Stories of Faith and Mission from Gulf Coast Community Church
Stories of those who are following Jesus. Stories of transformed lives.
Stories of everyday missionaries using their God-given gifts to join into the mission of God.
Inspiring Testimonies of Our Church Family
Garfields Experience Radical Generosity
In this story, the Garfields reflect on how God used the people of Gulf Coast Community Church to help shape their lives. What began with a warm welcome on a Sunday morning grew into years of shared life, discipleship, and friendships that pointed them to Jesus.
They share how being part of a church family across different generations helped strengthen their marriage, encouraged them as parents, and showed them what it looks like to live as the family we already are in Christ. During seasons of health challenges, hurricanes, and uncertainty, they experienced practical care through people who served, gave generously, and carried one another's burdens.
As they received that love, God also formed them into people who wanted to open their own home and lives to others.
Their story is a picture of what we hope Gulf Coast continues to become: a community that follows Jesus together, practices radical generosity, and helps one another become more and more like Him.
If you're looking for a church in St. Petersburg where you can follow Jesus in community, we'd love for you to hear their story.
Christiana & Andy Garfield Testimony
Christiana:
Visiting, I went to church at Gulf Coast and Jordan just came up and said,
"Hey, who are you? I've never met you before. Do you want to hang out?"
I don't know.
She just was so bold and so genuine, didn't have any ulterior motives other than just like, "I see that you're new here and I want you to be welcome."
And that was my first impression of Gulf Coast, so pretty strong first impression.
I think my whole understanding of what church is meant to be changed since coming to Gulf Coast.
It wouldn't be right to not speak about my time with the Eberhards.
It's watching you and Becca and how you guys are, and watching the Kidershes, back the name of the... see different styles of parenting.
Just a bunch of people trying to do their best to do what God says.
Students showing up to your house, to Ger... she's house watching kids.
And then you and Sam and Elon's are like,
"Thanks for your help."
You invested in each other's lives, and we're shaping each other's family, worshiping, each other's worldviews.
Me personally enjoying life with, like, finding a few tight friends.
And so that's premarriage and also probably prepared me for marriage.
It's like changing me and shaping me into a better person.
Interviewer:
You meet and then marry Andy.
Andy Garfield.
Then the Garfields become our thing.
All right.
Thanks.
Andy:
Yeah.
I feel like Gulf Coast is such a... like diverse in many ways.
Ethnically.
Generationally.
Different seasons of life.
It's such a cool thing to be a part of a community like that.
And it's very special.
Interviewer:
The storms.
You mentioned the hurricanes.
Life in general.
You've got Azariah with different health issues and things.
And then marriage.
Just working on marriage.
That's always something to work on for any marriage.
So what's something that God has been showing you or challenging you on, or something that maybe you're encouraged by that you've learned over this last season as a married couple?
Andy:
Radical generosity.
People were radically generous with us, and it was life changing.
What was a really hard season, and what could have been a much more difficult season, fruit was brought through it by people just laying down their lives to us on a daily basis.
The first people to come to our house were people from Gulf Coast.
They tore up the floor for us.
They helped immensely with cutting drywall.
Just very practical things that needed to happen that we couldn't have done ourselves.
So many people helped us move our things out of the house.
There was a whole immense... somebody planned it for us.
Like,
"Let's just bring everybody together and move all the Garfield stuff out and help us sort through it and everything."
There's so many times like that where just very practical things have meant the world to us and helped us out so much.
But it doesn't really click until you experience radical generosity.
I think there's a degree where you think,
"Oh yes, God wants me to be generous within this, but not this."
Like He couldn't mean this.
But if He does...
Whatever that thing that you're like,
"No, I don't really want to share that."
He wants you to share that.
I think, for us, we came to value and treasure our time as a family unit.
We would be in the house with other people and think,
"Man, it'll be nice to have our own place."
Then we got in our own place and we felt called to radical generosity.
We have two bedrooms and we're going to give one of them to somebody else.
We had been living in a one bedroom.
We've basically all been living in one bedroom for five or six months.
The Woods shared two bedrooms with us, which was really generous.
We also had the baby for most of that six months.
We were all in one room.
To make the choice that we did, which was to continue living in one room so that other people might benefit and be safe and experience love...
That was really profound for us.
To have received such radical generosity, and then to be able to be in a position where it didn't feel like we had very much...
One bedroom to offer to someone.
Because God loved us and showed that love through the community.
Specifically through the Woods, the Warriours, and the Cranes during that time.
We just knew and were overjoyed to be able to offer that up.
I don't know.
It felt like the biggest spiritual moment of growing for Andy and I because there was no question.
The second it came up...
I went to tell him the situation.
We both...
It wasn't a conversation.
I was like,
"Oh, here's the situation."
And we both were like,
"So they're moving in, right?"
It was just meant to be.
To have that unity too is really cool to see that God had been changing us both in the same way.
Christiana:
The Garfields love Gulf Coast Community Church.
We'll miss all of you.
You've all been such a special part of our lives and our family.
The person coming in...
Be blessed by this rich community.
It's for you to treasure.
Be blessed.
Be blessed.
Get it.
And bless others.
Case De Esperanza
For over 37 years, they have been caring for children who come from deep trauma, abuse, and abandonment, seeing lives healed and restored through the love of Jesus.
They also shared about a new outreach called Galilea, reaching children in remote Amazon regions where the need is urgent.
This is not just something happening far away.
This is part of how we live out the gospel together.
👉 Learn more about Casa de Esperanza:
https://www.hogarcasadeesperanza.org
Buenos dias herbanos, muchas gracias por receibirnos.
Good morning. Yes. Good morning, everybody.
Thank you for receiving us.
The orphanage Casa Desperanza is working already 37 years in Bolivia. They both have been working there for 20 years already in Bolivia. Everything just by God's mercy, we can see God working in the kids. We have so many kids, boys and girls who come to the orphanage completely traumatized and with so much pain. And she always says that if God is not going to be in the orphanage, they don't want to be there either because it's God's. There's a percentage where UNICEF, I don't know, the corporation made for Bolivia. 96% of other orphanages, they all go back to streets.
But in our orphanage, only thanks to God, kids are healed, restored.
We have professionals. More than 140 kids have already graduated. They are people of good in society, and only by God's mercy.
Amen.
Sorry, that video works. Sorry. Oh, it does work. Gracias por se parte des de projecto.
Y vemos anos los hovenes. Contimos su estudios en apasados es un alegri averos, maduros temeros userios con una proficion. Para formal families is servidadios. The aora estamos construiento una casa propia para la facedos. Foresto de pedimos quenos ayudes.
Ya pasaro invarios ayudes servicio. E Dios de que en su palabra. Quenos cansemos de acere el guin porque su tiempo se garemos sino des mayanis. Y es perdad naciudo ministerio el logar para ninos guerpanos en galilea. Uno guardi lijido para sevira ninos de las tribus chimanis. Tribus extrema progresa. Don de la pida de uninos.
Thank you.
As you guys were able to see a little bit more there, we are here to work together.
We were 24/7, and every single donation that we receive always.
Goes to the king. Thank you so much, brothers. Pastor, thank you for always receiving us. Your church is a blessing for the ministry. As you guys were able to see, by the end of the video, we have a new ministry called Galilea. So this new orphanage is focused on people who are so, so poor in the Amazonic forest. God talked to them about opening this new orphanage. And thanks to God by the contribution of many brothers and sisters and this church, too, we have four little houses already open. We have so much to build, yes. But we're not going to wait until we can work. The need is so big. In this population, in this tribe, the Chiman tribes, all the little girls, 14 years old and are abused by their adults.
They have a lot of alcoholism in between them.
And they get pregnant around 14 by their neighbors or any type of family-related person. So in their costume, whenever a young girl gets pregnant, she can just lose the baby by methods that-- And after so many abortions, many of them would end up being sterile. And sadly for them, after so many years of losing babies, they couldn't have kids anymore. So women would become useless, basically, for them. So they just keep taking advantage of them by the end of the birth. And when the baby is born, they're just thrown into the river. So many girls just go to the rivers to give birth so they don't have to take the baby to the river and just let the river take the babies. For people who live around the area, they just see it as normal at this point because, Oh, that's their culture. But what Christians are alive, that shouldn't be normal.
And that's why we're here.
In June, we just want to start with those little four houses. We still need about 20 mattresses, just packed with a kitchen full of stuff. But just to work a little bit, we need $3,000 just for food or maybe paying the maintenance people or the tias who work in charge of the kids. We know that a lot of you guys support Casa already. And the results are so good. But he wants to motivate, encourage you. God says, please don't get tired of doing good. At this point, there's not a single kid in their charge yet. But after June, they're going to start receiving all the new kids. And you guys will be able to meet to the kid who you guys are supporting.
Please pray.
If you guys would like to visit Bolivia, that would be incredible. No one really close, what are you guys supporting? Thank you so much, that would be everything. Outside, we're going to have those little papers. If you scan the QR code, you're going to have the three options-- the orphanage, phase two, which is for the grown-up kids, and the new orphanage. So if you guys want to support specifically the new orphanage, Obviously, it wouldn't mean like you guys stopping supporting Casa, if that would be OK. But it would be a little bit more effort from you guys. Thank you so much.
Let's pray for them. But I think it would be good for you to know. So Abdias is their son. Abdias's wife grew up in this church. pretty much so she's back here but Mattea so they're interwoven in who we are as a congregation and we've been being a part of what they're doing for golly years I don't even know how many years a long time so Heavenly Father we lift up their work in Bolivia and we lift them up that work would not be happening without them and so we Lord ask that you'd give them grace pour out strength desire and your heart for these people in Bolivia and give them an overwhelming impact that far out measures the the uh substance the wealth the the the monies that they have Lord that far out measures it you do so much with so little why we pray that you would magnify that in all that they do in Jesus name amen amen amen thank you I'll take that
Stratos
This is a real story from our church about what happens when you step out and share your faith.
Stratos has been serving with our Neighborhood Outreach team in St. Petersburg, going door to door, meeting people, praying with them, and offering help where it is needed.
But what surprised him most was not just what God did in others.
It was what God did in him.
From helping neighbors in need, to praying with people searching for direction, to sharing the gospel with those who had never truly heard it, this is a glimpse of how God forms us as we step out in obedience.
This is not just about outreach.
This is about becoming the kind of people who live on mission in everyday life.
Good morning, everyone. It is a good morning, Amen, so far. All right, as Ryan said, my name is Stratos, and I've been accompanying Samuel with the Neighborhood Outreach Program for about half a year now. There's a great little verse I like in Matthew 28, 19, I think speaks well to the goal of the Neighborhood Outreach Program. It goes, therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Samuel decided to take the old school approach right now when it comes to this mission by going door to door to people's houses and trying to share the gospel to them or see if they simply need a little bit of help. They've been great opportunities so far for the church to either reach new believers seeking direction or hardened hearts that need some word or softening in their lives, or just, like I said, simply those that need a little hand with something. This is nothing new that churches have been doing for a long time. but it's been a long time since I've personally seen it done so personally. And so not everyone wants to try a church or they're a little timid of this thing, so it's nice to maybe just go out and reach them and knock on their door, and sometimes that's a little bit of a push someone might need or an inspiration in their life. It felt great to learn and share and learn from other spiritual beliefs all across St. Petersburg so far. We've met quite a few people. I mean, sometimes gardening isn't always easy. Sometimes it's a simple flower to help with. Otherwise, some have thorns and you might need a little more care and diligence for. We've helped out a couple people over the last couple months as well. Those like Michelle that lives nearby that has disabled and had injuries that impacted her life and needed help with her place after the hurricane from over a year ago now. or others like Sebastian who are new to their faith but don't quite have the direction in their life and needed someone to help pray with them and maybe give them some inspiration in their life. It wasn't always sunshine, though. There were many people claiming to follow the Lord but didn't even know how their sins could be forgiven. I was certainly like this in my teens so I could understand it. But it's scary just how many people we have met where they had examples of, let's say, decades of exposure to those in spiritual organizations or other churches, and no one even thought to teach them the gospel until a couple of strangers knocked on their doors years later to give them that opportunity that was missed. I'm grateful we got to share good news to those who were lost. And personally, I don't even think door-to-door ministry is really my thing, believe it or not. Yeah, you've been doing it for months now. What do you mean? But I found that the following Samuel with these events has used these experiences with other people regardless of my inclination towards these things. I feel a lot more comfortable sharing the gospel with anyone after my time spent with him. I've learned how to use the experiences of door-to-door ministry for those I see every day in my own lives. Similar like how we met a guy yesterday, his name was Les. And he described he also had a ministry, but not in the sense of like he'd maybe think of it a church or a 501 . He has a ministry in his own life. So it was great to pray with him for a bit and be able to meet someone else who does something similar in their lives. Like Jerry has said before, not everyone is called a minister, but everyone is called in some way to witness. So like Samuel would like to eventually have maybe another team that goes out on these usually Saturdays for the neighborhood outreach program. So if this sounds at all interesting to you, or you would like to maybe learn how you could participate or maybe witness to others in your own life, I would suggest reaching out to Samuel McNair over there in the corner if you would like to know more about this kind of stuff. I encourage people to try at least once to get an idea of how it could be inspiring. I'll close with a nice little verse from Isaiah 52:7. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who provide salvation, who say to Zion, Your God reigns. Thank you.
It's cool to see what God is doing, whether it's through Samuel or Stratos. There is a number of others that he didn't mention that have come alongside them, others that have helped with fixing up different houses, even just being present with people. Like he said, they're sharing the message, but they're also looking for areas where they can help with various needs. And so Feel free to join in with what he's doing. He said not everyone is called the minister, but they can witness. I would say that you guys, no matter what, you could minister. I heard of removing spiders from a house, right? That's ministry and it's in a different version. And so join in and Also, this is formation. If you hear, he's being formed as he's trusting in the Lord, going into a stranger's place, knocking on the door. There's formation that happens. He's learning new things from Sam or the others, Naomi, others that are going... The list is so long, I'm missing people right now. But praise God for what God is doing. Praise Him for what He's doing through us as a church in this neighborhood and beyond. So let's pray for that. And God, we turn to you. We give you praise for what you're doing. You're using guys like Stratos, men and women who are being bold, whether it's in the neighborhood, their schools and their workplace. But we pray for this neighborhood specifically right now around this church, that people would see you for who you truly are, that they would be made aware of your goodness and your beauty and your truth, and that they would bow down in awe and reverence and submission to you, God, the Savior of this world. We give you praise. Use these guys. Continue to fill them with faith to walk these streets and to knock on doors and to care for people. Help them to hear even your leading of what it does it look like to bring the good news to them and help them follow it. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Thank you, Stratos. Carolina. Carolina has some announcements for us.
Her Life and Passion to Help Foster-Families
Ashley shares a personal story about her family's involvement in foster care and her own desire to become a foster parent. She discusses the challenges faced by foster children and the importance of supporting foster families. She also highlights the work of Foster the Family, an organization that provides support and resources to foster and adoptive families. Learn how you can get involved in supporting foster care, even if you cannot become foster parents. Ashley has a heart to display the love of Jesus, care for the vulnerable, and to live our gospel mercy as a missional priority.
My favorite family Christmas tradition is a newer one. I know some of you are like, it's August. Why are we talking about Christmas? Ashley, It'll make sense in a minute.
So, this tradition started a few years ago when I sewed coordinating Christmas stockings for my sister's family. And then it's continued every year since. And when I'm lucky, I get a phone call two weeks before Christmas. When I'm less likely, it comes the week of Christmas. But in any case, I get the call.
Ellen, my sister, wants to know how busy I am and do I have a lot going on with the holidays. An Advent and Christmas Eve at church. And oh, by the way, she and her husband are taking in an additional foster child right before the holidays. So could I maybe sew them a stocking that coordinates with everybody else's? And yes, of course, I'm always going to do that.
So, I learn the child's favorite colors and what they like and how old they are. And then I go to the fabric store, which is, you know, really asking a lot of me to go to a fabric store. Everything on my to do list ends up abandoned. So, I can sew this stocking and then I spend approximately three bazillion dollars to rush ship it to Nashville, so it gets there before Christmas Eve so that they not only have a stocking on Christmas morning, but they have a stocking a few days before hanging up with the rest of the families. My sister and brother in law are currently the public face of foster care in my family, but it's not new to us in any way.
My Aunt Susan and Uncle David were adopted from foster care as young children. They'd been separated from other siblings, but the state insisted they be adopted together. And then my mom grew up and went on to be part of the foster care review boards in Iowa and Wisconsin back when the court systems were first experimenting with them. Foster care is a fulfillment of the hospitality to the utmost welcoming, loving and protecting a stranger to the point of making them family. If you don't know, I currently live in Sarasota, but I'm in the process of moving back to Pinellas County.
When that's all said and done, my goal is to complete the licensure process to become a foster parent myself.
For as long as I can remember, I've had a love of foster care and adoption. In college, I learned about the epidemic of kids aging out of foster care. They turn 18 and either reunification hasn't been accomplished, or parental rights were terminated, but they were never adopted. Because of the misconceptions of trauma. It's easier to find foster and adoptive homes for children that are young, cute and generally Caucasian.
I volunteered at the time with an organization that helps these kids aging out of foster care to transition to independent adulthood, with specific focuses on preventing homelessness, which is a major problem, and making college accessible. And at the time I also decided that I specifically wanted to work with middle and high school youth most likely to experience this foster care in our country is hard. There's almost double the number of kids in care as there are homes to take them. There's just not enough. And of the families who do open their home, approximately 50% will close their doors within a year, citing most often due to the lack of suppo
In Florida's 6th Circuit, which is Pinellas and Pasco counties, it's more than a 4 to 1 ratio of kids to homes available. And in Florida, 60% of kids in foster care end up aging out of the system. While foster care is hard, there's a common misconception around it. It doesn't take a special person to foster, it just takes a willing person. And to be clear, it's much harder to be a kid in foster care than it is to be a foster parent.
Last summer, my sister sent me an Instagram post with the news that one of her favorite organizations was expanding into Florida. Foster the Family works to support and encourage foster and adoptive families, mobilize and equip the community and church for foster care and adoption, and advocate for vulnerable children. And funny enough, they launched their first floor to office in the 12th Judicial Circuit, which is Manatee, Desoto and Sarasota counties right where I live. I signed up to help and have been an official volunteer with them since October. I deliver placement packages to kids entering care, babysit at monthly respite care nights, and periodically help with their family events.
oster the Family also provides support groups and trainings for foster and adoptive parents. Foster the family recognizes that not everyone can foster, but we are all called to care for the vulnerable, welcome the stranger and defend the fatherless. And coming along Foster families at the front lines of this mission is a way for everyone to join the mission. In the coming weeks you're going to hear more about Foster Family because they're expanding again, this time into Pinellas and Pasco counties. And what's got me really excited is that we at Gulf Coast are going to partner with them.
Foster the family's work aligns with our missional priorities of Gospel Mercy and Gospel Outreach. I can't wait until they're on our back wall with our missional partners. Google Maps tells me My home in Sarasota is 783 miles from my sister. Unfortunately, that's just a little too far for me to be in my nieces and nephews lives as much as I'd like. It's also about 40 miles from St. Pete, the place where I know I have the support system and network to sustainably foster. So, for now, while I'm in the south end of our area, I sew last minute Christmas stockings and deliver care packages and snuggle babies. I'm not changing the entire world, but I am having an impact on my neighborhood. Jamie Finn, the founder of Foster the Family, says I could be sitting on the sidelines in blissful ignorance of the brokenness that surrounds me, enjoying the wholeness of a sweet and sheltered life, missing out on the beauty of breaking off pieces of my heart and my life to make another whole this fall. Would you prayfully consider how you can get off the sidelines when it comes to foster care?
You might not be called the foster child. That's okay. But can you be part of the village that surrounds kids in care fostering the whole family?
Serving International Students
ReLynn and Aaron Freeman share their experience hosting international students, primarily from Japan. They discuss how this opportunity allows them to share the gospel with these students, either through direct conversations or by modeling a Christian lifestyle. ReLynn highlights the impact that Gulf Coast Community church has had on these students, making them feel welcomed and loved. Kiyori, a former exchange student, expresses gratitude for the warm reception she received and how her experience broadened her understanding of Christianity.
Re’Lynn Freeman
Some of you might remember when Aaron and I, along with some CoMission people, went to China in 2017. When we came back, we were asking God when we could go back and fast forward seven years later...the nations are coming to us. We saw his heart for the nations to make his name known among everybody, every people, every tongue. And it's so beautiful.
We wanted to join in on that.
Most of you know that we host exchange students, and a lot of you have connected with them over the past eight to nine months or so. Kiyori and we had three other girls that went home last month, all from China. And you connected with them. You invited them into your lives and had them over for dinner, super bowl parties, baking nights, talking to them, taking them out to your favorite restaurants, and even the beach.
You impacted them so much. You made them see a love that they've never known. And Japan is one of the most unreached countries in the world, with only 1% of the population identifying as Christian. Millions of people born, live, and die without ever hearing the gospel, without ever having a Christian friend, without ever meeting a Christian. Let me give you some quotes from a recent group.
One of the students said, “I was not expected to be so welcomed at a church and community group. If I were to give advice to new students, it would be to go to church”. Another said, “I feel so accepted. I thought that church was more exclusive. But you guys made me feel like I belong”. You all were part of the amazing experience that they had, and you showed them what God's love looked like. Not all exchange students that we get are from Japan.
We've also had people from Germany, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Russia, and now China. We have the opportunity to give them rides to and from school, eat dinner with them, have fun times and thought-provoking conversations. We want each student to feel like family, even if it's just for a short period of time. And I know that our last group felt that.
Aaron Freeman
So, being that we host female students nowadays, Re’Lynn has most of the opportunity to share the gospel through conversation and going to coffee with the individual students. However, there's still plenty of opportunity. For me, it just looks a little different. How I lead our family is something that they see every day. And fortunately, in some ways, it has made me a better father and a husband.
Things like praying before meals, how I interact with Re’Lynn and the kids, and even how I discipline my kids are all ways that I can share the gospel indirectly by living in a way that expresses my love for my family and guiding them in God's ways. So hopefully, our students get to see what a Christian family is supposed to look like.
As Re’Lynn said, God really has brought international mission to our home, and it's a part of our daily life. Even though we're not in a foreign country, God is sending students to us so that we can participate in reaching the nations. We praise God for the countless ways in which we're able to bear witness to his kingdom. It's not always easy, and in many ways, it's not easy at all. And it's inconvenient at times, but it's definitely worth it.
We get to plant seeds of the gospel and pray that God continues his work when our students return home.
Kiyori
The first time I came here, when I came to this church for the first time, I came here curious and I'm interested in the church. And however, it was my routine to go to church every Sunday, by coming here almost every Sunday, I can feel deeply by coming here and the people in church.
People in church are so kind and friendly.
Most of Japanese people have never been to church, and they don't know what Christianity is exactly.
Through studying abroad, I knew the importance of church and how wonderful Christianity is. And also, I thought I was able to broaden my horizon. I appreciate to be able to have a wonderful and valuable experience here. And this is the last time for me. This is the last time for me to come to church while studying abroad in the future.
I’ll come back here, and I will see you again. Yes. Thank you.
Aaron Freeman
All that to say please pray for us that God will strengthen us and give us endurance for this mission that we have before us. Pray that our students will see the light of Christ and believe and that they in turn will share the light with others. Thank you all.
Copyright 2026 Gulf Coast Community Church