+ history

In the summer of 1994, 7|22 originated as a simple, visionary dream in the hearts of Bill Willits and Louie Giglio. After months of prayer and counsel, it became evident that a significant need for a new kind of environment had emerged in the Atlanta area, one designed specifically for single adults. As a result, 7|22 began as a six-week test in the spring of 1995. On the first night, approximately 300 singles representing 30 various churches entered the doors, eager to be a part of the new ministry. After completing the trial period that summer, the answer was undeniably clear: Atlanta singles craved a weekly event like 7|22.

After countless hours of vision casting and prolific preparation, 7|22 began meeting weekly in the fall of 1995, graciously hosted by Dunwoody Baptist Church. Following three fruitful years of growth, an opportunity to move into a new, larger venue surfaced. The 7|22 staff prayerfully decided to make its new home at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta (fifteen miles north of Atlanta). The nine years that followed brought an abundance of growth and countless life-changing stories. An average of 3,000 single adults (from approximately 350 churches around the southeast) gathered each Tuesday night for passionate worship and relevant teaching. In addition to those who gathered in Alpharetta, approximately 6,000 more singles tuned in online every week from around the world.

2005 and 2006 brought forth a new visionary team as Joel Thomas and Jarrett Stevens stepped into co-leadership roles, bringing with them a myriad of experience and knowledge and a robust passion for impacting the post-college singles of Atlanta. In the spring of 2007, Buckhead Church (a campus of North Point Ministries) completed construction of a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility right in the heart of Buckhead. As we confirmed that Atlanta is the second-most popular destination for post-college singles in the United States, it became clear to the 7|22 team that it had the opportunity of a lifetime to reach the singles of Atlanta by meeting them where they were: in the heart of the city.

So in the summer of 2007, after more prayer and wise counsel, the team packed up its things, closed an unforgettable chapter in the life of 7|22, and headed down to Buckhead in great anticipation of what God is preparing for this ministry in the city. To this day, passionate worship, relevant teaching, and a simple agenda to glorify God have remained the key components of 7|22. And as we prepare our hearts for a renewed vision to radically impact the post-college singles of Atlanta, we remain a blank page, willing and ready for God to script the next chapter of HIS story . . .