How it all started...
Pastor Stormy and Shelly Swann married young and felt the call of God for ministry on their lives. Knowing that they needed training, they moved to Tulsa, OK and attended Bible School. The Lord then directed them to move back to Clovis, NM and help Stormy's brother, David Swann, build his church which he had just planted a year prior. Stormy and Shelly stayed in Clovis at Pastor Swann's church for 20 years helping with every ministry but never being paid staff. The Lord just kept telling them to be faithful and assuring them that their time would come.
In the year 2000, Stormy and Shelly sensed that it was time for them to plant their own church and had friends from Lubbock, TX say that they were having trouble finding a church that would be a good fit for them and asked for them to prayerfully consider planting a new church in Lubbock. God miraculously opened doors, and the Swanns started a Bible study in a small duplex in Lubbock on July 2, 2000. During this time, the Lord clearly directed them to keep their jobs in Clovis and to commute to Lubbock every weekend for service, so, for 3 years, that is just what they did.
Their first meeting had 8 people and 1 dog in attendance! After about a month, however, they outgrew their little duplex, having over 30 people in attendance each week. They then started renting a meeting room at a local hotel, and, until they outgrew it 8 months later, that is where they met. While they met at the hotel, they had to set up and tear down all of their equipment every time they met! As they continued to grow, they leased an office building, converted it into a functional church building, and met there for 2 years while the church grew to over 200 in attendance each week. They began looking for their permanent church home, but their landlord approached them one day saying that he had leased the building to another church and that they had 30 days to move out. They looked around Lubbock for a building that they could purchase, but there wasn't anything available that fit their needs.
A business man in the church who owned a sign company offered to allow the church to use half of his building which was currently being used as a casino that he rented to businesses for employee nights and other events. The church continued to meet in that place for a full year, during which time it continued to grow, and the Swanns continued to look for a property to purchase to serve as a permanent home. The man who rented the facility to them did not charge rent so the church was able to save up money in anticipation for what God was going to do next! They tried on two separate occasions to purchase a church building, but each time they tried, it fell through. God had other plans!
In May of 2005 they were told about a building that was for sale in the very center of town. They were also approached by a local banker who offered to finance the purchase for them. They sought the Lord for direction and felt His peace leading them to this place at this time! They put a bid in on the property and were chosen to purchase it. After many years of waiting for a building to call home, God had faithfully brought them to it!
Through the years that followed the people of the church updated the building to fit our growing needs. We have torn down walls, built stages, added sound and lighting systems, and updated the paint and carpet on almost every square inch of the building. Through it all, we have seen the mighty hand of God preparing the way for what He has called us to do! That is to honor God, empower people, and pursue the great commission.
In the year 2000, Stormy and Shelly sensed that it was time for them to plant their own church and had friends from Lubbock, TX say that they were having trouble finding a church that would be a good fit for them and asked for them to prayerfully consider planting a new church in Lubbock. God miraculously opened doors, and the Swanns started a Bible study in a small duplex in Lubbock on July 2, 2000. During this time, the Lord clearly directed them to keep their jobs in Clovis and to commute to Lubbock every weekend for service, so, for 3 years, that is just what they did.
Their first meeting had 8 people and 1 dog in attendance! After about a month, however, they outgrew their little duplex, having over 30 people in attendance each week. They then started renting a meeting room at a local hotel, and, until they outgrew it 8 months later, that is where they met. While they met at the hotel, they had to set up and tear down all of their equipment every time they met! As they continued to grow, they leased an office building, converted it into a functional church building, and met there for 2 years while the church grew to over 200 in attendance each week. They began looking for their permanent church home, but their landlord approached them one day saying that he had leased the building to another church and that they had 30 days to move out. They looked around Lubbock for a building that they could purchase, but there wasn't anything available that fit their needs.
A business man in the church who owned a sign company offered to allow the church to use half of his building which was currently being used as a casino that he rented to businesses for employee nights and other events. The church continued to meet in that place for a full year, during which time it continued to grow, and the Swanns continued to look for a property to purchase to serve as a permanent home. The man who rented the facility to them did not charge rent so the church was able to save up money in anticipation for what God was going to do next! They tried on two separate occasions to purchase a church building, but each time they tried, it fell through. God had other plans!
In May of 2005 they were told about a building that was for sale in the very center of town. They were also approached by a local banker who offered to finance the purchase for them. They sought the Lord for direction and felt His peace leading them to this place at this time! They put a bid in on the property and were chosen to purchase it. After many years of waiting for a building to call home, God had faithfully brought them to it!
Through the years that followed the people of the church updated the building to fit our growing needs. We have torn down walls, built stages, added sound and lighting systems, and updated the paint and carpet on almost every square inch of the building. Through it all, we have seen the mighty hand of God preparing the way for what He has called us to do! That is to honor God, empower people, and pursue the great commission.
Expanding the vision...
Our vision for Faith Christian Family Church is that we honor God, empower people, and pursue the great commission, and our ministries are consumed with that goal. Throughout the years we have seen countless people born again, baptized, filled with the Holy Spirit, and set free from addiction and bondage. The very course of so many lives and families has been dramatically changed by the work of God at FCFC, and we know that He is not done yet! There is more to come!
Where we are headed...
We desire to see long term fruit in people's lives. We don't just want mountain-top experiences with God; we want people to experience an intimate walk with God every single day! That is where true change happens, when people can walk through the ups and downs of life and continually look to God as the source of all of their needs. We desire to see people giving, praying, and serving every day.
We desire to see the community of Lubbock, TX transformed by the power of the Name of Jesus! We desire to be a light in a world that is increasingly filled with darkness, and we desire to point to lost, hurting, abandoned, broken, and hopeless people in our city to the lover of their souls, Jesus!
We desire to see the community of Lubbock, TX transformed by the power of the Name of Jesus! We desire to be a light in a world that is increasingly filled with darkness, and we desire to point to lost, hurting, abandoned, broken, and hopeless people in our city to the lover of their souls, Jesus!
