'Everybody's excited': Crossroads Church in SW Ocala breaks ground on new family center

Thomas Dempsey couldn't contain his youthful enthusiasm for the planned 20,000-square-foot Crossroads Church Family Center during a groundbreaking ceremony held May 15.

"Yay," Thomas, 6, shouted when his great-grandparents, Yolanda and Salvador Giron, told him the facility, which is expected to be completed in about a year, will include a kid's playground.

Thomas and his great-grandparents were among about 100 church members who gathered at the construction site for the new center to pray, sign a ceremonial shovel, and pitch a first spade of dirt.

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Thomas enjoyed romping around parts of the 10-acre church property. The center will be located adjacent to the church's current facilities in three portable buildings at 8070 SW 60th Ave., Ocala.

"Thomas is so happy about the new church. He so loves the Lord," Yolanda Giron said. Thomas said he would like to be a minister.

A big and anonymous donation has fueled Crossroads Church's growth plan

The Crossroads Church congregation's 12-year goal of building a facility to increase the church's outreach and impact on the community was recently supercharged by a multi-million dollar donation by an anonymous church member.

The Family Center will contain a 500-plus seat sanctuary, church offices, Children's Church, Fellowship Hall, gym, youth center for dances and other activities, and a full basketball court, according to Building Committee Chairman Fred Schnuerle.

Pastor Paul Kilcrease, at the church for the past nine months, said the new facility will "open the church up for the community" including several large residential communities that have grown up along Southwest 60th Avenue over the past several years.

Kilcrease said the Family Center has been a longstanding vision for the congregation.

Crossroads Church, established in 1999

Crossroads Church was established in 1999 and was once known as Lighthouse Church, Kilcrease said.

The congregation raised an unspecified amount in a building fund and an anonymous benefactor provided a $1 million donation for the first phase of construction. Another $1.5 million donation is committed for completion of the project.

Future plans include a Christian school on church grounds.

Crossroads Church Executive Pastor Ben Campbell, 26, of Ocala, and his wife, Anne, have been members for about six years. They have two children, Zola, 3, and Misha, 9 months.

"Everybody's excited," he said.

Campbell said the Crossroads Church congregation of about 180 people is "multi-cultural” and has been “very warm and welcomed us in.”

Pick up a shovel

Brian Caracciolo and Seth McBride, representing BWC Construction, project contractor for the Family Center, joined in a ceremonial first shovel of dirt at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Terrence Thompson, 54, moved here from Miami in 2004 and has been a Crossroads Church member for about 15 years. His wife, four children and two grandchildren are also members.

He pointed to T-shirts, worn by many congregation members at the ceremony, which read: "Upon this rock I will build my church.”

"My kids grew up (in this church). God's good," he said.

Larry Scott, with the Crossroads Church's Food Ministry, said the new facility, once thought an impossible goal, was “made possible by God" to help make a difference in the local community.

He said the church has a drive-through food pantry on Tuesdays and distributes enough food to feed as many as 400 people and the ministry can be increased in the new building.

Scott said the facility will have room for youth activities and additional space to enable more sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and gospel teachings like "love thy neighbor" and serving others.

Lorie Principe; her son Alec, 7; and grandson Kamren, 2, attended the groundbreaking.

Principe called the ceremony awesome. She was invited by her friend Nicole Hurst, a Crossroads Church member for six months, who was at the ceremony with her son, Jayden, 6.

Dreama Palmer, a church member for 17 years, is part of the Food Ministry and delivers food to widows.

"We're blessed," she said about the incoming facility.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Crossroads Church in SW Ocala, Florida responds to community growth