Mark Batterson reaches out to nearly 100,000 people passing through Union Station each week with an ad campaign appropriate to his church: "Now meeting at a theater near you."

National Community Church (NCC) holds two Sunday services in the heart of Union Station, Washington, D.C.'s travel hub. Four blocks from the nation's capitol, there are hundreds of retail shops and restaurants in addition to bus, Metro and Amtrak stops. And, of course, the movie theater, which NCC has leased from AMC 9 Theatres on Sunday mornings since 1996.

"We couldn't have dreamed for a better location to reach people who need to know Jesus," said Batterson, the church's 32-year-old pastor, who works from his home office. "God has placed us right in the middle of things, and that presents us with plenty of opportunities to reach out and welcome people in."

Hitting the big screen

Neither Batterson nor AMC 9 Theatres would say what the church pays to rent the theater, but Batterson called it a bargain. Churches around the country are finding movie theaters to be viable options for worship space.

Regal CineMeetings & Events (RCE), which books the majority of movie houses across the country for church services or other special events, charges as little as $350 for a Sunday rental, marketing manager Corey Livingston said. RCE's most expensive option is $800 a week for four auditoriums in its most expensive market, New York City. (See related story.)

"I can tell you that it's a lot less expensive than maintaining a building on your own," Batterson said. "For us, I don't think there's a better option."

NCC pays $1,000 a month for the church's slogan to appear before each movie on the theater's nine screens. Last Easter, the church sent 30,000 Admit One tickets to those living in the Capitol Hill area, inviting them to worship services.

The movie theater theme is working, Batterson said. Initially it attracted a variety of curious folks who wondered what type of church would meet in a theater, complete with big screen and plush seats.

Once inside, those people find a church committed to the Gospel.

"We are a church for the unchurched, but we don't believe in watering down the teaching or the preaching," Batterson said.

People visit NCC for the first time with high expectations for the preaching, he said. That mimics George Barna's 1999 study, "What People Say They Want From a Church." Barna's research indicates 58 percent of church attendees claim doctrine/theology is an "extremely important" factor when selecting a church.

Growth patterns

Batterson started the church six years ago with just a dozen or so followers. They originally met in an elementary school, but soon realized the theater might be a better location.

NCC has grown to nearly 450 regular attendees, with most expecting high-octane worship and strong, biblical teaching, Batterson said. The first 25 minutes or so of each service are devoted to praise and contemporary worship, led by a band and vocalists.

"Worship is where a person can really sense the reality of God's presence," Batterson said.

The contemporary music is seeker-targeted and so far has drawn a younger crowd, many of whom are interested in test-driving Christianity, he said.

Four of five NCC members are under age 35, and the average age is 26. Eighty percent are single. And according to a 25-question survey conducted by the church last year, one in four did not regularly attend church prior to joining NCC.

Just 41 percent of Americans attend church services regularly, according to Dr. Thom Rainer's 2001 book, "Surprising Insights from the Unchurched." Rainer's study indicates that for every 85 church members in America, only one person is reached for Christ.

NCC is out to upset that trend, Batterson said.

In the middle of things

The unusual location provides NCC members a great opportunity to reach others for Christ, says businessman Ken Archer, who joined NCC with his wife three years ago. The couple, who are in their late 20s and lead several of the church's small groups, still are overwhelmed by the hundreds of visitors each Sunday.

"We literally have hundreds of divine appointments every Sunday morning," Archer said. A countless number of first-time visitors wander in after either seeing the ads at the movies, or walking by while hanging out with friends.

Most new members -- 65 percent -- say they hear about the church from someone they know, Batterson said.

"We can't emphasize enough how important word of mouth is," he said. "All Jesus had was word of mouth, and look how He spread His message."

Despite the growing numbers of people who enter NCC and end up receiving Christ, the church's turnover rate is high. Many of D.C.'s younger generation are in the area temporarily, Batterson said, for school, internships or short-term work opportunities.

"I've received calls from some of the members' parents telling me how excited they are that their kids are in church," Batterson said. "The parents are thrilled. But you always wonder what happens once they move away from here…20-somethings can so easily fall away."

NCC keeps members active in small groups, such as the one Archer and his wife first attended, "God's Plan for Marriage."

"I can tell church members what to do, and what not to do," Archer said. "Do not go to your pastor and tell him what church growth plan to use or how to handle Sunday school. What to do: Hit the streets and start a small group from people in your neighborhood. Invite them to church. Take the initiative. That's how a church continues to grow."

In politics-conscious Washington, NCC appeals to a bipartisan audience evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, Batterson said. Its diverse attendees include high-ranking politicians, blue-collar workers and the homeless. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft is a member.

Though the church plans to continue growing its membership, it doesn't plan to build its own sanctuary. Instead, NCC has leased the theater through 2007 and recently purchased property on Capitol Hill a block from Union Station. That 1908 two-story building, located in an historic district and in need of major renovations, eventually will be used for a coffee house with offices for church staff. Details, including estimated costs for the project, are still being worked out.

"Our biggest challenge now is getting our infrastructure to match the church's growth," Batterson said. "Like a skeleton grows with the rest of the body, our staff has to fit the church's growth pattern."