LifeChurch.tv

LifeChurch.tv (also known as Life Covenant Church or simply "Life Church") is an American evangelical multi-site church with multiple locations in six states. Craig Groeschel is the founder and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv.

As of July 2008, there were twelve (not including the internet campus or the "Second Life campus") LifeChurch.tv "campuses" located across the United States.

History

In January 1996, Life Church began in Oklahoma City with 40 congregants meeting together "in a two-car garage, equipped with just a borrowed overhead projector and two construction lights purchased at Lowe's for $19.99." [http://outreachmagazine.com/Library/features/JF07ftrMostInnovativeChurch.asp] From 1996 to 1999 the church membership grew rapidly. During this time, Life Church acquired its first facility (now known as the "Oklahoma City Campus").

In 2001, MetroChurch, a 25-year-old, nondenominational church in nearby Edmond, Oklahoma joined with Life Church, effectively making it a multi-site church.

Following the success of the additional location, the church launched campuses in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Stillwater, Oklahoma in 2002, and these new campuses began incorporating satellite video teaching into their services.

In 2005, LifeChurch.tv opened two additional campuses: the South Oklahoma City location in the spring, followed by the Mesa and Gilbert, Arizona campuses of the metro Phoenix, Arizona area in September. After a few months of meeting in two high schools, LifeChurch.tv combined the two campuses into a single permanent facility and is now known as the Mesa campus.

In February 2006, LifeChurch.tv introduced a campus in Fort Worth, Texas. In April, the church established its "Internet Campus," which broadcasts weekly, interactive worship services live over the internet [http://www.lifechurch.tv/int/] . In July, the church also launched a new campus in Hendersonville, Tennessee. [http://www.lifechurch.tv/hnv/]

LifeChurch.tv opened two new campuses in early 2007 in northwest Oklahoma City, and Wellington, Florida, for a total of 11 campuses.

Easter Sunday, 2007, LifeChurch.tv began broadcasting from their new campus in the online game Second Life. [http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/2007/03/12/lifechurchtv-has-a-second-life-church-campus/] [http://slurl.com/secondlife/Experience%20Island/131/75/26/?x=585&y=325&
]

A twelfth campus, in Albany, NY, was announced on April 28, 2007.

In January 2008, LifeChurch.tv launched its second campus in the Tulsa area at Bixby North Elementary School in Bixby, OK.

In August 2008, Lifechurch.tv Mesa Campus moved back to one of their original locations in Gilbert, AZ, they are currently looking for a new building for the growing attendance.

LifeChurch.tv also decided to do away with "church membership", deciding instead to encourage people to become "partners" in helping lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. [http://phx.lifechurch.tv/]

Locations

There are currently thirteen LifeChurch.tv campuses in six different states, including an Internet Campus:

# Oklahoma City, OK
# Edmond, OK
# Tulsa, OK
# Stillwater, OK
# South Oklahoma City, OK
# Gilbert, AZ
# Fort Worth, TX
# Internet Campus
# Hendersonville, TN
# Northwest Oklahoma City, OK
# Wellington, FL
# Albany, NY
# South Tulsa, OK

There are other churches that use LifeChurch.tv material. [http://network.lifechurch.tv/]

Affiliation

LifeChurch.tv is part of the Evangelical Covenant Church. [http://www.lifechurch.tv/p/736/Default.aspx] The ECC upholds the core evangelical Christian beliefs, while providing great freedom within the non-essential doctrines. [http://www.lifechurch.tv/p/734/Default.aspx]

Articles

* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20D14F9355A0C728CDDA00894DE404482&showabstract=1 "Intimate Confessions Pour Out on Church’s Web Site"] "The New York Times", September 2006
* [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/009/24.60.html "High-Tech Circuit Riders"] "Christianity Today", September 2005
*"Featured Church" "Vision magazine", Christmas 2004
*"LifeChurch.tv in Second Life" "Los Angeles Times", April 2007
* [http://www.thecronline.com/mag_article.php?mid=1094&mname=July "5th most influential church in the US"] "ChurchReport.com", 2007

External links

* [http://www.lifechurch.tv/ LifeChurch.tv] LifeChurch.tv Official Website
* [http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/ LifeChurch.tv:swerve Blog]
* [http://open.lifechurch.tv/ LifeChurch.tv Open: Free Church Resources]