By Libby Hopkins
Jason Burns loves the Brandon community. He loves the community so much that he moved his family from Lakeland to Brandon and moved his business as well. His business is the Lord. Burns is the pastor of Access Church in Lakeland and he wanted his church to branch out into the Brandon area. On January 13th of this year, Access Church held its first service at Bloomingdale High School and they had 174 people in attendance. “We are a church where church people are comfortable bringing their un-churched friends, family members, and neighbors,” Burns said, “A church where unbelievers can come and hear the life-changing truth that God cares for them and that Jesus Christ died for their sin.”
Access church started about five years ago as a college bible study that grew into a church. “We have around 800 to 1000 people who call Access in Lakeland their church and between 400-600 in attendance on a Sunday service,” Burns said. What makes the church unique is the four things they do, which is, weekend worships services, connecting in small groups, a process to help people grow called Growth Track and serving the community. Last year the church gave over 200 pairs of shoes to an orphanage in Haiti and 200 pairs of jeans and pants to the homeless in the Brandon community. They also helped to renovate a home for an underprivileged family in the area. The church is currently partnering with Feeding Children Everywhere to package 30,000 meals for children around the country. Burns hopes that Access Church will make a difference in the community. “There are some amazing churches in Brandon, and our hope is to come alongside them to help in any way we can to connect with the people of our city,” Burns said. For more information on Access Church, you can visit them on the web at www.access.tv. If you would like to attend a church service, they are held at the Bloomingdale High School auditorium at 10:30 a.m. every Sunday. Bloomingdale High School is located at 1700 Bloomingdale Ave.
