A Pentecostal church on Kempsville Road
Harvest Assembly sits at 525 Kempsville Road in Chesapeake, Virginia, just minutes from Greenbrier and the heart of the city. The congregation describes itself as a diverse family of people from many backgrounds, cultures, and ages, gathered around the preeminence of Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit. Pastors Matt and Lori Stewart, who became the senior pastors on October 4, 2020, lead with a vision summed up in a single phrase: open arms, healed hearts, and radically transformed lives.
The church belongs to the Assemblies of God fellowship and holds to the denomination's Statement of Fundamental Truths, with a particular emphasis on the baptism in the Holy Spirit, divine healing, and the gifts of the Spirit still at work today. Believers are welcomed into one of three Sunday morning services, a Wednesday night gathering, and a wide network of small groups and outreach ministries that stretch across Hampton Roads.
Sunday mornings: three services, one sanctuary and one student center
Worship services meet at 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM, and 11:15 AM. The 8:00 AM gathering is a classic-style worship service held in the Student Ministries Center, while the 9:30 and 11:15 AM services meet in the main Sanctuary. The style blends contemporary worship with Pentecostal expectancy, and the church teaches that the power of the Holy Spirit is active and operating through the prophetic, through healing, and through signs and wonders.
Each service gathers individuals and families of all ages, with children invited into age-appropriate ministries during the 9:30 and 11:15 AM services. The auditorium seats the whole church together, and the services are livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person. A weekly sermon podcast is also available through the Harvest Podcast on Podbean, where past messages can be replayed at any time.
Wednesday nights in the Sanctuary
Wednesday evenings bring the church back together at 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary for a deeper time in the word and intercessory prayer. The teaching is led by the Wednesday Night Teaching Team, which the Pastor of Discipleship oversees. The gathering is also the weekly home of KidzClub, an elementary program for ages 5 through 12 that meets in the Equipping Center (Room 202) and walks children from Genesis to Revelation through interactive video and hands-on activities.
Across the same hour, Harvest Youth fills the Student Ministries Center with middle and high school students for worship, small-group connection, and growth. Youth Pastor Skye Grishaw leads the evening, with the goal of seeing a generation wholeheartedly seeking after God.
Children: Totztown, Kidztown, and KidzClub
Children's ministry is one of the strongest arms of the church. The programs are led by Associate Pastor Bill Sparkman, who has been on staff since 1998 and has been a member of Harvest since 1985, and Childcare Coordinator Jan Chapdelaine. All staff and volunteers are background-checked and interviewed before serving.
Totztown is the nursery for infants through age five and is offered during the 9:30 and 11:15 AM services. Separate rooms are set up for infants, toddlers and twos, threes and young fours, and fours and fives, and parents check children in at the Front Foyer. Kidztown is the children's church for ages 6 through 12, also during the 9:30 and 11:15 AM services, and meets in the Equipping Center. The team uses PowerPoint teachings, dramas on built sets, video, Bible reading, and hands-on experiences to make a transformational impact, and they describe their commitment as equipping children to become devoted Christ-followers.
On Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM, KidzClub adds a midweek option for ages 5 through 12. The program is staffed and run as a separate track from the adult service, and a sign-up is available for parents who want their children plugged in.
Harvest Youth: grades 6 through 12
Harvest Youth meets on Sunday evenings at 6:30 PM in the Sanctuary and on Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM in the Student Ministries Center. Youth Pastor Skye Grishaw, who joined the staff in March 2022, leads the ministry along with youth intern Josh Bissell. The heart of the ministry is to see middle and high school students become passionate about seeking God and then carry that passion into their schools, homes, friend groups, and workplaces.
Outside of weekly services, the team leads weekend events, local outreach, missions trips, and youth conventions. Students can follow the ministry on Instagram at @harvestvayouth and reach the team at youth@harvestva.org.
Young adults, MomCo, and the rest of small groups
Joe and Kesleigh Shortino lead the Young Adults ministry for ages 18 through 30, planning services, events, and conferences with an emphasis on intentional discipleship. Both also serve in other parts of the church: Joe in prayer and men's ministry, and Kesleigh on the worship team.
For moms with young children, MomCo meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 9:30 AM. The group is mentored by Pastor Dana Cavallaro and led by Brittney Cavallaro, creating space for friendship, faith, and refreshment in the middle of motherhood.
Beyond these, a full slate of small groups meets throughout the week across Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach. Open-to-all home groups, men's groups, women's groups, marriage groups, a Parents of Prodigals group, a senior adults group, and a Monday evening exercise group all keep the church connected outside the sanctuary. Small groups are described as the place where real change happens, because they provide opportunities for authentic connection and discipleship through relationships.
House of Blessing: a food pantry that serves hundreds each week
The House of Blessing is Harvest's flagship benevolence ministry. Each week, hundreds of families are served through food distribution, and financial assistance is also available by appointment. Food is handed out on Wednesdays only, with two windows: 9:30 to 11:30 AM and 5:00 to 6:30 PM.
At this time, the House of Blessing is only able to assist residents of the City of Chesapeake, though members of Harvest VA can be considered regardless of where they live. Nonperishable donations can be dropped in the bin at the rear entrance of the House of Blessing, and perishable items can be brought to the church office during office hours. A separate phone line, (757) 547-9341, is used for client requests, and the ministry is led by Director Cherie Sgambelluri and Assistant Director Sharon Myers.
Volunteers are the engine of the ministry. Opportunities include picking up or stocking food, assisting with distributions, serving at the front desk, and supporting community outreach. Students looking to earn community service hours are welcome as well.
Beliefs shaped by the Assemblies of God
Harvest's Statement of Faith follows the Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths. The church affirms one true and living God eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human, born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross, rose again, ascended to the Father, and will return in power and glory.
The church teaches that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is available to every believer, with the New Testament sign of speaking in tongues, and that the gifts of the Spirit continue today. The Bible is held to be the inspired, authoritative Word of God, entirely true and fully sufficient for life and faith. Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and the ordinances of water baptism by immersion and communion are observed as obedient reminders of what Christ has done.
Divine healing is taught as a present-day reality. The church prays for the sick with faith, while acknowledging that not everyone is healed in this life. The church is described as one united body of baptized believers, with every member expected to minister through the spiritual gifts they have been given, in worship, in building others up, and in telling others about Christ. The blessed hope of Jesus' return and the promise of a new heaven and a new earth close out the statement of faith.
Pastoral staff with deep roots in Virginia
Matt and Lori Stewart lead the church as senior pastors. Pastor Matt holds a degree in Pastoral Ministry from Bethany University in Santa Cruz, California, and has been an ordained Assemblies of God minister for more than three decades. He and Lori have been married for over thirty years and have three grown children, Chase, Skye, and Ryder. The couple previously planted and led Three In One Church in Suffolk, Virginia, and Pastor Matt is also a frequent minister in Israel.
Executive Pastor Brad Shedd has been a part of Harvest since 1997, with earlier stints as an associate pastor and as the founder of Generations Christian Fellowship, a family-integrated church planted by Harvest. Associate Pastor Bill Sparkman oversees children's ministry and has been a Harvest member since 1985. Pastor of Discipleship Dana Cavallaro, who also serves as MomCo mentor, leads the small group ministry and the Wednesday Night Teaching Team, and holds a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell and a Doctorate from Regent University. Pastor of Evangelism Serafin "Charger" Ilao coordinates the church's medical missions work through the Destiny International Fellowship team, which carries out trips to the Philippines, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Mongolia, and Thailand. Church Elder Dr. William Cox has been at Harvest since 1982, just several months after the church began.
Worship Director Rebekah Thomson leads the worship department, and Media Director David Stump oversees the live stream and the media team. Both welcome new singers, musicians, and production volunteers to apply.
A building plan and a Harvest app
The church is in the middle of a multi-phase building project. Phase One, refacing the exterior and creating additional space for the youth and children's area, is complete. Phase Two, the addition of a new Sanctuary, is the next step in the plan.
A church app ties the ministries together, with a privacy policy updated in early 2026 and resources for the sermon archive, events, giving, and small groups. Giving is available online through Pushpay and by texting HarvestVA to 77977. The Harvest Podcast on Podbean carries weekly sermons, and the Sunday services are livestreamed on the Harvest Assembly YouTube channel for those worshiping from home.