Posted on 10/16/2009 9:36:52 AM PDT by Between the Lines
One of the largest evangelical churches in the country recently received permission to build a bridge from its campus to a major highway to help ease the flow of traffic on Sundays.
North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Ga., will begin construction on the $5 million bridge in December. The bridge, the senior pastor said, will help draw more unchurched people who would otherwise find it difficult to attend because of the usual parking lot jam.
"Those of you who are regular attendees have learned to navigate the congestion without losing your faith in the process," Pastor Andy Stanley wrote in a letter to the 22,000-member congregation. "But you also know the complexity of inviting someone to 'Meet us at church.'"
"I have friends who say it's just too much like going to a Braves game."
The Alpharetta campus typically hosts over 7,000 cars during the three worship services held on Sundays. There are over 3,000 parking spaces but only two exits or entrances.
There is plenty of parking and plenty of seats in the worship center, but the challenge is getting people on and off the parking lot, Stanley pointed out.
Although the church can currently seat 4,800 people in one service, the infrastructure only allows them to comfortably accommodate around 3,500 people at a time.
"Once we go past 3,500 people at one time, it gets exponentially ridiculous in the parking lot," he told North Point congregants at a worship service earlier this month.
"I don't see this as ... building a bridge as much as I see it as a way for us to get maximum use out of a facility you have already built and paid for," he said.
For the past nine years, North Point leaders have wanted to create another access point to the campus. After conversations with the City of Alpharetta, Georgia State University, the North American Mission Board, and the Corps of Engineers, the megachurch finally received all the permissions necessary to proceed with the construction of a bridge.
The bridge will stretch 1,000 feet across flood plains and wetlands and connect the campus to Old Milton Parkway via Brookside Parkway. It will be constructed as a three-lane wide concrete bridge with a walkway.
When construction is completed in 2010, Sundays will feel like a Labor Day in terms of traffic, Stanley noted.
"Is it worth it?" the pastor posed.
"It all depends. If our mission is to be a church that’s perfectly designed for the people who already attend, then we don’t need a bridge. But if we want to continue to be a church unchurched people love to attend, then yes, it’s worth it."
"I believe creating a second access point allows us to stay on mission," he added.
Addressing the skeptics, Stanley said he expects to get some emails and letters that ask "why don't we give $5 million to missions?" to which Stanley would respond, "We don't have $5 million to give to missions. We don't have the money. We're going to give the money. Then as this church continues to grow, we give millions of dollars away outside of this organization. That's one of the great things about having a big church."
He also stressed, "This is not about steel and concrete. This really is about the stories we hear week after week as people come to faith."
According to Stanley, this is the first capital campaign North Point is holding for a project benefiting the Alpharetta campus. Funds raised from previous campaigns have gone toward its multi-site campuses in Buckhead and Cumming.
Acknowledging the economic downturn, Stanley asked attendees, "Have we ever made financial decisions based on the economy as a church?"
"No," he answered. "We never miss money we give. You miss money you misspent, that you lost in the stock market, [or] misinvested."
North Point Community Church declined to provide further comments.
"I believe creating a second access point allows us to stay on mission," he added.
If you want to spend all of that money to make the churchgoers and future churchgoers more comfortable fine, but don't try to pass it off as only an outreach project.
Our church has major parking problems and a simular problem getting in and out. The solution? We got permission from the shopping center across the street to use their parking on Sundays. Regular atendees park there and we run a shuttle service to the church and there is ample parking for guests in the church lot. Much cheaper.
If the church does grow as they anticipate from this change, they will again have the same problem a few years down the road. Why do some churches have vision when it comes to growing the congregation but no vision for the facilities?
Probably because the money isn't there until after the fact. If you don't want to go deep into debt, you grow the membership and then you grow the facility. It'd probably be nice to go out and by that 100 acre campus and then grow into it, but it usually doesn't happen. You buy the one acre with seating for 200 and then try to shoe-horn two thousand more people over the next decade.
A church I'm familiar with has a problem that is more and more common these days, which is that city council members simply don't like land being given over to churches, and land they already own they can't get permission to build on. So again they are forced to shoe-horn a growing membership into the buildings they already have.
The church I'm in was fortunate enough to get a large acreage in a rundown area where nobody cared what they did. They've since gone out on a limb (debt) to buy the adjoining lots. So they aren't landlocked like so many.
The church that I’m a part of down here in Fort Lauderdale (Calvary Chapel) solved the attendence expansion and parking problem with satellite churches in Boca Raton, Hollywood, Plantation and now even in Key Largo.
The fiber-optic service transmissions beats having to construct a brand-new sanctuary building and spending a minimum of $25 million for the tilt-up construction alone.
Plus, people from other parts of South Florida do not have to slog through miles of traffic or be confined to Internet whorship broadcasts. they can attend Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale in thier own local “small-congregation” setting.
Why do you assume that he's being dishonest when he says this is about reaching people?
Our church has major parking problems and a simular problem getting in and out. The solution? We got permission from the shopping center across the street to use their parking on Sundays. Regular atendees park there and we run a shuttle service to the church and there is ample parking for guests in the church lot. Much cheaper.
Great and creative solution. Unfortunately I doubt that shopping center is also across the street from this church; I'm guessing they've spent a lot of time trying to come up with easier and less expensive alternatives.
If the church does grow as they anticipate from this change, they will again have the same problem a few years down the road.
Is the possibility of reaching thousands of additional people a bad thing? Should they just stop trying to reach people?
Why do some churches have vision when it comes to growing the congregation but no vision for the facilities?
What would "vision for the facilities" mean for this church?
Why must churches look to "draw" people from miles away? The Bible tells us to "go" into all the world and preach the gospel.
At what point does a big church and big congregation just become a testament and monument to "mans" accomplishments.
I once went to a mega church of this same size. They had a near $100 million expansion program. The new auditorium seats 2000 more people. But also has FANCY water features and fine tile work, and mega tv screens.
I got tired of hearing "EVERYTIME" of what "A WONDERFUL" new building "GOD" gave us, and to thank him. The worship of "God" for all this, after awhile, seemed nothing but worshiping man, but using Gods name, to justify it.
I got tired of impressing myself with this or that, and decided I needed to be smaller and more humble.
What is different today, about our modern "cathedrals" than the massive ancient cathedrals of yesteryear? Those cathedrals also were built in the "name" of God, and for "his" glory. But in reality were one bishops or rulers quest to outdo another.
"Church" isn't about buildings and infastructure. Its people. If buildings are needed, lots of buildings can impact more people than one. If ONE church can grow to 22,000 people, why not plant 20 smaller ones, with the capability to grow to 22,000 (or plant 20 new smaller churches each)?
I'm tired of food courts, and coffee stands, and waterfalls, and escalators, and fine tile, and 1 bazillion inch high def tvs.
I want the Word. I want to worship Jesus, not the things he "gave" us.
The Bridge to Somewhere.
Probably because they have no vision for spending less than the current congregation puts in the offering plate. They need to grow the congregation in order to increase giving in order to pay for new facilities.
In protestant non-denoms the fad is to have “traffic problems” and a “parking ministry”.
I’ve noticed that Catholics in large parishes around here can get into and out of the church without being supervised.
Coincidence ?
I remember a few years ago people were talking about this church and one freeper said the church was “a mile wide and an inch deep.” I agree. I remember visiting there maybe about 10 years ago or so and it was really crowded. Many people had to sit on the floor and you had to walk a long way after you park and traffic getting out was pretty bad. Yes I agree with the person who said it was like a Braves game.
You should research Andy Stanley. He’s all about raising up other churches. There are three (plus one more on the way) campuses of North Point in the Atlanta area. Believe me, he has a tremendous record of mentoring pastors across America and the world, but most of all, he’s all about the mission of the church...Leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
Getting people into worship sometimes requires decisions that may seem egotistical to some. But believe me, if you ever watch/hear Andy, you will witness a humble self-deprecating man who loves the Lord and has great insight and wisdom.
“Unfortunately I doubt that shopping center is also across the street from this church;”
Fortunately, it is. I live in the Atlanta area. It is across the street.
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