It’s Sunday morning in the middle of March and University Heights Shopping Centre is a refuge of tranquility.
The doors of most businesses remain closed and the few people wandering the corridors appear contemplative, even lost. But the foyer of Landmark Cinemas 4 has sprung alive as 30-somethings, some with children, walk down the stairs leading into the theatre.
Once inside, they stand or sit on plastic chairs, coffee in hand, and share stories. Movable posters featuring the characters of Denzel Washington and Viola Davis in Fences silently stand watch. The atmosphere appears as relaxed as the appearance of the gatherers. But they haven’t come to catch some rare cinematic offering showing outside traditional movie hours. They have come to worship at West Village Church, Theatre 3.
It is not the first question that comes to mind, but it is inevitable. If a church worships in a movie theatre and runs out of communion wafers, will it use popcorn instead?
Rob Martens, one of the church founders, laughs. “Only in a desperate moment if someone forgets to refill our communion supplies, then it’s popcorn and grape crush pop,” he says. “Otherwise, it’s a traditional gluten-free wafer and wine/grape juice.”
On a more serious note, worshipping in a movie theatre promises to be a win-win move for all involved.
Martens said the church wasn’t entirely sure where its congregation was going to worship.
“Then, last October, the territory manager of Landmark Cinemas approached us first about renting their theatre space,” said Martens. “It was pretty amazing. It think it’s a bit of a financial boost for theatres.”
It also “significantly lowers” various costs including overhead, equipment and operation the church would have to bear otherwise, if it had its own building, said Martens. Custodial and building maintenance costs also fall away, he added.
Worshipping in a non-traditional space also sends a signal of openness and inclusiveness – key values for a group that seeks new worshippers.
“As a new church seeking to reach new people, most who have been away from church for many years or are completely new to it, [they] will find it easier and more familiar to come to a movie theatre,” said Martens. “I can’t say how many people I’ve spoken to who are delightfully surprised and interested in a church that is not too tied to traditional buildings and the like.”
West Village Church will move into University Heights Cinema full time come Easter. “Our new group is still small, somewhere between a 40-60 core group,” said Martens. “The few Sundays we have been in Landmark for test runs have definitely seen more people and more energy. We anticipate a rise in attendance from Easter onward into the fall.”
The new location certainly shapes the sermon delivery, said Martens. “Positively, it forces us to up our game and do a better job, seeing that it has to sound and look good using theatre audio visuals,” he says. “Negatively, I think people naturally expect a blockbuster or Academy Award performance every week in the cinema, and that’s a challenge to pull off consistently,” said Martens, with tongue firmly in cheek. “But in truth, we’re ordinary people who are doing ordinary things with gospel intentionally.”
Overall, Martens said his congregation looks forward to its new digs. “We just want our Saanich neighbours to know we’re a new church, that we’re here, and that we’re set on learning how to love our community and neighborhoods in meaningful and practical ways,” he said. “I think people who are open to church and are looking for one, will find a loving group of imperfect people that they can be a part of.”