Gulf Coast Church
Gulf Coast Church
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  • Kids
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about us

OUR MISSION

We empower people to Belong to God’s family, Believe in God’s Son, and Become who they are called to be.

OUR MOTTO

BELONG - BELIEVE - BECOME 

Gulf Coast Church believes you can BELONG before you BELIEVE. We want to see you BECOME who God has called you to be so we invite you with us as we find God's purpose for our lives, this city and our world.

OUR CORE VALUES

LOVE

SERVICE

HONOR

No matter what: we love you and we keep no record of wrongs. 

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

HONOR

SERVICE

HONOR

We believe Honor is the gateway for the miraculous. 

(1 Peter 2:17)

SERVICE

SERVICE

EXCELLENCE

We serve others because Jesus first served us. 

(Mark 10:45)

EXCELLENCE

EXCELLENCE

EXCELLENCE

Excellence honors God and inspires people. It is bringing God our best because He gave us His best! 

(1 Corinthians 10:31)

PRAYER

EXCELLENCE

CONNECTION

On earth as it is in Heaven is our goal.  Prayer makes this a reality.  

(Matthew 6:10)

CONNECTION

EXCELLENCE

CONNECTION

No contact; No impact!  We believe in connecting every person to their purpose in Christ. 

 (John 15:4-5)

WORSHIP

GENEROSITY

WORSHIP

We pursue the God who constantly pursues us. 

(John 4:23) 

FAITH

GENEROSITY

WORSHIP

Without Faith it is impossible to please God. We dream BIG! 

(Hebrews 11:6)

GENEROSITY

GENEROSITY

GENEROSITY

It's a lifestyle. We give freely of our time, talent, and treasure to bless God and those around us. 

(John 3:16)

Our Team

Lead Pastors Josh & Carissa Couch

Josh Couch is a graduate of Valor Christian College where he received his Associate of Applied Science in Pastoral Leadership and Diploma of Arts in Religion. Being licensed with the Church of God, Josh has been actively engaged in ministry since 2006. He and his wife, Carissa, were married in 2011 and are both natives of Hamilton, Ohio. They have two children; Ainsley and Malakai. The couch’s are known for their passion for unity, serving and mentorship.  They have preached and ministered in revivals and conferences from the state of New Jersey to the country of Haiti. Josh and Carissa share a desire to see the gifts of the Spirit demonstrated in these last days and a passion to remain sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Email Pastor Josh

Executive Pastors David & Charity Comer

David Comer is an Ordained Bishop in the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) with more than 20 years of ministry experience as an evangelist, an Associate Pastor, and a Lead Pastor. David has served as a member of the Indiana State Council, Youth & Discipleship Board, Music Committee and Ministerial Internship Board. Charity has served on the Indiana Women's Ministries Board. Through all of their ministry experiences they have developed a strong passion for God's presence and God's people and are excited to see what God still has in store for them and the

congregation at Gulf Coast Church. Married in 1996, David and Charity have three sons, two daughters-in-

law, and a grandson.

Email Pastor David

Worship Pastors Ben & Katie Wissner

Ben and Katie Wissner are a couple that is passionate about worship and the presence of God. Both being called to ministry in high school, they've been leading worship since 2007, and leading worship together since 2014 in various capacities. They were trained in California and educated in Ministerial Leadership  from Southeastern University. Since getting married in 2016, they have been worship pastors; first in Louisiana, then in Pensacola, and now here at Gulf Coast Church. They have two children; Reuben and Elliot. Ben and Katie's heart is for congregational worship and to see the church unified under the greatness of our God and the move of His Spirit. 

Email Pastors Ben & Katie

Youth Pastors Josh & Morgan States

Josh and Morgan States have served as youth pastors since 2019 following the footsteps of their families in student ministries. The couple was called into ministry as middle schoolers and stepped into their calling immediately after being married. Josh and Morgan have been blessed with their son Oliver in 2021. Their heart is to lift up the youth of Pinellas County by leading them to the Lord and equipping them to reach the lost with the calling God has placed on them. Josh also serves as the Media Director with a passion to use technology as an act of worship to deliver a clear message from the word of God.  He also uses his talents to reach the lost online through streaming services and connections made outside our physical location.

Email Pastor Josh

Kids Pastors Diego & Nicole Ambrosio

Diego and Nicole Ambrosio are deeply committed and compassionate about loving and serving the Lord with fun, excitement, and excellence. They were married in 2016 and have four children: Brittaney, Jennifer, Luca, and a baby-to-come in May 2022. For more than a decade, they have served in various areas of children and youth ministry. Nicole and Diego are a dynamic duo in their gifts of leadership, discipleship, Bible teaching, sports, creativity, music, and worship. Together, they served as youth pastors at Gulf Coast in March 2017, then felt the leading and the peace of God in September 2019 to move into a new position as children’s pastors. Nicole works full-time at the church. She is an ordained minister with the Church of God. She received a diploma in Children’s Ministry from Kidmin Academy. Diego works full-time as a General Manager of a power and landscape equipment company in Plant City. Together, they lead the children’s ministry with a passion to teach kids how to love and grow in a personal relationship with Jesus, discover and use their God-given gifts for His glory, and boldly stand for their faith. 

Email Pastor Nicole

OUR BELIEFS

THE HOLY BIBLE

The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths. In its original writing, it is inspired, infallible and inerrant.

(II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26)


THE TRINITY

There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and co-eternal.

(I John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11)


JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind, and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory.

(John 1:1,14, 20:28; I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; I Timothy 2:5)


THE VIRGIN BIRTH

Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary’s womb; therefore, He is the Son of God.

(Matthew 1:18, 25; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35)


REDEMPTION

Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he fell; his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

(Genesis 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21)


NEW CREATION

For anyone to know God and become a new creation in Christ, they must be drawn by the Holy Spirit living in them at their acceptance of Jesus Christ in their life.

(2 Corinthians 5:17, John 6:44, 65, Titus 4:3-7)


SALVATION

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts.

(Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22)


REPENTANCE

Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation.

(Acts 2:21, 3:19; I John 1:9)


SANCTIFICATION- Spiritual Growth- Striving to Live a Holy Lifestyle

Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

(I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, II Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11)


JESUS’ BLOOD

The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100%sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both ours in fulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death

(I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29)


JESUS CHRIST LIVES IN ALL BELIEVERS

Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and live inside them by His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority of their lives over to him thus making Jesus the Lord of their life as well as Savior. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead.

(John 1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelations 3:20)


BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

Given at Pentecost, it is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension, to empower the Church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth.

(Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:5,2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6)


THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of biblical parameters.

(Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11,12:4-8; Ephesians 4:16; II Timothy 1:5-16, 4:14; I Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; I Peter 4:10)


THE CHURCH

The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ great commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23)


WATER BAPTISM

Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

(Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38)


COMMUNION

A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and grape juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross.

(Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25)


HEALING OF THE SICK

Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus, and included in the commission of Jesus to His disciples. It is given as a sign, which is to follow believers. It is also a part of Jesus’ work on the Cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit.

(Psalm 103:2-3; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 8:6-7; James 5:14-16; I Corinthians 12:9, 28; Romans 11:29)


GOD’S WILL FOR PROVISION

It is the Father’s will for believers to become whole, healthy and successful in all areas of life. But because of the fall, many may not receive the full benefits of God’s will while on Earth. That fact, though, should never prevent all believers from seeking the full benefits of Christ’s provision in order to better serve others.

  • Spiritual (John 3:3-11; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10)
  • Mental and Emotional (II Timothy 1:7, 2:11; Philippians 4:7-8; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3)
  • Physical (Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:17; I Peter 2:24)
  • Financial (Joshua 1:8; Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; II Corinthians 9:6-10; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalm 34:10, 84:11; Philippians 4:19)


RESURRECTION

Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross. In addition, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation.

(Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Acts 24:15; I Corinthians 15:42, 44; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21)


HEAVEN

Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

(Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; John 17:24; II Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; I Peter 1:4)


HELL

After living one life on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God and sent to Hell where they will be eternally tormented with the Devil and the Fallen Angels.

(Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8)


SECOND COMING

Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures.

(Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; II Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7)

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13301 Walsingham Rd Largo, FL 33778

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