An eight-piece worship band kicks off the noon church service, crowded into a small stage area- at Swaby's Tavern in Auburn-that usually showcases open mike nights. Green and purple stage lights reflect off the relics hanging from the tin ceiling: theater props, film set pieces and antiques from more than 100 years of Auburn history. While they aren't religious relics, they present an interesting juxtaposition for Bar Church.

"Salvation is here," sings the worship team. A middle-aged woman in the corner, doublefisting her beer, sings along. First-time visitor Dylan Dearman, 21, attends church in a home nearby, but was invited today by a friend. "I've been into churches that were deader than a graveyard, there's no life," he said. "It's not the building outside, it's the spirit inside."

The concept for Bar Church started when the Rev. Joshua Czyz of Lakes Church, 138 E. Genesee St., Auburn, attended a 2010 holiday benefit for The Forsaken Generation Project, a volunteer organization founded by 37-year-old Sean Wrench to help homeless children and domestic child sex trafficking victims in the United States.

Soon after, Czyz approached Wrench to start a campus outreach. Wrench knew of other bar churches in New York City, Georgia and California, so he pitched the idea and Czyz was all for it. During a walk in downtown Auburn, Wrench had a strong feeling he should talk to Swaby's Tavern owner Anthony Pacini, who took ownership of Swaby's, 4 South St., Auburn, six years ago, and hadn't been open on a Sunday afternoon-until now.

"I said, 'Listen, man, this is probably going to be the craziest thing anyone has ever asked you,' and he just said, 'Sure,'" Wrench recalled. "There's a lot of people that don't like going to regular churches so we open up special for {Bar Church}," Wrench said. "That's what a tavern is for, you know. It's a gathering place."

During the service, a man munches a burger and fries at the bar while Wrench, in an argyle sweater and faded jeans, preaches about handing your burdens to God. "God is the God of the first, second and 1,080th chance," he says.

As Wrench began to make plans for Bar Church, one of the first things on his list was a worship team. "My whole family is in music, so the worship part is really important to me," he said. "It's part of what attracts people."

Jolene Cowart, 28, moved to Syracuse over the summer and the singer-songwriter wanted a musical outlet in addition to her waitressing job. When she stumbled across a Craigslist ad for the worship team at Bar Church, she was immediately drawn to the concept. "It's where Jesus would be if He was here today," said Cowart. "It's a unique way to reach out to the people who don't go to church or have been hurt by the church."

Part of Bar Church's mission is drawn from a September 2011 study, "Six Reasons Young Christians Leave the Church," released by the Barna Group, a California research organization that analyzes faith and culture. Common words emerged from the poll: overprotective, boring, exclusive, unfriendly and judgmental.

"The church became known more for what it was against than what it was for," said Wrench. "When I saw that, my thought was, 'I want to be part of a church that breaks all those stereotypes."

Cowart understands why people abandon religion. Ten years ago, she left her Southern Baptist church in Franklin, Tenn., and hasn't attended church since. "The judgmental attitudes, rumors and corruption turned me away," she said.

The service at Swaby's contains a smattering of young people. "This is awesome," a 20- something whispered to his friend. "I know, right? So laid back," the friend replied.

In an effort to break religious stereotypes, Bar Church's launch party on Oct. 9 included giveaways of a free tattoo and makeover from a local salon. The bar offers half-price food during each service, and attendees often stick around afterward to watch a National Football League game.

There's been some opposition from other churches that question a mixture of alcohol and evangelism, but Wrench doesn't pay much attention. "A lot of people going to a bar are trying to numb pain," he said. "We do church in a bar because rather than running from our society, we choose to embed ourselves in it." And it's not just young people who are taking notice. "I haven't been to church in years, except my church here at Swaby's," said Pacini.

As time goes by, Wrench believes Bar Church will grow. "People are going to see this is not a one shot deal," he said. "We're committed and we're not going anywhere."

Sunday services take place at noon. For more information, send an email to: visit churchatswabys.com.

-Leah Stacy