Churches sending daylight saving reminders

For local churchgoers, Father Time is hopefully no match for the Father above.

Clocks will spring forward this weekend at 2 a.m. Sunday morning, marking this year's Daylight Saving Time — and an hour lost. To ensure congregants don't accidentally show up late to their Sunday morning services, some churches are sending out friendly reminders.

Senior Pastor Don Thomas of Portales' Central Christian Church said the convenience of technology — such as cell phones automatically updating their clocks — has made time change easier to remember. For this reason, he expects to maintain normal church attendance at 8:15 a.m. Sunday.

Just in case, the staff utilizes social media and a weekly update via email to remind members to change their clocks. The church also promotes the time change through screen announcements during services.

"In a church about 30 years ago," Thomas said, "I was singing the closing song when two families walked in and realized it was 'Time Change Sunday.' We giggled about it for years."

As for himself, Thomas said it's "a preacher's worst nightmare" to show up late for his own service.

"I double- and triple-check the alarms," he said, "and still end up waking up two hours earlier, just so I'm not late. I've never overslept for a service, and I pray I don't start that trend this year."

Pastor Amy Jordan of Clovis' Trinity United Methodist Church is also an early riser, so Daylight Saving Time isn't an issue.

"I'm up at 5 a.m. on Sunday," Jordan said. "I usually try to prepare and allow myself plenty of time."

Church attendance for the 10:45 a.m. worship service isn't typically affected, either.

She said besides a notice in the bulletin reminding people to change their clocks, an announcement from the pulpit usually does the trick.

Pastor Bonita Knox of Clovis' Trinity Lutheran Church, whose congregants never seem to let Daylight Saving Time hinder their 8:15 a.m. Christian Education or 9:30 a.m. service, said, "We all lament changing the time and wish we could stop doing this. The spring time change forward is especially difficult, but we are used to it."

According to — appropriately enough — Time magazine, Daylight Saving Time began in Germany in May 1916 to conserve energy during World War I. However, the magazine also credits William Willett of Britain for first publishing the idea of setting clocks ahead in 1907.

But time may be running out for the state changing its clocks. Last week, a bill that would keep New Mexico on Mountain Daylight Saving Time year-round passed in the Senate. It now awaits a House a vote.