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A closer look: One Hillsborough church
By SHANNON BREEN, Times Staff Writer Northside Bible ChurchLOCATION: 405 Hayes Road, Lutz (813) 961-1307 SERVICES: Sunday school begins at 9:45 a.m., followed by a worship service at 11 a.m. Wednesday evening Bible study and youth groups meet at 7:30 p.m. The church also operates Northside Christian Academy, which encompasses kindergarten through eighth grade. HISTORY: The church began informally about 29 years ago with a series of Bible studies. In five years, it welcomed five ministers before bringing in the current senior pastor, the Rev. Dan Coggins. The church has been at its current location since 1986. LEADERSHIP: Coggins has been with the church for 24 years, first as a part-time minister, and then as a full-time senior pastor. Before coming to the church, Coggins was a teacher in Temple Heights and led Bible study in his neighborhood just north of the University of South Florida. Raised in North Carolina, Coggins moved here with his family when he was in the ninth grade. He graduated from Chamberlain High School before attending Florida Bible College in Hollywood, Fla., where he received his bachelor's degree in biblical education. He is working on his master's degree through a Dallas Theological Seminary branch out of Christ Community Church in Tampa. Coggins and his wife, Paula, have been married 26 years and have three children: Danny, 24, Esther, 21, and Kenneth, 16. RECENT SERMON TOPIC OR THEME: Prior to Sept. 11, Coggins had a sermon topic planned: A message from the book of Hebrews, "When Everything Tumbles." He said that it was a bit coincidental, but he's not a prophet. "We've tried to deal with those incidents and help us understand why God allows evils in the world, and how we can deal with it," Coggins said. MEMBERSHIP: Average attendance is about 90.
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