Athens Church - Athens, GA

North Point Ministries is the parent organization of which North Point Community Church, Buckhead Church and Browns Bridge Church are a part. Athens Church is a strategic partner with North Point Ministries. That means that we have the same mission, strategy, values & beliefs as North Point Ministries but are a separate entity. You can find out more about North Point ministries here.

Is this a video church?

As a strategic partner with North Point ministries, we will use the sermon portion of the North Point worship service a percentage of the time. At other times, the Athens Church staff will present the sermons. The other aspects of the worship service will be "live" at every service.

Is this a college church?

Athens Church is a family friendly church whose heart beats for those who don't yet know Jesus personally. We believe the best thing we can do for the college students of Athens is to create a local church full of strong families who are passionately pursuing God. Presently, we are asking college students to jump in with both feet by being a regular worship attender and volunteering in one of our ministry areas. We will continue to evaluate what our college ministry will look like in the future.

What is the plan for facilities?

We currently rent office space in Watkinsville. The address is 17 South Main Street, Watkinsville, GA 30677. We keep office hours there from approximately 8:00am to 5:00pm each Monday through Thursday. Our phone number is 706.310.9300 and our fax number is 706.310.0075.

Our mailing address is PO Box 80271 Athens, GA 30608

For the foreseeable future we plan on holding our Sunday gatherings in rented facilities. We feel like this is the best use of our finances and it allows us to effectively accomplish our mission. As of August 2007, The Classic Center Theater will be our primary Sunday location.

I heard that Athens Church is a non-denominational church. What does non-denominational mean?

In organizing this church, our foremost desire was to be an attractive environment for those who do not regularly attend church. For the most part, our feeling is that denominational titles mean more to people already involved in church than it does to others in our culture. For this reason, we have chosen not to affiliate ourselves with any particular denomination. We try to clearly state what we believe on the "About Us" page of our website. You can also learn the details of our leadership and accountability structure here.

What is the leadership structure?

The phrase we use to describe the function of government at Athens Church is that we are guarded by the Elders, guided by the Staff and gifted through the membership. However, in more specific terms, the Athens Church government is built around four teams of people.

Ministry Team Representatives
Stewardship Team
Staff Leadership Team
Elders

Ministry Team Representatives (MTR) are individuals chosen by a particular area of ministry to represent that group as a channel of communication to and from the other ministries, staff and elders. MTR's serve one-year terms and are the only group in the church, other than the Elders, that can call for a special business meeting of the church.

The Stewardship Team oversees all the financial and personnel matters. The lead pastor is accountable to the Stewardship Team in all these matters, and along with the Church administrator attends the team's meetings but without voting privileges. Stewardship Team members serve three-year terms and successive members are chosen by the existing Stewardship Team and approved by the Elders. The initial Stewardship team is made up of the initial elders, but this will transition to a fully Athens team in the near future.

The Staff Leadership Team consists of staff members selected by the lead pastor. The purpose of this group is to determine programming, give vision to the various ministries of the church, and to oversee the day-to-day operations.

Elders function primarily as discerners and shepherds and serve as the guardians of the church. Their role is to evaluate everything going on in the church in light of three things; our mission, our resources and our doctrinal statement. The Board of Elders consists of men who serve three-year terms. Successive elders who meet the qualifications of Elders/Overseers outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-11 and Titus 1:5-9 are nominated by church members and approved by a committee consisting of four elders and four MTRs. The initial board of elders is made up of primarily leaders from North Point Ministries, but this will transition to a fully Athens elder board in the near future.

Why doesn't Athens Church have Adult Sunday School?

The mission of Athens Church is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We feel that this growth is sustained best in a small group environment. There are several reasons why we have chosen community groups as our primary relational structure. First, not having adult Sunday School allows attenders to participate in strategic service. We have also found that meeting in a home is a safe, predictable environment where no one slips through the cracks. True accountability can be reached with a consistent group of people in a community group. Lastly, people are able to benefit from the encouragement and accountability of a small group while still being part of our invest and invite evangelism strategy.

Are there job openings available at Athens Church?
We will occasionally have job openings that need to be filled. If you are actively involved at Athens Church and would like to be considered for employment, please submit your resume with a cover letter to info@athenschurch.com

When and how did Athens Church get started?

As God continued to bless North Point Ministries in Alpharetta, Georgia, the leadership began to sense God leading them to extend their influence to other communities. This began with the establishment of campuses in the greater Atlanta area and grew to include the idea of strategic partnerships. During this same time, people from the Athens area regularly contacted North Point to request help in starting a North Point style of church in this area. They were praying for a relevant place to invite their non-Christian friends.

In the spring of 2004, Sean Seay (at that time the Director of Equipping at North Point) felt led to explore the Athens area. For the previous 6 years, Sean and his wife Bonnie had prayed about the idea of church planting. After spending some time in Athens and talking to people who wanted to be a part of this type of church, they became convinced of God's leadership in this direction. He decided God was opening the door for him to plant a church that was a strategic partner with North Point. Convinced that this would take a team to accomplish, he began recruiting staff members and decided to start with a staff team of four families committed to the mission.

In the fall of 2004, Athens Church held informational meetings and strategic service trainings to build leadership for the launch. The first service was January 23, 2005. With God's clear leadership thus far, we are excited to see what He decides to do through Athens Church to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

What is the financial situation?

God has been incredibly gracious to Athens Church in His financial provision for us. The startup funds came from North Point Ministries, individuals with a vision for how God wants to use this church in this area, and attenders of Athens Church. However, North Point has now completed it’s financial obligation, so we are needing to be fully supported by the attenders of Athens Church (or those who have vision for what we are doing). Please know that every dollar you invest in Athens Church is an investment in the work of God and we will do our very best to steward it well. If God is leading you to contribute, please send gifts to:

Athens Church
P.O. Box 80271
Athens, GA 30608

How can I stay informed?

You may click here to stay informed by email on Athens Church activities.

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