By Kelli Cottrell

Using an old theater in Hollywood, Arts Media Christian Ministry, reaches out to the entertainment community of Los Angeles and surrounding cities through concerts, amateur films, and performances by theater groups.

Recently, the church sponsored a series of one-act plays called Stairways to Heaven performed in the theater in an attempt to evangelize those who may never go to a traditional church service.

Throughout the play, different renditions of the song Stairway to Heaven were played and clips of people on the street being interviewed about how they get to Heaven were shown.

“It’s a great venue to reach out to film students, directors, and performers,” said Pastor Kevin Holland, 46, of the church who transitioned to the Purpose Driven paradigm in 2004. “We’re trying to use arts as a tool for evangelism.”

With more than 700 in weekly attendance, Holland credits the 40 Days of Purpose campaign with much of their growth. Since the campaign in January of 2005, the church has grown by 200 members.

“We’ve seen a 5 percent increase in membership and 40 people being won to the Lord in the last year,” Holland said.

In addition to the plays, the church utilizes modern music, multimedia presentations, message outlines, and modern Bible translations to reach the entertainment industry.

All staff members are professional musicians by trade and emphasize worship throughout the services.

New members are assimilated into discipleship classes 101 through 401 over a six-month period and encouraged to join one of the churches 60 small groups across Los Angeles.

“We are healthier now that we are implementing the five purposes,” said Holland, a musician with a business degree and masters in theology. “The campaign was a godsend for me. It took someone smarter than I to put it out practically so we don’t have to re-invent the wheel. I love the practicality of the five purposes.”

Fifteen years ago, the church began with an emphasis also on sports culture as they tried to reach out to professional sports figures in the nearby cities.

But now they are phasing that out because their focus has narrowed to the entertainment industry.

Although there are several families in the church, the target audience is geared toward singles in their 20s in the entertainment industry.

“People have been inspired to learn and grow in their S.H.A.P.E. as they look at who God made them to be through the Purpose Driven paradigm,” Holland said.

Currently, the church which is home to several Disney employees and the media, meets on Sundays in a middle school in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Last fall, the church participated in the 40 Days of Community campaign and enjoyed reaching out to the local schools through their mission project.

The 40 Days of Community campaign helped the church focus on not just being a part of a small group but having a purpose for the group, Holland said.

Arts Media Christian Ministry was able to provide school uniforms and other supplies for around 1,000 children in low-income schools.

The church also regularly sends out teams of 12 to 15 members to Central America and has helped with AIDS projects and orphanages in Africa.

“We really embraced the Purpose Driven model,” said Holland, whose church has sponsored one other church to attend the Purpose Driven Church conference at Saddleback Church and plans to sponsor another one this year.

All 2006 Church Health Award winner information is correct as of Jan. 1, 2006.