- North Point Community Church
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North Point Community Church 
Coordinates: 34°03′34″N 84°15′43″W / 34.05936°N 84.26208°W Location Alpharetta, GA based with various physical campuses and strategic partners Country United States Denomination Non-Denominational, Evangelical Christian Website northpoint.org History Founded November 1995 Founder(s) Andy Stanley Architecture Status Active Clergy Senior pastor(s) Andy Stanley North Point Community Church is a non-denominational, evangelical Christian megachurch located in Alpharetta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. North Point currently averages more than 24,000 people in attendance between its 5 campuses each week, making it the largest church in Metro Atlanta and the second largest church in the United States.[1] Andy Stanley is the senior pastor.
Contents
Purpose
North Point Community Church is an integral part of North Point Ministries, which serves as the parent organization of North Point Community Church, Buckhead Church, Browns Bridge Community Church, Watermarke Church, North Point Resources, and several strategic partners. Members and attendees are encouraged to develop intimacy with God, community with insiders, and influence with outsiders.
Mission statement
The mission of North Point Community Church is "...to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We accomplish our mission by creating environments where people are encouraged and equipped to pursue intimacy with God, community with insiders, and influence with outsiders."[2]
To this end, North Point strives to accomplish its mission by creating irresistible environments led by skilled staff and volunteers.
History
In November 1995, Andy Stanley stood in front of a gathering of believers at a North Atlanta convention center and cast the vision for a new church. He said, "Atlanta does not need another church. What Atlanta does need is a safe environment where the unchurched can come and hear the life-changing truth that Jesus Christ cares for them and died for their sin." So began North Point Community Church.
For the first three years of its existence, the congregation of North Point met every other Sunday night in rented facilities. When the Olympics came to town, the church was unable to meet for nine weeks.
In December 1996, North Point purchased an 83-acre site in the middle of Alpharetta, a small town fifteen miles north of Atlanta. Six months later, construction began on what was to be the first of three building phases. The first phase of construction included a 2,700-seat auditorium, along with a small theater, offices, and education space for preschoolers and children. On September 27, 1998, the congregation of North Point Community Church moved into its new home. That first Sunday, over 2,000 adults attended two morning worship services. By Christmas, attendance had grown to 3,000. By the end of the first year, North Point was averaging over 4,000 in worship. Plans were started for a second phase of construction. By spring of 2001, the second phase of construction was completed. A second auditorium stood directly behind the original one. With the additional seating, North Point is able to accommodate over 5,000 worshipers at one time.
Additional Campuses
A group of people in the Buckhead area wanted a relevant church similar to NPCC, where they could safely bring their friends who did not go to church. In the spring of 2001, they began meeting every other Sunday night in rented facilities, much like the early days of North Point. Andy Stanley and the leadership team encouraged and advised Buckhead Fellowship, and in August 2001 asked them to become the first satellite campus of North Point Ministries. Buckhead Fellowship became Buckhead Church. They continued meeting every other Sunday night until they moved into a renovated grocery store on Roswell Road on Easter Sunday of 2003. The same NPCC Sunday morning environments are at Buckhead Church, with live worship, drama, and announcements. The messages are now simulcast to each campus. Buckhead Church moved to a permanent facility at Tower Place in the heart of Buckhead in May 2007.
A third campus, Browns Bridge Community Church, opened on October 8, 2006. This campus was fully programmed and showed NPCC prerecorded messages with the same technology used at Buckhead Church. Browns Bridge has grown from approximately 1,500 adults on Sunday morning to over 3,500 and from two services to three in just two years. And the messages are now simulcast every Sunday.[3]
Locations
North Point Campuses
- North Point Community Church
- Buckhead Church
- Browns Bridge Community Church
- Gwinett Church
- Watermarke Church
North Point Strategic Partners
California
- New Vintage in Santa Rosa
Colorado
- Red Rock Church in Colorado Springs
Florida
- Access Church in Jacksonville
- Anthem Church in Gainesville
- Beachside Community Church in Ft. Walton Beach
Georgia
- Athens Church in Athens
- Southside Church in Peachtree City
- Longleaf Church in Warner Robins
- Lifebridge Savannah in Savannah
- Stone Point Community Church in Decatur
Virginia
- Journey Christian Church in Midlothian
Washington
- Harvest Church in Clarkston
See also
- List of the largest churches in the USA
References
- ^ "The 2010 Outreach 100 Listings of America's Largest and Fastest-Growing Churches". Outreach Magazine / LifeWay Research. http://www.outreachmagazine.com/magazine/recent-issues/3762-The-2010-Outreach-100.html. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
- ^ "North Point Community Church - General FAQ". http://www.northpoint.org/faqs/page/C85. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
- ^ "Brief History of North Point Community Church". http://www.northpoint.org/site/page/history. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
External links
- Collide Magazine: Church Spotlight: North Point Community Church -- interviews with three staff members about creative elements and communications technologies
Categories:- Megachurches
- Evangelical churches in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Religious organizations established in 1995
- Buildings and structures in Fulton County, Georgia
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