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Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to walk through the Regal Cinemas near Central Park to consider a theater as a location for Christ Covenant's Sunday morning worship service and ministry. It was arranged by Bonnie Smith, a national Regal employee who served for years as an EPC Women's Ministry leader but is now helping put churches and special events in Regal theaters around the country. I got to meet Matt Foster, the local manager of the theaters. Both are GREAT folks and would be wonderful to work with.
We walked through all the auditoriums with lights on and began to consider doing ministry in that setting. There was a lot that I liked:
- It was less expensive than Salem School.
- The space was newer and jazzier.
- The location is more accessible and known.
- We could do GREAT video clips and art pieces.
- Surprisingly, I could see the setting for our Children's Ministry as much improved there.
- Bonnie's organization had expertise and help in making this change work well.
But for all of that, the Steering Committee has decided that this location would be low on our list, and we will continue praying and looking for something better. What was the problem? The architecture of a movie theater would significantly alter the corporate worship experience in a way that was counter to our stated vision and values in two major ways. Let me explain them.
