A Saturday Congregation on Loveland Boulevard
Port Charlotte Seventh-day Adventist Church gathers every Saturday on Loveland Boulevard, a few blocks east of the city's main north-south corridor. The congregation describes itself as diverse, multi-generational and multi-ethnic, and open about its goal of growing into "one of the most loving communities in Florida." A monthly newsletter called FRESH Start, archived back to 2020, runs alongside children's ministries, a Slavic-language group, a Spanish-language ministry, and a church-operated Adventist school.
Saturday Mornings: Bible Study Then Worship
The Sabbath schedule begins at 10:00 a.m. with Bible study. Adults split into a variety of small groups, and age-appropriate classes are offered for everyone from toddlers through high school. Worship follows at 11:00 a.m. with a family-oriented service built around music and a Christ-centered sermon. Services are livestreamed on YouTube so members and friends who cannot attend in person can follow along.
What to Expect When You Visit
The welcome is intentionally relaxed. Visitors can dress casually or in business attire, as suits their comfort, and the pastoral team dresses the same way. The 11:00 a.m. service includes Scripture readings, praise music, and preaching aimed at deepening a personal relationship with Jesus. The congregation gathers from a wide mix of cultural, spiritual, and generational backgrounds, and an online Connect Card makes it easy to ask follow-up questions or request a visit.
Children's Bible Classes from Cradle Roll to The Vault
The children's wing is organized by age and meets at the same time as adult study, between 10:00 and 10:45 on Saturday mornings. Cradle Roll serves children from birth to age 3 in Room 111. Kindergarten (ages 4 to 6) meets in Room 112, Primary (ages 7 to 9) in Room 104, and Junior (ages 10 to 12) in Room 103. Earliteens aged 12 to 14 gather in Room 114. For high schoolers, a space called The Vault, a recently redesigned room with a casual feel, hosts teen-focused Bible study and discussion in Room 113.
Pathfinders and Adventurers
Outside the Saturday morning hour, the church runs two youth programs. Pathfinders serves young people in fifth through eighth grade and offers camping and survival skills, leadership development, and community-service outreach such as soup kitchens, food drives, park cleanups, and visits to elderly neighbors, plus a wide menu of recreational, artistic, nature, and vocational honors. Adventurer Club mirrors the Pathfinder model for children aged four through nine. Both clubs are sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide but are open to young people of any background.
Three Languages Under One Roof
The congregation worships primarily in English, but two additional language ministries share the campus. Pastor Art Grayman leads the Spanish ministry, drawing on more than two decades of pastoral experience in Colombia, Venezuela, Curaçao, and the Netherlands Antilles before joining Port Charlotte in 2000. The Slavic Group, led by Pastor Alexey Novoselov, holds services and Bible study in Russian. After 29 years of pastoral, educational, and administrative work in Russia that included service as conference president in Siberia and Executive Secretary of the Siberian Union Mission, he moved to the church in 2024. His wife, Elena, supports the ministry as a child and family psychologist. The Slavic ministry reaches Russian-speaking families across the Charlotte County area.
What Port Charlotte SDA Believes
The church's statement of beliefs lays out twenty-three points in the language of Scripture. The list opens with belief in a personal God, in Jesus Christ as divine Son and Savior, and in the Holy Spirit as the divine Comforter. Salvation is described as a free gift received through faith, not by works, and believers are called to live by the same principles Christ lived out in fulfilling the Ten Commandments. The second coming of Christ is held to be literal, personal, and visible to all. Members observe the seventh-day Sabbath, instituted at Creation and reaffirmed in the Decalogue, as a gift of weekly rest pointing to the rest believers have in Jesus. Baptism is by immersion, the Lord's Supper is celebrated in obedience to Christ's command, and the church supports the gospel through tithes and offerings. Healthful living is presented as a matter of stewardship, with care for the body and avoidance of harmful practices. Distinctively Adventist teachings, including the sleep of the dead, the resurrection of the just, and the ultimate destruction of the wicked, are stated plainly, each grounded in a Bible reference.
The Pastoral Team
Four pastors share the work of shepherding the church. Senior Pastor Ben Shurtliff returned to Port Charlotte in fall 2022 after serving as senior pastor of the Miami Springs and Brandon Seventh-day Adventist churches. Associate Pastor Aubrey Toup joined in March 2026; she holds a Master of Divinity from Andrews University Theological Seminary and has previously served in children's, youth, and family ministries at churches in Tennessee, Georgia, and Orlando. Pastor Art Grayman, the associate and Spanish ministry pastor, has been part of the church since 2000 and brings 20 years of earlier pastoral experience in Inter-America and 21 years with Christian Record Services for the blind. Pastor Alexey Novoselov leads the Slavic group, holding a Doctor of Ministry from Andrews University. Duane Morauske serves as head elder.
Education and Women's Ministry
Sharing the campus is the Port Charlotte Adventist School, an Adventist academy under the same educational network. The women's ministry hosts gatherings throughout the year, including events like a tea party for moms. The monthly newsletter FRESH Start keeps members and friends informed and is archived online going back several years.
Staying Connected
Visitors who want to keep in touch can subscribe to FRESH Start or send a message through the online Connect Card. Giving is handled through Adventist Giving, and the church's YouTube channel hosts live Saturday services at 11:00 a.m. along with recorded sermons. Office hours run Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and the front door is at 2036 Loveland Boulevard in Port Charlotte.