Date Night

What is Date Night?

Date Night is a one-night marriage event for couples of all ages. The goal is to be encouraged in faith and grow in relationship both with your spouse and with God. Everything from the food to the music, special elements to the guest speakers is meant to make you feel good and enjoy time with your spouse. Couples will laugh together, learn together, and hopefully experience a healthier marriage as a result of time spent at Date Night.

Food & Music

5:15 p.m. | Plaza

Doors open at 5:15 for heavy hors d’oeuvres. More than just cheese and small bites no one can pronounce, we will have food like crabcakes, Monte Cristo sliders, truffle mac & cheese, and Caprese salad. We plan to have small desserts and specialty coffees. Couples can enjoy time mingling with other couples throughout the plaza or outside on the West patio, weather permitting. While you eat and mingle, enjoy the incredible voices of Fellowship’s very own Jake and Mary Lacey Briggs. Jake is a worship pastor at Fellowship, and he is only outdone by his own wife’s beautiful voice. Mary Lacy is a talented artist and together they put any coffeehouse playlist to shame.

Events

6:00 p.m. | Warehouse

Hosted by Trish Monnahan and Stephen Brannon, the Care Team is excited about a variety of elements throughout the night. Every detail is intentional and meant to be enjoyable by couples of all ages. In fact, we also hope this will be an event to which you will invite friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Perhaps the element we are most looking forward to is the “Do You Know Your Spouse?!” game with several surprise guests and their sweet wives as contestants. 

Speakers: Ben & Lynley Mandrell

Ben and Lynley have been married since 2001. Ben is originally from Tampico, Illinois. Lynley is an Arkansan, born and raised. She grew up in Jonesboro and graduated from University of Central Arkansas.  Ben is a former pastor in Tennessee and church planting pastor in Denver, CO. He is now the President and CEO of Lifeway. Lynley is a Strategic Project Manager Visioneering Studios. As a couple, they are passionate about seeing couples grow in their faith and grow further in love with each other. Their hope for Date Night is to be used by God to encourage couples and also provide biblically based wisdom to make marriages healthier. They have four children: Ava, Max, Miles, and Jack.

The Glass House Podcast

Since 2021, Ben and Lynley have hosted a podcast titled, “The Glass House”. Listeners who work in the trenches of church life will feel seen and gain tools to navigate ministry and life. Those who live outside this “glass house” will better understand what it’s like to dwell there. Not only for church leaders, but topics also include “the prodigal child,” “following Jesus in the digital age,” and “how to handle hard emotions.” Join Ben and Lynley Mandrell for these shockingly confessional—yet redemptive—conversations. You can listen to their podcast for free on Apple Podcasts.