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A self-described atheist/agnostic until his late teens, Nick Gerringer lived life for himself. Then, he started thinking more about the reality of death.

"I thought, 'There's got to be something beyond this,'" he said.

Gerringer began to study the Bible and said he felt an overwhelming need to know God.

"I called on him to save me, and I started to live wholeheartedly for Jesus," Gerringer said.

Several years later, Gerringer finds himself serving as the campus pastor for Calvary Chapel of the Triad 's new Greensboro satellite. David McGee is the lead pastor.

Calvary Chapel's Greensboro campus, across from the Greensboro Coliseum , launched July 6 , and Gerringer said attendance is steadily growing.

"We had 64 at our first service, and then 72 at the second," he said.

Calvary Chapel of the Triad first started as a home Bible study and then moved to Colfax. Within a year, said Gerringer, the church grew to include three services and moved to a larger location in Kernersville . Gerringer said many members traveled from Greensboro to attend Calvary Chapel.

Gerringer said one of the biggest reasons the church decided to start a Greensboro campus was because of the economy.

"With gas prices going up, we thought it would help the people who were driving so far," he said. "We also were getting calls from people in Greensboro who had been watching our service on public access TV, and they expressed a desire for a Greensboro campus."

Services at the Greensboro campus are at 9:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. each Sunday, with McGee's message and lessons previously recorded and broadcast on a large screen in the church. Worship is live with music by the church's band.

"It's acoustic and upbeat, but at the same time it's laid back contemporary," Gerringer said.

The campus is not currently wired for live feeds, though church personnel say it will be available in the future.

Gerringer said that the church's services revolve around studying the Bible from beginning to end - chapter per chapter, verse per verse.

"It is on Pastor McGee's heart to provide the opportunity to experience an environment where people can practically learn the Bible no matter their background," Gerringer said. "We have a kind of free, casual, comfortable atmosphere."

No offering plate is passed during services.

"We try not to make money a blatant issue," Gerringer said.

A box is located in the back of the church for giving.

Gerringer first got involved with Calvary Chapel in 2003 when he visited the previous location in Colfax.

"I went to the Thursday night Bible study and was amazed how practical the book of Leviticus was," he said. "As I began to apply the Bible to my life, I ended up going into the ministry."

In October 2004 , Gerringer joined the staff as a youth leader and helped with facilities. He is now an ordained minister and Bible college teacher.

Gerringer is excited about his new role as campus pastor of the Greensboro Calvary Chapel satellite.

"This was really a step of faith," he said. "This is truly a special place where first and foremost the word of God is being taught, and we're learning how the Bible is relevant to us today."

Contact Jennifer Atkins Brown at 574-5582 or jennifer.brown@news-record.com.