Church to open second location

EAST COUNTY — In 1997, pastors Steve and Catherine Price were fresh faces in East County.

They were asked to lead a new church and canvass the community to invite interested individuals to join a church that didn’t even have a name yet.

“We were asking families if they first wanted to meet for a picnic or something, and then maybe later attend a service,” Steve Price said. “A few said yes, so we met, and Katherine and I cast out our vision, and at the end of the night said, ‘Hey, if this is something you want to be a part of, come next Sunday.’”
Four families attended the first Sunday service.

Seventeen years later, the couple braces for the biggest move they have made since they opened the Lakewood Ranch church, Steve Price said.

On Sept. 1, Harvest officially acquired a second location — the former Christ United Methodist Church, 5512 26th St. W. Harvest didn’t pay for the acquisition because of the churches’ shared denomination.
The Bayshore Gardens location will officially hold services in fall 2015, after renovations and other groundwork is complete, Steve Price said.

In the interim, members of Christ United’s congregation will attend the East County location to become better accustomed to Harvest and its staff. Harvest will offer transportation options to individuals unable to make the commute.

Over the next year, Harvest’s new Associate Pastor Jennifer Potter will form a transition team that will determine the first steps in turning Christ United into Harvest United (See sidebar).

The team will eventually lead services at the new location — the ultimate goal that brings Price and Harvest’s one church, two locations dream to life.

The decision to expand followed a process similar to the one the Prices completed when they moved to East County almost two decades ago.

Participants canvassed neighborhoods to determine a need for the second Harvest location.

Harvest hosted a final meeting for the Lakewood Ranch congregation Aug. 25 and Christ United members attended their own private meeting Aug. 28.

Having separate meetings was important to determine each institution’s feelings toward a union, Steve Price said.

“We didn’t want to attend their meeting out of respect of the fact that this is bittersweet for them,” he said. “The Christ congregation is letting go of life as they know it and embracing a new possibility. I didn’t want the group to feel any pressure from us by our presence there.”

Price said the attitude has been positive since the idea to absorb Christ United rolled out last year. A core leadership team from Harvest researched the church to determine how many members attend during the summer — 40 to 50 — and the busier winter months, about 100.

When Price received approval of the merger last week, he wasn’t surprised. Instead, he said he was ecstatic.

“I’m excited about what this means for Harvest — we’re growing,” Price said. “This has been a process of overwhelmingly good spirit. OK, here we go.”

New Associate Pastor Jennifer Potter
Harvest United Methodist Church is excited about more than just Jennifer Potter’s young age, the Rev. Steve Price said.

To the Harvest pastor, who is 27, her age represents a new beginning — a new pair of eyes to bring insight into ways to better the church.

And lately, Harvest has been all about new beginnings.

After acquiring its second location on 26th Street West in Bradenton, effective Sept. 1, Potter, an East County resident, will become the campus pastor of the Bayshore location.

Until the church holds services in 2015, Potter is working to help get Christ United’s members acquainted with Harvest by establishing small church groups throughout the community.

Creating the Bible study groups will help make the transition easier for the West Bradenton congregation of between 50 and 100, Price explained.

The Prices have also geared up for the expansion with a new position, a director of communications who will work with both locations.

The church’s expansion and new openings show Harvest’s sustainability, Price said.

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].