Steve Lawes

Church Consultant

Helping churches be the Church!

I have been the lead Pastor of Keys Vineyard Church in Big Pine Key since 1992. I was the South Florida Area Leader for the Association of Vineyard Churches for ten years. I was the Cuba Missions Team Leader for Vineyard Missions from 1995-2005 and traveled to Cuba more than twenty times helping to plant churches and build up local leaders. I also founded the Jesus Moment Bible Institute and Seminary in 2014 which has a student enrollment of over 1400. I look forward to partnering with you to help your church be all that God has called it to be.

My Story

1990 – Began youth ministry
1990 – Began Community Sports Leagues for children and adults (Basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer)
1991 – Youth Group grows from 1 to 30, Mission Trip to Costa Rica
1991 – Planted Church in Marathon, FL which grew to 40 people within 6 months
1991 – Became Chaplain in County Jail system
1992 – Became Chaplain in State Jail System
1993 – Became Lead Pastor at Big Pine Key Vineyard, had to close Marathon church plant, most of the people came to Big Pine church
1993 – Became principal of Vineyard Christian School
1995 – Became Cuba Team Leader for Vineyard Missions, traveled into Cuba 2-3 times per year for 10 years. Trained leaders and helped plant 20 churches in Cuba.
2002 – Added second service at Big Pine Key Vineyard Church
2002-2005 Church grew from 150 to 300
2003 – Sent a team and planted a church in Key Largo, Fl
2004 – Started a Video Venue in Key West, FL (shut down in 2008 when economy went bust – most people came up to Big Pine Key)
2005 – 2007 Church grew from 300 – 500 (added a Saturday Night Service)
2006 – Started a Video Venue in Williston Florida, transitioned that to another pastor in 2010
2008 – 2010 Church grew from 500 – 750 (added a third Sunday morning Service)
2010 – 2014 Church grew from 750 – 1000
2012 – Became Area Leader for Vineyard overseeing 10 churches in South Florida
2014 – Started Jesus Moment Bible Institute and Seminary which has grown to over 1350 students around the world https://onlinebibleinstitute.org
2014 – 2020 Church averaged 1200 plus on the weekends. Consistently baptized 100+ per year. 200 + salvation responses per year.
2017 – Hurricane Irma direct hit – Church building damaged slightly, quickly repaired and began full scale recovery effort to community. Over 3000 volunteers came through us in a ten-week period. Church was a distribution facility for food and materials. Miraculously, after 12 weeks we were back to over 1000 in attendance.
2020 – When Covid first hit, we were closed for six weeks but we did big drive thru giveaways twice a week for four months providing the community with meals and paper goods.
2021 – Running all 4 services but attendance is down to 600 – 800 people.
2022 – Attendance is knocking on the door of 1000