First Baptist Church of Dallas, led by nationally known pastor Robert Jeffress, will complete what is believed to be the largest church building campaign in modern history, opening a new state-of-the-art $130 million campus on Easter Sunday, March 31.

“At a time when suburban megachurches are the norm and research shows that many people no longer feel the Church is relevant, First Baptist is committed to the Bible and to downtown Dallas,” said Jeffress. “People are hungry, not for religion, but for the Word of God. First Baptist Dallas is built on the Bible, and because of that, we are growing.”

This growth prompted First Baptist Dallas to embark on a building campaign in 2009, during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Though the popular trend among many churches is to acquire and retrofit unused buildings or open smaller, satellite campuses in the suburbs, First Baptist chose to remain in the heart of Dallas—a place where it has been located since its founding in 1868—in order to continue to serve the residents, business community and guests of Dallas and the surrounding Metroplex.

The new First Baptist campus is part of an extensive and impressive ongoing revitalization of downtown Dallas, following the recent opening of several multimillion-dollar museums, theaters and parks.

“For more than 140 years—through cycles of both decline and growth—First Baptist has been steadfastly committed to the city of Dallas,” Jeffress said. “That dedication continues through this contribution of what we believe is the finest facility in the heart of downtown—a concert hall of worship that truly represents, and is dedicated to, the greatness of God.”

The new campus highlights the landmark sanctuary alongside a new 3,000-seat Worship Center, which includes the latest high-tech features, such as a 150-foot-wide viewing screen. It stretches nearly two-thirds across the room and consists of seven high-definition projectors blended together, making it one of the largest viewing screens in any church in the world.

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Last week Warren sent out the following call to his over 900,000 followers on Twitter: “Join me today in fasting and prayer for the 115 Cardinals seeking God’s Will in a new leader.”

I can think of a lot of things that should be prayed and fasted over – Catholic Cardinals wouldn’t be high on my list. Perhaps he needs a refresher course on the Reformation?

Read more about the controversy. “I would encourage Christians to [reach out to] Roman Catholics and point them to the true head of the Church — the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Over the past year I’ve noticed an increasing number of church noise complaints in the news. The modern worship leader believes louder is better, at least until the church is taken to court. Here are two news items from the past week alone:

Noise complaint against Durham church tossed

Neighbors complain that S.C. church’s worship too noisy

The capacity crowd at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore is bouncing in unison to the most widely sung music on the planet today. The catwalk above the arena is shaking.

Chris Tomlin grabs the microphone and asks the crowd if they’re ready.

“I feel alive, on God’s great dance floor!” He leads the packed venue in singing and jumping.

Tomlin is out touring the country with his latest studio album, “Burning Lights.” In January, it topped the Billboard 200 charts. But unlike those who’ve enjoyed performances by Beyonce, Johnny Cash and a host of others who’ve played this Baltimore hall, after these fans stream out the doors they will have ample opportunity to sing Tomlin’s songs again, as one.

That is the secret to Tomlin’s success – the stage, the lights, the band – aren’t about him. As lively as his shows are, the point is not to get you inside the doors. The point is to get you singing in church.

“I strive for trying to write something that people can sing, that people want to sing, and that people need to sing,” Tomlin explained before the show.

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