Pastor Andy Stanley, dressed casually in jeans and a shirt, stood before an excited congregation of several hundred people last month and welcomed Watermarke Church in Canton as North Point Ministries’ newest “campus.”
He assured congregants it was not a case of “Big Brother taking over.” Rather, what’s happening at Watermarke, which now meets in a school on Sixes Road, is “really extraordinary,” he said.
“I believe there is probably nothing more significant you can do with your life outside of family...than start a church,” he said. “Churches go on for generations long after you’re gone. Churches never die. Churches are extraordinarily resilient.”
With the addition of Watermarke, North Point Ministries becomes one of the largest megachurches in the nation and in Georgia. It’s part of a strategy launched several years ago to build a network of sites where members have to travel no more than 20 minutes to go to church, said Bob Strickland, executive director of North Point’s multi-site ministries.
Watermarke had previously been a partner church, which means it used the same ministry model as North Point but was independent and not financially tied to North Point. The bigger church provided videos, curriculum, pastor training and other resource -- not unlike a restaurant franchise.
Now as a full-fledged campus, Watermarke is part of the nonprofit organization in every way including financially.
The Canton location, which draws about 1,300 people weekly, will draw some of the overflow from North Point Community Church in Alpharetta and Browns Bridge Community Church in Cumming. The Rev. Gavin Adams will stay on as campus pastor.
Later this year, North Point Ministries will start a fifth campus in Gwinnett County. It debuts with Good Friday and Easter services in Gwinnett Center ballrooms. Regular services in a temporary location start in August or September, followed by eventual construction of a permanent home on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.
North Point’s growth is not surprising, said John Vaughan, owner and founder of Church Growth Today, a research and consulting firm in Missouri . Vaughan has followed Stanley since he worked with his father, the Rev. Charles Stanley, who leads First Baptist Church Atlanta and a global mutli-media ministry.
“A lot of churches would love to have the momentum that North Point does,” said Vaughan. “Andy is like other world class leaders that have that momentum and its not at any price, it just comes naturally. He was able to observe his father, who was a good leader and who leads a great church. “
Founded in November 1995, North Point Ministries has an annual budget of about $40 million at three campuses -- North Point Community Church, Buckhead Church and Browns Bridge Community Church. Adding Watermarke, the campuses have a weekly attendance of 30,000, not including online. The ministry also includes 21 partner churches in several states and in Canada.
The ministry draws many professionals and young families. Leaders wanted to create churches that made it easy for those who are “turning to God” or who have questions about faith. A favorite mantra is “church for the unchurched.” Early on, leaders decided Atlanta didn’t need more churches but rather different kinds of churches.
Stanley may give his message in person at North Point, Buckhead or Browns Bridge, with the sermon beamed to other campuses.
To coordinate the services, the originating location starts 5 minutes before the other campuses. The message is essentially DVR’d at the receiving location and played at the proper time.
Each campus auditorium has two large side screens for varying camera shots, and one large center screen that is a fixed shot of the originating campus stage. The churches also have stage sets that are identical in each auditorium so that the center screen shot matches the decor of the live shot. All elements of the service are locally live except for the sermon, according to Strickland.
Watermarke currently uses past messages from Stanley while its technology is updated for “live” messages.
The Ledet family of North Fulton has has been going to North Point Community Church for about 18 months.
Sterling Ledet said said Stanley is one reason. “He makes thing clear and he makes things interesting,” he said. “I find myself more engaged, motivated and quicker to apply things in my own life.”
Ledet, a business owner, also noticed a change with younger members of his family. His teenage son, for instance, “seems to have a lot more to talk about when he leaves North Point.”
Stanley’s recent visit to Watermarke was met with much excitement.
“This is a great day to come, Andy’s speaking today,” one of the church’s greeters told a visitor. The service, like those at North Point and Buckhead, opened with a Christian rock band. It’s not unusual to see worshippers come in carrying steaming cups of Starbucks coffee.
Randall Balmer, professor of religious history at Barnard College/ Columbia University, said a “herd mentality” fuels the trend. People think “this is a really big thing and I want to be part of it. Generally, what these megachurches are doing these days is called niche evangelism.”
“They know how to speak the idiom of the larger culture,” he said. “It’s kind of a multi-media experience in contrast with the local Episcopal parish. They recognize that entertainment and visual stimulus with the Sesame Street generation is important. They know how to do it and they’re able to do it. “
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