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Relaunched Congregation Grows in Movie Theater
PE News ^ | 22 April 2015 | Eric Tiansay

Posted on 04/24/2015 9:09:47 PM PDT by OK Sun

Compass Church meets in a movie theater, has no live worship, and keeps its Sunday service meeting to 45 minutes. But the somewhat nontraditional Assemblies of God congregation is making an eternal impact in Winona, Minnesota.

Pastored by Aaron Lindholm, Compass "exists to reach the 9,000 people in Winona that are far from God by creating a loving, giving, growing community, where it is safe to belong until you believe," according to the church's website.

Lindholm, 38, moved to Winona from Claremore, Oklahoma, in 2009 when around 40 people attended the church regularly.

Last year, Compass Church had more salvation decisions and baptisms than in the previous four years combined. The church now averages 105 worshippers on Sundays. After Lindholm attended an AG Church Planting BootCamp, Compass officially relaunched in a new location in September 2013, but the church, originally called Faith Assembly of God Church, started in 1979.

Lindholm says he and the church board sensed Compass should be doing more to reach people with the gospel.

"We felt like God was giving us another chance like the manager in the parable of the barren fig tree," Lindholm says, referencing Jesus' story in Luke 13:6-9. "Relaunching forced us to be missional and outwardly focused almost overnight."

(Excerpt) Read more at penews.org ...


TOPICS: Charismatic Christian; Evangelical Christian; Ministry/Outreach; Worship
KEYWORDS: minnesota
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I guess a church can meet anywhere.
1 posted on 04/24/2015 9:09:47 PM PDT by OK Sun
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To: OK Sun

Yep. I know my Catholic Church built in 1935 but prior to that, they would use whatever means possible to have mass including parishioners homes, public school gyms (parish the thought), and where ever they could hold mass. I don’t think a building matters at all.


2 posted on 04/24/2015 9:15:14 PM PDT by napscoordinator (Walker for President 2016. The only candidate with actual real RESULTS!!!!! The rest...talkers!)
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To: OK Sun

The Church does not have walls.


3 posted on 04/24/2015 9:16:11 PM PDT by One Name (Ultimately, the TRUTH is a razor's edge and no man can sit astride it.)
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To: One Name

The church is not a building or any other edifice. The church is the people and wherever they meet, that’s it!


4 posted on 04/24/2015 9:30:23 PM PDT by JayVee (Joseph)
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To: JayVee

Indeed.


5 posted on 04/24/2015 9:36:16 PM PDT by One Name (Ultimately, the TRUTH is a razor's edge and no man can sit astride it.)
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To: One Name
Amen!

/johnny

6 posted on 04/24/2015 10:10:59 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper

Good to hear from you Bro!

God Bless!


7 posted on 04/24/2015 10:34:19 PM PDT by One Name (Ultimately, the TRUTH is a razor's edge and no man can sit astride it.)
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To: JRandomFreeper

Good to hear from you Bro!

God Bless!


8 posted on 04/24/2015 10:34:30 PM PDT by One Name (Ultimately, the TRUTH is a razor's edge and no man can sit astride it.)
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To: One Name
I'm as surprised as anyone that I lived this long.

Ain't in my pay-grade, it's in His hands. I just gotta keep fighting the fight.

Got some docs and family that are really surprised.

/johnny

9 posted on 04/24/2015 10:45:58 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (gone Galt)
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To: OK Sun

there are churches meeting in godless theater’s on broad street in philly. the so called art area check it out. liberti just bought the second baptist church building. 1600 below sansom. wow. kids the ones i discarded are interested in church.


10 posted on 04/24/2015 11:32:32 PM PDT by kvanbrunt2 (civil law: commanding what is right and prohibiting what is wrong Blackstone Commentaries I p44)
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To: OK Sun

The implication is that the church is growing because it moved into a theater.

If it’s growing because of people getting saved, it’s a work of the Holy Spirit, not a change of venue.


11 posted on 04/25/2015 1:24:53 AM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
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To: OK Sun
Compass Church meets in a movie theater, has no live worship, and keeps its Sunday service meeting to 45 minutes.

Meets in a movie theater ... okay, a space is a space. Service 45 minutes ... sure, whatever works for them.

But what does "has no live worship" mean? The congregation are undead? They're at home watching an empty movie theater on an internet video feed?

12 posted on 04/25/2015 2:25:29 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Fleas and ticks are like vampires - but not the good kind.)
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To: Tax-chick
But what does "has no live worship" mean?

Good question. More information would have been helpful.

13 posted on 04/25/2015 3:17:46 AM PDT by Rocky (The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it. George Orwel)
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To: napscoordinator

Right now in my area there are a fair number of conservative Episcopal groups that have been tossed out of their beautiful buildings by the Sodomites running their denomination; they commonly share buildings with other smaller Protestant groups.


14 posted on 04/25/2015 5:06:23 AM PDT by MSF BU (Support the troops: Join Them.)
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To: OK Sun
where it is safe to belong until you believe

That's what caught my eye. Not a lot of churches like that.

15 posted on 04/25/2015 7:12:20 AM PDT by PapaNew (The grace of God & freedom always win the debate in the forum of ideas over unjust law & government)
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To: MSF BU

This is going on all over.

I go to what I call a gypsy Lutheran Church.
We haul our whole church (in A trailer)into a public park building every week. It takes about 45 minutes to set up.

About 125- 150 a week attend and we are very blessed.

http://www.lcmc.net/


16 posted on 04/25/2015 7:26:39 AM PDT by right way right
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To: OK Sun

“Compass Church meets in a movie theater, has no live worship...”

FULL STOP!


17 posted on 04/25/2015 7:32:11 AM PDT by vladimir998
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To: Tax-chick
But what does "has no live worship" mean?

I don't know. They have a promotional video up at Vimeo that shows a little more:

https://vimeo.com/80952622

18 posted on 04/25/2015 7:47:47 AM PDT by OK Sun
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To: OK Sun

What does “no live worship” mean?


19 posted on 04/25/2015 1:36:32 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (Point of information)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

There seems to be a consensus that this phrase makes no sense.

I speculate that it may mean there is no live band or choir. Perhaps even that the congregation does not sing together at all.


20 posted on 04/25/2015 3:26:13 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Fleas and ticks are like vampires - but not the good kind.)
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