Serving the Westside

The goal of building a church community within a geographically limited area is both for the sake of existing members and for those we want to invite into our fellowship.

Why Our Location in the Community is Important

Building geographical community is countercultural, but it’s not a new idea. In fact, it’s old. The high-mobility lifestyle most people live today has only been possible in the last century, since the invention of the automobile. Ever wonder why older churches don’t have parking lots (or parking decks!)? Recently, hundreds of new churches, especially in large urban areas, have begun building locally focused communities all over the country (e.g., Liberti Philadelphia, Christ Community Berkeley, Redeemer New York, Evergreen Indianapolis, Harbor San Diego). Ten years from now, it may even become the rule rather than the exception among urban churches.

Given the sprawling, harried, commuter lifestyles of most Atlantans, geographical focus could become a broader demographic trend as well. Urban infill, gentrification and the increasing development of mixed-use, live-work-play communities are strong indicators of this movement. Like Malcolm Gladwell’s “tipping point” of 200 (supported by decades of church growth data on the 200 “growth barrier”), a sociological case can be made that smaller communities are more suited to the way God designed human nature to function. The close biblical connection between people and land (see especially Genesis 1-2) may also support this idea.