While we cannot predict what God has in store for the future of Abundant Life Church, we know that each week we press on in our mission to “help discover and develop new life in Jesus Christ” in all that we do. Our attendees have a passion for helping others, and we continue to feel and see God’s abundance both locally and globally as a result.

Although originally built as a gymnasium, the auditorium we used at our Proctor Road campus served us well for several years while we planned and prayed for God’s next step. After the completion of our children’s ministry building, we started the groundwork for the second phase of our renovations - but in the middle of our plans 2020 happened and the entire world was placed on hold. Through it all we continued to feel God’s nudging to grow and provide more space for our local community to gather. It was with that blessing that in May, 2023 we broke ground on a new auditorium and enclosed patio space, allowing our original building to revert back to a gymnasium. Our goal with this second phase is to provide a welcoming space for our attendees, have a dedicated area for our growing youth groups and build a campus that can provide options for our local community.

When we purchased the Proctor Road facility, our leadership team knew adjustments and improvements were going to be necessary. We took the time to plan and budget appropriately, but a short time after moving in it was quickly apparent that our children’s ministry was bursting at the seams. On (CHECK DATE) we broke ground on the first step of our campus modification; a new children’s ministry building known as IMPACT.

It was with God’s vision and blessing that on April 1, 2007 (Palm Sunday) we finally welcomed our attendees to our Proctor Road campus for the first time. And while purchasing an existing structure does have its logistical challenges, nothing has felt more like home.

ALC quickly grew out of the meeting hall space, and while we knew God had big plans for our church we weren’t financially ready for our own building. God opened doors in October, 2000 for us to relocate and begin using Sarasota Christian School’s gymnasium. The blessing SCS granted us of using their large space allowed us the freedom to foster and grow as a church family; but it wasn’t without its challenges. A team of volunteers arrived before the sun came up each Sunday to set-up our vast equipment, and stayed late into the afternoon to make sure everything was stored and tidy. To say the least, this time in our church’s history was a labor of love - but we are so grateful to SCS for allowing us the continuity and space to grow without pressure. During this time, our church attendees continued to increase causing the need for multiple services and discussions of our next stage. We ended up making the SCS gym our gathering place until May, 2007 when God opened up new doors and clear paths.

Abundant Life Church first met on June 6th, 1999 in the Sarasota Letter Carriers Associates meeting hall on 17th Street. Our first few Sundays were a handful of people filled with the passion of fostering and planting a new church in Sarasota, Florida.