CRESTVIEW — Mosaic Church will soon have a much larger home, and that means more opportunities for helping people, head pastor James Ross said.
The church, which meets in a building owned by Central Baptist Church, soon will share facilities with Living Faith Baptist Church and Crestview Korean Church off James Lee Boulevard.
The 9,000-square-foot property currently serves four members, according to Living Faith Pastor Tony Orsa.
Mosaic averages an estimated 200 Sunday visitors, Ross said.
"With the group that Mosaic has, we felt that they could use the resources of the building," Orsa said. "We thought it would be of better service to them."
Facility use was offered at no charge, and Mosaic members performed $75,000 worth of renovations, according to Ross.
To prepare for the first service at their new home June 1, church members are constructing lighting systems and contractors are renovating the inside byreplacing walls, changing flooring and updating the main sanctuary.
The investment of time and sweat will pay off for the Crestview area, Ross said.
"Churches don't pay property taxes, so what we want to do is to find out how much we would owe in those taxes and invest back into the community," he said.
Additionally, Ross wants to work with other churches to meet the community's needs.
Mosaic's ministries include supporting the Crestview Pregnancy Center and Crestview Orphan Care, an Emmanuel Baptist Church ministry, with supplies and other contributions. In addition, members — with help from The Wild Olive, a local restaurant — provided a free Thanksgiving meal for the community in 2013.
Eventually, their reach could spread beyond the Hub City, as Ross wants to start other churches in Northwest Florida.
For now, increasing community service here in Crestview, particularly for the needy, is a top priority.
"One thing we say all the time (at Mosaic) is 'be the church,'" Ross said. "Nowhere in the Bible is the church mentioned as a building. It's the people.
"That's where being the church comes into play — so we can help those people."
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Growing Crestview church gains space, eyes more ministry opportunities