Plans for the new DC Dream Center were announced in November of 2012 by Pastor Mark Betterson. He is is the original leader of National Community Church located in Washington DC. This is the only church to own a theater location, and a coffe house near Capital Hill. A total of 7 theater locations in the city broadcast weekly services along with a praise and worship team led by pastors to attending church goers. The new center will offer help to house and assist those who are in need. The DC Dream Center will be based on the same priciples that formed Dream Centers around the country.
In "The Circle Maker", Pastor Mark describes the type of miracles that bought the properties of the coffe house and the theater church. He explains how his following started from 25 people and grew into a body of thousands as it is today. On page 98, Pastor Mark describes how this dream became reality from his prayers: "One reason the coffeehouse seemed like a crazy idea was that National Community Church was just getting off the ground when the dream was conceived. We barely had any people or any money, but that’s a great perscribtion fro prayer. And we prayed hard for nearly eight years. We laid hands on the walls and prayed. We knelt on the property and prayed. We fasted and prayed. I lost count of how many cirlcles we prayed.." Just this weekend, Dec. 16th, a new edition in the Prayer Cirles books: " The 40 day Prayer Challenge" was released. As his dreams to share the reasoning and purpouse of prayers grows, his new Dream Center is getting off the ground.
Without using the practice of asking God in his prayers to help him start a charity to help world missions, he claims it would not have happened. It wasn't just God and Mark Batterson either. It was the body of his church and a benevolence of tithing from an open community that shaped the investment founding of his organization. The idea is to return the giving back to missions oppritunities around the world. News of who has already set up donations from clergy staff around the country is provided on the church’s web page. One donation was given immeadiately in the amount of $100,000. The DC Dream Center is being founding on the same principles of prayers, public donations, and more prayers.
Mathew Barnett, the original founding pastor of the Dream Center in Los Angelos, California spoke in front of the NCC crowd. He told the story of how he got involved with the center. His story starts back over a decade ago. The name Mathew Barnett may not sound familuar, but he is the producer of two hit tv shows: Fear Factory and Donald Trump’s The Apprentice. Today the efforts of the LA Dream Center help the homeless and those who are in impoverished financial needs. Reforming ex-felons and offering juveniles a place to go outside of foster care to face convictions is another focus. The resouce to help women find a way out of the sex industry from street prostitution, has made a large impact on may lives. The joking manners of Pastor Barnett discussed how he has seen people in trouble transform and become faithful Christains. He is planning on lending some time and personal involvement to help the DC area Dream Center have a healthy beginning.
As the plans to build the new DC Dream Center were made to set up in South East Washington DC, donations poured in. The total of all of the needed financial funds reached over a million and a half dollars. Other congregations, and individuals alike poured their heart into sacrificing to donate for this Dream Center. The property has been bought and the develpoments are under way. The building plans are not publicly announced yet on when the ground will be broken. This new function of National Community Church will help some of the estamated 6,000 to 13,000 people who go homeless each year in the city. The congregation is excited about supporting Pastor Mark's decesion to help the community in greater ways. Weekly sermons of NCC and the full details of the DC Dream Center can be found at theaterchurch.com.
Sources cited include:
Batterson, Mark. The Circle Maker. United States of America.Zondervan. 2011. Print.
Batterson, Mark. markbatterson. National Community Church. 2012. Web. 1 Dec. 2012
unknown. National Allaince to End Homelessness.2012. Web. 2 Dec. 2012
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