Photos by Jim Kumorek.
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Grace Point Church, North Las Vegas, NV
This portable church achieves extraordinary stage design and production
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Pastor Devin Hudson observes setup, which starts at 6:00 a.m. each Sunday. (Photo by Jim Kumorek.)
In our world of mega-churches boasting seven-figure multimedia systems, one can’t help but wonder about the flip side of the coin—churches that survive, even thrive, without a building or real estate. This conjures up a vision of the earliest Christians, meeting in secret to share their faith in a seemingly hostile world.
Since opening its doors in January 2006, this nondenominational church has grown to serve nearly 800 worshippers in its two Sunday services. “We’re an externally focused church,” says Hudson, “We really do only three things—our weekend gatherings, our small groups, and community service. So it’s a very simple church paradigm. Do three things and do them with absolute excellence.”
A Unique Approach
What sets Grace Point apart is its location—Las Vegas, a.k.a. Sin City. “We’re in a culture that has so few churches, the particular part of the city that we’re in is virtually unchurched,” notes Hudson. “We’re one of the only growing evangelical churches within a seven- or eight-mile radius, and you’re talking about the second fastest-growing area in America.” But the idea of filling a void is only part of the vision. In order to compete for attention in the capital of big-budget entertainment, Grace Point knew they had to go beyond the basics to create a truly engaging environment. Taken alone, this is a substantial challenge. To do so without a permanent building was even more daunting.
Hudson elaborates: “Being in Vegas, there’s a certain level of excellence that is required in order to engage the hearts and minds of the people here—and we feel like they deserve that. So it’s really about creating a worship environment that can do that.”
Each Sunday at 6:00 a.m., crates of equipment are trucked in and dozens of volunteers arrive to set up for two services held in the cafeteria and classrooms of Brian Cram Middle School in North Las Vegas. The basic setup includes a 16-by-24-foot stage with a 17-foot “moon” at the front. On each side of the stage is a rear projection video screen. A six-piece rock band provides the music, augmented by full sound and lighting systems. Four classrooms are converted to additional youth spaces according to the needs of various age groups.
The core team that plans weekly services is led by Hudson and includes Weekend Services Director Karen Yee and Worship Arts Pastor James “Wojo” Wojtowicz. Message themes average 4-6 weeks, each one engendering a fresh design for both staging and content. Each week, Hudson presents his idea for the message at a creative meeting, where the group brainstorms ideas and comes up with a set design.
“Everything is keyed to enhancing the message in a relevant way,” states Yee. “There might be video, there might be dancers. Different elements speak to people in different ways.” Stage props are another such element. Yee leverages the vast local resources of Las Vegas to obtain props and other scenic elements for the stage, which might be rented, loaned, or donated. “We also have a team of people who do some construction,” she notes, “using their gift of building skills to build props for us. It’s a unique way to use volunteers.”
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Jack Kontney heads Kontney Communications Inc., a marketing and content creation consultancy specializing in pro audio and electronics. He can be contacted at www.kontneycomm.com.
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