Tabella to Re-Open this Sunday....
...as Mars Hill Church's new Belltown satellite, rather than in its previous incarnation as a "problem" nightclub on the mayor's Operation Sobering Thought hit list. Full press release after the jump, but here's the first line: "The bumping, the grinding, and the booze make way for a different sort of Trinity this month."
On March 16, the former Tabella Nightclub opens its doors as Mars Hill Church’s Downtown Campus (no relation to the nearby Mars Hill Graduate School).
The church purchased the building last fall when Tabella shut down after a series of run-ins with the city threatened the establishment’s liquor license. After months of renovation, the transformation is now complete.
Baby-changing stations are now fixed to bathroom walls in place of the erstwhile condom dispensers. Instead of dancing cages, projector screens and track lighting hang from the ceiling. But don’t expect to see any pews or hymnals in the new “sanctuary.” At its sixth and latest location, Mars Hill upholds the urban ethos of its Belltown neighbors.
As the pastor of Mars Hill Church’s urban location and a downtown-dweller himself, Tim Gaydos, 33, embodies the juxtaposition of sacred and secular that may appear curious to outsiders. Whether it’s a nightclub or a church, however, Gaydos maintains that people will come to the building for the same reasons. “People are searching for happiness, satisfaction, and fulfillment,” he says. “We believe that Jesus is the answer.”
Pastor Gaydos hopes the refurbished space will reflect the best of Seattle’s urban culture—the music, the art, the community, the diversity. While all of these elements will be incorporated into Sunday worship services, Gaydos and the church plan to use their new building for other community activities such as concerts, art galleries, and service projects.
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