4 minute read
Why Twelve Church?
MEET TWELVE CHURCH By David Rotteveel
My wife, Stephanie, and I were both born and raised in West Pasco County, Florida (a suburb of Tampa Bay). We both grew up, went to school, and played sports in West Pasco. It has always been home. When Jesus saved me, He almost immediately (if not simultaneously) called me to ministry and placed a particular burden on my heart for the community I’ve called home my entire life. I began praying from the age of seventeen that God would allow me to lead a church that would push back the darkness in West Pasco and through the proclamation of the Gospel, see many come to know Christ!
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March 1, 2020, was an extremely special day for my family and me. It was the grand opening of our new church plant, Twelve Church. My wife and I both grew up minutes from the church’s location and, in many ways, it felt like both of our lives had led to that moment.
Over 500 people came to our grand opening! 502 people came and heard the life changing message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are still amazed at the grace of God and blown away by such a successful launch day, and we believe that we are just getting started!
Like any church plant, we faced challenges. There were difficulties in the early days as we began developing a launch team. There were difficulties as we approached our grand opening. Tears of frustration led to tears of joy when we saw the hundreds of people gathered at this new church!
On March 12, we were notified by the School Board of Pasco County that we were no longer permitted to hold our gatherings at Wendell Krinn Technical High School due to the threat of COVID-19. This news was devastating. We felt as though we had so much momentum and so much ahead of us, and to be prohibited from gathering (and not knowing for how long) was not only emotionally, mentally, and spiritually draining but caused extreme fear to enter our minds. We had so many questions, and no one had answers. I remember thinking, “Does this mean that we will never gather again? Is Twelve Church going to close? After waiting to plant this church for over 10 years, will we have to do it all over again?”
12 Church Worship team leads congregation
Children enjoy the kids ministry
First Impressions Team asks how they can pray for you as you enter 12 church
Kids enjoy some outdoor fun during weekend services.
Pastor David baptizes one of many new believers.
With so much uncertainty of the future, we did the only thing we knew how to do. We remained focused on the mission of reaching the people of West Pasco with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but our approach had to be adjusted. For a season (the length of which we did not know at the time) we became an online church. We quickly developed a strategy to minister to people entirely virtual. We invested in technology and social media and worked hard to establish ourselves as the most creative, innovative, and mission-minded church in our region.
Although at the time it was impossible to see, COVID-19 truly helped our church. On July 26, 2020, we were able to resume our in-person gatherings at a brand new (and better) facility, and we had 135 people join us! Over the past twelve weeks we have continued to grow, and, by the grace of God, we broke the 200 barrier last weekend (October 11, 2020)! It was such an incredible moment for my family, our staff, our servant leaders, and our people to celebrate that God is continuing to move and save and glorify Himself in and through Twelve Church in West Pasco!
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 12:12 (NIV)
First Impressions Team prays with guests as they enter worship
I cannot say “thank you” enough to General Baptist! Thank you so much for believing in me and investing in the calling on my life and the vision that God has given me. It is your support and overwhelming generosity that has made Twelve Church possible and has positioned us to be the church for an entire region!
I will forever praise God for His grace in allowing me to be part of such a wonderful community and brotherhood!
We are continuing to see God move in miraculous ways and we could not be more excited!
David Rotteveel is the Lead Pastor of Twelve Church in West Pasco County, Florida. He is a graduate of Oklahoma Panhandle State University and Summit Bible College. David is the former Student Pastor of New Walk Church in Zephyrhills, Florida. Twelve Church exists because of the passion that God has given Pastor David for the Gospel of Jesus, the local church, and the communities of West Pasco County. Pastor David and his wife, Stephanie, were both born and raised in West Pasco. The vision of Twelve Church is to see our communities and the world transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the glory of God.
