If you were to give a church planter advice on doing church in a theater, what would it be?

Build a good relationship with the GM.  That’s been something I’ve primarily done.  We get along well.  I like him and he likes me.  We’ve build trust.  When we first started, we asked to do our service at 10am.  He told us no because he didn’t trust we could be out on time.  After meeting there 9 months, we asked again.  We have our first service at 10am this Sunday.

What have you done to build that relationship of trust?

We have a rule that we always leave the theater in better condition than when we arrived.  One room in particular always needs swept and cleaned during setup.  We also are honest and always ask for things.  In previous ministries I didn’t always do that.  I thought it was better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.  That damaged relationships more than building trust.  So if we need something from the theater we ask first.

Are people beginning to identify you as the church that meets in the theater?

Yes, we’ve intentionally marketed that way.  We’ve done our baptism services in other churches with 24/7 facilities.  They are hard to find.  The nice thing about the theater is everyone knows where it is and how to get there.  What has surprised me a little is that meeting in a theater has been an obstacle for some people from a more traditional denominational or Catholic background, even the younger ones.  They have been unsure about a church in a theater.  Once they come they get over that though.  But for most people the theater is a great location and environment for church.

Thanks Carl for that great insight.  If you want to learn more about doing church in a theater, check out National Cinemedia’s webinar happening today, May 14th at 1pm est.  To register click here.

• Buy movie tickets.  I’ve seen people do this randomly or intentionally.  After service is over, stick around and purchase tickets for people.  This simple act of generosity will lead many people to ask why, giving you an opportunity say a good word for God.  Other church planters have been more intentional and partnered with the theater to do ticket buy downs, where the church pays for $2 – $3 of each ticket.
• Partner with the theater for community movie nights.  While I was in Charlotte with LifePointe Christian Church, this was a big event for us.  The theater provided popcorn and ticket giveaways and we showed a new release to DVD free to the community.  If you want details, download my instruction sheet I provided to volunteers who helped plan it.
• Partner with the theater for community projects.  Whether its a food drive, old sneaker collection spot, old glasses collection spot, or anything else, the theater is a meeting place for the community and thus a great place for a collection spot.  Partner with the theater for a cause.  The theater will love it because its great PR and you’re doing the work.  Be sure to let people know how they can get involved if they care about the cause.
• Because the theater is a gathering place, its also a great place to get community surveys.  Demographic reports only tell one side of the story.  You have to get information from actual people living in the community.  Offer to buy concessions or tickets in exchange for someone filling out a short survey.  Make sure you have permission from the GM first.  You could even partner with the theater for the survey if the survey focused on community needs.

What other missional opportunities have you seen in theater churches?

Want to learn more about holding church services in a theater?  There is a free webinar hosted by National Cinemedia tomorrow, May 14 at 11am Mountain time.  Sign up at http://bit.ly/4fpocS.

• How to “do church” in the theatre or alternative venue
• Advantages and challenges of alternative venues
• How to optimize your space and location for growth
• How to incorporate your facility into your church’s mission
• And other great random pearls of wisdom about planting a church in a theater.

If you are interested Click here to register.