The last time Andy Stanley asked for a bicycle for his birthday was when he was 7 or 8 years old.
This year the Alpharetta pastor, who turns 63 on Sunday, is asking for 500.
Stanley, senior pastor of North Point Community Church and founder of North Point Ministries, asked members of the megachurch and the community to donate new or gently used bicycles, which will then be given to Fulton County Schools students.
Years ago, the popular pastor and author let it be known to the church staff that he didn’t expect birthday or Christmas gifts.
“This year I decided to break with that 25-year tradition,” he said. “I told them I wanted 500 bicycles for my birthday to give away to kids. We’ll see what happens this Sunday whether I get my birthday wish.”
So far, North Point has collected more than 400 bicycles and monetary donations from around the nation. He said 100% of the donations will go toward Fulton County Schools.
Volunteer mechanics are on hand to make repairs on used bicycles, if necessary.
A spokeswoman for North Point said the bicycles will be distributed from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. May 22 at the Alpharetta campus and at Benjamin Banneker High School, 6015 Feldwood Rd., in College Park.
He said it was the church’s way of doing on a larger scale what “followers of Jesus” would do individually.
North Point Ministries has eight churches in metro Atlanta and a network of partners around the globe.
Each church selects a local nonprofit, county or school to support in some way.
Samantha Maxey, director of Fulton schools community relations, said North Point “ has been an amazing partner” on this and other initiatives.
They “go big or go home,” she said. “They don’t do anything minuscule. They’ve donated and donated and donated.”
Included in the system’s strategic plan is a faith partnership component, in which churches can help students and schools when needed.
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