John the Baptist was one of the most unique human beings to ever live. Unique, yes, because of his wardrobe and diet, but even more so because his life and ministry bridged the gap between the Testaments. John ministered during the most exciting period in world history, the transition from B.C. to A.D. Consider what would have happened (or not happened!) if at such a critical moment John had let his success and popularity go to his head? Instead, the Bible says he confessed, “I am not the Christ.” (John 1:20) John understood that for the kingdom of God to advance, “He must increase, and I must decrease.” (John 3:30) While John the Baptist’s role is unrepeatable, his faith-filled example is instructive and relevant.
We find ourselves at a defining moment in the history of Seven Rivers. 2024 was a transitional year. God did something that should not be overlooked or taken for granted. We transitioned from the beloved founding pastor of over 40 years to a new generation of leadership without skipping a beat. Consultants will tell you to expect a drop in attendance and giving in such a situation, but we have seen the exact opposite. The health of the staff, the enthusiasm of the volunteers, and the encouragement of the congregation are stronger than ever.
The church and school have been experiencing unprecedented growth. Young families and retirees continue to move to our area in record numbers, creating the explosion of new retail and housing developments. Attendance in weekend worship is the fullest it has been since 2016. A new high school and gymnasium will be needed to handle the increase in students making their way through the lower grades. Our campus, half a mile from the Suncoast Parkway and centrally located in the county, is providentially positioned to serve as a gospel witness to an estimated quarter of a million people by 2045.
Given our past successes and potential for future growth, it would be all too easy to start believing it’s about us. But our mission remains unchanged: Seven Rivers exists to bring the healing love of Jesus to broken people and broken places. Now more than ever, we must embrace, “We are not the Christ…He must increase, and we must decrease.” Our vision for the next 2 years is to SEE JESUS INCREASE in our hearts, in our church, in our school, in our generosity, and in our county. When Jesus increases, more and more people experience his healing love, and the kingdom of God advances. That’s what I want my life to be about – how about you?
–BRANDON LAURANZON
We want to JESUS increase in:
Pray for Jesus to increase. Ask God to show you what generous, faith-stretching giving looks like for you and your family.
Come to worship each weekend expecting to hear from God through the liturgy and preaching. Be open to all that God asks of you.
Joyfully commit “as you have decided in your heart, not grudgingly or in response to pressure, for God loves a cheerful giver.” —2 Corinthians 9:7
Celebrate what God does in our church and in our lives through He Must Increase as we seek to honor him with our resources, service, and worship.
He Must Increase is a 2-year vision and generosity initiative. Every two years we stop and assess where God is leading us as a church and how he wants to take us there. It is good and healthy to have regular seasons of gospel renewal and missional re-motivation. While financial goals are involved, the main goal is realigning ourselves with God’s will for Seven Rivers moving forward. The theme, He Must Increase, reminds us that our future is inextricably bound with the fame, renown, and glory of Jesus.
First and foremost, we want you to engage - attend church each weekend, February 15 through March 16, pray, have conversations - and then respond to God’s leading. We want everyone to participate by making a commitment to this initiative. That means regardless of your age, life stage, or socio-economic status, all are called to respond generously as we lock arms to bring the healing love of Jesus to broken people and broken places.
Lean times prompt us to trust God at a new level—he wants our hearts. God does not forget those who put their trust in him and he delights in giving to his children freely and fully to meet their needs. We don’t have to worry—“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom (Luke 12.32).” Also, this is one time God challenges us to test him— “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need (Malachi 3.10).” Trust the Lord to guide you in your giving and watch your faith blossom as you see him at work in your life.
If you have never given before, this is your chance to begin and join the Seven Rivers Church family in He Must Increase. If you are new, we would love for you to make Seven Rivers your church home and join us in this mission. We need you on the team! He Must Increase is for everyone. Everyone matters, everyone’s giving matters.
During the next two years through our one-fund approach, all ministry will be funded through He Must Increase. During the period, April 2025 – March 2027, every dollar given to Seven Rivers is a contribution to our He Must Increase initiative. It’s everyone’s opportunity to re-evaluate their giving (or consider it for the first time) and see what the Lord is calling you/your family to do.
During Let’s Go, Seven Rivers members generously committed 11.5 million dollars over the last two years. These funds were used to pay for all the budgeted operating expenses of our ministry. Examples include staff, weekend worship, facilities maintenance, ministries to adults, children’s ministry, Camp Seven Rivers, Seven Rivers Christian School, global missions, and community outreach. In addition, funds were used to complete the remodel of the narthex, install new LED screens in the Sanctuary, enhance our live-streaming capabilities, purchase 3.75 acres for the new high school and gymnasium, and support a new church planter in Ocala.
The new high and gymnasium will be
state-of-the-art, and it will allow our school
to continue growing K-12 to over 1,000 students
(currently 700). The estimated cost for the new
buildings and site work is $15 million dollars.
This includes improved parking and traffic
flow. Through He Must Increase we are seeking
to raise at least $3 million as a downpayment
to get started. Seven Rivers Christian school will also conduct a major capital campaign to non-church families starting in the fall of 2025. The session of Seven Rivers Church will monitor what is committed from He Must Increase and the school’s campaign to ensure that we are moving ahead in a financially prudent manner, which might include some financing. Construction is planned to begin in January of 2026 and be completed in time for students to start in August of 2027.
Certainly! If at any time during this two-year period you want to decrease or increase your commitment just give our office a call.
In Matthew 6, Jesus says, where your money is, there your heart will be also. We want everyone who calls this church ‘home’ to be growing more like Jesus. If we are growing in Christ, we should also be growing in generosity. We believe that Christian generosity begins with giving to the local church and that all Christ-followers should have a plan to support their local church. Whether you are considering giving for the first time, or you have faithfully given for years, we believe there is a step you can take to grow in generosity. As we grow in generosity, we not only increase our giving, but also our Kingdom impact. We want to equip you to grow in generosity, so we’ve put together this guide to help you along the way.
Growing in generosity always begins with a first step. Taking that first step is never easy, but required if you are going to grow. If you have never given before, take your first step by giving today.
If you have given something in the past, but done so inconsistently, often times your next step is to begin giving regularly. A great way to move from giving occasionally to giving consistently is to set up a recurring gift through your financial institution.
The consistent giver has taken steps to give regularly. They are committed to active growing. At this stage, our next step of growing in generosity is to give in a way that reflects the generosity we have been shown through Christ. A next step to grow in generosity is to evaluate the level at which you are giving.
Tithing is simply giving back the first 10% of what God has given us. The tithing giver has gone from giving consistently to giving intentionally in a way that models a heart of generosity. Growing in generosity means looking for additional ways to further God’s Kingdom with your resources.
The sacrificial giver is someone who gives beyond what is normal or expected. When we grow into sacrificial giving, we begin to choose God’s Kingdom over our own comforts. Sacrificial givers show the transforming work Jesus has done in their lives by giving in a way that impacts our lifestyle.
The legacy giver believes that every resource, whether financial or otherwise, is a gift from God to be used for his Kingdom purposes. Legacy givers intentionally give by acknowledging their generosity will outlast them, and everything in their lives is to be freely and generously given for God’s work. Legacy giving leaves an impact which outlasts the givers and serves the Kingdom beyond their lifetimes.
Seven Rivers has transformed our family in ways we can’t fully express. It’s become the home we never knew we needed. When we first walked through the doors
in 2022, we were welcomed by strangers who embraced us like long-time members, making us feel seen and valued from day one. Seven Rivers has helped us not only see the best in ourselves but also accept our brokenness.
While we never doubted our marriage, we knew something was missing—God. We recognized that we needed to grow in our faith, both individually and as a couple, in order to strengthen our family. Since joining Seven Rivers, we’ve experienced so much growth, but the most important change is understanding how deeply we need God every day. We’ve learned that God loves us, imperfections and all, because we are clothed in Christ’s perfection, and we are nothing without Him.
We’ve also learned that it’s not the building, but the people, who make church a home. It’s the warm greetings, the fist bumps from Mr. Cliff, the hugs from Mrs. Kathy, and the laughter of Mrs. Amber with our kids. These are the things that make Seven Rivers feel like family, and we never want to leave!
I’m Erin Gutierrez, and my husband Carlos and I have three wonderful kids: Ellie, Kuyper, and Henri. We’ve been part of the Seven Rivers family for a year and a half now. After leaving the mission field, we had the opportunity to settle anywhere, but we were drawn here because of the vibrant, welcoming church and school community. My journey with Seven Rivers actually began over 20 years ago when the church sent teams to Reynosa, Mexico. I discovered the sermons online soon after, and they became a key part of shaping my understanding of the Gospel.
It’s been such a joy to experience Seven Rivers in person after all those years of listening online. The church’s teaching has been just as gospel-centered and life-giving in person as it was through the screen. While re-entry after life abroad can be challenging, we feel incredibly blessed to belong to a church that truly lives out its values of hospitality, love, and deep devotion to one another. The grace and warmth our family has experienced here has shown us a glimpse of the embrace of our Heavenly Father.
We’re so grateful for those who have made space for us, for teaching that continually points us back to Jesus, and for the slow but steady journey from self-reliance to the peace and rest that only the Gospel can offer. Above all, we’re thankful to walk this faith journey alongside a church family that cheers us on through both our highs and lows.
I began my journey at Seven Rivers Christian School in June 2010, following a 30-year career in education. What drew me to Seven Rivers, during a difficult season for the school, was the deep love and unwavering support the church had for the school. At that time, our community was still feeling the effects of the 2008 Great Recession, and the school faced many challenges.
However, what I found at SRCS was a dedicated and talented staff, a group of school families committed to the mission, and a church whose support for the school was unquestionable. The road was still tough for a while, but in the fall of 2012, we began to see signs of growth. Our small school of 300 students started to expand. We watched in awe as the Lord faithfully brought new families, excellent teachers, and the resources we so desperately needed.
Now, fifteen years later, I can say that my time at Seven Rivers has been one of the most tangible expressions of God’s grace in my life. I cherish the joy of greeting our Grammar School students each morning, teaching high school math, working alongside a passionate and dedicated faculty, and experiencing the trust of our supportive parents. Who has it better than me?
Today, Seven Rivers Christian School is celebrating 36 years of ministry and now serves around 700 students. It stands as the church’s most significant outreach ministry, fully occupying four buildings on campus. Our athletic complex, just a mile down the road, is a testament to the growth and commitment to excellence. We have a fleet of ten buses, employ over 110 people, and operate with a budget exceeding $6.5 million.
And through it all, the love and care of our church remain as steadfast as ever. While the school is certainly more complex today, our mission remains clear: to provide an exceptional education, grounded in faith, to the next generation. And I am deeply grateful to be a part of it.
We’re Klaus and Charlie Freeland, and we have two boys, Christian and Luke. One of the things I love about sharing our testimony is how it’s always evolving. Our stories are constantly changing as Jesus transforms us into His likeness. Our story of how we got to Citrus County is just the latest example of how our loving, sovereign God works in ways his children may not have imagined or chosen. Klaus was on track to become a partner at an ophthalmology clinic when we discovered tax fraud was taking place, completely changing our plans. We suddenly faced tough questions: Is following Jesus worth more than comfort, family, or financial security? And the answer, as it always is, was yes.
Through life’s events, God often reminds us of the wonderful gift of His church. My husband joined a new practice, our boys started at a new school, and we moved to a city where we knew no one. While the year brought some tears, it brought a lot more laughter and joy, in large part through his people at Seven Rivers. Teachers and coaches have welcomed our boys with open arms, making them feel safe and valued. And as a church, you’ve embraced us with the kind of hospitality and devotion that reflects God’s love. We’ve had church members include us like family, and families who’ve prayed for us, watched our boys, and brought us dinner. Seven Rivers is God’s people, coming together, using their gifts, and pointing us to Jesus.
Thomas and I have called Citrus County home for the past 2.5 years. Prior to moving to Citrus County, we commuted between South Tampa and Homosassa extending our weekend stays to Thursday afternoons until early Tuesday mornings. After a year of commuting, we asked ourselves, “what if we just moved here?” On one of our weekends up in Homosassa, I reached out to Seven Rivers Preschool and was connected with Mrs. Gina Batista who thoroughly answered all of my questions. After touring the school, I knew it was the right academic track and environment for our son. Once Davis started preschool, I joined MomCo (formerly MOPS) and Women’s Bible Study. Everyone was so welcoming, encouraging and authentic. The core values of Seven Rivers Church were evident from the beginning.
After attending Little Warrior Night and witnessing the heart of the community through events like the Dad’s Campout, where Thomas met Mikey Puckett and Michael Hart, we knew we had to explore the church further. Needless to say, we are so happy we did! Seven Rivers Church has not only become our church home, but our family as well. God led us here, and we are so grateful especially for the children’s ministry as they love and care for our children weekly!
Since joining Seven Rivers, we’ve experienced spiritual growth, which I believe will impact the future generations of our family as they will bear witness to our love of Jesus. Knowing He’s always looking out for me and that His grace is renewed daily brings me peace. While I’m uncertain about the specific lessons God is teaching me, I feel immensely blessed to be part of this community. I am truly grateful for the deep friendships we’ve formed and the genuine, welcoming atmosphere of Seven Rivers Church. The pastoral staff fosters real relationships, and that culture of connection is felt throughout the church. Seven Rivers feels like home—calming, inviting, and a place where we can be ourselves, without any pretense.
4221 W. Gulf to Lake Hwy
Lecanto, FL 34461
Phone: (352) 746-6200
Fax: (352) 746-6299
Email: info@sevenrivers.org
Office Hours:
M-F: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM