Espresso machines whir, and the aroma of coffee lingers in Station House on a Friday afternoon, where I’ve met with Blake Clark, lead pastor of Radius Church. He sips iced tea and offers a brief history lesson.
“As cities grew,” Clark said, “churches began to move to the suburbs and separate from the city and function in their own silos.” Favorable rental rates, improved safety and comfort drew people away from urban cores.
Clark hopes his Radius Church will turn that tide, becoming a center of city life through investing in a new location. The church’s new space at 165 13th St. N in downtown St. Petersburg was once AAA offices and storage. Maintaining the industrial aesthetic of the nearly 10,000-square-foot building, Radius plans to make only minor tweaks such as staining concrete floors and adding wood accents. The structure boasts a large gathering area and many multi-use rooms.
Clark describes the location as sitting between the shopping/dining/art district of Central Avenue on one side and shelters and service organizations for the homeless on the other.
“We can be the common ground,” he said. By radiating love in every direction, he said, the church hopes to welcome people from all walks of life to its new headquarters.
How does a church find its way to the heart of a community? Clark’s vision is for the building to become a shared community space. Opening an art show? Concert? Support group? Nonprofit board meeting? The church wants to benefit the community by hosting such events.
Clark started Radius Church almost four years ago, meeting on Sundays in rented space at the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club and using coffee shops throughout St. Petersburg as office space.
In March, the church hosted an event with Flying Boat Brewing Co. in which volunteers made 1,000 peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches for the hungry. Participants also were fulfilled by connecting with others, Clark said. “This setting of community is for all and where we feel that we can introduce people to the love of Jesus.”
At the shuffleboard courts on Sundays, members prepare breakfast for all present. One morning, Clark recalled, a homeless man approached him, enticed by the scent of bacon.
“This is the peanut butter-and-jelly church, right?” the man asked. The pastor smiled and nodded at him. “We love that we are known for our love in such a simple way,” Clark said.
Radius Church’s core philosophy is that people can’t have faith without hope and love, Clark said. It hopes to become the heart of the city by sharing — a bite of a sandwich, a kind word, a welcoming new space downtown.
For more information about Radius gatherings, groups and community, visit: www.radchurch.com.
