Clubbing for God
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — On a recent Sunday evening, a couple dozen people, most of them in their 20s, trickled into the Thirsty Parrot as a band blasted rock music from the nightclub's main stage.
They took their seats at bar tables in near darkness while blinking lights bathed the musicians in bright hues.
It looked like a typical night at a downtown bar, except ...
No one was drinking alcohol.
The songs were about Jesus Christ.
And instead of dancing, some audience members had their eyes closed and arms raised in praise.
This is Amplify Church, a parish of young evangelicals in Colorado Springs, Colo., who just happen to worship in a bar where Miller Lite and Budweiser posters, not crosses, hang on the walls.
The pastor — forgoing suit and tie in favor of worn jeans, sandals and T-shirt — is as casual as the setting.
"All I want is a church full of people who are real," the Rev. Dan MacFadyen, 26, told his 23 congregants at the Parrot that night.
"I'd rather have 30 people in the church who are real than have a congregation of 300."
Its entire existence is a rebuke to the Christian right, a subset within evangelicalism that has been accused of politicizing and polarizing Christianity.
"There is a big movement away from evangelicalism, not in a doctrinal sense, but in a political sense," MacFadyen said. "My generation is very frustrated with how divisive evangelicalism has become."
MacFadyen's church avoids politics, and while he opposes abortion and sees homosexuality as a sin, he doesn't preach against them or emphasize the topics unless the issue comes up for discussion at a service.
The church also ignores traditional Christian rites and rituals in favor of an ultracasual atmosphere. It's just young adults with Bibles, hanging out to rap about their faith.
A nontraditionalist, MacFadyen didn't want to pastor within a denomination and perform centuries-old rituals. So in November 2007, he and his wife, Sarah, moved from Michigan to Colorado Springs to found a nondenominational church that catered to disaffected young evangelicals.
Finding cheap rental space was a challenge until someone broached holding services at the Thirsty Parrot, a night spot for some of the church's congregants.
Because the Parrot and other downtown nightclubs cater to young adults, the Parrot-Amplify relationship is a good fit, MacFadyen said.
