wfn.org | Congregation sells building, moves into old movie theater

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Nov. 12, 2001  News media contact: Tim Tanton7(615)742-54707Nashville, Tenn.
10-71B{527}

By the Rev. John M. De Marco*
	
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (UMNS) -- Many churches these days are buying video
screens or building sanctuaries equipped for multimedia-infused worship.
Edgewater United Methodist Church took a different approach.

The church bought a movie theater.
	
Edgewater, which moved into a former Regal Cinema 8 complex in July, had
reached a point of potential stagnation because of its physical space. The
Rev. David Blood, pastor, says he spotted the 33,000-square-foot complex in
August 2000 as a potential church home. The deal was struck last spring,
with the church paying $2.45 million for the complex and the theater's
owners purchasing the church's existing property. 

The church's hometown, Port Charlotte, is about midway between Sarasota and
Fort Myers on Florida's west coast.
	
"We went from a property of about 5.5 acres to just under 11 acres," Blood
said. "We went from a residential property four miles west of Highway 41, to
a property on the busiest corner in Charlotte County. God really went into
action for us. He opened the door where we had a lender finance the
(theater) property for us, opened the door where the developers bought our
old property because we couldn't afford to carry two mortgages."
	
The full theater complex is still under renovation. It currently seats 350
for worship, but plans call for the number of seats to increase to 700.
Edgewater currently offers one traditional service and one contemporary
service on Sunday mornings, with about 350 people attending in total.
	
The transition to the theater complex was challenging for church members,
many of whom were very traditional and appreciated a small church
atmosphere. Blood said a key turning point was taking leaders to a
conference at Boca Raton's Spanish River Church last January, followed by a
visit to Fort Lauderdale's Calvary Chapel.
	
"I wanted them to see what a church could look like in a building that was
never designed to be a church," he said. 
	
Edgewater's members worshipped in a parking lot tent the first two Sundays
in July while their worship center was being renovated. On July 15, they
worshipped inside the theater for the first time.
	
Since then, despite the loss of some church members who opposed the change,
Edgewater has seen its new location and potential embraced by many in the
downtown community.
	
"The vast majority of folks coming in are unchurched," he said. "I think
it's a very non-threatening atmosphere. We just try and break down any
barriers that would keep folks intimidated about coming to church. Our
celebration worship is power point, really good music, puppets for the kids
and messages that are relevant about how to get through today."
	
A key partnership has been developed with the YMCA, which has kicked off an
in-line hockey league in the church parking lot. The church also plans to
screen family movies on Saturdays, with various organizations in Port
Charlotte serving as sponsors. 
	
One of Edgewater's key events after the move into the theater was "Family
Extravaganza." The three-day blitz included a Friday night youth rally with
strobe light volleyball in a screening room; children's movies and videos on
Saturday; sheriff's department fingerprinting for children; storytellers;
and a community leaders' forum.
	
"Our worship attendance increased 39 percent in August compared to the
previous August. In September, I think it's up 55 or 60 percent over the
previous September," Blood said.
	
Blood also noted that Edgewater's youth group has "grown immensely." The
church has launched a Tuesday Bible study that starts at 7 a.m. Parents are
invited to bring their children to the church, and the students catch a ride
to school in the church van after the study is over. Between 13 and 25 youth
have attended regularly. "It's pretty wonderful when you have junior high
kids getting up early," Blood said.
	
Blood credits prayer as the foundation that has enabled Edgewater to take
this bold step of faith and begin expanding its territory for making
disciples.
	
"We established John Maxwell's prayer partners program; currently, I have 78
prayer partners in the church," he said. "On Sundays, a prayer team will go
through the entire building and pray -- the nursery, the classrooms, the
whole bit. When folks come into the church, they see folks praying. That
makes an impact. We tell them that they've been prayed for that morning,
every chair in the sanctuary."
	
Blood said future plans call for ongoing renovations to allow for classroom
space and a gymnasium. Four acres in back of the building could become a
park or ball fields. The church also provides about 3,000 meals per year
through a food pantry and sends a team of members twice per month to serve
at a local homeless kitchen.
	
Blood encourages pastors and church leaders to think outside of the box when
it comes to making plans for expanding facilities and looking at spacing
needs. "There (are) more facilities out there than probably the church is
aware." 

# # #
 
*De Marco is a pastor at United Methodist Church of the Palm Beaches in West
Palm Beach, Fla. This story originally appeared in the Florida Annual
Conference edition of the United Methodist Review.

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United Methodist News Service
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