Encounter the God you’ve been searching for

Encounter Church is a community of everyday people committed to serving Jesus and one another. Our hope is to be a vessel through which others come to know and follow Jesus—and we’d love for you to join us on that journey. Come as you are, and let’s grow together in faith, purpose, and love.

Where do we meet?

Athens Campus

Downtown Athens, GA

660 West Broad Street

Sundays, 10:30 a.m.

Athens

Lavonia Campus

Hampton Inn and Suites, Lavonia, GA

115 Owens Drive

Sundays at 4:00 p.m.

Lavonia

FAQs

  • When you are here, you’ll find a warm, welcoming atmosphere, and a community of people encountering God together through worship, prayer, and a message from the Bible.

    If you want coffee and some great conversations, please come early. People usually start arriving about 30 minutes before the service starts to talk and hang out.

  • Yes, we do! We start with families worshipping together at the beginning of the service. Then, after worship, children ages 3 - 5th grade can go with leaders who have passed background checks and have been trained in keeping children safe. They will experience a short lesson in God’s Word followed by a time to play together.

  • We hold to the core beliefs that the church has always held since its beginning. We want to focus on the major points, while allowing room for discussion and debate on the others. We do this because we want to join with others, and have them join us, in what matters to God: His people actively bringing others into His family. On the core beliefs we seek unity, on the distinctives and others we seek charity, and toward one another we seek to act in love.

  • We are part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) Denomination (cmalliance.org), and more about our beliefs can be found on their WEB site (https://cmalliance.org/who-weare/our-faith-and-mission/). The first part of the CMA belief statement says: "In The Alliance, we are Jesus people. We say 'All of Jesus,' because we're after His Lordship, a complete transformation in our lives through His Spirit. Scripture tells us that 'the same power that raised Jesus from the grave is at work within us. If we believe that, then our lives will change." This is what happens when we have an encounter with Jesus. This is what we want to be and do at Encounter Church.

Current Events

  • ALL Thursdays in October, 6:30pm - Bible Study at Encounter Church Lavonia (115 Owens Drive, Lavonia).

  • Sundays at 10:30am (Athens) & 4:00pm (Lavonia) in September - We'll be continuing and completing our message series on Philippians.

  • Sundays from 9:30-10am - Prayer at Encounter Athens (660 W Broad St) - If you come early to church, please feel free to head into the service room anytime between 9:30-10am to walk through and pray for the service, the church as a whole, and the people God will be leading to the service.

  • Sunday, October 19th, Church Family Lunch in the Café - If you call Encounter Church your home, or if you’ve been wanting to come check it out, come to service at 10:30am and then plan to stay for lunch in the Café directly after the service for our next scheduled lunch. This is a time to connect, enjoy a meal, and continue to grow together as a church family.

  • Tuesday, October 28th, 6:30pm, Socrates Café at Encounter Church Athens (660 W. Broad St, Athens). Come be part of an open-ended conversation or simply relax and enjoy listening as we explore questions about life, faith, right, and wrong, belief, knowledge, and more! Bring a friend (or a few!) who might enjoy an evening of meaningful dialogue. 

  • Encounter Café - (660 W Broad St, Athens) - An outreach ministry of Encounter Church Athens. We created this space as a "third space" to serve our community by offering a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere to study, gather, and connect. Located in downtown Athens, we serve handcrafted lattes, teas, refreshers, and homemade desserts. All the proceeds from the café are considered donations to Encounter Church ministries and go directly to support the ministries of the church. Whether you’re studying, meeting friends, or simply unwinding, you’ll find free Wi-Fi, charging stations, and a great selection of card and board games to enjoy. Come see us and make yourself at home!

    Hours: Wednesday 7:30am-1:30pm; Thursdays & Fridays 7:30am-1:30pm and 4:30-9:00pm; Saturdays 8:30am-1:30pm; Sunday Service 10:30am-11:30am

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575323945143

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Prayer
Socrates Cafe
PAK Events