National Community Church
Encyclopedia
National Community Church (NCC) is a multi-site church
located in the Washington, D.C.
area, pastored by Mark Batterson
. The vision of the church is to meet in movie theater
s at metro
stops all across the Washington DC area. Weekly sermons are also available online as audio and video podcast
s and on-demand webcast
s.
On November 17, 1996, NCC held its first service in the AMC Theatres
at Union Station
, located four blocks from the United States Capitol
. Nearly 100,000 people pass through the station each day. One of NCC's core values is doing church "in the middle of the marketplace". (The theaters are now owned by Phoenix Theaters.)
In October 1998, NCC launched its first small group
. In the fall of 2007, the number of small groups is greater than 70. The goal of the church is for a small group to be located within ten minutes of any point inside the Capital Beltway
.
On August 12, 2001, National Community Church was featured on the front page of the Washington Post. After the article appeared, average attendance more than doubled.
NCC launched its second location in the Regal Entertainment Group
theaters at Ballston Common Mall
in Arlington, Virginia, a suburb
of Washington, D.C., on September 21, 2003.
In 2002, NCC purchased property located one block from Union Station across from Station Place, one of the largest office buildings in Washington, DC and headquarters of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In March 2006, after months of tedious renovation, NCC opened Ebenezers, a coffeehouse
and multi-purpose building. Church offices are located on the top floor while the lowest level houses a meeting room used as a third venue for church services on Saturday nights, as well as discipleship meetings and additional seating for coffeehouse patrons. In July 2008, Ebenezers was named the best coffeehouse in the Washington, DC Metro Area by AOL
cityguide.
In February 2007, NCC began a Spanish service at Ballston Common Mall. "NCC en Español" features worship in Spanish as well as a video message dubbed with Spanish audio.
The church launched a fourth location in November 2007 at the Loews Movie Theaters in Georgetown
, a community nestled along the Potomac River
in the northwest quadrant of Washington. The theaters are located on K Street
walking distance from the well-frequented shops and restaurants along Wisconsin Avenue and M Street
and the campuses of Georgetown University
and George Washington University
.
NCC has been featured in multiple news articles on television and in newspapers, such as the New York Times on August 29, 2005 in an article entitled, "Missed Church? No Worries. Download it to your iPod."
and the Willow Creek Association
.
Multi-site church
A multi-site church is one church that meets at multiple locations. Churches began to use the multi-site church model in the mid 1980s...
located in the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area, pastored by Mark Batterson
Mark Batterson
Mark Batterson is an American pastor and author. Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. NCC was recognized as one of the Most Innovative and Most Influential Churches in America by Outreach Magazine in 2008...
. The vision of the church is to meet in movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
s at metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
stops all across the Washington DC area. Weekly sermons are also available online as audio and video podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
s and on-demand webcast
Webcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
s.
History
National Community Church held its first Sunday service on January 7, 1996. During the first nine months of 1996, average attendance at Sunday services was between 20-25 people. At the time, all meetings were at the Geddings School (now Results Gym) in southeast Washington, D.C.On November 17, 1996, NCC held its first service in the AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres , officially known as AMC Entertainment, Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 5,325 screens, second only to Regal Entertainment Group, and one of the United States's four national cinema chains AMC Theatres (American Multi-Cinema), officially known as...
at Union Station
Union Station (Washington, D.C.)
Washington Union Station is a train station and leisure destination visited by 32 million people each year in the center of Washington, D.C. The train station is served by Amtrak, MARC and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail services as well as by Washington Metro subway trains and local buses...
, located four blocks from the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
. Nearly 100,000 people pass through the station each day. One of NCC's core values is doing church "in the middle of the marketplace". (The theaters are now owned by Phoenix Theaters.)
In October 1998, NCC launched its first small group
Cell group
The cell group is a form of church organization that is used in some Christian churches. Cell groups are generally intended to teach the Bible and personalize Christian fellowship. They are always used in cell churches, but also occur in parachurch organizations and other interdenominational...
. In the fall of 2007, the number of small groups is greater than 70. The goal of the church is for a small group to be located within ten minutes of any point inside the Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
.
On August 12, 2001, National Community Church was featured on the front page of the Washington Post. After the article appeared, average attendance more than doubled.
NCC launched its second location in the Regal Entertainment Group
Regal Entertainment Group
Regal Entertainment Group also known as REG is a movie theater chain headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. Regal operates the largest and most geographically diverse theater circuit in the United States, consisting of 6,775 screens in 548 locations in 39 states and the District of Columbia as of...
theaters at Ballston Common Mall
Ballston Common Mall
Ballston Common Mall, which originally opened as Parkington Shopping Center in 1951, was one of the first major suburban shopping centers in the Washington D.C. area. It was the first shopping center built around a multi-story parking garage in the United States...
in Arlington, Virginia, a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Washington, D.C., on September 21, 2003.
In 2002, NCC purchased property located one block from Union Station across from Station Place, one of the largest office buildings in Washington, DC and headquarters of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In March 2006, after months of tedious renovation, NCC opened Ebenezers, a coffeehouse
Coffeehouse
A coffeehouse or coffee shop is an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages. It shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant, but it is different from a cafeteria. As the name suggests, coffeehouses focus on...
and multi-purpose building. Church offices are located on the top floor while the lowest level houses a meeting room used as a third venue for church services on Saturday nights, as well as discipleship meetings and additional seating for coffeehouse patrons. In July 2008, Ebenezers was named the best coffeehouse in the Washington, DC Metro Area by AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
cityguide.
In February 2007, NCC began a Spanish service at Ballston Common Mall. "NCC en Español" features worship in Spanish as well as a video message dubbed with Spanish audio.
The church launched a fourth location in November 2007 at the Loews Movie Theaters in Georgetown
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Georgetown is a neighborhood located in northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years...
, a community nestled along the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
in the northwest quadrant of Washington. The theaters are located on K Street
K Street (Washington, D.C.)
K Street is a major thoroughfare in the United States capital of Washington, D.C. known as a center for numerous think tanks, lobbyists, and advocacy groups.-Location:...
walking distance from the well-frequented shops and restaurants along Wisconsin Avenue and M Street
M Street (Washington, D.C.)
The name "M Street" refers to two major roads in the United States capital of Washington, D.C. Because of the Cartesian-coordinate-based street-naming system in Washington, the name M Street can be used to refer to any east-west street located twelve blocks north or south of the dome of the United...
and the campuses of Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
and George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
.
NCC has been featured in multiple news articles on television and in newspapers, such as the New York Times on August 29, 2005 in an article entitled, "Missed Church? No Worries. Download it to your iPod."
Affiliations
National Community Church is affiliated with the Assemblies of GodAssemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
and the Willow Creek Association
Willow Creek Association
The Willow Creek Association , a 5013 not-for-profit ministry, is an international, evangelical Christian association of more than 9,000 member churches from 90 denominations and 45 countries.-Mission:...
.
External links
- National Community Church
- Iglesia de Nacional Communidad - NCC's Spanish-Translated Website
- Evotional - Pastor Mark Batterson's Blog
- Ebenezers Coffeehouse - NCC's Coffeehouse
- National Community Church on OnePlace.com - Sermons Online