Not the smell of hamburgers cooking on the grill that whiffed through the air nor the children laughing and playing on the swing sets in the background.

All of the attention was focused on why they were there: to worship God in the great outdoors.

Encounter, known as the “church for a new generation” that meets at the Waxahachie Civic Center, made a move Sunday as members gathered to praise and worship God outside.

“Not being able to be at the civic center opened up the door for us to meet outside, once again illustrating that church is who we are, not where we meet,” Pastor Brian Treadaway said.

Sponsored by Ovilla Road Baptist Church, Encounter has grown tremendously since it first opened its doors three years ago. A modern-day church, everything is casual about Encounter. With a coffee bar, also known as the liquid lounge, people bring their coffee and doughnuts inside the church building to praise and worship God.

The dress is just as casual as people wear anything from blue jeans and T-shirts to shorts or dresses to a biker’s vest. Even the pastor preaches while wearing shorts or jeans.

On Sunday, Treadaway, who wore sunglasses and a Dallas Cowboy’s jersey, delivered a message about the importance of relationships in marriage, with the church’s praise and worship band, led by Scott Galloway, leading those gathered in song.

“Being a group of people who are following God who eat together, worship together, play together and learn together is who we are,” Treadaway said.

Encounter also has experimented with its first live feed across the Internet, Treadaway said.

“One of our college students in Brownwood joined with seven other students in their dorm room to be a part of the live service,” he said.

“The students got so involved in the music and singing in the dorm room that we were asked to move to another location,” said Jessica Hays of Brownwood. “So, we decided to go down to the laundry room of the dorm to continue our worship. We packed up everything and trekked down four flights of stairs still watching the laptop, as (a friend) held it out in front of us. My friends were excited to be able to see everyone that I’ve talk so much about.”

Another group in Waco will experience Encounter across the Internet next week, Treadaway said.

“It’s just the beginning of many other groups that will be able to be a part of Encounter from homes and other venues,” he said. “What an awesome thing that we were able to bring the experience of Encounter to places far away from Waxahachie.”

For information, visit encounterthis.com.

E-mail Tracy @ tracy.chesney@wninews.com.