 
ATLANTA, GA – "Wise as serpents, innocent as doves," said Pastor Erfolg Reussi with a smile. Pastor Reussi has a reason to smile. He is the executive pastor of Grande Church, one of a handful of churches in the U.S. that have purchased or built stadiums to be used as worship facilities. Grande has just completed construction on their new stadium-style worship center which seats 35,000 people.Grande Church stands out even further as the only ultra-mega church to include in their new worship center the "luxury boxes" that have become popular in national sports venues. "We have several members of significant means," Reussi said. "You really have to in order to build a worship center like this. Our Dunamis Boxes thank and honor those who really made this worship center possible." For those unfamiliar with "luxury boxes," or Dunamis Boxes as they are called at Grande Church, they are essentially a luxurious private room inside a stadium. They offer the best views of the event, often with a retractable glass wall facing the field. Luxury boxes generally include things like comfortable seating, separate climate control, refrigerator, sink, microwave, one or more large-screen TVs and a private bathroom. "These are very discriminating people," Reussi said. "Some are quite famous. We escort them in and out of the worship services through a private passageway to a secured parking garage. Our Dunamis Boxes enable people of high public visibility to be part of a worshipping community without having to deal with the crowd pressures they regularly face. If you think about it, it's really quite good for the regular worshippers as well because they are not distracted by the presence of a celebrity. The Dunamis Boxes help regular people concentrate better and come more completely into the presence of the Lord." What is it like to experience a worship service from a Dunamis Box? Reussi was only able to discuss general practices. Since Dunamis Box owners – or "Boxeurs" as they are referred to at Grande Church – can tailor various experiences to their liking, Reussi noted that giving details would violate the Boxeur's privacy. Still, Reussi said that each Dunamis Box has all the features generally included in sports stadium luxury boxes. Additionally for the worship setting, Communion is brought to the luxury boxes (Boxeurs are allowed to bring their own wine for communion if they wish). Some Boxeurs have soundproofed their luxury boxes so they can listen to worship music in their preferred style while people in the worship center at large sing whatever the worship band plays. Boxeurs are also offered the presence of three or four semi-professional or better vocalists to sing with them in the box during the worship time. Additionally, reflective glass allows the Boxeur and their guests to look freely into the worship arena without having to worry about being observed by other worshippers or paparazzi who have snuck into the worship center. How much does a Dunamis Box at Grande Church cost? "We don't really think of them in terms of cost," Reussi said. "Dunamis Boxes are an annual 'thank you gift' to extremely generous givers – without whom the important ministry of Grande Church could not continue at its current levels." What size donation would warrant such a "thank you gift" is another off-limits topic. "Obviously I can't talk about the amount an individual Boxeur has donated or continues to donate," Reussi said. "However, if you have to ask, the regular worship area would probably be a better fit for you." What is driving the construction of Dunamis Boxes in Grande Church's worship center? "It's all about stewardship," Reussi said. "When you build a worship center, you need to think about funding the project. We break that down into dollars given per square foot of worship space. The average family uses four seats. At three square feet per person, that is 36 square feet of worship space. If that family is a fully tithing family with an income of $50,000 per year, this brings in $5,000 or just under $139 per square foot annually. Compare that with a 400 square foot Dunamis Box that brings in – I'm just pulling this figure out of thin air – $250,000 on an annualized basis. That comes out to $625 per square foot per year. Nobody could argue that a Dunamis Box is not good stewardship of space." Reussi said there are more innovations planned for Grande's luxury boxes in the near future. Other megachurch leaders, including the Rev. Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., have already sent fact-finding missions to Atlanta. "The possibilities are limited only by our creativity," Reussi said. "What if my sermon topic doesn't hit an area of a Boxeur's felt need? Sermons-on-demand from our own library or other highly regarded preachers are delivered digitally to high definition monitors in the luxury boxes. Or an individualized Bible study conducted on their requested topic in their Dunamis Box by a senior member of my staff. Perhaps the staff member could simply attend the service in the Dunamis Box and be available for any question the Boxeur might have. Or there could be a catered breakfast before the service. "I think there are endless ways to help Boxeurs give more to Grande Church. And more funding means more ministry. It's good for everyone. "Wise as serpents, innocent as doves," Reussi repeated. "It's what the Bible calls us to be." In a related development, the Rev. Joel Osteen of Lakewood Christian Church in Houston, apparently taking his cue from Starbucks, is now reported to be planning a Venti-sized church complex. By Rev. John Rallison
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