Abundant Life Christian Center

I have 2 children currently in ALA and we are head over heals in love with the school. The teachers give each child such individual attention, my children were reading sight words in PRE K because of their amazing Pre K program. The loving and nurturing environment at ALA is second to none! The teachers and all the staff there REALLY love my children and I receive progress reports on a DAILY basis. They teach with the love of Christ so selflessly - I am in awe of their dedication. Simply Amazing! It is a Christian school, teaching Christ centered values but they do not try to change who my children are. The teachers are interested in nurturing and strengthening them, as individuals. My presence is welcomed in the classroom as often as I chose, everyday if I like. We do not attend AL church but AL Academy is simply irreplaceable in our lives and I can not convey its value and integrity enough. My only complaint is that it doesn't go to 12th grade. more

Abundant Life is unlike any other evangelical church I have visited in the upstate area. Their facilities are unmatched in both design and cleanliness. The staff that greets you are genuine, caring, and seemingly quite happy to be there. It is undoubtedly the most racially, economically, and age diverse congregation in the area. The services start promptly with energetic worship music led by a dynamic couple, backed up by a choir and talented team of singers. THere were a few vocalists off key, but the sound guys seemed to correct it quickly and they took it all in stride. The offering was received with a lot of dignity and seemed to be a an act of worship that the congregation took very seriously. They actually taught briefly about why giving was critical to their service to God, and then the pastor prayed over the offering and for the people to be blessed financially, through their giving so that they could be in a position to give more generously to others in the future (a very refreshing and interesting take on the whole give-to-get mantra one often hears about), The message was dynamic.. His points were incredibly relevant and at times I forgot I was sitting in a crowd of 800 people and thought it was a personal counseling session. When I shared this with the woman next to me, she said ""welcome to the club..."". I left feeling incredibly energized and motivated to do some things differently in my life. The children's programs and facilities are fantastic. I have never seen such technology used to teach kids. Definitely not the sunday school classes I remember growing up! They had a costumed friendly dog character walking around greeting the kids. It was like being at Disney. Seriously! THe staff was friendly and energetic, and the kids with me LOVED it and asked to come back next week to finish the series. The church uses technology aggressively but not oppressively. If you didn't have an iPad or computer to take notes with you might be surprised to see how many folks were using these devices to follow the message, record their notes, and look up references the pastor suggested. However there were plenty of people who used paper bibles and notebooks. And others who had nothing. THe church is very focused on missions, and had just raised 30,000 to send 50 of its members to Joplin MO to relieve those suffering from the Tordado. I was very impressed with the amount of money and volunteer effort that was dedicated to these ""missions"" they conduct all over town as well. In all I cannot recommend this church more highly to those who like to be challenged to grow. One of the members I spoke with said this, ""Abundant Life is the church of choice for people who want to be challenged to grow up and reach their potential"". Sounded like a church ""slogan"", which apparently it was. But this member felt proud about that. He continued, ""if you don't want to change or be confronted with your complacency, then this is not the place for you. It will make you uncomfortable if you are content to stay the same."". That is not the everyday appeal you hear when church ""shopping"", but it impressed me. They are not looking for everyone. Just people who are ready to take a journey of commitment, service, giving, and personal growth. Having traveled extensively I must say this church is unique and makes a lasting impression. . Still cannot believe a church like this exists in a smaller city like Syracuse. more

I wanted a more personal relationship with God, not one based on fun and materialism; so I left. I know some think this church provides excellent teachings, but those tend to be new Christians. You may like this church, but I wanted much more than they could provide. This is just my opinion. Form your own. more

Without going into details, suffice it to say that this is not the church for me. It could be me, or it could just be them. You judge for yourself. more

I became a member because I wanted to eventually volunteer. Later, I thought it unusual for a church to have prerequisites for a person to either be involved or to receive pastoral involvement. ALCC has sort of a ""sifting"" process for people who visit. If you do not go through their volunteer training, you can't volunteer. If you do not sign a membership document and have it confirmed, you ""can't "" receive individual counseling outside the normal church services time or assistance with weddings, etc. It just seemed weird, because I can't find that kind of set up in the New Testament Church. Jesus simply taught about His Father, accepted all people, and let people pray in His name for good things to happen. ""If they're not against Me, then they are for Me,"" He said. I'm not against ALCC... just puzzled by its protocols. Pastor John is a very good teacher of the Bible and there is a sense of sincerity among the church goers. Because it is a large church, one must make more of an effort to make friends there. Connect Groups can help, but I've never been to one. Fortunately, I knew attendees from work. As the pastor does say, ""Pray and ask God if ALCC is the place God wants you fellowship at, otherwise He will have another church for you."" Just remember, don't expect any church to be perfect, having all the answers, and making no mistakes. But do expect that God will guide you to a church body where you can be involved somehow. Blessings to you and thanks most kindly for reading this review. more

Our daughter has been in this program since she was 3 years old. Now she is in first grade. Our experience has been completely positive! The time and care that our teachers and leaders give to each student and family is outstanding. We are happy to report that our daughter has improved in her academic abilities and in her self confidence because of her time so far at the Academy. What she has received is priceless. She has a foundation for a successful future due to the impact of her teachers from Abundant Life Academy! We are forever grateful! As with everything ~ it is what you make it. Check out our academy and see if it's the right fit for your family. Pros: Positive, Uplifting along with Academic Excellence Cons: We'd love it if classes were available up to 12th grade! more

ALCC has been our home church since 1996. When I first visited I was used to a more traditional church and service style. So it was a different experience, for sure! Sitting in those first services and listening to Pastor John teach the Word - it opened up the Bible and made it real to me. I love the teaching style and learning the background of what is being read in the scripture. And I appreciate our pastor's honesty and genuine testimonies of his own growing pains. I'm so thankful to God for leading my family to Abundant Life Christian Center. We are growing in our personal walk with the Lord. This is why this is the right place for us! It's a big church with a big outreach. And I know that isn't for everyone. Some are called here and some are called to other great churches in the area! It's like faith...hard to explain...best to be experienced for yourself! Pros: The Uncompromised Word of God is Taught more

Though ""attendance alone"" may be a good indicator when picking a restaurant, it indicates nothing about a church's spiritual quality. Almost all of Jesus's followers left him because of his words at one point; does that indicate poor teaching?\r \r As others have already written; check it out yourself. Yes, it has a large attendance. It also has a large number of people who no longer attend for various reasons. If you go, look beyond the entertainment aspect of the service and ask yourself if what is taught truly reflects the Word of God. If you believe it does present the Gospel in a balanced fashion, then, by all means, continue to go. If not, there are many other churches out there to attendance; but you should be going somewhere! more

Abundant Life Christian Center is a real blessing to anyone lead there by God.The attendance alone,in every service.One Friday nights, and three, Sunday mornings, speaks for itself.\r \r Our local Shepherd, Pastor John Carter,under our ""Great Shepherd"" the Lord Jesus Christ, preaches and teaches, the True ""Word of God"", from his heart, as led by the Holy Spirit.\r \r And all Pastor John's help, Ministers Pastors,Reverends, Elders, Teachers,Instructors,are also a wonderful blessing to draw everyone closer to God.\r \r If you are in ""fear"" of learning the truth of the ""Word of God"", and drawing closer, to The Father,Son,and Holy Spirit, I would'nt advise attending this wonderful church, The Abundant Life Christian Center.\r \r May God bless you, wherever you worship Him. Amen Pros: A powerful,Bible preaching,Bible teaching,Church. Cons: We are ALL still human. more

I too agree that this is a ""high"" energy church. It is ""electrifying"" for sure. The teachings can be ""astounding"". With this is a demanding perfection and a pricey ticket for a membership to pay for it all. I attended for several years before leaving it. They have outreach programs but it seems that more of the membership monies went for their ""ecstatic"" look. It can be weighing to keep up with their expectations as a Christian. If you are not up to correction and change on a daily basis then you won't survive. My recommendation is you won't know until you try it. I enjoyed some church members & friends but grew tired of some of the ugliness I witnessed in leadership. So go and judge for yourself! Pros: . more

I would have to agree more with tcain on this review. Money, at times, feels like a dominant theme in the Sunday morning sermons.\r \r cookmom wrote that it's ""high energy"" but I don't find that as something the Bible claims as an attribute of a good church. (Blessed be the ""high energy"" churches?) I guess some look for entertainment and ""high energy"" when the true spirit of the Word appears to be missing. Or at least hidden. \r \r I used to attend this church and it was one of the best around, years ago. Who knows. You might like it. If you're looking for a ""high energy"" church that will talk about money, then by all means go. If you're looking for something a little more fulfilling, you might want to check one of those low energy churches. more

I can not say enough about this wonderful church. Pastor John is a fantastic teacher and after three years of attending this church and becoming a member I always learn something new. This church and all the pastor's in this church has been such a blessing to our family. I recommend this church to anyone who wants to hear the truth of the word of God in a powerful uplifting environment. Oh, and the worship team is awesome! Abundant Life has done so many wonderful things for the community inside and outside of the church. Anyone who attends this church should expect to be blessed! Pros: Powerful Teaching, Awesome Worship Team, Fantastic Youth Group, wonderful Outreach programs! more

If you really value your child's education, then skip this so-called school. more

This church is more interested in where your money goes than where you go. Don't get sucked into this place or you will regret it later. more