Northside Christian Church in Clovis to add coffee shop

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- Expansion plans brewing at a Valley church will include much more than just room to worship. Northside Christian Church in Clovis will also feature a place to have some coffee.

A newly acquired five acre parcel next to the church was being turned into a dirt parking lot. Someday buildings will go up there but for now Executive Pastor Jeremy Vanderlinden said the focus is on a new courtyard area that will feature a coffee house.

Vanderlinden said, "About a 4,000 square foot coffee house that you can see from Nees Avenue. We'll have an indoor/outside stage on this backside here."

About 3,000 people attend Northside Church. The congregation raised three million dollars for the construction project. Vanderlinden said the topic of coffee has worked its way into his sermons on social media.

He explained, "It sticks everyone behind a little device. A computer, a laptop and we're trying to get people out of that and get them back face to face with someone so they can sit a in front of a real person. A human being. Have a great conversation and we think this is the way to do that."

The coffee house called "The Frap House" wouldn't be just for church members. They're invited to bring their friends.

Vanderlinden said, "We don't want to be just this closed member-driven church."

The courtyard area will also feature benches and fire bowls which stand seven feet tall. Everything is designed to increase human interaction.

"It goes back to the theme of community," Vanderlinden explained. "That's what we want. Good healthy community here. We really don't want people to just come here for services on the weekend and leave."

Vanderlinden expected to see the coffee house open on Christmas Eve.