We announced it to our leaders at the Leadership Summit and then dropped the news on the congregation yesterday…Oak Leaf Church is going to Canton.

In 2010, we’re going to open up a campus in the town next door. We’re not starting a campus because we don’t think there are good churches there (there are a bunch), or because we think we’re the hope for Canton (Jesus has that covered), but because we believe God is asking us to go there. We’ve been praying, planning and working on this for a long time, and now is the time. Here’s a few quick hits, with further information coming at you in the next few months:

• We are still working on logistics, but it looks like I’ll teach live in Cartersville on Sunday morning, and then drive to Canton and teach live there.
• We will have a campus pastor who will be “the face with the place.”  The campus pastor will develop leaders, organize community service opportunities and lead the ministries in Canton.  I’ll let you know who the campus pastor will be in January.
• We have a couple of potential meeting locations, but we will finalize that and go public a little later, probably in February.
• The worship, kids environments, discipleship plan and all that will be the same.  We will be one church meeting in two locations.
• We’re going to treat this campus launch much like a church plant.
• The launch team will begin meeting in January; we’ll do some preview services in the summer; and the expected launch date is in August of 2010.
• If you’re interested in being a part of the launch team, let us know.  If you know people in Canton who might be interested in joining us, let us know.
• We strongly believe that there will be other future campuses as well.  But one step at a time.

God has done amazing things in Cartersville in the last three years, and we’re excited about what God is going to continue to do in Canton.  Launching this campus is one of our five big goals for 2010, and it’s one of the reasons I want you to give once on November 21/22 and give regularly in 2010. Check out this PDF for more information.