Johns Creek Presbyterian Church

Mission statement

Not For Us Alone

History

Founded as the Church of the Hills in 1995, the church became Johns Creek Presbyterian in 2010. Larry Wood was the founding pastor, and in 2010, the church called the Rev. C. Gray Norsworthy as its senior pastor. The congregation has grown to include 1,100 adults, youths and children.

Pastor’s path

Norsworthy grew up in Atlanta and graduated from the Westminster Schools.

He earned a bachelor’s in English at the University of Virginia, and he worked in marketing for BellSouth until he felt called to ministry after the death of a close friend and mentor.

Norsworthy earned his Master of Divinity with distinction in 1985 from Columbia Theological Seminary and Doctor of Ministry degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in 1997.

The pastor has also served churches in Georgia and Virginia.

Ministries

One of two new initiatives at Johns Creek is CanCare, a ministry to cancer patients that provides spiritual support by matching those facing cancer with someone who has survived the same kind of cancer.

While CanCare began in Houston, Norsworthy said Johns Creek Presbyterian is the lead church in the metropolitan Atlanta area helping to establish this ministry with area churches and hospitals.

“It’s an amazing ministry that immediately gives hope. There’s a certain credibility that somebody who survives cancer has that I don’t have as a pastor,” Norsworthy said.

The first training class had 35 people, who will interact with the patients through personal meetings, Skype or other Internet correspondence.

Johns Creek Presbyterian Church

10950 Bell Road, Johns Creek, GA 30097

770-813-9009 www.jcpcusa.org Services: 9 and 11 a.m. Worship style: Vibrant traditional Average Sunday worship: 350 Minister: The Rev. C. Gray Norsworthy

PCUSA

The second new ministry is a partnership with the Will to Live Foundation, “making a difference in the lives of young people facing today’s challenges,” Norsworthy said.

“This emerged out of one of our youth taking his life. His name is Will. It hit us all so hard.

“His family has created the foundation, and it’s taking off as a way of providing help to young people with suicide struggles,” as well as families and parents.

The church has a Fine Arts Academy with nearly 100 students and 14 instructors, a preschool and strong youth ministry.

The music program offers worship music as diverse as a Dixieland Jazz band playing “When the Saints Go Marching In,” a string quartet or modern selections by contemporary artists.

Thoughts from the pastor

“Because we are surrounded by megachurches, most of those who have joined our church have visited those megachurches, but seem to be looking for something else.

“They want to connect, be known, get to know God better, go deeper spiritually and find a place to serve others.

“So in Johns Creek, we seem to be an alternative church — and that’s pretty cool.”