Worship gets its closeup at theaters

GREAT FALLS Shortly after 7 a.m. Sunday, a crew from The Faith Center pulls up to Carmike 10 Cinemas with a trailer packed with worship service supplies.

By 9 a.m., the lobby, framed by closed concession stands, dark ticket windows and posters for upcoming attractions such as The Expendables 3, is transformed to a warm greeting area. Ushers hand out bulletins, and banners direct the congregation to the nursery, worship service and a stocked coffee bar.

In March, The Faith Center joined a national trend, using movie theater space that is otherwise empty Sunday mornings to hold worship services.

“We have 750 people come to worship with us each Sunday between our Saturday night service and two Sunday morning services,” said the Rev. Rick Gough, the senior pastor at The Faith Center. “We were looking at $1 million to expand our church building. Holding a service at Carmike solved that problem for us.”

In 2001, Regal Entertainment Group, which has 573 theaters nationwide, had three churches using theater space for worship services. Today, there are more than 100. The company launched a Theatre Church division in 2007 to facilitate leases with churches.

“While interest has exploded in recent years, it’s truly an ageold concept that has been attractive to leaders of faith communities seeking new homes for a long time,” said Russ Nunley, vice president of marketing and communications for Regal Entertainment.

The Faith Center pays Carmike a monthly fee and also updated its audio and visual equipment at the main campus to free up existing equipment to use for the 9 a.m. Sunday theater service.

However, those costs are far less than a church expansion project.

And the theater service is generating some unexpected pluses.

People with hearing loss have said they have an easier time following along in the theater service because of better acoustics, said Cheryl Kind, a volunteer coordinator for the theater service.

“And the kids love it. I have parents tell me their children can’t wait to come,” she said.

KYLIE RICHTER, THE GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE, VIA AP The Faith Center started holding its services at the Carmike 10 Cinemas in Great Falls, Mont., in March.