Chambers Celebrate The New SouthShore Campus Of ARISE Church
In October, the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce (GRCC) members along with the Brandon and SouthShore Chambers gathered to celebrate the new ARISE SouthShore campus of ARISE Church. All who entered were greeted by friendly leaders of the church. Tours of the newly revamped location were provided and refreshments were enjoyed. Many of the church’s pastors were on hand to officially welcome attendees.
ARISE operates with seven core values: People, Relationships, Authenticity, Growth, The Next Generation, God’s Presence and Creativity. ARISE exists to experience God and strive to create a fun and exciting environment where relationships are more important than a ritual. There is a strong emphasis on youth and the church offers several programs aimed at engaging children and teens.
The SouthShore location is even equipped with a meeting room just for teens, resembling a café setting with dimmed lighting and a cool, modern ambiance. Campus Pastor Mike Braddock is hopeful that the presence of the church and engaging with the local community will encourage more SouthShore residents to join them on Sunday mornings.
ARISE Church has an original location in Brandon and the organization found many of its parishioners were traveling from the SouthShore area to join them in worship. The opening of the SouthShore campus will bring convenience to their members who were previously making the drive to Brandon and also provide the opportunity to deepen the church’s outreach in the region.
The ARISE Church SouthShore campus is located at 3048 E. College Ave. in Ruskin. Call 689-2345 or visit https://myarisechurch.com/southshore/ and its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/myarisechurch/.
Christmas Time At Grace Community United Methodist Church
Join Grace Community this Christmas season for some family-friendly, festive events. On Saturday, December 14 from 10 a.m. to 12 Noon, you can build a family gingerbread house. The cost is $5 per person or $20 (max) per family.
On December 22, Grace Community will hold a Blue Christmas Service at 6 p.m. at the Bull Creek Brewing Company in Valrico. The candlelight service is intended to comfort those who have had a loss of any kind. There will also be a Tree of Remembrance. Bring your own lawn chair.
Grace Community will hold two Christmas Eve services at 5 and 7 p.m. with contemporary worship. Childcare is available for age 4 years and under. On Sunday, December 29 at 10:15 a.m., the church will host Cocoa & Carols, an event where everyone is invited to wear their pajamas. Children are encouraged to bring their favorite toy or gift for a pastoral blessing.
More details and information on youth events can be found online at www.mygraceumc.com. The church is located at 5708 Lithia Pinecrest Rd in Lithia. For questions, call 661-8858.
Kids Day Out At Campo Y
During the holidays, bring your kids to the Campo Y for an enriching experience while you are at work or out and about. Kids will enjoy team-building games, arts and crafts, STEM, high and low energy games and making new friends.
The dates are December 23, 26-27 and 30 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The cost for members is $35 per day per child. Nonmembers pay $50 per day per child.
Campo Y is located at 3414 Culbreath Rd. in Valrico. For more information contact Alison Gartner at Alison.gartner@tampaymca.org or call 684-1371.
