New Church in New Tampa Comes to Life

After much planning, passion and effort, Bay Chapel Church is ready to come alive.

The house of worship, which is Christian and a member of the ARC Network of churches, will open its doors for the first time Jan. 27 at Bartels Middle School, 9020 Imperial Oak Blvd.

“This is a great time to launch a new church,” Wes Morris, lead pastor, said in a statement. 

Bay Chapel will serve the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel communities and hopefully will have its own digs within 5 to 6 years, said Morris, a West Meadows resident.

What’s the mission of Bay Chapel?

“To help people find a relationship with God in a way that’s life-giving and relevant,” Morris said.

Morris said he and his wife, Jen, have been preparing for months with about three-dozen others for the first service. 

The hour-long gathering on Sundays — at 10:30 a.m. — will include a band that leads a few songs, and a practical teaching from the Bible. There will be programs for children.

Morris, whose father is a pastor at Gulf Coast Church in Largo, spoke with Patch in the fall. He said the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas are a hotbed for churches because they are one of the fastest-growing communities in terms of population.

“Here, you have developers coming in building new homes, and a new hospital is here," he said. "There’s a need for new commercial and retail stores, and that also explains the need for new churches.”

More Information:

• www.baychapel.com
• Facebook.com/BayChapel