Theater Churches
I got a note and newspaper from Dean Jackson today. Dean pastors Rock Canyon Church in Provo, Utah. Dean brought an entire team out to do reconaissance at NCC two years ago. They ended up selling their church building and moving into a movie theater.
The Salt Lake Tribune just did an article on them:
Far from the confines of their now empty chapel in northeast Provo, amid stadium seating, dim lights and popcorn popping out in the lobby, they have found religion at the Provo Towne Center Mall. Welcome to Provo's "Movie Church" modeled after the "Theater Church" the National Community Church in Washington, DC.
Here's the coolest part to me. Dean said, "We've had more visitors in the last six months than we had the previous six years combined."
This is so simple, but here is something I say to church planters all the time when they are trying to figure out where to meet. Meet someplace people feel comfortable going. Movie theaters fit the bill perfectly! It's a place people like to go. And that positive feeling translates to church!
By the way, we're having a forum for churches meeting in movie theaters on May 4, 2006. It's the first forum of it's kind. If your church meets in a theater or you're thinking about launching another location in a theater, plan on attending the forum. And bring your best ideas. I can't wait to see what kind of creative ideas come out of a bunch of theater churches meeting together for half a day. It's an open-source forum so we want everybody to be a contributor. But we'll take part of the forum to share some of the ideas and resources we've developed over the past several years.
There are about 125 theater churches meeting across the country. One of my personal dreams is seeing 1,000 theater churches!
For more info, visit www.buzzconference.com.
The Salt Lake Tribune just did an article on them:
Far from the confines of their now empty chapel in northeast Provo, amid stadium seating, dim lights and popcorn popping out in the lobby, they have found religion at the Provo Towne Center Mall. Welcome to Provo's "Movie Church" modeled after the "Theater Church" the National Community Church in Washington, DC.
Here's the coolest part to me. Dean said, "We've had more visitors in the last six months than we had the previous six years combined."
This is so simple, but here is something I say to church planters all the time when they are trying to figure out where to meet. Meet someplace people feel comfortable going. Movie theaters fit the bill perfectly! It's a place people like to go. And that positive feeling translates to church!
By the way, we're having a forum for churches meeting in movie theaters on May 4, 2006. It's the first forum of it's kind. If your church meets in a theater or you're thinking about launching another location in a theater, plan on attending the forum. And bring your best ideas. I can't wait to see what kind of creative ideas come out of a bunch of theater churches meeting together for half a day. It's an open-source forum so we want everybody to be a contributor. But we'll take part of the forum to share some of the ideas and resources we've developed over the past several years.
There are about 125 theater churches meeting across the country. One of my personal dreams is seeing 1,000 theater churches!
For more info, visit www.buzzconference.com.
6 Comments:
i am so glad to be counted among such a group. i cant wait to get to the conference. our theater church is doing well, since our beginning august 28. it will be good to sit down with other guys doing the same thing.
by the way i quote you all the time.. thanks for the example, and the encouragement i get from reading your blog... it pushes me to make mine successful.
I plan on being there for the theatre church forum. I can't wait.
Can't wait to meet! We'll make sure we import some "popcorn incense" so everyone feels right at home :)
PM -- since I was going out to my cousins' in Waldorf on Sunday, I didn't get a chance to make it to NCC. But I did go to the metro via Chinatown...did you know there are Sunday morning services held at the Regal Cinemas at Gallery Place on Sunday morning? I didn't see the name of a church -- something "metro...."
I've heard about it through the grapevine :) I love it. Thrilled that the concept is catching on!
Mark,
The forum is a great concept! We've been meeting in a theatre for about 4 years and it has been great!
Keep up the great work...
Bob
Post a Comment
<< Home