Space for Children and Young People
LWCC is spacious in part because it is connected to and affiliated with the Maranatha Christian Academy, a private Christian K-12 school.1 (It should be noted that this school is not affiliated with the larger Maranatha Campus Ministries movement, which was largely condemned for cult-like and excessively strict practices.2 ) The Maranatha Christian Academy at Living Word provides facilities for its students, many of whom attend Living Word.
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“Maranatha Pre-K through 12 Private Christian Academy.” Maranatha Christian Academy, July 22, 2020. https://mcamustangs.org/.↩
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Gazdik, Tanya. “Some Colleges Warn Students That Cult-Like Methods Are Being Used by Christian Fundamentalist Groups.” Chronicle of Higher Education. Chronicle of Higher Education, November 15, 1989. https://www.chronicle.com/article/some-colleges-warn-students-that-cult-like-methods-are-being-used-by-christian-fundamentalist-groups/.↩
In addition to the school, the church has two enormous levels, a substantial bookstore, a Visitor’s Center, facilities for child-care and Sunday school during services, a special chapel area for children, and a balcony that overlooks the sanctuary with additional seating. Living Word’s youth group is made up of both middle and high school divisions. As the church's website describes it:
"From the lounge and café to the basketball court and sanctuary, teens can let down their guard and know that they are in a place where there’s no judgment and they can be themselves."3
Youth can attend their own services on Sunday, separate from the main service in Living Word’s sanctuary. These youth groups are housed in a portion of the church that caters to a younger crowd, as the decor and resources suggest. In 2011, this wing of the church had a bit of an urban, hip, and edgy feel, with graffiti-esque words like “sacrifice” and “honor” plastered on many of the walls.
During this same 2011 visit, the emphasis on “purity” was evident in Driven’s ministry. The high school group’s stage was set, upon my visit, with large paper cutouts in the shape of thought bubbles with words like “slightly slutty,” “might make out,” and “nearly naked,” which were utilized to teach about purity. In the youth room hung several posters that could be mistaken for eye-exam charts, but with “purity” typed across as the bottom letter row. It would be difficult to overstate the appearance and resources of the youth wing (or of the church in general), as the interior decorating made the room feel like a contemporary upscale hangout with comfortable couches, an area with barstools and a counter, and trendy lighting and color schemes.
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"Youth." Living Word Christian Center. https://www.lwcc.org/ministries/youth/ (accessed July 8, 2024).↩
The youth portion of the church is not unique in its high-quality facilities. The sanctuary itself, in which services are held, resembles a sophisticated and newly constructed auditorium. Built without any windows, the sanctuary is dominated by a large display screen and elevated stage adorned with beds of purple flowers, ferns, and other foliage, offset by white and beige hues such that one might expect in an upscale, country-style event center. Choir rafters rest on the left of the stage and three pianos (one grand) and a drum set on stage right make up the musical portion of the service. During my visit on January 16, 2011, I was informed by one of the “Ambassadors” in the Visitor’s Center that all of the musicians are members who volunteer their time and talent and that the “musical ministry” offered by the church is many peoples’ favorite aspect of the service.
