Our History: In 1989, Palmetto Presbytery, of the Presbyterian Church in America, in partnership with Rose Hill Presbyterian Church in Columbia, called Rev. Tom Wood and his family to the Charleston area to begin a new church.
They arrived three weeks before Hurricane Hugo hit the area. After spending the last months of 1989 directing the disaster relief efforts for the PCA, the Woods, along with volunteers from local PCA churches, began contacting area residents by phone. Their vision was to begin a new church that would reach un-churched people in the North area of Charleston. After over 16,000 telephone calls inviting local residents to get involved in a new church plant, Metro North Church held its first worship service on April 8, 1990 in a hotel in North Charleston. There were 164 people present. One year later, the church moved to a building in Goose Creek and began its relationship in the community.
In January 1993, Palmetto Presbytery officially organized and received Metro North Church into the PCA as a particular church. Rev. Tom Wood was called as the pastor. In May 1995, the congregation purchased 21 acres of land in Goose Creek and voted to proceed to build its first facility. A multi-functional building was planned that would not only serve the needs of the church, but also, in harmony with our Mission Statement, help serve our community. With the building completed, the congregation held a Dedication Service on August 11, 1996 .
In May, 2000, Pastor Wood left the church to accept a call as Director of Church Planting for Perimeter Ministries, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia. A search process was immediately begun to find a new pastor. The Pastoral Search Team elected by the congregation consisted of Sam Bennett, chairman, Barbara Cox, Gregg Fesler, Pete Roman, Sr., Eddy Swanson and John Ward. After months of searching, the team presented Rev. Bill Thompson as the pastoral candidate at a congregational meeting on March 18, 2001. The congregation voted unanimously to call Rev. Bill Thompson as the new pastor of Metro North Church. Pastor Thompson began his ministry on June 1, 2001
Who We Are (download brochure here)
Our Motto Our Purpose Our Vision Our Mission Our Target Our Core Values Our Ministry Values Our Plan
Enjoying Life with God and Others
OUR PURPOSE
To glorify God in all things and to enjoy Him at all times.
OUR VISION
To connect people locally and around the world to the transforming grace of God.
OUR MISSION
Our vision to connect people to the transforming grace of God will be
accomplished:
- by extending grace to one another and deepening both our appreciation for our visitors and our compassion for the unchurched.
- by discipling our members to be mature followers of Jesus Christ, equipped to share the gospel and for works of service.
- by building bridges of love and mercy between our church and the communities in which we live, work and play.
OUR TARGET
We will seek to reach non-Christians and disillusioned or discouraged Christians in order for them to enjoy the freedom in Christ that comes from the gospel of
God’s grace.
1. Truth
We are committed to obeying and applying God’s inerrant Word, the Bible, which equips us for all of life and ministry, and to the historic Reformed Faith expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
2. Unity
We are committed to maintaining the unity of the Holy Spirit through the bond of peace by giving and receiving forgiveness and by honoring and respecting one another.
3. Love
We are committed to loving God with our whole heart and loving our neighbors as ourselves. We understand that we love because God first loved us and that we can’t say we love God if we do not love one another. Our love must be intentional, sacrificial and practical.
4. Grace
We are committed to being a grace-oriented congregation. Since our salvation is by grace alone, we must show grace to both believer and unbeliever alike by accepting others as God has accepted us.
1. Worship
We are committed to individual and corporate worship that focuses on the Triune God, offering ourselves in obedient service to bring Him praise, glory and honor.
2. Prayer
We are committed to deepening our relationship with God through the privilege of prayer. We realize that a church that prays is a powerful church where the Holy Spirit works in supernatural ways. God uses our prayers to accomplish His sovereign plans and purposes.
3. Evangelism
We are committed to sharing the gospel of God’s grace to those who have yet to believe in Jesus Christ. Apart from faith in Jesus Christ there is no salvation. It is our desire to assimilate new converts into the life and ministry of the church.
4. Ministry of All Believers
We are committed to every member ministering in the church and community with his or her spiritual gifts.
5. World Missions
We are committed to reaching the world with the gospel by intercessory prayer and sacrificially offering ourselves, our finances and our children as evidence of our commitment.
6. Spiritual Growth
We are committed to helping members grow spiritually and equipping them to carry out the Great Commission to be disciple makers.
7. Fellowship
We are committed to the mutual sharing of our lives through supportive relationships where needs are identified and met.
8. The Home
We are committed to establish, encourage and enrich the Christian homes of couples, families and singles, including those experiencing strained or severed relationships.
9. Mercy Ministry
We are committed to being openhanded as we minister to the needy through deeds of mercy.
10. The Church
We are committed to the local church as the visible Body of Christ and the primary agent for building God’s kingdom on earth; therefore, we are committed to Metro North Church and to the Presbyterian Church in America – its beliefs and polity – as part of the worldwide Church.
11. The Sovereignty of God
We are committed to submitting to the sovereign plan of Almighty God in our lives and in our church. God is in control of all things and His purposes and plans are never thwarted. All things happen for God’s glory and for our good.
OUR PLAN
1. Prayer
Members will be encouraged to pray for the church and community. Opportunities for intercessory prayer will be made available through prayer teams, Concerts of Prayer, prayer walking and days of fasting and prayer.
2. Seeker Friendly
We are relational and friendship-oriented. Our strategy includes exposing others to God’s Word and God’s people through non-threatening events and ministries. People have the freedom to ask questions and explore the Christian faith.
3. Grace-filled Environment
Grace and acceptance permeates our thinking and actions. We offer freedom from “long-faced religion” and the consequences of wrong choices.
4. Dynamic Worship
Our approach is God-centered: celebrative - expressing our joyful enthusiasm, praise and amazement toward our glorious Lord and Savior in a manner that is genuine, uplifting, refreshing and culturally accurate while remaining true to our Reformed heritage of worship. This is an appropriate response to the awareness of the depth of our indebtedness to Jesus Christ and His unmerited grace as the basis of our overwhelming passion for His praise and glory.
5. Small Groups
FOCUS!, our small group ministry, is the key strategy for caring and building friendships. “Everyone cares for somebody and nobody cares for more than ten” exemplifies our commitment to provide care. We believe that true care is best practiced by “every member being a minister,” rather than a “professional staff” taking that responsibility.
6. Relevant Teaching and Preaching
We teach the Bible – all of it. Consistent exposure to God’s Word in practical and applicable approaches will make an impact in the lives of people.
7. Creativity, Innovation and Excellence
We owe both the Lord and others our absolute best. We will not be afraid to change if our ministries and programs can be more effective.
8. Prospective Member
Seminar
The Inquirer’s Seminar is essential and required for every person joining the church. It is a vital part of our assimilation process.
9. Equipping for Ministry
“Every member is a minister.” Church members should equate membership with ministry. There are a few pastors and staff members but there are many ministers. The laity must be “unleashed” to be full-fledged partners as ministers. The pastor’s role is to equip believers for ministry, not do it all himself. Member-ministers can be equipped to do many of the things a pastor can do, and often better, according to their spiritual gifts. Each person is asked to attend the three Equipping Seminars: Spiritual Growth, Uniquely You and Triple “E” Training.
10. Planting Biblical Churches
We will extend our impact locally, nationally and globally by planting new churches with biblical philosophies of ministry to reach their communities with the gospel.
11. Simple Structure
The church’s organizational structure will be streamlined to maximize ministry and minimize maintenance. Structure must facilitate ministry, not hinder. We will look to the staff to initiate, develop and lead the church along with the officers.
12. Building Bridges to Our Community
We will seek to build bridges of influence to our community through acts of love and good deeds.