Parishioners take advantage of Friday night services

Adding a Friday night church service to the traditional Sunday worship has become a success for Faith Christian Family Church.

The Friday night date night service gives an alternate time for worshipers and gives parents an option to attend church and get time they need to themselves, according to associate pastor Brad Carignan.

Carignan said the church added the service to its lineup in September 2006.

The 6 p.m. service is an abbreviated version of Sunday morning’s service — lasting about an hour — offering the same message and music that parishioners receive on Sunday.

After the service ends Carignan said parents who attended can leave their children, ages birth to sixth grade, until 9:45 p.m. and go see a movie, have dinner, or moms can go home and have a peaceful bath, taking advantage of some kid-free time.

“We thought it would be a great fit for Clovis,” he said, explaining the church recognized a lot of military families, spouses of deployed members and other residents of the community do not have support networks or nearby family they can rely on for child care.

The Friday night service also meets the needs of a variety of people who want to attend church but for one reason or another, can’t make it to a Sunday service.

Turnout averages 470 adults and children a week, Carignan said, explaining church membership is not required.

“A wide variety of folks use it,” he said.

“It’s been great.”

The concept has been a good option for railroad employees who have unorthodox schedules, pastors from other churches and their families who want to experience a sermon as a family, even those who have plans to go on weekend fishing or hunting trips, he said.

Friday Night Date Night, Faith Christian Family Church, corner of Llano and Norris streets:

• Pastor Eric Thomason leads praise and worship at the beginning of each service.

• Pastor David Swann, the senior pastor, preaches the same message as he will Sunday morning at 9 and 11 a.m.

• Free childcare is provided until 9:45 p.m. only if the parents attend the entire service from 6-7 p.m..

• Childcare is from birth through the sixth grade.

Information: www.fcfconline.com or 762-7751