Issue Date: October 31, 2004

RELIGION

The new houses of God

Coming to a church near you: skate parks, coffee bars and video sermons.

By Vyvyan Lynn

For years, places of worship were easy to identify. Steeples, jewel-toned stained glass and prominent religious symbols have long defined the religious landscape of every community.

Recognizing today's churches is tougher. As congregations deal with declining attendance, a growing number are enlisting a new psychology to bring people inside: pop culture. Think coffee bars, skate parks, surround-sound audio systems and movie theaters that hold the interest of a generation fascinated by high-tech gadgetry.

The result: religious centers, some open all week, that resemble sports complexes or shopping centers more than traditional churches. Many congregations are looking for a "Disney-style experience," says Fort Worth builder Greg Barron, who lists lobby cafés and rec-style clubs for teens among the most popular add-ons.

These new megachurches, many of which are non-denominational, are the ultimate "destination building," says architect Duncan Stroik, a professor at the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture and editor of the journal "Sacred Architecture." "Like a shopping mall in which there is a quantity of stuff for prices that can't be beat, [attendees] see church as theater."

Some examples: Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, changed its name from Las Colinas Baptist Church to draw a larger crowd; it throws Saturday-evening socials for singles.

California is a leader in megachurches, such as the 120-acre campus of Saddleback Church outside Los Angeles.

In Woodstock, Ga., First Baptist Church -- four stories, with escalators -- seats 7,200 and offers weekday preschool.

Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., with room for more than 7,000, houses a food court.

In Atlanta, Buckhead Church is a former Harris Teeter grocery store converted into a 48,250-square-foot complex with a movie theater and a teen center; worshipers watch video sermons on giant TV screens. Since the church opened last year, Sunday attendance has increased sixfold.