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"For
where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there
in their midst." - Matthew 18:20
- Oviedo
Church of Christ at the Oviedo Women's Club -- Seven people
(2 families) met for the first time as the Oviedo Church of Christ
on February 1, 1987 at the Oviedo Women's Club building in Oviedo,
Florida. Two men had seen a need for a congregation on the northeast
side of Orlando and had driven from town to town looking for a
place for the church to meet. They called the Women's Club in
Oviedo and discovered that another church had just conducted their
last service there the previous Sunday, so the building was available.
Realizing they would need supplies such as songbooks and communion
trays, they began to search at various local Christian bookstores
only to be disappointed. They found that bookstores did not keep
these items in stock and that it would take several weeks to receive
an order. After ordering the items, they received a call from
a clerk at the store who said, "You won't believe it, but I was
just in the storage room and found the exact number of communion
trays just like the ones you ordered, and I also found the same
color and number of songbooks you ordered. It seems that a church
ordered these supplies about a year ago and never came after them.
You can have them for half price." The men realized the LORD was
definitely in control and was blessing their efforts to plant
a congregation in northeast Orlando.
- Oviedo
Church of Christ on Broadway Street in Oviedo. Fifty
members constructed a new facility at 145 W. Broadway St. in Oviedo,
signing a mortgage for $170,000 and moving into the new facility
in November, 1987. Dan Holland was hired as the first pulpit minister
in July, 1989. As the church grew, space was rented in three surrounding
buildings. A wall was removed from the nursery space to add room
in the auditorium for more seats. When still more people came,
a large screen television was purchased for the upstairs fellowship
area and the assembly was videoed for the overflow crowd. When
the members agreed with a point in the sermon, the downstairs
crowd shouted "Amen!" and the upstairs crowd stomped their feet.
- Oviedo
Church of Christ at the Oviedo High School Cafeteria -- In
an attempt to find an alternate meeting place, the group met in
the Oviedo High School Cafeteria during the month of November,
1989. However, the air conditioning was set for the entire student
body, and could not be adjusted on Sundays, so the plan was abandoned.
- Metro
Church of Christ at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Winter
Springs -- Finally in September of 1990, with 200 members,
the decision was made to sell the Broadway property and space
was leased on Sunday mornings from the Seventh Day Adventist Church
in Winter Springs. The name was changed to Metro Church of Christ
to reflect outreach to all areas of Central Florida. During the
three years in Winter Springs, our Messengers Ministry was started.
After much research and prayer, 11 acres of land was purchased
in Oviedo at a greatly reduced price after the existing orange
grove was killed during two years of freezes. On January 31, 1993,
the congregation participated in a Faith March from the Oviedo
Women's Club past the Broadway building to the new land on Division
Street and met in a large tent on the property.
- Metro
Church of Christ at the Oviedo High School Auditorium -- On
October 24, 1993 the congregation began meeting at the Oviedo
High School on Sunday mornings as construction began for the new
facility. Preparation for each assembly was quite involved as
a trailer had to be unloaded of all the sound equipment and other
furnishings. All the wiring for the microphones and speakers had
to be run each week. The nursery was housed in the ticket booth,
children's classes were in the wrestling room, and the women's
study met backstage amidst all the sets and backdrops of the high
school theater program.
- Metro
Church of Christ on Division Street in Oviedo -- On October
30, 1994, the new auditorium building and classroom/office building
were completed, and the first assembly was held with 300 members.
In October of 1999, a three year stewardship campaign was begun,
which was called Unveiling the Glory. The congregation
was challenged to give sacrificially of their time, talent, testimony
and treasure. Not only were funds raised for many needed ministries,
but the members grew spiritually, and their faith was greatly
strengthened. In March of 2000, the third building was completed.
The offices, adult and youth classes were moved to the new building,
and building 2 was entirely used for children's classes. The cry
room wall in the auditorium was removed to give more seating.
Eventually two and then three assemblies were added to accommodate
the growing congregation. Plans were made to construct a new auditorium
on the existing property, however, environmental and zoning issues
continued to delay construction plans. As the congregation grew
to 750 members, more space was crucial. As it turned out, rather
than expand, the congregation is relocating from the current 16,000
square foot complex in Oviedo to a new Metro Center located about
three miles away at the intersection of SR 434 and Hwy 417 in
Winter Springs.
- Metro
Church at the Winter Springs High School --
During the build-out construction of the new facility, we are
meeting for two assemblies on Sunday morning at the Winter Springs
High School cafeteria. Folding chairs, staging and lighting/sound
equipment are set up weekly and are stored in our bus, van, and
two trailers. The Teachers' lounge is used for our nursery, and
the children meet in the chorus room for celebration worship.
The youth and rockets have class in the drama room.
- Metro
Church at the Metro Center in Winter Springs -- We are very
excited about acquiring a 56,000 square foot shopping center within
which we are building a 1,000 seat auditorium, 250 seat smaller
common auditorium, classrooms, food court, fellowship area, and
christian bookstore and café. January 30, 2005 a worship assembly
was held on the parking lot of the Metro Center to pray for God's
direction. He answered in a powerful way. The shopping center
has an "as is" appraised value of over $7 million. Yet our effective
purchase price is only $3.5 million due to a significant contribution
being made to the church by the seller of the property. Who could
have planned this but the Lord! Our projected move in date is
the end of June, 2006. We continue to be prayerful and allow the
Holy Spirit to lead this church on even more Steps of Faith.
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