Covenant United Methodist, Church at Greenbrier moving

Two Evans churches intend to conduct worship services in new locations, one in time for Easter.

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For more than four years, the Church at Greenbrier has held Sunday services in the auditorium and cafeteria of Greenbrier High School.

On Sunday, it will move services to the Evans 14 movie theater on North Belair Road because it is a more centralized location, Pastor Chuck Gordon said.

The church chose to conduct worship services in a school, and now a movie theater, to avoid a church setting.

"It's non-intimidating for some considering possibly attending church," Gordon said. "If they haven't been in a while, or have never been, entering a traditional church can be a little scary for some."

Covenant United Methodist Church chose a storefront in Eagle Point Plaza on Washington Road as its new location to put off buying land to build a new church.

"We originally thought that we were going to go ahead and purchase land, but it just makes more sense to graduate into something like that," the Rev. Randy Monk said. "What we need to be doing is focusing on ministry to people."

He said he expects to start holding services at the new spot next month.

At the 7,200-square-foot, two-story building, Monk intends to conduct Sunday services and a midweek service and to open the facility to the public as an Internet cafe.

"We're going to be offering free Internet and free coffee and make it available to the community," he said. "It will be a welcoming atmosphere with a coffee-shop feel to the lobby."

The church will continue to meet Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. at Greenbrier Elementary School until the new location is ready, Monk said.