Anchor Christian Church sits on a five-acre campus on East Terry Street in Bonita Springs, Florida. Each week the congregation gathers for blended Sunday worship with a praise band, sends children and students into their own age-specific ministries, opens the Ministry Center to Alcoholics Anonymous, Al Anon, and Overeaters Anonymous seven days a week, and sends fourteen percent of every gift to its general fund directly to missionaries. Rooted in the principles of the Restoration Movement, the church has served the Bonita community since 1985.
From a Funeral Home in Bonita to a Five-Acre Campus
Anchor Christian Church began its journey in 1985 as Bonita Springs Christian Church, a joint effort of several Fort Myers churches and a Florida church planting organization. The first services were held in Shikany's Funeral Home in Bonita Springs, where the new congregation met for only several weeks before moving to Bonita Springs Middle School. At the middle school the church began to grow and establish itself as a young congregation in Bonita.
In 1987 the church purchased a five-acre plot of land on East Terry Street, not long after that purchase the church building was constructed, and services began at the new home. In the early 1990s the church changed its name to Anchor Christian Church. Since that early beginning in 1985, the congregation has continued to be a vital part of the Bonita community across four decades.
Two Sunday Mornings, One Blended Way of Worship
Sunday worship at Anchor takes place at 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM. The congregation uses a blended worship style that brings together a praise band and a worship team. Leaders acknowledge that worship music often comes down to preference, but their stated goal each Sunday is to give God the glory as the church does its best to worship Him.
Communion and the offering are part of every Sunday. Both are treated as acts of worship, and worship is done best, in the church's words, with an honest and open heart. Visitors who feel led to participate are invited to do so.
Dress is casual. Shorts, t-shirts, and jeans are common, along with everything in between. There is no dress code. A first-time visitor will find Guest Parking signs out front and grassy overflow parking on the property, with the closest spaces reserved for guests. The building is easy to access, and the church pledges to take good care of every child who arrives.
Anchor Kids Sets Sail on Sundays and Wednesdays
Anchor Kids is the place to be on a Sunday morning. Each week the children's ministry uncovers a new Bible story, works on lessons meant to last a lifetime, and seeks to anchor every child's identity in truth and love. Before each session, young sailors are checked in by a parent or guardian at the Anchor Kids Check-In Station. Classes are taught by background-checked volunteers, and the ministry says a child is never left in unsafe waters.
Anchor Kids serves children from nursery through fifth grade during both the 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM services. Nursery through pre-school classes are also offered at both hours.
The adventure continues on Wednesday nights. Children from kindergarten through fifth grade are invited from 6:00 to 7:30 PM for dinner, games, and a lesson. Wednesday nights are built around interactive learning, with time in small groups, crafts, games, and acting out stories. Parents who want to see what Wednesday nights are all about are welcome to come along for dinner and stay as long as they like.
The newest piece of the children's wing is the playground, a space for kids to play, develop skills, and connect with one another. Throughout the year Anchor Kids also organizes events aimed at serving the community, fostering connections among Anchor parents, and making sure children have a wonderful experience as they learn about following God. Volunteers, called First Mates, are always being added; anyone who wants to serve can leave their information and the children's pastor will follow up.
DV8: Deviating from the World to Jesus
Anchor Students, the youth ministry for sixth through twelfth graders, brands itself with the name DV8, short for "Deviating from the World to Jesus." The ministry believes that the middle and high school years are the right time to introduce students to regular Sunday morning services and that a service designed for them at their stage of life is vital for their spiritual growth. Any student is invited to join the 11:00 AM Sunday gathering.
On Wednesday nights Anchor Students meets from 6:00 to 7:30 PM for community, fun, and intentional conversations about topics that matter to teens. A free light dinner is served at 6:00 PM each week.
Throughout the year Anchor Students organizes a busy calendar of events that has included camping trips, beach days, theme park outings, and summer conferences with CIY Conferences Move and Mix and Church Camp. The youth pastor, Jonah Boggess, also keeps a steady drumbeat of guest preaching on Sundays, and the Anchor Youth Garage Sale in the fall raises money that supports youth activities at Anchor. Anyone who wants to invest in students can apply to join the volunteer team.
Adults: Men's Breakfasts, Ladies' Bible Study, and a 55+ Crew
The adult ministries at Anchor Christian Church are organized around seasons of life. Men's Ministry gathers for camping trips, fishing outings, monthly Saturday breakfasts, and devotions, and adds other outings to the calendar throughout the year. Women's Ministry is open to every woman at Anchor and offers spiritual retreats and fun outings, plus an ongoing Ladies Bible Study hosted by Debbie Zinser that has been working through Greater Than: A Journey Through Hebrews, a book written by Pastor Jeff Chitwood.
The 55+ Ministry focuses on community for older adults, with lunches at local restaurants, presentations from community leaders, trips to local museums, and holiday get-togethers. A long-running Book Club meets in the Ministry Center at 1:00 PM on the first Wednesday of every month; the book club is open to everyone, and each month's selection can be picked up at the Information Window. Widows Connect is a separate gathering that meets for lunches at area restaurants.
A free Wednesday night meal anchors the week, and a Wednesday evening Adult Bible Study meets at 6:30 PM in the auditorium. The study focuses on a book of the Bible or a topic related to Christian growth and changes with the calendar.
Life Groups: Six to Ten Around a Table
Life Groups are typically gatherings of six to ten people who meet regularly outside of Sunday mornings. Some meet weekly, others monthly. Most meet in the home of one of the members and are led by someone other than a church staff member.
The words the church uses to describe Life Groups are spiritual growth, friendship, accountability, encouragement, and purpose. Life Groups are designed for the curious, the committed, and everyone in between, and the church encourages anyone who has taken a first step at Anchor to try one out and discover that there is a place for them.
Wednesdays Around the Table
Wednesday evenings are a second front door into the life of the congregation. A free meal is served, and from 6:00 to 7:30 PM Anchor Students takes over programming for kindergarten through twelfth grade. At 6:30 PM the adults gather in the auditorium for Bible study. Past studies have rotated through books of the Bible and themes related to Christian growth.
The free meal is offered every Wednesday, and the evening is described as a fun time to learn and have intentional conversations about faith. Parents of younger children who come along are welcome to hang out as long as they like.
Recovery Programs Open Every Day of the Week
Anchor Christian Church hosts a busy rotation of recovery meetings in the Ministry Center. Two Alcoholics Anonymous groups meet in the Parlor. A morning group meets every day from 7:00 to 8:00 AM, and on Saturdays the morning gathering shifts to a Big Book meeting at 8:15 AM. A Monday evening AA group meets from 8:00 to 9:00 PM.
An Overeaters Anonymous group meets on Wednesdays at 8:00 AM in the Ministry Center Study. An Al Anon group gathers on Friday evenings, with a meet and greet at 7:00 PM and the meeting itself at 7:30 PM, also in the Parlor.
Beliefs Rooted in the Restoration Movement
The church maintains the principles of the Restoration Movement. Its statement of belief begins with one God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who is all-powerful and eternal. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life and chose to die on a cross for our sins, and His bodily resurrection from the dead provides the only ground for forgiveness and eternal salvation.
The Holy Spirit is God's Spirit within the believer, with the power to convict, convert, and change, and the role of comforting, guiding, and enabling a life that honors God. The Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God, without error, given so that people may know the truth of God and His love, and the Bible is treated as the final authority on all matters of faith and conduct.
The Church is the gathering of God's family on earth, with Christ as its head. Each local congregation is led by elders, who lead the church as they deem appropriate in accordance with the scriptures. Baptism by immersion is practiced as in the New Testament church, understood as a participation in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and a part of God's plan for salvation.
The church affirms the unity of all believers and identifies with the Restoration Movement. The congregation's summary statement is: "We are not the only Christians, but we are Christians only. We have no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible."
Missions: Fourteen Percent of Every Gift
Anchor supports missions around the world from its general offerings. Fourteen percent of every gift to the General Fund is sent directly to missionaries and partner organizations, and the church encourages members to support these missionaries through giving, prayer, and encouragement.
The Pregnancy Resource Center in Estero is a network of clinics and education centers that provide pregnancy confirmation and education for those facing an unplanned pregnancy or sexual health crisis. Lake Aurora Christian Camp, serving central Florida Christians since 1947, provides Christian camping for all ages. New Mission Systems International began in 1989 with a dream of assisting Russian pastors in planting churches and discipling new believers; Anchor supports three NMSI missionaries.
Impact Campus Ministry at Florida Gulf Coast University is led by Kerry Eastridge, one of the church's deacons. Anchor not only supports the ministry financially but supplies meals for its weekly meetings and helps lead its group studies. Love INC of SWFL connects local churches to verified needs in the surrounding community and helps link clients with a partner church for ongoing life transformation. Stadia Church Planting plants churches that intentionally care for children. Gathering Christian Church is a new church plant in the Golden Gate and Naples area that currently meets at 10 am at Cypress Palm Middle School.
Johnson University, in Tennessee, educates and develops men and women for worldwide ministry through their lives, careers, and service; Anchor's support is earmarked for students from Florida who attend Johnson.
Sermons Online, an App, and a Daily Bible Study Plan
The Sunday 9:30 AM service is livestreamed on YouTube at youtube.com/anchorchristianfl, with a service countdown appearing at 9:15 AM on Sunday morning. Visitors who want notifications can subscribe and turn on the bell. Communion is part of the online worship service, and worship leaders suggest gathering juice and crackers ahead of time; wafers and juice are available for pickup at the church for those who want them. The service includes worship songs, and the church encourages viewers to sing along, turn off distractions, and invite friends to join in the worship at home. Services can also be watched on demand.
The Anchor mobile app, downloadable for iPhone and Android, is designed to help people stay connected through sermons, events, devotionals, and giving. Members can also access Right Now Media for free by creating an account through Anchor.
The church provides a daily Bible Study Plan as a starting point for personal study. The plan encourages prayer, reading with an inquiring heart, looking up key words in other passages through Bible Gateway, and memorizing a verse or two at a time. A topical index of Proverbs, compiled by the church, organizes every proverb by theme, from adultery and discipline to wisdom and work, and prints the scriptures in the New International Version.
Giving is available online through the church's PayPal link, with all transactions described as secure and tax-deductible; the memo area can be used to designate a specific fund. Recurring gifts can also be set up through a bank's BillPay system.
The Team
Lead Pastor Jeff Chitwood is a graduate of Lincoln Christian University with a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry and of Lincoln Christian Seminary with a Master of Divinity in New Testament Theology. Worship Pastor Robert Maxwell is a graduate of Ozark Bible College. Youth Pastor Jonah Boggess is a graduate of Johnson Christian University.
The elders are Rocky Barron, Kevin Coultas, David Cornpropst, Tom Hooker, Leonard Tippie, and Dennis Smiertka. The deacons are Kerry Eastridge, Gale Lee, Roger VanderKolk, AJ Johnson, Jim Phillips, and Michael Lauber.
Visiting Anchor Christian Church
The church sits at 11651 E. Terry Street in Bonita Springs. The office phone is (239) 947-4047 and the emergency contact line is (239) 322-2076. Sunday worship is at 9:30 and 11:00 AM. Wednesday evenings include youth groups and an adult Bible study with a free dinner served from 6:00 PM. The campus includes a Ministry Center that hosts recovery meetings seven days a week, a playground for children, and a Book Club that meets the first Wednesday of every month at 1:00 PM. Guests can park in the spaces marked Guest Parking up front or on the grass anywhere that works for them.