Family Life Church was pioneered on October 10th 1999 with Andrew and Cathy Rutherford as the founding Pastors. After almost 7 years of pastoring in a neighboring county, they felt the leading of the Lord to plant a Word of Faith church in Port St. Joe, Florida. The first order of business was to file the paper work to become a non-profit corporation registered with the IRS and the State of Florida. The first check written was to join the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce, setting the standard to be a relevant and proactive church. The first years found the ministry making its presence felt in the community through numerous creative and high profile outreaches.  The purpose of the church was set to be three fold: 1. To actively go into all the world with the Gospel of Jesus, 2. To grow individually and corporately in the doctrine and character of Jesus, and 3. To do our part individually and corporately in the plan and will of God, with the ultimate goal of building up God’s church in love.

Going into all the world, growing in Christ, and doing our part...to build up the church in love

What we have been doing

We have conducted numerous “Family Day” events in Frank Pate Park:  It is a free event opened to the public where everything is free and various agencies participate with us to “get good things in the hands of families”.  You can see an article featuring the church and this event written in a nationally distributed magazine.

Halloween outreach on Reid Avenue:  Every Halloween Family Life Church has given out around 500 plastic bags of candy to kids while providing seating, refreshments and a restroom to the public. Each child and family

 Received a gospel tract giving them the written Word of God being demonstrated to them.

Family Life Church is always open for the Annual Christmas on the Coast event (even has entered a float in the parade!) and organizes and conducts the Tree Lighting ceremony for the city of Port St. Joe every year.

Powerhouse, every Saturday night when school is in session, is a youth outreach that usually lasts about three hours.  Starts with a one-hour church service that has a Youth/Rock concert flavor. We call it the “Power Hour”.  Then the kids are dismissed to the back for food at the “Blue Star Café”.  Then it’s free time with varying venues going on.  We’ve got a game room, a movie room (played through the Video Gaurdian, which eliminates bad language), and group activities in the main sanctuary. In 2009 FLC conducted a  Powerhouse Kids After-School Program once a week for the elementary school.

For public parades and activities such as: Scallop Festival, Independence on the Coast (4^th of July) and Arts & Craft Fairs, we have always opened our doors and offered refreshments and restroom facilities to the public.

Family Life Church is a 10 year member of the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce and participates in the Port St. Joe Ministerial Association.

As in the book of Acts, we will continue to add to this record of activity by  reaching out to the world around us with the Love of God in Jesus name!