One vision, one church — two locations

When Pastors Steve and Jackie Vaggalis planted Abundant Life of South Walton in 2001, their vision was to help others fulfill their God-given Destiny.

Since that first service with 117 people, held in a storefront at Fountain Plaza in Miramar Beach, the church has seen amazing growth.

In 2003, the church moved to its current Poinciana Boulevard site with 21,000 square feet of space and became known as Destiny Worship Center. More than 525 families now call Destiny their church home.

And now the church is expanding once again as the pastors and members extend the ministry to Freeport. The first service in the new satellite church will be held at 9:45 a.m. Aug. 24 in the new Freeport Business Park.

“Part of our purpose, our vision at Destiny, is to plant other life-giving churches,” Steve Vaggalis told The Log. “Our need to do this is our need to fulfill that vision.”

More than 100 members now attend Destiny Worship Center from the Freeport area.

“The leadership team that will plant this church are all from the Freeport community,” Steve said. “Our desire for people is that they be able to do church life together in their community, building relationships and impacting their city together. We don’t look at numbers here or there because we are one family in two locations.”

Paul Deary and his wife, Kelli, will be the pastors at the new Freeport Campus.

Paul, a graduate of Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., holds a bachelor of science in pastoral ministry. In addition to being campus pastor at the Freeport Campus, he works with the student ministry at the Destin Campus.

He and Kelli met at a Destiny Worship Center function and have been married almost two years.

Kelli is a graduate of Troy University with a bachelor of science degree in journalism and public relations. She is currently the editor of Southern Dream Wedding.

“We are both tremendously excited to be the campus pastors at the Freeport Campus,” Paul told The Log. “I have lived in Freeport for almost four years. Kelli and I have lived there together for a year and a half. We are excited to be involved in the community. Our church plant, like the Destin Campus, will focus on an encouraging and powerful Sunday morning worship experience and building relationships. We are so blessed to be part of the Freeport community and are excited to grow with the community that is already established.”

Matt Bell, one of the newest additions at Destiny Worship Center, will be leading the worship experience at the Freeport Campus. The graduate of Lee University holds a bachelor’s degree in science and pastoral ministry.

The message each Sunday will be presented through video to the Freeport Campus, the first video campus to be launched in Walton County, and will combine onsite staff and live worship.

“We will begin ‘Forty Days of Transformation’ on Sunday,” Jackie Vaggalis said. “It is a seven-week series with a daily devotional covering all the different people who were changed in scripture as well as how God changes us from the inside out.”

In a 2006 interview with The Log, Steve said “our greatest accomplishment is not our growth, but our ability to create strong relationships that create a sense of community within our church family. That has enabled us to serve our community in extraordinary ways. It is what has changed lives and won people to Christ.”

Memorable moments for the church through the years have included guest speakers and performers such as Mike Huckabee, Oliver North, Sandi Patty, Phil Driscoll, Ron Kenoli and Mark Harris. The church has held benefit concerts, one which aided victims of Hurricane Katrina. The church’s Backpack to School and Families First Christmas programs bring help to underprivileged children.

“Our emphasis is to reach those who are unchurched and help them to be a fully devoted follower of Christ,” Steve said.

“We now have one church with two locations. We share the same vision, having the same DNA. We believe for one county serving one Lord.”
For more information, visit www.destinyworship.com/freeport or call (850) 650-6800.