Sunday, February 5, 2012

When many think of a church, they envision stained glass windows, a steeple and Bibles among pews. A Wichita church is debunking that myth, showing Goddard residents a church is more than a building.

Brandon and Heather Dye and their family are moving from Wichita to Goddard next month.

"We want to find a church or place where we feel comfortable, and we saw the billboard, so we decided to check it out," said Heather Dye.

The billboards, seen in west Wichita and Goddard for weeks, spell out "God (hearts) Goddard."

Along with dozens of other families intrigued by the new concept, the Dye family spent their Sunday morning at Goddard High School, a building that is usually closed on the weekends.

"I think there's such a need to get out of the traditional role of what we all know as being church, and the time that you go, and the place that you go," said Dye.

That is exactly what Pathway Church is providing for families.

"This is our way of planning a new church, but still having the big church feel, because this is our second campus," said Rodney Elliott, Pathway Church, Goddard campus pastor.

The first campus is located at 21st and Maize Road in Wichita. The church was formerly known as Westlink Christian Church. Although the second campus is inside a school, once the service has begun it is easy to forget the building is without a steeple on top.

Besides being held inside a school, another difference compared to a traditional church, is the sermon, which is broadcast via a large screen. The screen, and everything else parishioners see when they enter the school each Sunday, take about three hours to set up, and then tear down. It is a process that turns a place of learning into a place of worship.

"The church is the people. It's not the building," said Elliott.

"I think that if it brings more people together to worship, I think that's good," said Dye.

Pathway Church meets inside the Goddard High School auditorium every Sunday at 10:45 a.m.