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PORT NECHES — Organizers with RiverFest’s Faith and Family Night are anticipating the largest crowd ever Wednesday as headliner Christian musician Crowder and his band takes the stage.

People from across the area and beyond will be in attendance at the event where 19 different church organizations and other nonprofits will be on hand selling food and other items.

“We think this is a really great event for our community. Our church has been part of sponsoring this for probably 10 years,” Terri Sparks with Encounter Church said.

Sparks noted that Encounter Church and Life Church have rotated leading praise at Faith and Family Night through the years.  She enjoys the fact that people of different denominations come together to worship in one place.

“We are anticipating probably the largest crowd for Faith and Faith this year, even people that haven’t come before,” she said.
Encounter’s youth group will once again be selling grilled hamburger combos to raise money for various youth camps.

Shana Burt heads up the Faith and Family Night and is one of the RiverFest committee members who initiated the event years ago.

Burt said the mission of Faith and Family Night is to provide a safe and fun environment for the community to come together, worship God and develop interdenominational camaraderie and a desire to promote unity amongst the local faith community so the name of Jesus is lifted high and others will be drawn to Him.

Burt said this year they have six churches sponsoring the event and the main sponsor is Groves Equipment.

“They made a very generous donation so we can bring in a group like Crowder to lead us in worship and only charge the public $10,” Burt said.

She noted the different churches that will have booths at Faith and Family Night, saying the groups get to keep all the money they bring in for their organizations. She encourages festivalgoers to buy food from them.

Since organizers are expecting such a large crowd Wednesday, they are bringing in some of the regular food vendors as well.

Besides the food vendors, there will also be a prayer tent for people to sit and be prayed for.

Life Church will lead the opening this year.

Wednesday, May 3 — Faith and Family Night

• 5-10 p.m.: Carnival
• 5-9 p.m.: Vendors
• 5:45 p.m.: Faith and Family Night Opening Ceremonies, Riverfront Stage
• 6 p.m.: Life Church Praise and Worship, Riverfront Stage
• 7:30 p.m.: David Crowder Band, Riverfront Stage