ASHLAND — LifeSong Church was founded to be a “high impact” church. The idea was to reach as many de-churched and never-churched individuals in the Ashland area as possible and engage them.

In less than three years LifeSong has done just that.

The church’s ability to reach out to those individuals and keep them coming back has swelled its ranks beyond the capacity of its upstairs sanctuary at Hope’s Place.

Beginning with Easter this week, LifeSong will have its 11 a.m. Sunday service at the Paramount Arts Center.

LifeSong has been located on the upper floor of Hope’s Place, 1100 Greenup Ave., since it opened in October 2006. The church will still retain that location for its offices, group gatherings and Wednesday night services but all Sunday services will take place in the 1,400-seat theater on Winchester Avenue.

Pastor Keith Menshouse said moving is necessary to maintain the church’s relaxed and casual atmosphere. The church considered doing multiple services to accommodate larger crowds but decided against it. Menshouse explained, “Our main focus group is people who don’t go to church, so they aren’t motivated to come at 9 a.m. or 2 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. To stay convenient to them we feel we have to create more space.”

About 230 attend regular Sunday services at LifeSong but numbers have continued to grow and more than 300 are expected on Easter. The current location has a capacity of 280, Menshouse said.

The extra space will allow some breathing room for old and new members until the congregation can one day find a more permanent home.

LifeSong is a Baptist church but can hardly be recognized as such when compared to its traditional counterparts. Everything from dress to the way visitors are approached is casual at LifeSong.

Menshouse said that’s deliberate. Individuals who have never been to church or haven’t been in a long time, he said, “don’t like to be smothered and approached with a lot of contact.” They are also weary of being judged by current members, he said.

“We looked at all the things that group says about why they don’t go to church and we’ve tried to counteract that as much as possible,” Menshouse said.

To put them at ease, people can “sit from a distance and check it out until they want to take that next step and get a little closer,” he said. On any given Sunday, Menshouse said, about 10 percent of those in attendance are at LifeSong for the first time.

LifeSong is among 25 “High Impact Churches” launched statewide by the Kentucky Baptist Convention as part of an ongoing ministry strategy to reach the unchurched.

“Our vision is to become a magnet for those in our community who are seeking,” Menshouse said. “Some may be seeking an experience with a church that is different from a past experience which left them empty or disillusioned. Others are seeking a relationship with God but have never come to understand the truth of the Gospel.”

The church is also high-tech and uses two large video screens for Scripture readings. A sound system amplifies music from the array of instruments played during the service. Music, drama and video clips are used to bring the day’s topic to life and Menhouse limits his sermons to less than 30 minutes. In all, services are around an hour total.

Menshouse, who has spent most of his career leading traditional churches, said managing a non-traditional flock is challenging but rewarding.

“I have to rethink how I say everything to people who don’t have a church background,” he said. “it’s the most fun I’ve had in the 27 years I’ve been in ministry.”

CARRIE STAMBAUGH can be reached at cstambaugh@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.