New GroupLife Director

We’re excited to announce that Doug Hurley is our new GroupLife Director at Access Church! Doug has been on staff at Access since October 2010 as our Waumba Land Director, and now he’s transitioning to oversee our Community Groups.

As GroupLife Director, Doug will recruit, develop, and equip Community Group leaders. He’ll make sure the right people are placed in the right leadership roles, and he’ll ensure that leaders are equipped to manage their groups. Doug will also be the point person for our Starting Point groups and GroupLink events.

Doug and his wife, Janie, love Jesus and are eager to lead in this area of our church. “I have always had a passion for helping, encouraging, and developing leaders,” Doug said. “I was able to develop and encourage the leaders of the small groups in Waumba Land, and taking that to the adult level is really exciting to me.”

At Access we believe that the best way to fulfill our mission of leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ is to help people connect in small groups. Doug wholeheartedly shares this passion and is excited help provide a place where people can plug in and experience community. “Going to church on Sunday, sitting in a row, and listening to a presentation is very important, but true discipleship happens in the context of relationships,” he said. “In a Community Group, we get out of rows and into circles and build those relationships. We study Scripture together, pray together, and lean on each other. That is biblical community.”

Doug grew up in Ohio, but calls the southeast home after spending the majority of his adult life here. His undergraduate work was done at Ohio University (not the school of “the Buckeyes,” although his loyalty belongs to the Buckeye team!). He attended Austin Peay State University for graduate school, and earned a second Master’s Degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 2011.

Doug and Janie became familiar with North Point and Andy Stanley by fulfilling one of Doug’s passions, downloading great messages and listening to them on road trips or on long runs through the park. In 2009 they heard from a friend about a North Point Strategic Partnership church in Jacksonville and began attending Access.

Doug and Janie have been married for nine years and have two daughters, Annabelle (2 1/2) and Vivian (6 months). In their free time they can be found relaxing at home, spending time with friends and family. They love great food, no matter if they are making it at home or trying out a new restaurant.

Please join us in congratulating Doug on his new position!