When I was at Willowcreek, Craiq Groeshel (pastor of Life Church in Oklahoma) mentioned Incredible Pizza and their themed rooms. I did a little research because I want Ebenezers to be themed. I was so impressed with their story and the way they approach business as their ministry that I thought I'd share part of their story.
The Incredible Pizza Company is a "leading edge" family entertainment concept focused on the entire family. It merges family values with excellent food and tremendous fun, games, and rides for every age. When you drive into the parking lot or drive by, the exterior is designed to take you back to the 50's with a nostalgic diner look. By the time you enter the store, it is apparent that everything about Incredible Pizza Company is about a time when "family was cool." As you enter the store, adults pay one low price of $5.99 and children $4.99 or $3.99 depending upon their ages. This buys them the Incredible "all you can eat" buffet.
A shiny "like-new" '57 Chevy greets all customers as they enter the store as well as a decision--which themed dining area do you want to dine in? From the 50's diner, Star-Lite drive in Movie Theatre, Leave it to Beaver Family Room, to the sock-hop gymnasium… it’s all how you define fun dining at Incredible Pizza Company.
The Bee-Bop background music throughout the store gives you those wonderful warm fuzzies of "days gone by." After the meal, then the real fun begins. As you enter the fairgrounds, the most incredible collection of fun and games surrounds you. The first thing you notice is that you are surrounded by over 100 video and redemption games. Every customer is provided with their own credit card, which can be loaded with cash, credit card, or check to use on all of the rides and games by swiping it through a barcode reader and pressing a button. The cost of the ride or game is automatically deducted form your personal Incredible credit card.
In the center of the "Fairgrounds" are the rides designed for group interaction. Whereas most of the games are designed for testing individual skills, the bumper cars and the indoor electric NasKart go-kart track are designed for interaction. Next is the “Route 66 Miniature Golf Course” is designed to take players down the Historic and Educational Route 66. From Chicago to L.A. the "Mother Road" was the 1950's route to the west, and history abounds on this Miniature Golf course through murals on the walls, waterfalls, Cadillac Ranch cars, dinosaurs, and much, much more. This historic mini-golf course is a great place for the whole family.
This is family fun at its best, in a great clean, smoke free, non-alcohol environment.
Rick and Cheryl Barsness, owners of Incredible Pizza Company, are Christians and choose to operate their business according to God’s principles. We consider this business our ministry, providing families with a wonderful environment in which to forget the stresses of the world and come and just have fun with each other. We have free tracts for everyone as you leave the family entertainment center. Over 200 of these are given out each week. One evening we had a knock on our door and a young lady was holding a baby. She said she just wanted to thank us for having the tracts on a baby’s first 30 days. She was planning to have an abortion the next day and decided not to and kept her precious baby. We all had a good cry and Cheryl and I said, this is what it is all about. We live in the country in Rogersville and absolutely love Missouri. We moved here specifically to start Springfield’s Incredible Pizza Company. Our family attends James River Assembly of God church, where Cheryl and Rick teach the young marriage class.
I think churches need to be more intentional about aesthetics. Aesthetics are important. Fifteen chapters in the book of Exodus are devoted to the interior design of the Tabernacle. Pastors are environmental engineers. We're called to design environments that glorify God and foster spiritual growth. I think our environments ought to celebrate different dimensions of the image of God: curiosity, beauty, imagination, creativity, laughter.
For what it's worth, I love the amazing the way churches are designing unbelievably creative children's areas in their churches. Northpoint Church in Atlanta has a totally cool cityscape. I love the welcome center at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX. I think the church is starting to catch on. Our churches ought to reflect the infinite creativity of the God who designed the universe.
2 Comments:
I am absolutely beside myself with excitment right now! I'm from Oklahoma City and I attended Life Church while I was living there! I love Life Church and wish that I could bring it around with me wherever I go! Actually, when I decided to move to DC I wrote the staff to see if they would start a campus out here! They didn't- so I'm super thankful that I was able to find a Life Church equivalent in NCC! Anyway, I'm so happy to hear that Pastor Craig was also at the Willow Creek conference!
Introduce yourself to me some weekend. Welcome to DC :)
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