So when the two men heard that rented theaters have begun making good gathering places - for instance, a congregation meets weekly at the Provo Towne Centre mall - they knew that would be just the ticket for their Elevation Church.
"We're a church without walls," says Jordan, co-pastor with Lind. "A movie theater just embodies that concept. . . . It's already a community place."
"We don't want to be different just to be different," Lind adds. "But we do want to reach those who are outside of church."
Their plan seems to be working.
Since last fall, the number of people padding to Layton's Loews Cineplex Odeon in sneakers and flip-flops - wearing everything from skirts to baseball caps to nose rings - each Sunday morning has grown. On a recent Sunday, there were 100.
Some sip on sodas, others on coffee as they take their seats in the stadium in front of theater screen No. 7. A few kick off their shoes and prop up their bare feet as they watch video clips that Lind and Jordan incorporate into most every sermon.
Worshippers can stand, raise their hands and sway to the music performed by Elevation's band - guitars, keyboard and drums. Lyrics scroll by on the enormous screen behind the musicians.
Those who can't make it to the theater listen to podcasts of the Sunday services on Elevation's Web site, and stay engaged via the pastors' blog or by attending meetings at one of several "house churches" - members' homes - during the week. About 320 subscribe to the weekly podcast.
"It's refreshingly new," says Miriah Yocum, who attends Elevation with her husband, Brian Yocum, and their toddler daughter. "It's not the old go-to-church routine."
Melissa Trujillo, who joined her boyfriend at Elevation on a recent Sunday, says she finds the service engaging. "It's not dress-up-and-go-and-sit-quietly-and-get-up-and-go-and-greet-pastor-at-the-door."
Trujillo says she gets the same message as she does at her own more traditional church, "but I'm not bored."
That's exactly what Lind and Jordan were hoping for - to take God's story to the young using modern culture and emerging technologies.
The men met while serving as youth pastors for the Assembly of God - Lind in Colorado and Jordan in North Salt Lake - about six years ago. Noticing the dearth of young adults in their churches, they began talking about how a church might engage the generation.
"We didn't feel there was a church speaking their language," Lind says.
Some market research and much prayer led them to Layton, where they began meeting in homes in September 2004.
A year later, they moved to the Loews Cineplex, using theater No. 7 for services and theater No. 8 for "Xtreme Heights," the Sunday school for grade-schoolers.
Both men are Assembly of God ministers. Lind, 31, is a certified pastor and Jordan, 26, is ordained. But they rarely mention their church affiliation.
"Denominations tend to scare people," Lind says.
Rather, they go out of their way to distinguish Elevation from the typical Christian church, often using sarcasm and stories about their own foibles.
Jordan mocked himself as a money grubber as he informed worshippers on a recent Sunday that they can now donate to Elevation online.
Lind talked about fellowship in another sermon, while acknowledging that, among Christians, it's the word for "pretend friendship" as in " 'We don't really like you, but. . .' "
Yet their message is mainline Christian and sprinkled with scripture.
Elevation offers Communion once or twice a month, as it fits in with the plan for the particular Sunday. But the church has been stumped by the logistics of baptizing members in water, as requested by several so far.
As Lind jokes, what are they going to use, a giant popcorn bucket?
Shelby Atkins, Elevation's youth minister, says she was attracted by the openness of the community. There are no strict scriptural interpretations. "It makes me think," she says. "It's not religion. It's finding God."
Steve Matney, who plays keyboard in the band, says he likes the acceptance he has found at Elevation.
"It's not the typical church undercurrent of judgmentalism and legalism," Matney says. "It's about a life of loving and not a life of rules."
Jordan says the co-pastors deal directly with the "elephant in the room," the stereotype many people have about churchgoers as hypocrites in nice suits and dresses.
"Right from the get-go we address it. We use irony and are very sarcastic about ourselves," he says. "The church really is people acting out their faith in their lives. If we're not real on Sunday, they can't be real on Thursday."
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Contact Kristen Moulton at kmoulton@sltrib.com. Send comments on this story to religioneditor@sltrib.com.
