CRESTVIEW — Following this morning's ribbon-cutting, Crestview’s newest church is open for worship.

In less than a year, Crosspoint North Crestview, a 19,815-square-foot campus of the former, Niceville-based First United Methodist Church, went from a wooded lot to a modern, high-tech, multi-functional church.

With its modern design, including a lofty entry common area with a café and lounge furniture, the new church seeks to attract young families raised on technology, he said.

The sanctuary has moveable seating for 400 worshipers, and a stage with enough sound and light equipment to host a small rock concert.

“It’s kind of a multi-purpose room,” Terry Harpool, Crosspoint project manager, said. “Now, people want sound and lights. People have grown up with technology and we have to compete with that. This is an approach that works well for us. We even have a fog machine. It’s quite a show.”

The church's pastor, the Rev. Rurel Ausley, said he hopes the community will respond favorably to the church’s informality.

“We invite people to come as they are, but we hope they don’t stay as they are,” he said, indicating he hopes worshipers will grow in their spirituality.

The church particularly seeks to attract younger families with children, who will be nurtured in a travel-themed “Crosspoint Kids” wing that features cartoon murals depicting countries where the church has missionaries at work, Ausley said.

“We’re all about the next generation,” he said.

Crosspoint campus pastor the Rev. Jeff Burnett said the church seeks to integrate itself as part of North Okaloosa County.

“We are here for the community,” he said. “Our goal is to come beside you to further along Okaloosa County and Crestview.”

What: Crosspoint North Crestview grand opening worship service

When: 9:30 a.m. Jan. 10

Where: Crosspoint North Crestview, 6268 Old Bethel Road, Crestview

Notes: Celebrate the completion of Crosspoint’s newest campus and tour the church. Call Erika Oetman, 678-4411, ext. 216, for information.

WANT TO GO?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview's newest church opens for worship (PHOTOS)

CRESTVIEW — A new church opening in north Crestview this morning has a startup congregation of 200 members, and plans for expansion.

Groundbreaking on Crosspoint North Crestview on Old Bethel Road occurred on Jan. 13, 2015. In December, the 19,815-square-foot church held “a couple (of) dry-run services” and another on Jan. 3, administrative assistant Erika Oetman said.

This is the second Crestview branch of the First United Methodist Church of Niceville, following the expanding St. Mark United Methodist Church on P.J. Adams Parkway. Those churches also now include the Crosspoint brand in their names.

Now, Crosspoint has set its sights on Bluewater Bay, where it recently acquired an 18,000-square-foot, two-story building at Merchants Walk.

Terry Harpool, Crosspoint North’s project manager, said all the development says something about Northwest Florida's spiritual needs. 

“I have never in my life seen growth in a church like I have at Crosspoint,” Harpool said. “People are hungry for spirituality now, and we seem to have a gift for getting people into the church.”

'IT'S QUITE A SHOW'

The north Crestview campus got underway with 200 “seed people” from Crosspoint South Crestview, Harpool said.

“The important thing is to have experienced people to start up a campus,” Harpool said. “I fully expect it to increase. By next month, I expect we’ll have to have two services.”

With its modern design, including a lofty entry common area with a café and lounge furniture, the new church seeks to attract young families raised on technology, he said.

The sanctuary has moveable seating for 400 worshipers, and a stage with enough sound and light equipment to host a small rock concert.

“It’s kind of a multi-purpose room,” Harpool said. “Now, people want sound and lights. People have grown up with technology and we have to compete with that. This is an approach that works well for us. We even have a fog machine. It’s quite a show.”

'VERY MISSION-ORIENTED'

Harpool and Oetman said many young families the church seeks to attract are military affiliates.

“They want to be able to attend church while their children are in a nice, safe environment,” Harpool said.

The “Crosspoint Kids” section is colorfully decorated in a travel theme, beginning with a half-size yellow biplane rocking above an airport-themed entrance.

Kids “check in” at the lobby area's “flight kiosks," receiving an identification badge. Parents must present an accompanying pick-up slip before children are released to their care.

“We went with a travel theme because our church is very mission-oriented,” Oetman said.

Sunday school classrooms are named for different countries where Crosspoint does mission work, including China, Congo, Israel, Siberia, Ecuador and Tonga.

Cartoon murals created by Oldsmar-based Wacky World Studios embellish each classroom.

“Life’s a destination and the murals reflect that,” Harpool said.

A graphic between the two “hangars” — multi-purpose meeting rooms — reveals the biplane’s pilot.

“Our pilot is Jesus,” Oetman said, and, noting the Lord’s flight suit, added, “And it fits our military community.” 

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Editor's Note: A previous version of this article included a completely different story (about CHELCO) due to a content management system error. 

We apologize for the mixup if you clicked through to that article, and we hope you enjoy reading this feature about Crosspoint North Crestview's campus. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: New Crestview church focuses on tech-savvy families (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

MOBILE — Single Catholic women ages 18 to 40 can participate in a retreat that could help them determine if a religious vocation is right for them.

The 26-hour retreat, “Gulf Coast’s Got Sisters!" — sponsored by the sisters of the Mobile Archdiocese — is set for Jan. 29 – 30 in Mobile, Ala. It is free of charge, including lodging and meals.

“Women are invited to pray and share with sisters from various religious communities in the Mobile area as they discern their vocations,” said Sister Theresa Sullivan, vocation director for the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.

“This weekend is a great opportunity to serve and be a part of community life, while asking questions about discernment and getting answers in real time.”

The Daughters of Charity established Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola in 1915 and Providence Hospital in Mobile in 1855.

Visit http://called2.be/GCGSJan16 to register for the retreat.

Contact Sister Theresa Sullivan, sistertheresa.sullivan@doc.org or 812-963-7556, for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gulf Coast vocation retreat scheduled for Catholic women

CRESTVIEW — Some area residents see more clearly these days.

On Dec. 24, Gulf Coast Vision Center employees, the Rev. Mark English and Lifepoint Church worked together to provide free eye exams and glasses for more than 24 people.

Drs. Douglas Reynolds and Alexandra Schuette, along with their staffers, worked at vision center sites in Pensacola and Crestview, respectively.

Reynolds annually partners with a local church or community organization to provide eye care at Christmas.

English connected him with Oliver and Carol Hassett, who runs LifePoint's soup kitchen on Wednesdays, to identify people for the service.

Recipients included homeless people, "cancer patients and those needing a simple hand Up," a spokesperson said.

"Dr. Reynolds looks forward to the coming years serving this amazing community."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Optometrists, church give free eye exams, glasses in Crestview and Pensacola

Editor's Note: We reviewed every edition of the News Bulletin published in 2015 to determine North Okaloosa County's most notable stories.

Here's our list of the top 10 news events that profoundly affected our area. We've also included some honorable mentions.

What are your picks? Share your thoughts below.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Top 10 North Okaloosa County stories of 2015