The History of Faith Christian Center World Outreach
FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
I asked the Lord one day, "Why can't there be a place where your people can worship you in Spirit and in truth?" His answer, "There can be!" Faith Christian Center World Outreach was born in 1991 as a direct result of that conversation with the Lord. We started with five adults & three children which of course totals eight…the number for new beginnings. Our initial meeting place was a room in the old Stafford Parks facility for $25 a service.
As our ministry grew we searched for other facility options in which FCCWO would be able to flourish. The Lord led me to an available store front space. With little finances it would take a Godly intervention for us to be able to acquire such a place. That is exactly what happened! The owner elected to pay the majority of the rent on her own property. We paid a fraction of the cost required to rent the location. Prior to meeting with the owner God had instructed her that the store front would be a great church. God showed His faithfulness.
FCCWO continued to flourish at this new location as powerful, cutting edge ministering was delivered. We were able to be the blessing to others that my wife and I strongly desired to be.
FCCWO CONTRACT SIGNING & GROUND BREAKING
In 1997 we purchased the grounds on which FCCWO is located today. This was a breakthrough in our ministry. God continued to show His faithfulness to His Word. From there we devised plans to construct a thousand seat sanctuary. I have truly learned that if God is in the plan to plan BIG! God used a small group of hungry, determined believers to do big things. God has given us land where previously brother fought brother in the Civil War. Now on the same ground families would be restored, and lives would forever be changed by the vision that God has for this region and the world.
In 1998 we had a wonderful ground breaking celebration as we began preparations to build our first sanctuary. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and anticipation of things to come. We were about to do what had not been done in our families before us. We were about to do what others said could not be done. We were about to build something that would be a beacon of hope for generations to come. I am so grateful for what God has done.
CONSTRUCTION OF 1,000 SEAT SANCTUARY
After much prayer, numerous meetings, and relentless pursuit, construction of our new sanctuary began. Before major subdivision developments, Rte. 2 & 17 Self Storage, and the Bloom shopping center, Faith Christian Center World Outreach was planted on Benchmark Road. Over and over again we saw God favor us during construction. Powerful testimonies have resulted from such favor.
One such example is in reference to the water main that needed to be run from Rte. 2 to our property. I was told that it would cost near six figures to do so. That was not in our construction budget. As it turned out there were some town houses that were going to be built a little further down the street. They had to run the water main to provide for this new development. Our near six figure obligation had just gotten taken care of. All we had to do was tap into the pipes that were now installed for the town houses.
Years before we began construction I was driving on Interstate 95. The Lord told me, " I'm going to give you that ground." That ground is what we know today as Cosner's Corner. I sought out the owner of the land being confident in what God had told me. Nothing happened.
When we began construction a few years later, the soil did not reach compaction expectations and much ground had to be removed. We needed to haul in new dirt to improve the compaction. The same gentleman I had approached before gave me unlimited access to the dirt on the same property God had spoke to me about previously. We trucked in all the new soil needed, and the soil exceeded compaction requirements. God told me this, "I didn't say I would give you the land. I said I would give you the ground." Wow! God already had the answer before I even knew the problem existed. God is faithful.
The construction demanded much faith, hard work, long days, and solution oriented thinking. April of 1999 was a rewarding month as the construction of our sanctuary was complete.
MARCH FOR JESUS & MARCH TO NEW SANCTUARY
We have marched as good soldiers for our Lord. When participating in the "March for Jesus" we saw thousands of our fellow Christian soldiers represent Jesus. The Downtown Fredericksburg atmosphere was filled with prayer, praise, and worship.
For our inaugural service we marched as a congregation from Benchmark Road to our new sanctuary. A benchmark is a standard by which other things are measured. We do not find it coincidence that we are on Benchmark Road. We thank God for the standard that He has helped us to raise in this day we live in.
As we marched there was much singing, clapping, shouting for joy, and crying for joy. There was much gratitude for what God has done. This was a very special day in our lives and ministry.
CONTINUING THE KINGDOMS WORK IN THE NEW SANCTUARY
The work of the Kingdom continued stronger than ever. All of the things we did at the store front prepared us for this. I've seen many souls won to the Lord. I have had many marriages restored, bodies healed, the dead raised, and many that were oppressed set free. Babies that doctors said to abort have been healed, born, and perfectly healthy. Mothers having numerous miscarriages were healed and gave birth to healthy babies. Cancers have been healed, the lame have walked, eyes healed, and bodies mended. I love to see people get up out of a sickness. The Holy Spirit has manifested Himself strong in our midst confirming the Word and filling us to overflow.
We have continued to grow in numbers, wisdom, faith, and in the power of God. Every aspect of our ministry has continued to go to the next level. We continued to raise the standard. We have had numerous events, conferences, camp meetings, and services to build up God's people.
EXTRAORDINARY BAPTISMS AT FCCWO.
Countless baptisms have been conducted for the young and the young at heart of FCCWO. In the beginning years we did not have a baptismal pool and had to use a nearby lake to perform baptisms. This really reminded us of Jesus' example in the river Jordan. Once our new sanctuary was completed and included a baptismal pool, we did not have to brave the natural elements for baptisms anymore.
Great memories and impacts have been created from baptisms. During one baptism I saw the Holy Spirit move through the congregation. Over eighty people were baptized that day, most of which had not planned to. Teenagers did not fret over their image, men did not regard their suits, and women did not refrain because of their new hair do's. Some had acknowledged that they had previously gotten baptized but not because of a genuine relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus. There was a special anointing present that day. That's what I call an extraordinary baptism.
THE C.M. ROCK MINISTRY CENTER
It has always been in my heart to provide a place to minister to the next generation. I desire to see our youth worship God in Spirit and truth as well. So in 2002 we began planning construction of our gymnasium. This building would not only provide a place for our youth ministry, but also to operate our Christian academy from. When we would have community events, this would be the facility to host them in. Sporting events and recreation would thrive here.
Even though we now had some prior construction under our belts, this project was still demanding. God still provided for us and helped us overcome momentary challenges during construction. There were times of delay and frustration, but it was a joy to watch God's vision unfold before our eyes.
In March of 2005 we completed construction of our gymnasium. What I had already seen was reality. We dedicated this building in July 2005. The building was named in my honor. The C.M. Rock Family Ministry Center added another dimension of ministry for us that is still continuing today.