The first building of an exact sized replica of the Ark in history is under construction in the city of Broomfield, USA. It will also include a full-sized replica of King Soloman's temple for education and worship, picnic areas and other attractions.

Broomfield resident Tommy Moore, 75, a pastor with the Messiah Baptist Church in north Denver, proposed this project three years ago. It is in Colorado near Colo. 7 and Interstate 25 called Messiahville. He and his wife have dedicated their lives particularly to helping children and families build relationships with Jesus Christ.

A Bible theme park for children, a 9,000-plot cemetery, a worship and education center, and other attractions would be included. Moore is completing a log cabin residence on the site.

Moore's wife, Del hoped it would just be a place families could have a Christian atmosphere to come and spend time together and be educated at the same time.

The amusement park can also be a tool for evangelism, too. "I think Christians traditionally have used all those means to communicate their message to people. Now you have Christian radio, Christian music. Recently there is also the Christian film “The Passion of the Christ.?As the culture changes. We have to look at how do we communicate with the community," David Rosenthal, vice president and director of operations for the $16 million The Holyland Experience said.

It is estimated that the park will attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, far surpassing expectations. Rosenthal said the relaxed environment often attracts those who might not consider attending church.

Other biblically based attractions include the 40-year-old Christus Gardens in Gatlinburg, Tenn., which includes 100 life-sized figures from Bible times and other features. The Messiahville project would be one of only a few large-scale religious attractions in the western United States.

Nowadays, many churches have turned to entertainment to pull in their flock, particularly young people. "We have to present the story of faith in a way people can understand, accept and get their minds around it, and entertainment can help with that. But I think it's a mistake to make faith just entertainment," said McCormick, who leads a congregation of about 2,500 families.

It's not the clergy's job simply to entertain and movies and other entertainment must be tempered by the tenets of faith to stay true to the message, McCormick said.

City Council first encountered the "Messiahville" plan at a concept review nearly in 2001. At the time, council members said plans were fuzzy and they asked Moore to return later with a clearer vision. The master plan amendment is expected to be the first step to more detailed plans for the site, planner Carlson said. In the meanwhile, the Moore family has completed a log cabin on the site as their home and storage areas for the project's materials, Del Moore said. City Council is tentatively scheduled to review the amendment on April 13.