “But when you don’t focus on young families, then your church kind of ages out. We wanted to make sure we were continuing to focus on all ages and giving appropriate ministry to everyone.”

Courtesy image

The student center is being constructed directly next to the church. From afar, it might seem as if the two buildings are one, but a walkway will separate them. 

The walkway will lead to a patio with seating and an outdoor grill. There are also plans for a sand volleyball court. 

The building will also hold about $750,000 worth of technology. The six smaller rooms will be wired to a universal system, so a student can plug in any device to share their screen to a bigger screen.

The larger rooms, which could serve as overflow seating for services, will feature electronic walls for much larger projections. 

Each room was designed with windows, so volunteers can easily keep eyes on everyone. For safety reasons, the windows are equipped with shades that can come down with the click of a button. 

“If we think about an intruder moving through the building, you don’t want them to be able to see what’s in each room,” Michael Ammirati said. 

The student center will be able to accommodate about 300 students on each floor. 

From movie nights to kickball, the church offers far more than ministry to its students. About 50 events are scheduled each year.   

“The whole reason that we love Jesus is we have a relationship with him,” Barbara Ammirati said. “Well, we have to have a relationship with these kids and their parents. We want them to feel as if, when life gets rough, they have a family that’s in their corner.”