The Inflatable Church will be dedicated by the Reverend Lee on the 7 July 2003 at the New Hope Chapel and will run a number of services and activities for the local young children. 'We are delighted to be the first US congregation to try out the church,' said the Reverend Dr Jesse Lee, pastor of New Hope Chapel. 'There are thousands of churches in Los Angeles. Space is a problem we all face. I envision the inflatable church as a great solution.' The New Hope Chapel was launched November 2002 in Los Feliz District (a subset of Los Angeles) with roughly 80 people in its congregation. With three services on Sundays and 14 different meetings during the week, the church has grown rapid. Nearly 1500 people are now in attendance every Sunday - making it one of the fastest-growing churches in Los Angeles. The inflatable church provides an instant structure that can be raised in a matter of minutes and is suitable to house services, Sunday schools as well as fellowship meetings. Michael Gill, currently in the USA, believes his creation can play a part in making churches more accessible to local communities. 'With drugs and sometimes gun culture rife in inner cities, churches throughout the US have a great opportunity to make the most of this product,' he said. Michael sees the inflatable church as something all traditional churches can use to reposition themselves in the community. 'If the people won't go to church, the church needs to go to the people - and this is one way to do it,' he maintained. 'Just think of the amount of good that could be done by a minister putting up an inflatable church on a patch of grass, say, and holding a service right where people are.' The church is an ideal resource in the summer - because children, in particular, love inflatable creations of all kind. You cannot bounce on this creation, but you can get involved with some fun activities around it. 'I see the church being used as a seed to create something positive in a young person's life. My mission is to show American churches how much good could be done and hopefully help combat youth crime,' said Michael. Michael has already had enquiries for purchase and hire of the church from more than 20 different countries since it was first displayed at the Christian Resources Exhibition in London last month (May 2003).