The theater is their temple

ON SUNDAY MORNINGS, the lobby of the United Artists Main Street 6 in Manayunk is crowded with young professionals, giggling teens, and parents with kids in tow. They don't come for a double feature or a sneak preview. They come to worship God.

After grabbing a cup of orange juice, a bagel and a Bible, visitors make their way into the dim theater.

As the service begins, hands are raised to the ceiling, the racially diverse crowd sways back and forth, and voices fill the room, singing to the accompaniment of a live band, following lyrics flashed on the giant screen.

Every Sunday at 10 a.m. the theater on Manayunk's Main Street is transformed into Epic Church.

After seven years on staff at a suburban Philadelphia church, Lead Pastor Kent Jacobs and his wife, Associate Pastor Tiffany Jacobs, and Executive Pastor Joanne Domagala, decided they wanted to start a church.

At that time, March 2008, Epic had the nucleus of "an amazing team that even most established churches don't have," said Jacobs. They had a vision and staff, but their dream was incomplete without a location to hold services.

The staff discussed possible venues and landed on the United Artists Theater because it satisfied all their concerns.

"The location is familiar, the seats are comfortable, there is plenty of parking, the screen is amazing, and it smells like buttered popcorn. What more could you ask for?" said Jacobs.

Now with a location and staff, the church was finally ready for a congregation and Jacobs knew exactly what to do. Besides sending out postcard invites, he walked the hills of Roxborough and Manayunk leaving bags of unpopped popcorn along with informational cards.

"Our goal wasn't to get everyone who got popcorn to come to church. We just wanted people to know there is a church . . . and it was held inside a movie theater," he explained.

In the summer of 2008, Epic church began meeting once a month "as a trial period" to learn the basics about being a mobile church. Five months later,with 85 people attending, the church moved to a weekly schedule.

Today, about 200 people show up each week and Epic is continuing to grow. "In the fall, Epic could have over 300 members," Jacobs predicted.

"Word of mouth has really been a blessing to us," said Jacobs. Since there are no Epic Church signs around the movie theater except on Sunday mornings, he jokes, "We're like the hidden church."

Setup for Epic begins at 7 a.m. Sunday, with a volunteer team of about 20 who turn the theater into a sanctuary. When the 75-minute service ends at 11:15 a.m., they pack everything back into a storage facility so that by noon Epic clears out to make way for Sunday afternoon moviegoers.

Josh Slaughter has been worshipping at Epic for eight months. Once a month he volunteers on the setup and teardown team. He said the movie theater atmosphere makes him feel comfortable.

"You can come as you are. You don't have to worry about being someone you're not on Sundays," he said.

Sunday "best" is often jeans, flip-flops, and T-shirts. And that's the way Jacobs likes it.

"I don't understand unspoken words or rules that say what a church should be like. There are no pretenses here," said Jacobs.

Although the service has the basic elements of traditional worship, including hymns, a sermon, even Holy Communion, Epic Church is anything but typical.

The pews are cushioned seats with cup holders, the altar is the wide movie screen, and the pulpit contains a Mac book and projector to ensure that everyone can hear and see the message.

Technology plays an important role in the service. Jacobs believes Epic has a responsibility to use technology to its full potential.

"It's the language of our generation. If you moved to Germany, you'd learn to speak German. If you are going to talk with young professionals, you have to speak the language," he said.

The nondenominational service with its laid-back approach puts people at ease.

Church member Ryan Alligood grew up attending a Methodist church and feels that Epic is more personal. "Here, I feel in touch with normal people who are going through the same stuff I can relate to," he said.

His wife, Amanda, also grew up in a more traditional church and said Epic doesn't even compare with her experience there. "I feel like I belong here and I'm accepted. I am much more open and able to talk about God and how he works in my life," she said.

Head greeter Rhianon Montemayer, of Manayunk, said attending Epic gives her momentum for the week.

"It's a great way to start your week. It's improved my life one hundred percent."

She came to Epic after receiving a postcard invitation. "Epic being a movie theater made it easy for me to walk through the doors and not feel intimidated."

Church members often laugh and interact with Jacobs during the sermon. "The messages have real application through the things you go through and are presented in a way you'd definitely understand," said Slaughter.

"Laughter," said Jacobs, "is a part of who we are. Our angle is to look at the Bible and present the truth in relevant ways."

He described his sermons as "fun, encouraging, yet challenging." He preaches about real-life situations, often plugging in jokes and using his life as an example.

"There's something about the power of authenticity when telling people, 'yeah, me too,' " Jacobs said.

Worship doesn't end when the service does. Epic sponsors service projects and members meet for weekly prayer and fellowship in nine life groups.

"Life groups are a big deal. Something happens in circles that can't happen in rows," said Jacobs.

"Our doors are always open. We want to be a church where people that are far from God discover that they don't have to be."

To learn more about Epic Church, visit www.Epicwired.net.