'Love where you live': North Point Ministries breaks ground on East Cobb Church

Mar. 25—EAST COBB — When, in 2021, the Cobb Board of Commissioners approved North Point Ministries' request to build a church and up to 95 homes on undeveloped land in east Cobb, the plan was in its 22nd iteration.

The outcome, in October 2021, was the result of nearly a year of compromise and negotiation over the controversial zoning case.

Since then, it took more than a year for North Point to get a land disturbance permit from the county to begin construction.

But last week, construction workers finally fired up their machinery. Dirt is moving at the site which will become the new home of North Point's East Cobb Church.

"It does feel like Christmas to finally be done and to see this," said Jamey Dickens, the church's lead pastor, standing on an embankment which overlooks the site. "Our people have been waiting to see this for a couple of years ... I've been telling them, 'You've been dreaming of home for a while. Now it's time to start building it.' ... I can't wait."

The church received its permit from the county last week, and has commenced with general site preparation.

Construction at the corner of Shallowford and Johnson Ferry roads will bring a new, 125,000-square-foot church.

Elsewhere at the site, third-party developer Ashwood will build up to 95 single-family houses and townhomes, along with a handful of commercial units. While the project was bundled together when seeking approval from the county, the homes and commercial development will not be part of the church once built.

"My understanding is just with the size and scope of the project, and the complexity ... given there's a dam involved, there's a road relocation involved ... two developers involved ... all of that made it a lot more complex at the county level," Dickens said, of the long wait for the county permit.

The church will be the permanent home of East Cobb Church, which currently meets in facilities at Eastside Baptist Church on Lower Roswell Road. East Cobb Church is the eighth (and newest) church operated by North Point, whose footprint spans the metro Atlanta region.

Dickens said the completion date will depend on factors such as supply chain and weather, but he hopes the church will be finished within two years.

The finished product will have an auditorium with seating for about 1,000 to 1,200 people, he said, plus space for children's and student ministries.

The total budget for the project is not yet determined, Dickens said.

Before the commission gave the project a thumbs-up, it faced significant pushback from nearby residents who raised concerns such as stormwater impacts and housing density.

Dickens said he was thankful for the residents who were engaged in the process, believing it made the final plan better.

"We have processes in our county for a reason, and they're there so that all different voices can be part of a process ... I have no doubt that their voice made this project better," he said.

'Love where you live'

East Cobb Church began in 2020 as the world was shutting down amid the pandemic. Without a building of its own, it has nevertheless grown while operating out of Eastside Baptist.

"We're really lucky to have that ... We started right before COVID shut down the world ... Had they not been so hospitable, we wouldn't have had a place, cause everything was shut down," Dickens said.

North Point does not have church members in the traditional sense, but Dickens said East Cobb Church has about 600 active families.

"One of the things we're really big on is that membership sounds like belonging, and you don't have to do anything to belong at a church, you don't have to do anything to belong around Jesus," Dickens said.

Sharon Mason, president and CEO of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, is a longtime attendee of North Point churches. She and her husband went to the Buckhead and Alpharetta locations, but now enjoy the east Cobb one.

"We're very excited for this church planned for East Cobb Church to happen right in our backyard," said Mason, who lives a few minutes away from the site.

Mason's daughter, a ninth grader, has been involved in North Point's children's, middle school and high school ministries as she grew up.

North Point churches are nondenominational, with an emphasis on contemporary services. Dickens said the church strives to be accessible to a wide audience and provide practical teachings. He hopes that someone who attends a service will feel welcome and enjoy it, even if they're not a "church person."

East Cobb Church's motto is "love where you live," inspired by John 13:34, which includes the phrase, "As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

"That's our mission, is to love where you live," Dickens said. "And you know, it's a little cheeky in the fact that we actually love living here, but it's more than that, right? We want to do good, we want people to be glad that we're here. We hope our community's better because we're here."

In line with the church's mission, Dickens hopes the new church serves as not just a gathering spot for families, but also a launching pad from which people will go out and improve their community.

'This is what I'm supposed to do'

Dickens, 40, was born in Jacksonville, Florida but grew up in Dunwoody.

He grew up going to church, but said his Christian beliefs were not always as strong as they are now.

"I didn't always have faith ... There was a substantial season of my life where I would have said — maybe not out loud, because we were a church-going family — but I was like, 'I don't buy into this. I don't think this is true.' ... On my own, I came to not only believe in Jesus, but I feel like I had an experience of God that was so compelling to me."

That experience occurred on a mission trip to Russia, where Dickens was working in an orphanage.

"I feel like it was God ... I just had a sense of "This is what I'm supposed to do in life."

He and his wife, Sara, have four children, ages 5, 6, 7 and 8. One attends preschool at Legacy Christian School; the rest are students at Davis Elementary School.

Dickens never imagined growing up, that he'd become a pastor. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina, and had planned to go to law school (Dickens later went to seminary in Texas).

Prior to joining North Point, he worked as a missionary in the eastern European country of Moldova for about three years.

There, he worked for Children's Emergency Relief International, partnering with UNICEF. His work included prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of children who had been trafficked into sex slavery.

He started working at North Point as an intern, then became a staffer. Before being appointed pastor for the new East Cobb Church, he ran the youth group at Buckhead Church.

Dickens said his current position is a dream job. It allows him to love, help and mobilize people, while spreading the good word.

He and his family lived in Brookhaven when he worked at Buckhead Church. They now live in east Cobb, a few minutes from the construction site.

Mason called Dickens a "phenomenal" pastor.

"He is such a dynamic guy who is all in, and puts so much of his love and passion in this community," she said.

Mason said faith has kept the church community together over the years of waiting.

"It has been an incredible journey ... It's so outstanding to be at this point. Every step of the way the church has really come together ... God has proven over and over to come through in each step of the process."