A Church on Proctor Road Since 1999
Abundant Life Church sits on Proctor Road in Sarasota, Florida, a family-friendly, non-denominational congregation that has been gathering in the same community since 1999. Senior Pastor Vernon Zook leads a staff that includes Worship and Executive Pastor Steve Christner, Care Pastor Rick Beachy, Connections Pastor Nathan Grieser, and Youth Pastor Jarrett Shamp, supported by ministry directors for worship, children, and middle school.
The church's stated mission is simple: to help people discover and develop new life in Jesus Christ. The motto drawn from John 10:10b, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly," frames everything from the Sunday stage to the small-group living rooms. ALC is a place where people from all walks of life meet regularly for fellowship and inspiration, with a deep commitment to Spirit-filled worship, biblical foundations, and a thriving youth ministry.
Visitors arriving for the first time will find a campus with a main worship auditorium and a separate IMPACT building that houses the children's wing. Greeters meet people at the door, complimentary coffee is offered as you walk in, and a light snack is served after each service in the lobby. Newcomers are treated as honored guests and are invited to stop by an information table for a small gift.
Sundays at 8:45 and 10:30
Two identical-style services meet on Sunday mornings, one at 8:45 AM and another at 10:30 AM. Both services are livestreamed through the ALC online church platform at the 10:30 hour, so worshipers who cannot attend in person can still participate live or catch the message later on Vimeo or in the church's podcast feed.
Worship at ALC is led by a full band and is contemporary in style, drawing on songs familiar from Christian radio and worship bands. Services typically run 65 to 75 minutes and combine upbeat music with relevant, life-changing preaching and a moment for personal response. Dress is "come as you are comfortable": the range runs from shorts and jeans to business casual.
Children from birth through fifth grade are dismissed to IMPACT Kids Ministry in the IMPACT building before or during the service. Nursery and preschool children stay in their classroom for the entire service, while kindergarten through fifth graders begin in the IMPACT worship room and then move to grade-level classrooms for deeper teaching. Parents check children in up to fifteen minutes before services and pick them up directly from the classroom using a security tag. Middle schoolers in grades six through eight join the adults for worship in the main auditorium and are then dismissed for their own teaching time on most Sundays. High school students in grades nine through twelve stay in the main auditorium with adults for the full service.
IMPACT Kids, FUEL, and IGNITE: The Next Generation
Children's Ministry Director Trish Helmuth oversees IMPACT Kids Ministry, a program for children from birth through fifth grade guided by Psalm 78:4, 6-7. The name IMPACT is itself an acronym that captures the ministry's fourfold aim: Inspire children to discover a new life in Jesus Christ, Model God's love through worship and fun, Plant the truth of God's Word deep in their hearts, Activate their faith to live boldly for Jesus, and Connect families and generations to grow together in hope. Children's ministry also places a strong emphasis on teaching the next generation about God's power and mighty wonders.
Middle schoolers in grades six through eight belong to FUEL, which meets on Sunday mornings (joining adults for worship before heading out for their own teaching time) and on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in the IMPACT building, with doors opening at 6:30 PM. The program is challenging and raises up the next generation in a fun environment. Middle School Director Ty Yoder leads the team.
High schoolers in grades nine through twelve belong to IGNITE, which meets on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM for worship, fellowship, and biblical teaching with a focus on application. The youth teams also plan annual missions and service retreats to put faith into practice. Youth Pastor Jarrett Shamp oversees IGNITE.
Young adults ages 18 to 25 are served by Wildfire, a group that meets regularly to connect, grow in faith, support one another, and have fun together, with the goal of "spreading His light like wildfire." The Wildfire leadership team shares dates, times, and locations on the group's Instagram account.
Radiate Ladies and the Men's Breakfast Table
The Radiate Ladies Ministry reaches women for Christ, equips them to grow in Him, supports them in relationships, and empowers them to serve the church and community. Led by co-leaders Becky Stutzman and Waneta Strader, Radiate offers a mix of weekly, monthly, semester, and annual events held in a variety of settings.
Recurring Radiate events include the 1st Friday Breakfast at Der Dutchman at 8:30 AM, Living Out Loud nights on the third Monday of every other month at 7 PM in the IMPACT Worship Room, sister-based Bible studies that run in 6 to 8 week blocks, and an annual retreat in Port Charlotte held in late September.
The ALC Men's Ministry gathers the men of the church for fellowship and deeper connections with God through a monthly breakfast on the first Saturday of each month at 7 AM in the church foyer. The gathering is intentionally laid-back and welcoming, designed to draw men who may not already be connected to a church. Throughout the year the men also host fun group events and mission opportunities.
Small Groups at the Heart of ALC
Small groups are called the heart of ALC. Connections Pastor Nathan Grieser oversees two flavors of small groups. Home Groups are the traditional option, meeting weekly or biweekly in homes or public settings with groups of all ages and interests led by fellow attendees. Semester Groups are short, themed studies that run roughly six to eight weeks: past topics have included everything from women's Bible studies and men's leadership books to pickleball, walking clubs, a senior ladies outing, a MomCo group for moms, a Lord of the Rings book club for students, a coffee meet-up, euchre nights, and even ALC Riders, a Saturday morning motorcycle group.
CORE is a more intensive twelve-week journey on Tuesday evenings designed to help people discover the heart of ALC, connect with others, grow in faith, and find where their unique gifts can make a difference, and is limited to thirty participants per session. Those wanting to explore faith from the very beginning are pointed to the ALC 101, 201, 301, and 401 classes offered throughout the year to develop spiritual maturity, understand the church's foundation, and discover individual gifts. Next-step resources for those who have just said yes to Jesus include baptism, volunteering, classes, small groups, age-appropriate ministries, and missions.
Missions: Local and Global Partners
ALC takes seriously the biblical call to be the light of the world and supports missions both locally and globally through time, finances, and prayer. Care Pastor Rick Beachy oversees the church's outreach to mission organizations and individuals. Partners include CRU, Gator Wilderness Camp, Global Disciples, New Hope Girls, Rosedale International, Selah Freedom, VidaNet, Wingfield Ministries, FIRE International, and YWAM.
Locally, the church hosts community events several times a year that bring hundreds of new faces to the Proctor Road campus. Volunteers are needed for each gathering, and no experience is required.
What the Church Believes
ALC's statement of beliefs begins with a Trinitarian God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-equal and one God. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the sacrifice for sin, rose again after three days, ascended to heaven, and will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and Son, present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus, living in every Christian from the moment of salvation, and giving power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in righteousness.
The Bible is God's Word, written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, and is the supreme source of truth for Christian belief and living. Human beings are made in the spiritual image of God but are marred by the attitude of disobedience called sin, which separates people from God. Salvation is a free gift received by trusting in Jesus Christ; eternal life begins the moment a person receives Christ by faith. The end of this age will be marked by the personal return of Jesus Christ, who will gather those who have trusted him. People were created to exist forever, either eternally separated from God (Hell) or eternally with God (eternal life).
Baptism is taught as the next step after believing, performed by immersion in water, and conducted publicly in the context of the church family as a witness and a testimony.
Serve, Give, and Connect
Five serve teams keep ALC running each week. The Worship Team fills roles from the tech booth to the platform. The Host Team provides first impressions through greeters and coffee station facilitators. The IMPACT Children's Ministry needs Sunday morning teachers, assistants, check-in helpers, Bible store helpers, and tech booth volunteers. The Community Events team puts on the larger gatherings that bring hundreds onto campus. The Hospitality Team works behind the scenes with snacks for attenders and breakfasts for Sunday morning volunteers.
Giving can be done by check mailed to the church office, through secure online giving with recurring options, or by dropping a donation in the boxes at the exit doors each Sunday. All contributions are 100 percent tax-deductible. ALC also publishes an annual summary of how church leaders allocate funds.
Beyond Sunday mornings, ALC maintains a podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, has a mobile app for setup and ongoing engagement, ships recent sermons to a podcast feed, accepts notes through Faithnotes, runs a church business directory of members in automotive, construction, health, legal, and real estate services, and offers a calendar of events. A weekly newsletter is offered for those who want inspiration and event details delivered by email.