When people ask me about my dad, I don’t say, “He started a church.”
I say, “He started a church in a car wash.” I do this in part because it lays the groundwork for some hilarious sin/suds jokes but also because everyone knows that God prefers churches that are started in odd locations.
Look it up. It’s in the Bible. I think somewhere in the Old Testament God says, “When two or more people are gathered in my name in a building used as a bowling alley 90% of the week, there too will I be.”
The only problem is that since the mid 80s when my dad did the car wash thing, churches have started raising the game. A car wash just isn’t that exciting anymore. And forget about renting out a high school. One friend of mine holds church in a movie theater and another friend has his church in a bar. Which is cool, but no one’s really done a good job ranking where these odd locations fall on the “God’s favorite location for a church” chart. Fortunately, I have access to that chart, in fact, here it is:
God’s favorite church locations:
(Scale of 1 -10. 1 is you’re still getting into heaven but just barely, 10 is you’ll be living in Billy Graham’s neighborhood.)
1. Inside a high school or middle school.
One of God’s least favorite things is when the youth group boys get into the janitor’s closet. Something about mop bucket races between services really bothers Him. I’m not sure why. It’s the whole deep abyss, mysterious nature thing. Who knows, so renting in a school ranks a 4.
2. Movie Theater
What movies are showing? Seriously, this is going to impact the score. Are we talking about anything involving the Wayans brothers? (Not you Kenan, you know I love you.) If so, welcome to a 1. If the theater is showing the latest Batman and you can do a double feature where you watch the movie first and then analyze it for spiritual angles, that’s a 6.
3. Mobile Churches
God loves these, because a mobile church can meet anywhere and no where all at once. They’re like the A-team, which both I and God are huge fans of. (OK, I don’t know if God is for certain, but I’m pretty sure he likes adventures and Mr. T.) This is an 8.
4. A bar or nightclub or other establishment where people regularly make it rain.
I love the idea of a church with a VIP area. Is it for prayer warriors? Can you save seats if you come early? Is that where the pastor’s family sits? There are so many questions when it comes to renting a bar for your church. One way to prevent them is to just take over the entire place. That’s what Buckhead Christian Church did in 2001. The Gold Club, a strip club in Atlanta or “place where NBA players go” turned into a church in 2001. I don’t know anything that can top that. That’s a 10.
Ultimately, I’m not that sure if God cares about the where of church. He’s probably more concerned with the who and the when. Which is of course us and now, regardless of if that’s in a bar or a building.
Where’s your church located?
Where’s the most interesting place you’ve experienced church?
Monday, November 10, 2008
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140 comments:
My Church is located in an office above a large shopping center. For christmas our normal space won't be big enough so we're hiring out one of the movie theaters in the shopping center.
well my church is in a boring former shopping area.
but i have been to a house church that meets in a former brothel.
-Rog
I know a group of people (raft guides) that hold church in their house but during the summer, if they aren't busy, they raft down a river to a nice sunny spot and eat lunch and have bible studies.
Although I'm not a part of it, theaterchurch.com in Washington DC holds 3 of their 4 services in theaters around the city.
A church in my town also holds (or held) services in a theater.
We were the church that met in a hotel for several years before we were able to buy land and build a building. They were so kind as to give us a closet to keep the altar and banner holders after a while so that we didn't have to haul it all in a trailer. It was always an adventure trying to find church every week because the hotel would move us to different rooms in the oonvention center area. We'd always have the interested convention-ite popping their head in to see what was going on in that room that wasn't part of their convention.
My church is located in a poll barn (nicely decorated)in a town of a few hundred.
ABout 400 members!
People drive from all over!
My Dad started his church IN A FIELD! We brought lawn chairs. Seriously.
Baptised new converts in backyard pools till someone donated a building for us to use---the building had been a pharmacy before we took over.
(Lots of healing took place there).
So. Uh. My church is in a church...
I have been to Church in the Student's Union on campus though. That's odd, worshipping God in a place where God is usually least on people's minds.
My Church meets is a school. People in Holland, who have some 'traumas' left over from an established church are much more likely to walk into a school building than a (classic) church building. It is literally 'instant church' Saturday we pack out, Sunday we pack it in.
My church meets in its building. How boring! :) But, in the past they met at a Jazzercise place and a movie theater. That was before my time.
My church started in an old warehouse. Eventually we bought our own land and built in a big field.
The warehouse eventually became a Best Buy, which is where I worked part time when I first moved to the area. I got to tell people at Best Buy about my church in the context of the old warehouse where Best Buy is now.
Okay, sing it with me...
"It's fun to pray at the....YMCA!"
We're also mobile, so yes we can be anywhere and no where all at once.
Our church is in a regular church, but it supports other churches that meet in an area restaurant and another that remodeled an old car dealership for their church. Also, last week one of our members and some friends had a community worship service on a soccer field.
Early in our marriage we worked with a church that met in a regular office space and did baptism at my husband's physical therapy clinic in his aquatrainer pool.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Cowboy Churches yet, or it that just popular here in Texas?
Our church started meeting at the local arcade/putt-putt. We had to move the pool tables for the band to setup and everyone brought their own chairs. After church, we would turn on the arcade games and let the kids play putt-putt. It was definitely an interesting place to meet. But some of our best memories of our church were there. It was an intimate setting and people still talk about how much they enjoyed meeting there.
We have moved several times since then. Two elementary school gyms later, we are currently meeting in a remodeled building in our downtown.
The church I currently go to has had a long history of meeting in different places. When I first started coming we met in a Junior High School. Then we moved into a Country Club, and then we met in a Fire House. That was the most interesting because the siren went off twice in the service and firefighters rushed in to get their uniforms on, no joke. Add in an outdoor service one day, and finally we arrived where we are now. What was called a barn once.
well, in Lakeland, Fl, where I went to college, there's a baptist church that meets at the mall... well, actually, they bought the old mall and the entire church facilities are the mall. I've never been there but it's always fun to tell people about. They call themselves First Baptist Church at the Mall. Seriously.
My church met is someone's home, then a couple different hotels, an elementary school, high school, then now has its own church building. I don't miss setting up each week.
A church near my home meets in a barn and you bring your horses with you to church.
About a mile away was a church that meets in a barn, but remodelled it to look like a church inside.
My former church held services in a dance studio, where young people go to learn how to make it rain professionally. All those mirrors almost gave the illusion of a huge number of people!
And my present church is a house church.
Does anybody else feel a little funny about meeting in these non-traditional locations? Our church started in a school. Now we are renting an old seat belt factory. Sometimes I just wonder if God is pleased with what we give him. "God, I know that Solomon built you a kickin' temple, but the rent on this abandoned slaughter house was sweet!" I'm not saying that either style of church is right or wrong, I just wonder what happened to going all out for God. After all, He went all out for us. Just a thought.
I go to school in Shreveport, LA, and we have a mall church too! I've never been there, but it's huge. They bought the whole mall and made it into their church building. The weird thing is that there's a Burlington Coat Factory, like, still attached to the church. I don't know if they just didn't want to sell, or maybe God really likes Burlington Coat Factory and wanted it to stay open. But I'd imagine it definitely helps on those mornings when you don't have anything to wear to church, because you can just go a little early and get a new outfit right next door!
My church is in a regular building now, but it started out 20 years ago in the Fraternal Order of Police meeting hall. Our pastor was the police chaplain at the time, so the FOP gave him a deal on renting the room. The meeting room had soda and snack machines in it, so people ate and drank all through the service. Oh, and the smokers smoked. In church. After a couple of years there, we met for a while in the basement of another church before we were able to buy an abandoned church building. We're now building our second expansion!
Our church started out mobile, meeting at a Girl Scout building.
We next leased out a building that was previously a screen printing business with an apartment upstairs...although originally it was a dance hall in the 1920's and there was wicked cool stuff in the basement.
Now we meet in two different sections of a shopping center. One is the big room where we meet for service. The other is smaller rooms for kids, youth, meetings, etc. that we affectionately call the "annex," and that used to be a CPA office. We knew we had arrived when we had an annex...:)
I saw a news story once about a drive-in church held at a drive-in theater where people sit in their cars during the service!!
My church is flippin' huge. I attend with 18,000 of my closest friends weekly. Yep, Six Flags Over Jesus.
All you anti-establishment, in Christian love folks, don't hate on me. The nicest part: one bizillion toilets everywhere. If you were having an "Imodium season" this would be the place for you.
High five to L.C.T. - my church is also old school and meets in a church
But we are very active with the pregnancy clinic and the newest office actually used to be an abortion center ... pretty cool when you think about it.
My in-laws were founding members of a multi-cultural church that took over a building that the KKK used to hold meetings. I love the symbolism of a building used for hatred being transformed into a place of love and unity.
Two of our three church locations are a little out there. We have one in SLC, UT that is an old warehouse and another one in Provo, UT that use to be an old garage/car repair shop. They are both fairly grungy/edgy looking. It works. We like it.
www.experiencetherock.com
-Scrib
There's a church in my area that is meeting in a house type building, which coincidentally, used to be the meeting place for my church (before my time). Anyway, this church is growing so fast that they're needing a new place and one building they almost bought was an "adult" club complete with dance cages and everything. They were so close to getting if had it not been for complications in the sales agreements. So, not quite what you're asking for, but close. :D
My current church - a 3-year-old church plant in northern Berlin - is basically office space. The sanctuary is three or four offices with the walls knocked down.
The church plant my roommate works for just got their own space - it used to be a pretty grungy bar/pub.
In college we had a campus church that would meet in big lecture halls. The church I belonged to though had church in the chapel of a Christian school.
I always thought it would be cool to have church in a theater. Or, if it was a really big church, in an old opera house.
the church i went to when i went to school in Baton Rouge met in a bar. the bar stools they had were pretty uncomfortable, so we always brought our own chairs. it was pretty cool. i don't know where they meet now.
brianne - i've been to that church! my grandparents went there before they bought and renovated the mall. it is sooo huge! but actually pretty cool. you should go!
Beth @ 5:51, When I was in High School in Pompano Beach, Fl., there was a drive in church nearby in Ft. Lauderdale. It was on McNabb road, and you could just drive up, hook the speaker on your window, and go to church. They drew a big crowd every week. No idea if it's still there. Anyone?
Melissa in Raleigh
Movie Theater currently. It's awesome that my daughter thinks church and popcorn go together like PB&J.
I used to go to a church that met at a Senior Center, but when they couldn't house us we met in theaters, the top level of a parking structure, A dance club/bar that was open the night before, and the fair grounds. They eventually got a building and out grew it in three months and started satellite services at a local bar.
My church meets in a church, but my "youth group" meets at dickey's barbecue, and another bible study I go to meets at starbucks. Nothing too interesting... lol
I led worship at a church that, for the first two and a half years of its existence, met in an old Duck Head clothing plant that had been converted into a tire warehouse. We walked past 9 ft high stacks of tires every Sunday on our way to worship. Whenever I smell tire rubber, I now think of church.
And it's in the Atlanta area!
Chuck-
Great question! No, I've never felt uncomfortable worshipping in non-traditional places. With our church plant, we are pretty small and have limited resources and there's no way we could pay to build a building. So we try to do our absolute best with what we have, and sometimes that means being pretty creative! I do think Christians need to strive for excellence in all they do for God, and that means "going all out" to take care of the place God has provided for your church to meet in, whether it's a slaughter house or a cathedral. But I also think it's a good thing Christians realize that the church is not made of buildings, but people. In the new testament, Paul teaches in people's houses, in the Jewish temples, at a school, and outside the city by a river...and probably more places I don't remember right now. I think there's danger in putting more resources into buildings than people.
Sorry for the long comment! Thanks for letting me throw my opinion out there.
When my home church was between buildings, we met in a middle school. Those were some interesting days.
Does "in your back yard directly under the flight path of planes flying in and out of Houston Intercontinental Airport while neighborhood dogs bark during service" count as an odd location?
I love having church at my house. I tried to convince my husband that we needed to have a pool put in (you know, for baptisms) but he wouldn't go for it. Dang!
Word verification: morksbe
Oh, BTW:
Andi -
Heard a lot about the cowboy churches, but have never attended. Sounds cool, though.
My church doesn't have a permanent home, but currently meets in a Freemason hall (which definitely raises the odd eyebrow or two...).
When said Freemason hall is booked for wrestling/coin convention/the Wiggles we relocate to an alternative concert venue which generally hosts music acts which aren't big enough to play at the larger venues in town (think Snow Patrol or Ben Harper).
Well, my church has a regular church building and two "offsite" locations.
One is in a former church that was in a shopping center that would look better suited to hosting indie music. It's a pretty neat environment.
The other is in a high school auditorium.
Our church historically met in the member's homes or barns/sheds. Some still keep the tradition, but when the chickens aren't sick, we meet in what used to be an army bunker. I could explain all that, but it would take too long.
Because the chickens were ill, community centers have been more common. We met in a library once, but I was uncomfortable with that because it is a government run facility and the filth therein.
We met yesterday and will again next week in our home. (One of the few who wants to keep the tradition alive.) One son asked if he could stay in his jammies. Nope, but we allow bare feet. And my sons typically will hog the comfy couch.
Far removed from our forefathers who worshipped in a forest hiding from the authorities.
a deli in Sacramento with homeless Christians and my friends church meets in a belly dancing studio to keep out a nude restaurant from going in across the street. The law states that a sexual nature business has to be so many feet from a church or school.
A church I went to as a small child was located in an old "Texas Theater". It was a really spooky place where we could have had a great haunted house. There was a huge mural on the ceiling with naked people on it fashioned after Roman art probably, but they painted over that. My dad built the stage out for the worship band and built a baptistry in the floor of the stage that was covered by a removable panel. I was baptised there. They also had the fold-up seats original to the theater. I once got my head caught in one and they thought they were going to have to take the chair apart. That church was wicked-awesome!
we used to go to a church that was in a movie theater. the seats were FABULOUS, the kind that lean back! the praise and worship band set up on the stage area in front of the screen, and the sermon was simulcast from the main campus across town. it was actually very cool.
@Beth,
Great comment. We too are a small church with limited resources and I've never been uncomfortable in our meeting places. It's just one of those situations where I can see values in both sides of the argument. Thanks for the feedback.
Chuck
My dad was a church planter too. Our most interesting meeting places were the local high school, City Hall (small town), hotel conference room, and storefront. And of course sometimes our house. Good times.
True North Church in Garner, NC is a mobile church. We bring our stuff in and out of a theater every week. Do we get a combined score for that?
I haven't been but I hear there is a church that meets at MOA
(Mall of America)
the biggest mall in the country
My sister, who lives on the island of St. John, USVI, goes to church on Cinnamon Beach. (The national park service brings a pastor on staff each season for the tourists. How would you like THAT job?) You get the sun and the Son! And a lot of curious looks from scantily clad people.
I helped plant a church that was meeting at a cemetery, in their chapel. We always joked that we were hoping to raise the dead, or that we had a pretty dead crowd at our church.
How does that score?
A reclaimed den of sin! A former.. or should I say.. THE.. former nightclub in our town. The church bought the property and put it to much better use!
flippin sweet. Buckhead Christian Church (actually it's Christian Church Buckhead aka CCB, but who's counting) getting some press on SCL!
my wife and i were on the pre-launch team at CCB.
back when we were renovating the Gold Club i would leave work at 4 or 5, go there to work on the renovation, and stay until 1 or 2am every day of the week, spend a full saturday working there, and do church on sunday AM.
i have enough stories to last a lifetime about that place. the stuff we found in there was unbelievable - from cash (nobody wanted to touch it!) to a man's wedding ring under one of the sofas in a "private room". crazy stuff.
after that we went to phipps plaza movie theatres for a while. that was fun i guess.
now we're in a building that used to belong to Christian Scientists. i guess they all died because they wouldn't go to the doctor or take tylenol or whatever, so we got their building. rad!
We started in an elementary school's gymnatorium, but outgrew that, so now we're in the middle school's auditeria.
I helped with a church in CO that met on the deck of a local bar & grill. People would be getting their buzz on while we were outside at the service.
Our church is in a theme park!
You have to wait 30 minutes after communion to ride the big roller coaster.
Our church in the OC has our own building, but we also have services at a local bar/nightclub on Sundays as well...The Shark Club - for those who would be more likely to check out the Jesus thing at a nightclub than a renovated warehouse!
There's a church in Cincinnati that bought an old water park. How about baptisms in a wave pool?
Don't forget Joel Osteen's church. The former home of the Houston Rockets. Church in a basketball arena.
A church I attended at college met in a one screen movie theater in town.
My church used to meet in a country club (with the double doors to the bar right behind the pulpit- the pastor often talked to people at the bar after the service), but has since moved to a Catholic high school's lunch room.
My church meets in a high school (moved up from an elementary school a few years ago). My church in college was small and met a lot of unusual places, my favorite a small, grungy bar/dance hall complete with mirror ball over where we setup our 'stage.'
Sounds like you need a related post "Being baptized in odd locations." Me - apartment swimming pool, but I have friends who have been baptized in the ocean, a metal horse trough, and one older adult (from Texas) who was baptized on a trip to Isreal in the River Jordan. I bet he gets lots of bonus points for that one.
The building used for the outdoor shots of the Boar's Nest (Dukes of Hazzard) is now a church. Search for Boar's Nest, Covington, GA on Google Maps.
Our church is currently meeting in a school, but is looking into using a closed up lumber company.
My church now is in the process of renovating an old Jewish synagogue where we'll hold services. How cool is that?
I'm pretty sure God likes Mr. T too. And probably Murdock. I know I do!
It's not my church, but we've worshipped a few times at Church Under the Bridge
in Waco, Texas (that's pronounced Way-coh for you non-Texans).
It's a church begun for the homeless in that city and literally meets under the Interstate 35 bridges near downtown and near Baylor University. It's AWESOME and I just know God gives it at least a 9.5!
I forgot!! Our church plant comes from a church that's in a big old theater (not a movie theater, a theater theater) on the square of the town. Most of the building is beautiful and ornate. Not so weird. BUT the weird things about that building are that:
1. There used to be a bar in the basement. We turned it into a space for the youth.
2. The third floor used to house a porn theater. When we were cleaning out the third floor...which was pretty much a dumping area for the whole town...we found reels of film that no one wanted to look at, but curiosity got the better of us, and it ended up being a slasher film from the 80's. Honestly, we were a little bit disappointed. But at least I scored a free bowling ball that day. Fun times!
Word verification: jobean. Am I supposed to start a church in a coffee shop and name it this?
Marni,
I saw an interview with the pastor of The Church under a bridge.
One of the questions was, "What are some of the advantages of having church under a bridge?"
Uhhhhh, WHAT? That still makes me giggle.
our church is the local middle school gym, so not very creative. do we get extra points because the worship leaders put a fishbowl on stage every sunday for the drummer?
When I used to go skiing at Monarch Mountain in Colorado, they would have Sunday worship services at 11am where the bunny slope lift let out. I'm not sure it was an 'official' church, and I never went (gotta ski, I must confess), but it was a nice thought.
Monarch mountain was one of the coldest ski areas I ever went to...maybe singing Amazing Grace in minus-zero wind chills was another thing that put me off.
My church has services in at the SC State Museum. We make use of many of the different rooms. Makes for a great environment for the kids. We have also had baptism service at places like top of parking garages. And we even had a Easter service in the VIP suite at the college football stadium (which was a 5 story escalator ride).
www.midtownfellowship.com
I go to church in a regular church building that still has a cross on it's steeple and in the sanctuary!
My brother goes to a church in a former funeral home. Best part is the name: All Saints
off-topic, but...
Jon, I have a suggestion for a post! Christians like a. having full coffee shops at their church and b. naming them ridiculous things. My church has "Jehovah Java" (Which I'm pretty sure means "Our God the Coffee," but my cries of sacrilege have gone unheeded...) and I just passed a church in Jasper, TX who calls their little coffee place "HeBrews."
The church we were attending when we got married was a former casket factory/warehouse. Definitely lacking in ambiance!
My church meets in a community gym thing. Not all that weird, but we got flooded out of it about four years ago and we had to meet for a week in a Masonic Lodge. We weren't allowed to go upstairs, and they wouldn't tell us why. Hard to beat that one.
I would LOVE to see baptisms at Car Wash Church!
My church started out as a home Bible Study. They expanded to a size that warranted renting an elementary school cafeteria and some classrooms. And about 5 years ago, an older church that was withering down GIFTED our church with its campus. Church building(s), parsonage house, baseball diamond... What a blessing! Now, we are raising funds for a new sanctuary.
Movie Theater. It rocks, seriously! Great big screen, comfy seats with cup holders... it's sweet!
The first few weeks we were in there, "What Happens in Vegas..." was in our theater. Niiiiice.
Our church is in an old call center where my husband used to work.
We're in a movie theater with the stadium seating and all but honestly, its not our first choice. In fact, I think its pretty far down on the options table but there it is.
Upside: central location, easy to find, less intimidating for the new visitor/christian.
Downside: no classrooms for Children's ministry or Member meetings. Only available on Sunday mornings, and theaters weren't designed for looking at the bottom of the screen where the elder preaches.
A weeknight worship service I attended during college was held in the attic above a bar. So while you're singing "God of Wonders" you can also hear the musical stylings of a craptastic local band who sounds like they started taking advantage of the "open bar for talent" four hours before they went on.
Our church plant meets in an elementary school, which lets my (backwards, antisocial, geeky, weird) home schooled children experience all the delights and smells of a public school building w/o having to be there every day.
I actually work with churches who meet in a movie theatre. We currently manage close to 200 churches that meet in theatres all over the country. They do some cool stuff in the auditoriums. But they do also have their challenges!
There is a church that meets under the highway in Waco, Texas. I have heard that they have a pretty large turnout. Their members are pretty diverse as well, elderly, homeless, couples, familes, etc. From what I understand they grew so large in number they eventually had to relocate. I would think the road noise would be an obstacle too.
A friend of mine went to a few of their services and said it was incredible.
My church meets in an old renovated airplane hanger. I thought that was pretty creative :-)
I was a part of a church start that began in a home but then started renting space from a local children's ministry office. The building was shaped like a big shoe box and was actually an old data processing center for the bank across the street. Had hollow floors for the computer cables..and me being a man of some significant mass..would go through a floor panel every now and then while leading worship or just moving around.. had to be kinda careful.
among the church buildings i've attended services in:
Warehouse
Masonic Hall
Renovated Sportsplex (we kept the huge rock wall for the youth room!)
Renovated retail store
Elementary school
I've never been to church in theater unless you count the Passion of the Christ special church pre-viewing!
we used to go to a church that was "too cool for school" meeting in a mall...but when we got kicked out - I started the church of the porch...
Is that true about the church in the water slide park? If so, and I ever get to go do a book tour, please know that church will be stops 1-14 on the tour.
Jon
My current church meets in a building that we purchased - but it's not a traditional brick building.
I've been a member of a church plant that started meeting in a gas products showroom and we sat at patio furniture sets for the service, then progressed to a vacant electric cooperative building and then progressed to a local high school.
When I was a little girl, our church was held in a skating rink. It was great fun! Free skate for all after the service.
So I definitely work at a coffee shop.
And there is definitely a church that meets there.
And it's definitely annoying.
In the summer, it's fine because they can whip out their guitars outside, but in the winter it is obnoxious.
Our church meets in an alternative high school. Nothing says "Welcome!" like a glass case of at-home drug tests in the foyer.
And kids in Sunday School get twice the education while reading STD Awareness posters the students have made, illustrated, and hung on the classroom walls.
That said, I think this school is worth more than 4 points...
When I was a child, my parents helped plant a church an indoor strip mall that doubled as a skating rink in the evenings.
to melissa in Raleigh.
yes!!!! that church on McNab is still there. I drove past it just a week or so ago when I was home visiting my parents. I'm not sure if they still have the speaker attached, but it's still fairly active. They were having a Harvest Festival the weekend i was there, of course, b/c of it being Halloween and all. It's so funny that you mention that, because I thought of that after I read the post about the drive in! lol
When I lived in Cameroon, West Africa, I attended church at a Hilton Hotel.
We are located at TADA and theater.. but there is a some cool caveats.. it's an historical theater in a historical and hip area of Richmond,va. The Byrd. We just started up and one of the cool things about being in the byrd is that we are helping to revitalize the theater via our rent.
ALSO there was no room for a children area, so we started a romp and roll a few door downs, 6 days a week it's a coffee shop romp and roll, and on sundays it's the childrens area. Here's the sites We're called Area 10:
http://www.churchatthebyrd.com
or
http://www.area10church.com
we're at a former funeral home. where death once was, life will be given - life to the fullest!
cityonahillculpeper.org
When I was in junior high, our church met in a roller rink. The service was set up such that if you had your eyes open during worship, you were staring at a huge three story roller skate!
yeah...My church now meets in a movie theatre,or a coffee shop, depending on which service you go to. i also used to go to, and helped start, a church that met at a rec center or occasionally other churches in the area. Good times! One church i went to meet an an outdoor ampatheatre during the summer.
my church is located in what used to be Thompsons Food Basket. A grocery store. I remember shopping with my mom there when I was a little kid...and now it's where I worship God.
Love it!
=]
my church meets in a school portable. that could belong to one of two categories: school or mobile. Yeah, mobile. Technically, you could hook that thing up by a hitch, and pull it somewhere with a giant semi. I'm thinkin' we could pull it to the local Picadilly (no lines after church; we'd be the first ones there), or maybe the local pool so we could baptize easily and have parties and get around on floats with (virgin) pina coladas after church. I don't know. But I'm a fan of this mobile portable trailer church idea.
My weirdest church spot was in a nursing home, several years ago. Do I get a prize for the worst place to have to get up and go to on Sunday morning?
The church consisted of three families, including the pastor, and... bless their hearts, some of the least healthy nursing home residents I've seen, wheeled in by sullen staff. Some of the residents really got something out of the services, or at least the hymns (I think music sticks better with people who have lost some of their mental capacity), but most were really out of it. Either asleep, or too awake, as there would tend to be a disruption once in a while...
I was about 13. And I still had that really guilty fear and dislike for nursing homes, mostly those with a large number of senile residents.
And thankfully I haven't actually said any of the worst things. :D
My church is just a good ol church looking building, you cant mistake it.
But once a year we, the youth group, go away to what is called Farm Stay, as in we stay a weekend on a farm, sleeping in the old wool shed.
Thats a pretty awesome church/youth service each morning/night around the bonfire.
My church used to be a military complex of some kind.
i worked with a church this past summer that held a lakeside service on gorgeous lake anna, virginia. the area was open to the water, complete with docks so that people on the lake could float up in their boats and listen to the sermon.
My current church was a motorcycle shop prior to our moving in last year. When I was a kid we went to church in an old fire station.
Maybe my favorite "church location" is the "Tabernacle" at Ponca Bible Camp. It's like the pavilions at many church camps, just a roof over a concrete slab (there is a wall at the stage end, with closets bookending the stage), except it is smaller, and it's in the woods, and it's most of the way up a really steep hill, and bats roost in the rafters. Other outdoor "churches" up there on my list too.
Really, every house where somebody hosts a bible study is a church building, probably the most biblical (New Testament) kind in fact.
I've been to and/or worked at churches that met 1) at the beach (rain or shine) 2) next to a duck pond at a park in the epicenter of the worst gang activity in the city. After a rocky start where the gang guys tried to steal some of the women's purses, we eventually won them over and when the bus of another church drove by they were throwing rocks at it... they said they were invading our turf... we had to explain we didn't work that way. I also met at parks / schools / rec rooms at boys and girls clubs / hotel meeting rooms / night clubs / people's houses / camps complete with camp residents who were recovering addicts and borrowed church buildings... Ok that made me tired just thinking about it.
as a child i went to church in a room at the gas station. we would drive over the trip-bell-cord on the way in! ding-ding!
that's all i've got.
We just built a new church but before that we met in an old feed store(they had built a new store so at least we didn't have to share), although sitting around on 50# bags of dog food, cattle feed, or chicken maize would be a pretty sweet deal!
At the long-term care facility where I work, we have church every Sunday for the residents that are unable to go to a "regular" church[for whatever reason]. It is a blessing to see how happy it makes them. Plus, they do all the old school hymns which I [secretly] love, so it's a blessing to me too! =]
I just had to comment because you said that a movie theater showing Batman + a discussion after would bump it up to a 6. I personally feel that's in the 7-9 range (depending on the quality of the discussion... but at least a 7).
My church meets in the storefront of a home/basement in Taiwan.
Enjoying the posts,
-Chase
Hahaha, my church does meet in an old movie theater. Nothing beats the comfy seats...
In a coffee shop during regular hours on Saturdays once a month. It had a center isle with the band on one side and the crowd on the other. Sometimes unsuspecting customers would walk straight through the sermon to order their mochas. I thought that was cool and weird at the same time. I miss it.
Proud to be meeting in what used to be a Wal-mart
My family used to attend a church that met in an old barn that had been converted into a church. The coat closet used to be a horse's stall. The floorboards were worn and uneven, and children's church met in the cellar.
It was actually quite lovely--they cut a huge hole in one of the sides of the main room of the barn and put in a stained-glass window.
-Mary Katherine
My church met in a movie theater for close to two years. We recently moved out, only a few storefronts away, into a more permanent location in the mall!
It was actually a really neat experience meeting in a movie theater... Comfy chairs and dim lighting... Yes please! It was strange, though, when you'd walk in and notice that a horror movie or something was set to play only minutes after we had packed everything up.
Of course, my church put a twist on meeting in a movie theater... Part of the idea was that it was one church, in two locations - one on each side of the river, with an actual church building on one side. Thus, they would actually play the video of the pastor on the theater screen.
I kind of miss it... But it's awesome not having to set up!
Our church is currently located in an old seafood processing plant (that's Alaska for you!). We bought it from the State of Alaska after they shut down the facility. And NO it does not smell like fish.
Before that we were a "church on the move" we had outgrown our current facility, and basically had a portable church loaded in the back of 2 semi trailers that would set up and tear down at a local high school gym every week.
(comment #115 -- if anyone reads this it will be a miracle!)
When I was ministering in Bucharest,Romania a few years after the fall of communism, our church met in the Sala Palatului (the People's Palace), the building where the dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu used to hold all his rallies. It was awesome to hear one lady say, with tears in her eyes, "I once used to be here praising Ceaucescu. Now I am here praising Jesus."
kaybee, that is super awesome!
The strangest place I've had church was in a bar. Strange because it was so laid back and real! The strangest places I've attended mini-worship services are: a tent (while it poured rain outside), on a mountain, by the ocean, around a campfire, in an African village (while sitting on a mat), in a chicken coop, on a bus.
Our church in Athens, GA met in so many different locales. Above a restaurant, in a carpet store front, in other churches (at different times)---but BY FAR the most entertaining was the bar we met in. We all smelled like stale smoke and the nursery was across from the main bar. We had to cover the naked lady lamps with pillow cases. HOWEVER, we were the only church in town who could boast that we had an ELECTRIC BULL in the nursery!! Yee Haw! A little ride on the electric bull and some Benedryl Jell-O shooters and we had those babied sleeping like angels! ;)
Pre-school/Day Care Center ... complete with toilets that are 18" tall, coat hook that jab you in the hips, Sunday School chairs that fit 3-year olds and a 'sanctuary' with a toy kitchen and hula-hoops.
I visited a church a few years back that was meeting in a brewery in Huntsville AL. The brewery caught fire and burned down a little over a year ago and the church obviously had to move, but it did survive.
Our church used to be a hardware store. I remember going there with my dad when I was little to get wood from the lumber department. I think Jesus would approve of a church where carpenters hang out.
Church for Men meets in a gym. Watch Fox News Channel and NBC coverage at youtube links below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML12GOZgejE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlhMoTnkpwk
Church in a brothel story at my blog.
http://churchformenflorida.blogspot.com/2008/10/church-for-prostitutes.html
My favorite church is located in a funeral home. That's right, a funeral home. If there is a funeral later that day, the body is moved out and then back in for the service. Betcha didn't see that one coming, huh? The church is a wonderful group of people, however, and I only wish that I lived closer.
A bathroom -
A hotel room -
because church is anywhere that I've worshiped God passionately, even if by myself!
Love that one about the funeral home. How many of us have felt we might as well have been worshiping in a funeral home, that we're in church with the living dead?
Our church brought new life to an old funeral home :-)
I didn’t join in this blog earlier because we are not a church, we are a ministry. We have a clothing ministry, food & hot meals, children’s ministry, teen ministry & adult ministry. We have jail ministry, skateboarders & cowboy breakfast.
We are very careful not to look like a church, no where use the word church, and don’t dress like a church. For years I would say, "We are not a church, we are a ministry". Still we have people say “We’re going to your church!”
After 14 years we are in our 8th & final location.
1. We begin in our home.
2. We moved to an abandoned house much like a barn no windows, no kitchen, we cooked & hauled food from our home 12 miles out, when we were not having fish fries.
3. We moved to the fellowship hall of the church we were attending at the time.
4. We moved to a house turned restaurant, we rented it until the owner decided to turn it back into a house, it is now a beauty salon.
5. We moved to the kitchen of a hot meals program, we were allowed to meet in the building but not use the kitchen equipment, so hauled food from our home 12 miles out. Later we were able to use some of the equipment.
6. We met at the City Park, hauling food from our home 12 miles out.
7. God moved on our behalf & the funds were donated to buy an old elementary school that had been abandoned for 20 years, with 3 buildings & almost 7 acres! Praise God! We met in a donated trailer house while working on the buildings
8. We are now in our 8th & final location!
The 1st building now has rec room, huge kitchen & media area. 2nd building 339 seat auditorium & we now have 2 bands. The 3rd building still needs a roof, electricity & water. We also have outdoor concerts & have a vision for a “Party Bus” complete with a band & food.
Our church just bought a bank. We use the old vault to store music equipment.
Can't complain about the security system.
We meet in the gym of the YMCA. For 10 years we've been setting up and taking down our church each week--which suddenly seemed a lot nicer once our pastor made the comparison to the Israelites moving the tabernacle around the desert for 40 years.
I went to a church that was held in a pizza parlor. It was very difficult to concentrate as the musician at altar time because the owner came in to make pizzas to serve the congregation while we were praying with people responding to the message. For some reason the pizza seemed so much more inviting at the time. -- I REPENT OK!
My church meets under a bridge. It was started as a bible study with five homeless men and now it has grown to over 300 regular attendees since it was started fifteen years ago. If anyone wants to visit, just come under I-35 in Waco, TX.
in college i went to church at a closed planet hollywood. a giant car hung from the celing and the room i was in had zebra print carpet.
The first church we helped plant met in the local Masonic temple because nobody else would rent to us. We met in the basement with the Coke machine right behind the pulpit...along with both the men's room & ladies' rooms. The light switches were outside the facilities. One of the funniest things was a lady walking up and into the "ladies", then sticking her hand out and flicking the switch on. Oh, and then there was the time a little tyke went in and came out with his pants down. Really can't remember the sermon, but the look on his mommy's face was priceless.
From there we purchased a former liqour store and remodeled that.
Those were the days!
When I went on an inner-city mission trip to New Orleans (pre-Hurricane insanity), our base church building had been converted from an old disco. As in, the disco floor was still there under the industrial strength berber carpeting. And the walls had gold flecks in the paint that showed up in all of our photos as weird blobs of bling. It was pretty sweet and congregants were cool too.
I still think the car wash is pretty cool. My church meets in the Skinny Improv, a local comedy club downtown. You've got to admit, that's pretty sexy.
the "oddest' place i ever went to a church service was on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier in the middle of the meditteranean sea on easter sunday in 2003...it was a sunrise service.
My church used to meet in an Public Elementary School Gym (talk about an acoustical NIGHTMARE). We now have a building that we built, and ironically, we now share it with a private Christian Elementary School. When we first started though, our church offices were in a funeral parlor. I don't know how many times I would come to work and have to walk around cadavers on carts outside the embalming room to get to my office. We then moved to office space above a florist, where we would have to sometimes store extra floral stuff in our offices, because the florist gave us the space for free.
The church I grew up in met for most of my childhood in our town's one-screen theater. So just under the marquee was unfurled a banner across the thick wooden pillars on main street "(our church's name) meeting here"
They had some pictures in the church offices of some of the classics. Revenge of the Nerds
and Bachelor Party were among those shots.
Your dad has yet to mention the possibility of a car wash location for his new church. So long as I could get my car washed during the service, I'm in! You can follow the progress of Mark Acuff's new church at www.churchinchapelhill.com
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