Local Christians Rally to Restore Dilapidated Merritt Island Church for Community Use

MERRITT ISLAND — Christians, students and community volunteers are coming together to reclaim a deteriorated former church property on Merritt Island and restore it as a gathering place for local churches, families and community organizations.

The effort is centered at Tapestry Community Christian Center, where volunteers are preparing the three-acre property for the Island Harvest Festival on Nov. 14. The festival will bring together local growers, families, students and Christians from churches across Merritt Island and beyond for a community celebration centered on gratitude, fellowship and worship.

“We need to reclaim our land from invasive species and brighten our buildings to better serve the people we help,” said the Rev. Dr. Paul Rosbury, spiritual head of the property and a Palm Bay pastor.

Volunteers will gather Saturday, Nov. 7, from 8am to 4pm at the center, 1270 S. Courtenay Parkway, to clear invasive vegetation, fill waterlogged areas, paint and complete other improvements to the property.

Organizers say the workday is part of a broader effort to give new life to the property and develop it as a shared space serving churches, schools, students and families across Merritt Island.

The property is also home to educational and youth programs, including Artemis Academy’s Content Creators Club, which serves students from Merritt Island schools and homeschool families.

“Our young adults write original content on local, national, and world matters, and moral-of-the-story fiction that transforms lives,” said Linda Gaffey, founder of Artemis Academy’s Content Creators Club.

Gaffey said students have become involved in improving the property after learning about environmental problems affecting the site.

“When they discovered that the February 2026 freeze created wildfire fuel that could ignite as soon as these rains dry up, and that Brazilian pepper trees are taking over our Island, they found solutions and went to work solving these problems,” she said.

Some volunteers will focus on clearing vegetation back to the property line, while others will address wet areas left by recent rains or work indoors painting and finishing portions of the former church building.

The church building dates to 1952, according to organizers, and its sanctuary has since been converted into a performing arts theater. Plans also call for continued use of the property for educational programs, community gatherings and other activities.

The Island Harvest Festival will offer an early look at how organizers hope the property can serve the wider community.

The Nov. 14 event will highlight local produce growers, including families who grow food on Merritt Island, and feature live music from Gr-attitude Adjustment, a band made up of worship musicians from churches on Merritt Island and beyond.

Organizers say the festival is intended to bring people together around gratitude as the holiday season approaches while giving churches, ministries, families and community groups another opportunity to use the restored property together.

Volunteers are also expected to provide food and refreshments throughout the Nov. 7 workday.

For more information about volunteering for the workday, participating in the Island Harvest Festival or other programs at the property, visit RelationSkillsforLife.org.

— Christians of Brevard is a multi-church initiative that seeks to amplify the voices of local churches and ministries for the purpose of encouraging the local body of Christ and advancing the Kingdom of God. Join our Facebook community @ChristiansOfBrevard