It's one of the toughest challenges for today's religious leaders -- to make an ancient message resonate in today's fast paced world.

"There's always a challenge to do more, to reach more," said Pastor Claude Harris, New Life Worship Center.

"We felt that if we could partner and offer something in this community, that maybe we'd touch people that the traditional church did not have the opportunity to reach," said Pastor Marty Baker, Stevens Creek Community Church.

Stevens Creek Community Church in Augusta transitioned to a more contemporary service in 1996. Attendance has jumped from 150 to about 1,000.

They've seen the same growth at New Life Worship Center in Hepzibah.

"You've got so many people interested in so many different things that your message and the way you project that message has to be varied," Harris said.

Both use modern music, video and skits to portray a core spiritual message.

"So when we are able to display the gospel with pictures, we find the receptivity of the people is a whole lot greater," Harris said.

And parishioners say they're getting the message.

"When I came here, it was much different and it helped me grow in Christ. So it opened up God more to me," said New Life Parishioner Donna Rodriguez.

But putting on a service with more than just traditional elements take a lot of planning and a lot of volunteers. At Stevens Creek, they come up with ideas up to four months before they're presented. And they make an effort to tie those ideas to things in modern culture.

"Like HGTV. We call it Home God Total Vision. So we'll take a little twist on something that is popular in the culture and present a message from the Bible that connects with that," Baker said.

"There's about 60 on the team and it takes all their efforts to make it come off," said Stevens Creek Creative Worship Pastor Todd Sturgell.

If these churches are seeing success with hi-tech help, why are more traditional churches reluctant to give it a try? Some say it's fear of scaring off the parishioners they have.

"They want to guard and protect what they know they've been called to do. And we, as partners on the same team with them have to do what we've been called to do," Baker said.

"When people are settled in to the fact it's progress and not a threat, they're more apt to get on board and flow with it," Harris said.

This is happening all over the country. The Buckhead Church in Atlanta just moved into a 48-thousand square foot complex. And in just the past two years, that church's Sunday attendance has grown six-fold.

Many pastors of big congregations say worshippers are accustomed to the media-saturated society and are capable of adjusting... and that they're getting the message in a form they understand.

Church Information:

New Life Worship Center
3550 Morgan Road
Hephzibah, GA 30815
706-796-7880
http://www.newlife-worshipcenter.org

Stevens Creek Community Church
600 Stevens Creek Road
Augusta, GA 30907
706-863-7002
Email: StevensCreek@aol.com