Mars Hill Church to hold Easter service at Qwest Field

Football may be a religion to some, but holding an actual Easter service at Qwest Field stadium would be a first.

Seattle-based Mars Hill Church is planning to do just that, scheduling a 9:30 a.m. service Sunday at the home field of the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders FC.

Not only that, but church leaders also are hoping to draw 20,000 people — which likely would make it one of the largest such services held in the state.

Part of the reason the megachurch turned to this venue is that its Easter services typically draw overflow crowds, said Pastor Tim Gaydos, who heads the church's downtown Seattle campus.

The nondenominational, theologically conservative church has grown dramatically since its founding in 1996, with some 10,000 people attending weekly services at its nine campuses. The church plans to add two more campuses — in Portland and in Orange County, Calif. — next year.

It's also been more than a decade since all of its Puget Sound campuses have come together for one service, Gaydos said. "This is an opportunity to just be together as one community."

Church leaders also hope to draw many new people, and members are being encouraged to invite friends and neighbors. The church is doing outreach via Facebook, Twitter, billboards, and bus and radio ads.

The service itself will be about 90 minutes, with music from Dustin Kensrue from the band Thrice and singer-songwriter Mindy Smith. Pastor Mark Driscoll will then preach.

The church is hoping to baptize 500 people; about 10 pools will be set up for full-immersion baptisms.

The church is asking people to bring to the Easter service new socks, diapers and bottles of shampoo and conditioner to benefit the homeless.

Though there doesn't appear to have been another single-church service that has drawn 20,000 people, local venues have had large crowds for other types of religious gatherings.

Qwest Field was the site of a 2008 appearance by the Dalai Lama at an event designed to spur compassion in the community.

Qwest Field Event Center — not the stadium — has hosted church services by Seattle Church of Christ, which drew about 1,000 people each of two years, and Christian Faith Center, which drew about 8,000.

It's also been the site of Eid al-Fitr prayers, which drew 5,000 people in 2004 and 2,500 people in 2005. Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Safeco Field has hosted Promise Keepers, an evangelical Christian event for men, and KeyArena has been the site of several Christian revival events drawing tens of thousands, including Women of Faith and Pastor Greg Laurie's Seattle Harvest.