faqs
Thank you for taking some time to check out our church community in more detail. Below are some of our most frequently asked questions and the corresponding answers. We know this is not an exhaustive list, so if you have a question that we haven’t addressed here, please feel free to contact us.
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What is the relationship between Anthem Church and North Point Community Church in the Atlanta area?
North Point Ministries is the parent organization of which North Point Community Church, Buckhead Church and Browns Bridge Church are a part. Anthem Church is a strategic partner with North Point Ministries. That means that we have the same mission, strategy, values and beliefs as North Point Ministries, but we exist as 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 Anthem Church staff will present the sermons. The other aspects of the worship service will be “live” at every service.
Is this a college church?
Anthem Church is a family-friendly church, whose heart beats for those who don’t yet know Jesus personally. We believe that the best thing we can do for the college students of Anthem Church is to create a local community full of strong families who are passionately pursuing God. Presently, we encourage 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.
I heard that Anthem 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 “our beliefs” page of our website.
What is the leadership structure?
The phrase we use to describe the function of government at Anthem Church is that we are guarded by the Elders, guided by the Staff and gifted through the membership. However, in more specific terms, the Anthem Church government is built around four teams of people:
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 — 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 Anthem Church 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 and meet the qualifications of Elders/Overseers outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-11 and Titus 1:5-9. The initial board of elders is made up of primarily leaders from North Point Ministries, but this will transition to a fully Anthem Community Church elder board in the near future.
Why doesn’t Anthem Community Church have Adult Sunday School?
The mission of Anthem Community 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.
When and how did Anthem 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 Gainesville area regularly contacted North Point to request help in starting a similar style church in this area. They were praying for a relevant place to invite their non-Christian friends.
How is Anthem supported?
Anthem Church is fully funded by its attendees — people who believe in the mission and vision of the church.
Anthem Church
2902 SW 75th St.
Gainesville, FL 32608