In 2010, the members of First Baptist Church of Venice prayed for and then adopted a wonderful three-stage vision of its future.
- Purchase land located at 3100 Executive Drive in order to create a second campus
- Renovate its existing Miami Avenue campus
- Build a multi-purpose Lakefront Church building
Stage 1: First Baptist Church of Venice purchased the land. Here’s how: BB&T Bank owned the property and gave First Baptist one year to raise funds. While seemingly impossible, God provided, and congregation members were generous. By January 2012, FBC had successfully purchased the land, leaving no debt whatsoever.
Stage 2: Renovation of the Miami Avenue Campus began in August 2014 after the congregation had contributed nearly $1 million towards construction. Again, God provided, our members gave, and FBC successfully renovated a portion of its downtown campus, leaving no debt behind.
Stage 3: Fundraising for the Lakefront Church building ensued, and by April 2024, the congregation had once again stepped up to the plate by giving $7.1 million of the $9.2 million needed to build the Lakefront Church building–achieving this goal debt-free is well on its way!
What’s more, in December 2023, a wonderful opportunity arose to purchase the frontage lot to maximize visibility for the new Lakefront Church building. A love donation was generously provided for the full purchase price. What a blessing!
In order to complete The Lakefront Church building entirely debt-free, First Baptist needs to raise another $2.1 million, still knowing that God will, once again, provide. It hopes to complete this work by December 2025.
Everyone is welcome to First Baptist Church on Venice Island and The Lakefront Church of Venice–where people can meet Jesus while engaging in a life-giving community. To learn more, go to fbcvenice.org.
While seemingly impossible, God provided, and congregation members were generous.