It's 9 a.m. on Sunday, and the parking lot at Flagship Cinema is packed. But it's not because people are lining up early to see the latest Robert Downey Jr. movie. It's because the Church in the Pines has outgrown its facility, and more than 150 people need a place to worship.

The growing church has been hosting a Sunday morning contemporary worship service at the cinema for the past six years, said the Rev. Joel Knudsen. After less than two years, the service was even moved from a smaller theater to a larger one, due to increasing attendance.

The Church in the Pines, located a short drive away from the Flagship Cinema at 17 Carver Road in West Wareham, is situated on just one acre of land, and can only seat about 80 people.

"We use every square inch," Knudsen said.

Before making the move to Flagship, attendees got creative with the available space in the small church.

"We took out the pews and sold them," recalled Ellen Begley, who has been attending the Church in the Pines since 2002. Replacing the pews with chairs allowed more people to squeeze in.

But ultimately, the move was necessary.

Every week, a team of seven to 12 volunteers packs trucks with everything needed for the service, right down from music stands and instruments for the musical portions to baby gates and toys for the little ones in childcare.

The work begins at about 7:30 a.m. The crew transports needed materials to the cinema, sets up tables in the lobby with programs for the morning's services and information about goings-on at the church, and gets three theaters ready for attendees. Around five teams rotate through the weekly set-up duties, so no one gets burned out.

"It's a good system, what we have here, as far as everyone working together," said attendee Jeff Moses.

And the system works like a well-oiled machine. Knudsen conducts the service in one theater, even using the movie screen to present information. While that's going on, children in kindergarten through fifth grade learn about the Bible and complete lesson-related activities in another theater, and smaller children are entertained by volunteers in a third theater. Each child is signed in and given a number, so if an issue arises, parents attending the service will see the number appear on the movie screen during the service and can tend to their child.

For those wanting to attend a traditional service, an 11 a.m. worship is offered at the Church in the Pines.

Though attendees enjoy the non-traditional location for the contemporary service, the set-up between the church and the cinema did cause a rather unusual problem to arise.

"People were feeling separated between the two buildings," Begley said.

To alleviate the problem, a "Coffee Time" is held between the two services, so attendees of the earlier service have a chance to mingle with those who attend the later one. Additionally, a monthly pot luck is held so church-attendees can spend time together.

Knudsen said he is currently looking for land to build upon so that all services can once again be held in the church. But until then, everyone is welcome to attend service at the Flagship Cinema on Sundays at 9 a.m.

For more information on the Church in the Pines, visit www.churchinthepines.com or call 508-295-3021.