Left: Radius Church is located at 165 13th St. N. Right: Radius Church Pastor, Blake Clark. Photos by Kristina Holman
Radius Church Continues to Give Back to the Community By Suzanne Driscoll “Showing the visible, tangible love of Jesus” is how Pastor Blake Clark of Radius Church views his ministry. Just like the radius of a circle moving to the perimeter, Clark and his congregation are “people on a mission, moving out in ever-widening circles to change our world.” In addition to offering meaningful Sunday gatherings, Radius members are active in helping those in need throughout the community. Originally from Nashville, Tenn., Clark moved to St. Pete in 2007 to serve as a youth minister. Over the next five years working in the
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community with students, he fell in love with the city and its people. After a time of sabbatical, Clark and his family returned to start Radius Church in September 2014. “We’re not a ‘Sunday, one-and-done’ kind of church,” Clark says. “We are out in the community every day helping the less fortunate.” One of their many projects is a PB & Jelly Deli food truck that travels throughout the city to provide food for the hungry. When schools were closed as a result of Covid-19, Radius helped launch a Food Truck Convoy with other providers to donate more than 20,000 meals for kids and their families. The church is non-denominational and attracts people of all ages from many walks of life. Rather than calling it a church “service,” Clark invites everyone to Sunday “gatherings” at 9:15 and 11 a.m. There are numerous classes for children and a nursery for infants. Before each Sunday gathering a free breakfast is offered to those in need. Once per quarter, the church partners with “Showered and Empowered,” a nonprofit that provides a trailer with clean showers and a washer and dryer. Representatives from the health department are on hand, and donations of clothing are distributed. Clark and two church members recently returned from a mission trip to Louisiana to assist with the cleanup after Hurricane Ida. He is creating a “Rad Relief ” team of people willing to travel to other locations to help with disaster relief.
