The Qwest Field Event Center is a place more accustomed to boat shows than religious ceremonies.

But then, the Christian Faith Center's Easter Northwest was more show than ceremony.

Instead of stained-glass windows, Easter bonnets and organ hymns, an estimated 10,000 worshippers packed a cavernous convention-center building hung with enormous television screens, buzzing with electric-guitar riffs and chest-rattling drum beats.

The Sunday event, advertised on television and radio, in newspapers and brochures, was part religious revival, part rock concert — a chance for the church's roughly 8,000 members to gather under one roof and to promote Jesus in a part of the world far from the Bible Belt.

"We do not have to just let the Northwest be a secular, humanist haven where we love the tree and the whale more than the Lord. Let's love the tree, let's love the whale, let's save the owl and the eagle, but let's save some souls, too," Pastor Casey Treat told the crowd. "Let's make Jesus lord over the Northwest."

Treat and his wife, Wendy Treat, are the founders of a church that has grown in 26 years from 30 people meeting in the foyer of a school gymnasium into one of the region's mega-churches, with a main campus in SeaTac boasting 6,000 members, and 2,000 more meeting near Mill Creek.

Treat announced the church had raised pledges of more than $40 million for a planned expansion, including a new campus in Federal Way.

Along the way, the Christian Faith Center has developed a worship service that features a rock band with a brass section, a large children's choir and an adult choir of hundreds headlined by soloists who on Sunday strutted across the stage like contestants in a Christian version of "American Idol."

Pastor Treat told the audience it cost "hundreds of thousands" of dollars to pull off the Easter event.

The first hour of the service was punctuated by musical numbers heralding Jesus, dramatic lighting and dry-ice-induced fog spilling over the stage.

For many, the stage was so far away that the video screens offered the best view. Several big video cameras, plus one mounted on a long boom for overhead shots, filled the big screens with footage blended together with the professionalism of a music video.

"We like to do things in a professional way, in a way that appeals to all kinds of people. Why does a church have to be behind the times?" said Debbie Willis, a member of the church's board.

Quinten Thomason joined the church two years ago, after moving to Seattle from Lewiston, Idaho. While the church service is different from those of any of the churches he attended in Idaho, it wasn't the glitz that drew him, the 28-year-old said.

"It was the message."

Perhaps the best-known member of the church, Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander, spoke briefly to the crowd with his wife, Valerie Alexander. He told the audience that as a 10-year-old growing up in Kentucky, he first accepted Jesus at an Easter service and came to learn that there were two key parts to his religion: faith and obedience.

"Just do what you're supposed to do," he said.

Pastor Treat's sermon featured little fire and brimstone. He warned that Satan is at work in the world but said people could overcome adversity if they followed the example of Jesus.

"Be excellent. Be awesome. Be like Christ," he told the crowd.

i didn't realize Jesus needed a promoter.



this whole thing makes me sick. if there is a jesus, i bet he's pissed off about the extravagance. that money could have been used to feed people, to minister to the poor. but to waste it on christian rock bands, dry ice and general glitz in order to bring jesus to the secular, humanist northwest? that is a sinful waste of resources.

the religious right needs a new moral compass.

are the wave of the future

it just seems like the focus of those churches is wrong.

Quantity rather than quality.

Church for me always was like an extended family, when a member is going through a rough time, you cook for the family, comfort them etc. Same with the community, you help out, cook a hot meal, give out blankets and clothes in the winter.....mega churches seem more propaganda and marketing than any actual substance.

and the age old long standing rule. Never trust a politician, or a minister with that goes by 3 names.

I think you should email them and ask how they justify all that. I'd be curious to see their reply.
info@caseytreat.org

There's one of those superchurches nearby to me, I pass it on the way to one of our malls. It's got s bright red fancy light up sign that's always advertising some alternate anti-holiday party - a non evil halloween dance, etc.
It also has a Starbucks inside.

I'm not kidding.

ha... so does the one i've had to go to for the past two Xmas services (my lady's parents go there)... it's very non-traditional... Broadway shows for Xmas services... one year they had a skating rink in the middle of the stage, and this year there were animals and a huge Santa workshop... stupid shit if you ask me

Damnit, they're trying to ruin this haven where no one denomination is dominant. At least they'll have to compete with the LDS Church....

good idea.

but i'm going to make cookies first.

There's one of these churches near where I work, actually we do a shitload of printing for them. They've got a coffee bar inside as well, free! Free cappucinno!

http://www.marshillchurch.org/

Every couple of months they publish a "Guide to Male Sexuality" which is an incredibly detailed 64 page book talking about when masturbation is ok and when it is not. This is a small example of how overwhelmingly controlling their doctrine is.

We also did a "future plans" thing for them, basically their goal is to be conducting services in Key Arena within 5 years

that's quite the jab

i agree...i'm sure these churches do some really good things too...but at the same time they're really watering down what it's supposed to be about

The church I used to go to (and the one my mom still goes to) always has an earnings report on their bulletins, including charts with how much money is needed for the month, quarter, year, etc. Needless to say, I didn't feel very much spirit there.

I think that can depend on how it's presented. The church I went to used to list offering totals in categories like, "Missionary work", "Building renovation", "Education", "Community Service", and "General Fund". Stuff like that. Basically, when you donated money you could earmark it or it would just go to the General Fund. I don't necessarily see that as a problem. Raising money has always been a goal of churches, it's just the difference between the ones that spend it on helping the poor and the ones that spend it on renting out a 15,000 seat arena to show off.

The coolest thing about the Kaaba is that the arabas claim that is made from a meteor.

yep, a lot of times that's done to just let the congregation know how the money is being spent...harmless, really

Mega-assholes is more like it

Thats right, how dare they proselytize! I used to think that the constitution refered to freedom of religion, but on second thought, it seems that it implies a "freedom from religion."

Give me a break. They have the right to preach whatever they want. Stop baiting people with poorly thought-out and juvenile retorts. I've said many times I believe in freedom of religion. No need to be a little douche over it.

They can preach whatever they want, including the continued feudal-domination of Christ and dogmatism over our miserable populace.