By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

NORTH SHELBY—Tucked away off U.S. 280 on Greenhill Parkway, a2 Church is not your typical church. With Sunday services led by a live band, to volunteer opportunities and a multitude of small groups, the church offers a different kind of faith experience and community.

“We just want to open our doors to the people who have given up on church,” a2 Student Pastor Josh Power said, referencing the church’s motto. “Our mentality is that we’re supposed to love. Our goal here is to make sure people feel welcome and loved.”

The nondenominational church is modeled after the biblical church described in Acts 2. a2 Church seeks to be an open, inviting and loving community to all ages and walks of life, Power explained.

The church moved from Vestavia Hills into a former plant nursery building off of U.S. 280 about two years ago.

“This was an old nursery, it was a giant open building,” Power said of the Greenhill Parkway location.

The building was transformed from a nursery to a church with a large, open entryway, spacious playrooms for nursery-aged children, a student worship space complete with a stage for full band and, of course, a main worship space.

At the center of the theatre-like main worship area is a large wooden cross, the support beam of the structure.

“It fits pretty well,” Power said with a laugh, recalling the challenge the support beam originally posed to the congregation. “We thought, ‘What if we made it into a cross and made it our foundation?’”

The church has seen steady growth since moving to the U.S. 280 area. In his nearly three years with a2 Church, Power said he has seen the student ministry grow from about 15 students to more than 60 active members. The church currently has more than 20 small groups and draws around 450 worshipers every Sunday, Power said.

“Over time, we’ve seen God do some amazing things,” Power said. “There’s so much going on that people always have a way to plug in.”

Visitors are invited to stop by a2 Church to learn more about the community and enjoy a “rock concert” style Sunday worship service, Power said.

“The hope and goal is to see God continue to move in this church. We think it’s a great place to be,” Power said. “We’ve only just begun to see what’s going to happen in this church. We’re in a really exciting time.”