Preaching: What size group have you started with here?

Merritt: We started out with a core leadership group of about 200. We're now averaging about 850 since we have been meeting a few months, so we've had real good solid growth. No question that we've got a lot of challenges ahead of us from financial to infrastructure to leadership development, etc. but that's all a part of start-up. It's very exciting.

The spirit of the church — I say this will all humility — I've never pastored a church with a greater spirit than with the people we have at Cross Pointe. And of course anything new — it doesn't matter if it is a new job, a new marriage, new church, whatever — there's that sense of excitement and it's great to be a part of it.

Preaching: With the facility you've got right now as you go through renovation how many do you anticipate that you'll be able to have in a worship setting before you build anything else?

Merritt: Our first phase calls for a 1600-seat worship center. So obviously with that, with the educational space we have, with the parking space we presently have, we feel like in one service we could easily run 1500 people or so. So in multiple services — before we do anything else after phase one — we probably could go to 2000 or 3000 people. Eventually once we complete all these facilities — which would call for everything from a 6000 seat worship center to children's, preschool, youth, and adult educational space, etc. — we believe we could run in multiple services here 12-15,000 people if not more. That's the potential here.

Preaching: With the excitement of starting this new work and the spirit of a new work, how is it impacting your preaching? Are you doing some things in your preaching ministry to speak to the situation that the church is in right now?

Merritt: Yeah, in two or three ways. Number one, we're trying to really target a younger generation. Well over 90% of all professions of faith in this country occur by — I'll be generous and say 21, it's probably closer to 18. The average age of conversion now in America is closer to 13, 14 years of age — the youngest it's ever been. If that is true and then you couple that with the great commission, then obviously we believe we ought to be putting our primary resources toward trying to reach the next generation. So our primary target would be millennials and their parents. So along those lines we use a more contemporary style of music. It's more of a casual atmosphere. For the first time, because of our capabilities, I'm going to use a lot of media, video, that kind of thing.

Two things for me have not changed. Number one, I still do biblical exposition on Sunday morning verse by verse. Number two, there is still a clear presentation of the gospel and then we give people an opportunity in different ways, creative ways to respond to the gospel.