Discovery Church finds new home

DR. PHILLIPS Discovery Church’s Central Campus has been struggling with a lack of space for years as it has grown in membership. It’s been nearly eight years since senior leadership began searching for a new location, and three weeks ago, they found it.

On Tuesday, Sept. 26, the church purchased 26.6 acres along West Sand Lake Road, a parcel known as Sand Lake Plaza - a purchase that had been in the works for nearly two years.

“We’re headed south because there aren’t many churches of our size in that direction,” said Central Campus Pastor John Parrott. “It’s going to give us the space we need.”

Discovery Church currently has two additional campus locations - one on Winter Garden-Vineland Road and another on South Alafaya Trail. The church has operated at its location on South Orange Avenue since 1993, and one of the primary issues it has faced with growth is parking, with only 100 spaces available for church members.

At its new location on West Sand Lake Road, Parrott said the parking lot will be able to accommodate up to 1,100 vehicles.

According to Parrott, the church plans to expand the plaza space at the site, with construction starting within the next six months.

“We’ll be move into the Sports Authority and build that out,” he said. “The goal is that we will be in there between 18 to 20 months.”

As construction gets underway, Parrott said that senior leadership plans to sell the church’s current location on Orange Avenue. 

The church is officially calling the new location its new ministry center, and already, it’s having an impact within the community.

Only days after acquiring the new space, Discover Church was contacted by local organizations looking for warehouse space to store supplies to be shipped to Puerto Rico. The church immediately opened its doors to help.

“It’s functioning as a warehouse for goods that are being donated for the families and people impacted in Puerto Rico and surrounding islands, so we’ll serve as a warehouse for the next six months,” Parrott said. “We believe it’s God’s timing.”

Looking ahead, Parrott said he’s excited to see what the church is able to accomplish in the coming years once it moves to its new location.

“It’s not just having more space for our worship service,” Parrott said. “What we’re excited about is having a bigger impact in the local community. We see the space and land as an opportunity to have a ministry center and care center where we can provide mission work. We’re excited to be a bigger footprint in the community.”