In 1999, Still Waters Church was started in the home of Carole and Doug Hulslander in Woodstock, as an outgrowth of many co-op students and families. This diverse group needed a place to worship and belong. They searched the churches in their area and found none welcoming among them. The vision given to them was one of a CHRIST Culture that would accept all other cultures. Taking from each culture what was like CHRIST and warring against what was not so, and in that way, build the Kingdom of CHRIST among us as scripture defines. The church began with a leadership of eight people.

Still Waters eventually outgrew the Hulslander’s home living room and in 2001, relocated to Marietta, Georgia, where one of the members was able to work out a rental agreement with his apartment complex’s clubhouse. The club house was able to seat thirty people.

As the church grew, there was less room for a play area for the children and no room for other ministries such as Sunday School classes. It was at this time that the pastor of Sandy Springs United Methodist Church heard about Still Waters in a meeting with Rev. Dr. Carole and offered Still Waters a place to worship. 

So in 2002, services were held in various places at this facility (chapel, parlor, and gym). The church continued to grow but found it difficult to minister to the neighborhood the way GOD had called this vision – to the homeless and people of all backgrounds.

In 2006, Still Waters was finally able to move into its own facility. Cokesbury United Methodist Church, unfortunately faced with high expenses and decreasing membership, graciously gifted Still Waters its facilities on North Druid Hills Road.

In 2007, Still Waters International Academy   was founded on the vision to fully equip children through a CHRIST Culture education to fulfill GOD’s great calling on their lives.

By 2013, Still Waters continued growing steadily, continuing to reach out among its community, seeing people’s lives changed through the discipleship of the Holy Spirit.

In 2017, on faith in God’s calling, the ministry moved yet again to our facility on Oakbrook Drive in Norcross, with additional space to house the growing school and church ministries. As in any move a church loses people, but we began to reach out in the community thanks to Pastors Bobby and Jamie Hsiao, Pastors William and Alana Hardison, Ministers Hugh and Cindie Nguyen, Ministers Kevin and Sharon O’Connor, Pastors Kevin and Ashley Chia, and Minister Tiffany Chia. We opened new ministries and created more jobs.

The two buildings that we moved into needed a lot of repairs and in some cases parts of the buildings were not usable. We needed to build resources and funds. Pastors Bobby and Jamie and Pastors Alana and William began the long years of praying and searching so that repairs and renovations could begin. Ministers Hugh and Cindie Nguyen began taking the little resources we had and began renovations and created a beautiful place for us to worship. We are still working on the buildings and property, but both have come a long way! We thank JESUS for HIS mighty faithfulness to us.

The vision of Still Waters has been from the beginning to build disciples that understand and work towards a “CHRIST Culture;” to be a people of all ethnicities and backgrounds; a reflection of the LORD’s prayer in John 17:

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one- I in them and you in me-so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Now in 2024, we are thankful to introduce our growing and diverse church family to the Norcross area and are excited to serve our new community.