The Change Mariner

Controversial Youth Ministry Spreading Like Wildfire

Contra Costa Times: It's Wednesday night, and the hottest teen hangout around is packed and throbbing with what seems an unholy beat.

A disc jockey spins dance tunes upstairs, sending boys in sagging pants into contortions. Downstairs, girls surf the Internet from rows of iMacs flanking a glassed-in basketball court. Hundreds of new arrivals flow under a neon sign reading, "Oneighty," slowed only by a weapons check at the door.

Church night Bible study, it's not. But the music is Christian, the surfing monitored and "the funnest part," a 12-year-old Oneighty regular attests over a video game, "is learning about God."

With a worship style that is both hugely popular and way over the top -- this night's service features live motocross stunts -- the youth ministry of Tulsa's Church on the Move has been copied nationwide.

More than 100 unrelated youth groups have franchised the concept and the trademarked Oneighty name, despite critics who find its approach big on show and short on spirituality.
It's Wednesday night, and the hottest teen hangout around is packed and throbbing with what seems an unholy beat.