Faith Assembly of God in Orlando, Florida, was founded nearly 50 years ago in 1975. It started in a room with 80 people, and has seen progressive growth through the years. Pastor Marcos Gonzalez, who oversees the directional leadership team at Faith Assembly of God, leads the church’s practical ministries team (Reach Local, Reach Global, Discipleship, Family Life, and more). He says the primary reason people gravitate to the church is because of its genuine concern for the lost.
“It’s important for a pastor to smell like sheep—meaning a pastor who is around his people,” Gonzalez observes. “He should tend to his flock by walking with them when they are hurting, happy, crying or in need of prayer.”
One way the church cares for its flock is by regularly visiting those who are in the hospital, living at a senior care facility or shut in at home.
“We go twice a week,” explains Gonzalez. “We’ve had many people tell us, ‘The church has come to see my mom [or dad] in the hospital more than my family has.’ Pastoral care is very strong here at Faith.”
Gonzalez maintains that Faith is a big church with the heart of a small church. While the building is large, all who step inside feel at home.
“People tell us that they feel seen and loved,” adds Gonzalez.
This starts by positioning guest experience team members all over the church so that when people arrive for a Sunday or Wednesday service, they feel welcome.
“We have eight parking lots so you can come in from eight different directions,” says Gonzalez.
Multiple entrances are good for accessibility but can cause people to get lost easily, Gonzalez notes. Guest experience team members stationed at each entrance provide a warm hello, direct folks where to go and remind them of which parking lot they parked their car in. They also follow a rule which Gonzalez says they borrowed from Disney. If you pass by someone and they are within 10 feet of you, you acknowledge them by waving; if you’re within five feet, you greet them by saying hello.
“It’s nothing complicated, just simple connections,” affirms Gonzalez. “But when you get the whole church culture behaving like that, it becomes warm and friendly.”
Kendrick and Alexis Ferraro say that Faith Assembly of God helped them encounter Jesus and gave them opportunities and tools that helped them grow.
“Friendships have flourished into family because of how intentional Faith is when connecting people,” Alexis states. “We firmly believe that through Faith we’ve found community, belonging and transformation.”
Faith Assembly of God reflects its vibrant multicultural community.
“It’s visibly rich in culture with people wearing Kenyan clothes or [Congolese] clothes,” adds Gonzalez. “We didn’t plan to be like that, but I think our congregation’s down-to-earth warmth attracts the community, and we reflect that global community.”
One of the church’s top priorities is missions—both locally and globally. Faith has made it their goal to connect with the community in Orlando and to the nations.
“Faith has always been, and continues to be, a beacon of hope within our city and around the world,” Kendrick attests. “From community outreach to worldwide missions and everything in between, Faith has empowered Christians everywhere for the work of ministry.”