ARC Churches Shares Kelley Family Church Launch Story
Like many ARC church planters, Johnny and Sarah Kelley experienced many challenges getting their Discover Family Church off the ground. Yet, through it all, the Kelleys — who launched the church in Lakeland, Florida, in September of 2014 — persevered and leaned on their church community for support.
The Kelleys have endured a lot in the journey, including serious health complications, multiple surgeries, a partial knee replacement, and Sarah’s breast cancer diagnosis.
They’ve also had to overcome many hurdles in finding the right building for their ARC church, though they’ve experienced countless miracles along the way.
Here is their story.
Finding a Building
When Discover Family Church launched with ARC (Association of Related Churches) on September 7, 2014, it started in a local YMCA. A little more than five years in, Johnny Kelley said they began to look for a new building.
They found a “phenomenal” location for their church, but not necessarily a phenomenal building. So, the Kelleys jumped on the opportunity and moved into the new building — only eight weeks before COVID shut them down.
The pandemic forced Discover Family Church to shutter its doors six months after they got their new building and move all they owned into a storage unit. At that point, they were unsure of what would happen next.
Then, a miracle happened. Johnny woke up to tons of emails, Facebook messages, voice mails, and text messages, all from a group of people who planted a church a few years after the Kelleys did, wanting them to buy their building. It was a miracle that helped to save Discover Family Church and set it off on its path.
Overcoming Health Challenges
While the search for a church building was going on, the Kelleys were also experiencing health challenges. Johnny’s knee was becoming more of an issue. ACL surgery from 10 years earlier was causing problems, and he had to have a partial knee replacement.
While Johnny was undergoing medical testing for his knee issue, Sarah discovered a lump in her breast.
“I kind of knew in my gut what it was even though I didn’t really know yet,” Sarah Kelley said. “And so we prayed.”
She was formally diagnosed with breast cancer over the next month. She had a double mastectomy and went through chemotherapy. While she’s thankfully cancer free now, it was a major challenge going through it all.
Dark Before the Dawn
Through all the challenges that they’ve faced, the Kelleys have a positive outlook for the future.
“At the moment, it feels to me — and I know for Sarah, too — it’s always darkest before the dawn, and I feel like we’ve gone through the darkest, icy light, not just for our church, for our family,” Johnny Kelley said. “There is an excitement that is coming.
“We moved into this building and immediately got sick, and the church understood. They understood that I was going to take care of my family. But, they kept everything going, and we’ve maintained, and now we’re coming past it, and we’re growing.”
About ARC (Association of Related Churches)
ARC (Association of Related Churches) is a cooperative of independent churches from diverse denominations, networks, and backgrounds that strategically resource church planters and pastors to help them reach people with the message of Jesus. ARC operates with a strategic focus on empowering church planters and pastors, equipping them to effectively spread the transformative message of Jesus. Since its beginning in 2000, ARC has grown into a global organization and has helped plant more than 1,000 churches.
