From cinema to church

The Holy Word: Now playing in a theater near you.

An increasing number of churches, including several in Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls, are turning to the multiplex for an attractive and convenient location to hold Sunday services. The roomy, stadium seating, huge screen behind the pulpit and the neutral nonchurch territory make the venue a box office hit, pastors say.

“People have responded there; we have had a lot of first-time visitors,” said James Crew, pastor of Grace Baptist Church, which rents out the Post Falls Theater on Seltice Way. “It’s a familiar place to people.”

A recent survey found that more than 250 churches nationwide meet in cinemas in at least 36 states, according to the Leadership Network, a Dallas-based nonprofit that works with innovative churches across the country. Some national entertainment media groups even offer special packaging to churches.

Grace Baptist Church began meeting in the Post Falls cinema about a year and a half ago. They followed in the footsteps of other local churches, such as Fellowship Bible Church and Real Life Ministries, which has exploded in growth since starting in the Post Falls cinema.

“They had success from moving on from there,” said Crew, adding that Grace Baptist is planning to relocate in the future.

Grace Baptist attempts to make the cinema as churchlike as possible by covering up the movie posters and other theater-oriented items, he said. The venue is convenient, though, he said.

“We don’t have to set up chairs,” Crew said.

He especially appreciates the cinema’s signature feature: the massive screen.

“We can make our PowerPoint as large as we want, so that works really well,” Crew said.

For Candlelight Christian Fellowship, renovating the old Showboat movie theater along U.S. Highway 95 in Coeur d’Alene was an easy decision. The theater sat vacant for several years before Candlelight moved in. The church began a major overhaul of the building nearly a year ago, and celebrated its first Sunday service Sept. 9.

“For us, the advantage was the size and location,” Pastor Paul Van Noy said.

The church began in his living room 10 years ago, Van Noy said.

“We’re just very thankful to the Lord that this opportunity has been provided to us,” he said. “This has been a tremendous blessing.”

After the $1 million renovation, Van Noy said, the five-theater building now has little of the cinema flavor left. The lobby is dominated with a rock fireplace. The former projection rooms hold the church’s offices. The largest theater has been transformed into a two-level children’s ministry department. The second theater now is a multipurpose room. And the three smallest theaters have been combined into a 600-seat auditorium.

A theatrical effect still remains with a stepped-platform floor in the auditorium and the massive movie screen at the back of the stage.

“It’s awesome,” Van Noy said of the screen. The church can use it for PowerPoints, videos and video streaming, he said.

The theater’s marquee still is on the exterior of the building, but it now sports Candlelight’s signage.

The building’s history may draw some church visitors, Van Noy said.

“I’m sure there have been some people who have come (because of) the nostalgia of it,” he said.