For several years, we have had a young friend who has told us about her church, Next Level Church .  She described it as a church with eight locations all movie theaters.  The sermon is simulcast from them"home base" in Andover, Massachusetts.  This morning we had a show at their Saco, Maine location, and it is unlike any church we have ever seen.

our shows were before and after the actual service, because I mentioned the sermons are simulcast onto the movie screen.  We did our shows in the foyer of the Saco Cinemagic.  Between our gigs we went to the service in the theatre.  While there was live worship music, the sermon was on the silver screen.  yet there is an area pastor, who was our initial contact person, who is available for face to face ministry after the service and throughout the week for those in the Saco area.

This was so foreign to our church experience, and we've experienced more styles of church than most.  I must say, the movie theatre seating had it all over the typical New England Puritan style wooden pews.  But the fact that we were watching a movie just didn't feel like church.

that said, we were surprised by the number of young families present.  An ongoing challenge for most Maine churches is how to reach out to the next generation, and this format seems to be working. Also, as Sue, Rose and I discussed it on the way home, we realized it is probably much more cost effective to rent theaters on Sunday mornings than to build a new church building.  And providing a local pastor still allows for personal ministry, and local events that are ever so important to the life of a church.  Pastor Matt has already spoken to us about coming back for some of these events, as well as sharing our information with the other seven location pastors.  We'll be there any time any one of those churches want to book us.

but I still prefer a church building with a live preacher.