'Roaming' church dedicates center
By ROBERT HANKINS EDITOR

OCN/Courtesy photo The old Bancroft school as transformed to Family Worship Center.

Eric Swanson hasn't been with the Family Worship Center long, but he knows the territory.

Swanson, the center's media coordinator, attended Bancroft Elementary in the mid-1980s.

Last year, church members submitted a bid for the closed, 50,000- square-foot campus to the West Orange-Cove school district.

They got the good news on Sept. 11, 2007, a day reserved for prayer since 2001. And on that day, Swanson says, their prayers were answered.

"It was weird coming back here," says 29-year-old Swanson.

"(I got) that old feeling, and I remembered the recesses, the cafeteria and the crush I had on my firstgrade teacher."

Members didn't waste any time fixing the place up, and will officially dedicate the church at 2 p.m. Saturday on the north end of 41st Street. The community is invited.

In addition to the chapel, sanctuary and Sunday school rooms, the church offers Addicts Victorious, an anti-drug group session program, a free clothing program, public speaking courses, senior exercise programs, a drama ministry and activities for children and teenagers.

Pastor Tony Story believes in the concept of "free market ministries," where anyone can bring in an idea for consideration. If five people sign up for a class, it's given a one-month trial period and then evaluated.

"We have a bus ministry where we transport underprivileged residents to church," Swanson says. "That was one guy's idea and it eventually became a very big deal."

Founded in 1997 by Story and his wife Linda, Family Worship Center started with 13 members who met in a living room. Now there are more than 250.

Over the years, the church met in various small buildings in Bridge City and Orangefield.

Sunday attendance averages about 150, but is growing all the time, Swanson says.

For information on the dedication, or services, call the church at (409) 886-1100, or Swanson, (409) 883-8677.
On the Net
. Family Worship Center:
www.fwcorange.org/default.htm