Multi-Site Churches in Movie Theaters

Yesterday the Buzz Conference kicked off with a first-of-its-kind forum to address a theater approach to being a multi-site church. Of the 350 attendees the conference attracted, 80 attended the pre-conference forum for churches that mee t in movie theaters. 

Mark Batterson, lead pastor at National Community Church in Washington D.C., has a passion for churches to meet in movie theaters. Mark came to faith at age 5 after watching a movie, The Hiding Place. As he observes, “The way we come to Christ often has a huge impact on how we try to reach others for Christ.”

His church has been meeting in movie theaters since 1997 (9 years). Their original location, Union Station, is the most visited tourist destination in Washington, D.C. He says, “We’ve got our own metro system, food court, bus stop, and taxi stand!”  Notes from Mark’s presentation: 

How to Make Theater Church Work

1. Always remember Sociology 101: Theaters make it easy for people to overcome their fear of their unfamiliar.

2. Treat your movie screens as stained glass for a postmodern and post-literate culture, telling the gospel story in moving pictures. Neurologically speaking, a picture is worth 10 million words–whether 4:3 ratio or a high-definition ratio!

3. For longevity in a theater, become as plug-and-play as possible (semi-permanent), such as storing materials on-site, putting the drum set on a rolling platform, etc.

4. Keep communicating that church isn’t a building: We can’t go to church because we are the church. To overcome the attitudes of people who might be uncomfortable with impermanence, use an Old Testament analogy: there are temple churches (stationary) and tabernacle churches (they moved whenever the cloud moved). Both are legitimate.

5. Use video trailers to promote upcoming sermon series, in order to build anticipation. Run them during or before worship as well as on your website.

6. Remember that high touch more important than high tech, so put just as much energy into being personable as being tech savvy. “Meet one and greet all,” is the church hospitality director’s slogan to emphasize the idea of making everyone feel welcome, and getting to know at least one person on a deeper level. A theater environment sometimes invites a spectator Christianity. As Heather Zempel, our small groups director says, “Finding a way to plug people into the community of the church is essential for real spiritual growth to happen.” All small groups and Bible studies meet on Sunday nights and throughout the week, but not Sunday mornings. All are in homes and marketplace settings, but not the theater.

7. Look at win-win relationships, in which the theater really wants you there. “We treat theater management well, blessing them with gifts, paying bills promptly,”  Mark says.

8. Do an annual “God in the box office” series, since Americans get the majority of their theology from movies (and music). They become the hardest-hitting message to talk about real issues surfaced by contemporary movies.

9. Be playful in matching the theater environment – use popcorn buckets for the offering, run video previews on the screen before the service, create NPAA ratings for various sermon series, and play with themes like “Now meeting in a theater near you.”

10. Remember that aesthetics are important: fifteen chapters of Exodus are devoted to the interior design of the tabernacle, from the color of the curtains to smell of the incense.

National Community Church has figured out how to take ownership of its environment, from strategically placing fake trees to cover select theater signage to using a parachute in the children’s area to cover a ratty theater carpet.

Website: www.theaterchurch.com and church staff listing

Guest:

Barry Brown said that National Cinemedia has gone from 3 churches meeting in their theaters 4 years ago to more than 100 today. They currently represent AMC, CineMark, Regal, United Artists, Edwards, and Georgia Theater Company.

Panelists:

• Dean Jackson, Rock Canyon Church, Provo, UT, came into a 65-year-old traditional church. His biggest challenge is a traditional mindset, overcoming the mentality of “church is a building.” He says, “theater church doesn’t generally appeal to traditional folks!”  Biggest upside: number of people who haven’t been to church in years but who experience God at Rock Canyon Church.

• Trinity Jordan, Elevation Church a 4-month-old church plant, Layton, UT, has seen many answered prayers in how God opened the door for their meeting site. What they do best: (1) website www.elevation.cc, including 715 subscribers to their podcast; (2) 75%  involvement in house churches, (3) great relationship with managers.

• Gary Lamb from Ridgestone Church, Canton, GA, launched 18 months ago, moved 7 months ago (when at 250 attendees) to a 15-screen theater, and has grown to 450 attendees now, using the largest screen in Georgia, “We couldn’t imagine being anywhere other than a theater,” he says. They’re even building a 45’x45’ storage shed adjacent to the theater. Their goal is to reach “postmodern rednecks.” See his blog: www.garylamb.org. Best thing they did: move children’s curriculum to DVD-based “KidMo” (see www.kidmo.com, http://www.kidmo.com)

By Warren Bird, posted at http://geoffsurratt.typepad.com/multisite_revolution/