St. Petersburg Project

Chris and Kathleen Dew are moving to St. Petersburg, FL to plant a brand new church in the heart of the city. Together with AJ and Liberty Holt, this talented team looks forward to embracing the people of St. Pete.

Downtown St. Pete is one of the most artistic places in the world. Nearly every building is covered in beautiful murals, and every person is a unique expression of creativity, many of whom are covered in artwork themselves.

Friedrich Nietzsche often said that our lives are a work of art and we should spend our lives trying to paint the most beautiful picture with that life. The problem is that almost everyone who follows his advice feels an existential angst that their life lacks the potency and wonder we all long for.

As beautiful as St Pete is, it’s no stranger to this angst. Every 43 hours, someone dies from a drug overdose in the county. It has twice the national average regarding crime and has 11.9% of people living in poverty. One study recorded that only 35.9% of people in St. Pete would say they have any religion at all, with only 18% being protestant Christians.

The Dews and Holts believe every life is a work of art and that when we hand the paintbrush over to the Divine Artisan to make us into whatever He desires, God will create something beautiful in and through us.

They long to see emptiness being replaced with wonder, loneliness replaced with family, addicts being set free, activists finding the true longing of their hearts in Christ, and many people experiencing and following the author and essence of beauty: Jesus Himself.