‘There’s no doubt that this could work’: Fort Pierce brewery to host Sunday church services
FORT PIERCE, Fla. —
The Sailfish Brewery in downtown Fort Pierce will soon host Sunrise City Chapel church services on Sunday mornings, combining a relaxed atmosphere with a new place for worship.
Pastor Thomas Neiman, a longtime Fort Pierce resident and former firefighter, paramedic, and chaplain with the St. Lucie County Fire District, shared his gratitude for the brewery owners’ support in welcoming the church.
“When Tommy came by, he was like, ‘Hey, man, what do you think about a church and a brewery?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do this.’ Because, you know, taprooms and breweries are more family friendly than most other places that you go to,” said Gabe Atkinson, production manager at Sailfish Brewery.
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Neiman expressed his surprise at the brewery’s agreement to host the church.
“Well, I was probably more surprised about that than I had been in a long time. I just was, wow! This is something that I have to get back with Gabe about. There’s no doubt that this could work and people would come,” he said.
The church aims to be a welcoming space for everyone and hopes to boost the area’s community spirit.
“There’s been a lot of things that I’ve seen, and I’ve experienced that are really miraculous in nature, and it all points back to what I’d like to do, and that’s really just share the Bible with people,” Neiman said.
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The sermons will take place outside and be broadcast on indoor television screens. A kids zone will also be available for parents to drop off their children during the service.
Acknowledging the unusual concept of a church inside a brewery, the organizers plan to embrace the fun side of the idea by encouraging people to share family friendly riddles and jokes on the church website.
The church will hold its first service at the brewery starting Sept. 6 at 9:45 a.m.
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