2010-2011 Shining Light Member's blog

Hello again!

I know, you all may be shocked and awed because I am writing for the second time this month, but we have been very busy at Shining Light, getting our message out and about! It’s been lovely having shows all the time, but truth be told I cannot wait to get back to rehearsal next weekend! It will be nice to have real devotional time with our small groups to reflect on what we have experienced of God in the weeks that have passed us by so quickly!

Take yesterday for example. We had our Glenn Mills School performance. Glenn Mills is a school for juveniles in the West Chester area and we have only ever traveled there once before. The facility is a beautiful plot of  brick dormitories and buildings perched atop a hill all gathered around a giant castle-like chapel. It has a very rich history of giving boys a second chance to get they’re act together.

Set up went off without a hitch, and we were well on our way to a great evening spent in adoration of our God. We had several changes in the program to make up for absences but despite the adversity, everything was done flawlessly– To the relief of many, whom the pressure was on this past week to learn new dances, speaking roles, and just general movements of the program. Many worries and fears were answered last night with the triumph that only God can provide! And boy, did He ever go before us and prepare our way! The responses from the men in the audience were so inspiring it was unreal! They were right there with us, understanding the pressures of everyday life, but fighting against popular culture. It was definitely a breath of fresh air to hear that they got us, that we are still relevant to our audience, and that God was given glory through our labor.

With joyful hearts we packed up our show and headed out for the night. Eagerly anticipating next week when we gather again and will have chances to download really all that these past few shows have meant to us.

I am overwhelmed with thankfulness and joy today. Thankfulness that I get to see the Kingdom of God at work, and joyful that my hands get to have a part in it.

I pray the same spirit of peaceful joy to you as well!

Until next time, friends!

Be kind to one another.

-Eva

The day at Shining Light for me began at 12:30 right after church.  We had a delicious lunch prepared for us by some of the staff; chili, bread, salad, and some drinks. After that, the cast of “Wonderfully, Specially Made” went downstairs to rehearse the drama a few times just to make sure that everything was okay. The drama is steadily improving, which was manifest in the show. Then we went to the gym, where Jeff had some words to say concerning some fundraising formalities and our new risers (hallelujah!). He also introduced our new drummer, Josh Schwartz, who plays for the band Skyhawk Drive, a Christian punk band in the area. We soon boarded the buses and made our way down to Northwestern.

The first thing that was different from other shows was the set-up. It went SO quickly, due to our new and efficient risers. Instead of setting them up from back to front, which we used to do with the old risers, the new risers are set-up front to back, which is something the riser crew will have to get used to. Reportedly, the risers were set-up in fifteen minutes, an amazing feat. Although I am not involved in the physical set-up process, I have the honor of writing letters to our sponsors and those who write to us from different facilities, and got two letters completely finished. Some people who were done with set-up or weren’t doing anything also helped to write letters, so we got about a third of the required letters done. All the letters are handwritten and unique, and we talk about how Shining Light has influenced us and how God has changed us and other people through the experience.  After set-up was complete, we did mic checks and ate a dinner provided by the facility. Then it was time to perform.

We first noticed the students when we heard them yelling outside, which was slightly intimidating. They marched in, one by one, with green hats and yellow shirts. They all had numbers on their backs and were very quiet. I was near the screen in front of the stage to the right, and was able to observe all that was going on. The guards were exceptionally strict; I would NOT want to be caught messing around if I were a student there.

The show went very smoothly from my point of view, but some of the songs lacked some drive since Jeff’s keyboard was malfunctioning and we didn’t have a guitarist.  There were also some mic issues, but the audience really understood the message. For the second show of the year, it was no surprise to anyone that the show wasn’t perfect yet, but it has definitely improved since Teen Challenge. I’ve been to the Northwestern Academy many times, having been in Shining Light for four years now, and it had always been variable in its audiences. One of my first times there, the audience stood up and many were worshiping with us very evidently, but other times, the audience members have catcalled and laughed at everything we did. This time, we had a great crowd.  Many talked at the end during the “Talk Time” and were so appreciative of our coming to Northwestern. One member of the audience was surprised at how quickly we set up.  Another shared about the typical day at Northwestern, which apparently includes a ton of physical training.  After “Talk Time”, the students left in the same conspicuous manner as they came, assembling into perfectly straight lines, making a sharp right turn toward the door, and yelling out their numbers. Then we had our own talk time and talked about our reactions. We concurred that it was a great show, that God really worked through us, but that we have the ability to raise the show to a new level by the time of our New York weekend. Most of the energy we require on stage has to come from true worship, which only comes from giving our all to God. When we begin to do that, our show will be radically better.

It was a fantastic show, and I look forward to see it continue improving. Let’s keep on working hard, Shining Light.

Hi, my name is Robert. I am a senior, and I currently am in my fourth year of Shining Light. Concerning my background, I am a musician; more specifically a pianist, singer, and I’ve composed, but I wouldn’t consider myself a composer. I hope to pursue a career in opera, but honestly, I just want to become a musician, whatever that means. Nonetheless, for the past two years, I was accepted as a scholarship student to the Juilliard Pre-College division for voice, basically Juilliard geared to grade school students (to give you a picture, it’s the one that August Rush did, only a lot less dramatic). This program takes place on Saturdays during the school year. I’ve also participated in the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (“Tanglewood”) and the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts, all of which have enriched my understanding of music and of life in general.

I consider Shining Light to be a vital part of my musical and spiritual background, this year being no different. Shining Light has kept me from being pigeon-holed in classical voice by providing me opportunities to sing rock and R&B type styles. It has also given me exposure and experience in dance of various styles and plain acting. All of these have benefitted my musicality immensely.

But the main reason why I enjoy and appreciate Shining Light so much is because of manifest closeness of God I feel in it, whether on stage singing, writing a letter to an inmate, practicing a dance routine, or having small groups. It is said that the gates are Heaven are near the gates of Hell, and we experience that every time we walk into a prison and perform for the audience there. God uses us as his “shining light” to communicate to the inmates a message of hope, a message seldom preached in those facilities. Shining Light is such a vehicle to get across God’s amazing love, both to the audience and to us; having both seen and participated in Shining Light shows, I can honestly say that I am more greatly impacted on stage than off. Shining Light has been invaluable in keeping me on the righteous path for these grueling High School years. Having a network of passionate, Christian friends is something I wouldn’t trade for the world. I feel so blessed to be able to participate in this group, a group which has a powerful message and is unique in the United States and perhaps even the world in its mode of evangelism.

I have been at Teen Challenge several times, and if I’m not mistaken, this is my seventh time there. Teen Challenge is always a blessing. Local audiences are polite, but not responsive, whereas some facility audiences are rude, and responsive in that way. Teen Challenge, however, is a perfect balance of both elements. Considering this was our first show of the year, and returning members were rusty and new members were…new, the show was still a diamond in the rough. According to some audience members, it was difficult to tell that there were technical errors, but on stage, it seemed like we weren’t up to par. I was extremely impressed that the men weren’t acknowledging our faux pas, like so many others would do in other facilities. Despite our slip-ups, it reminded me that God works even in those situations— He drove through the message we all came to share, regardless of how well we danced or sang. I think that was most evident in the song “The Lord’s Prayer”, when at the end, all the members of the audience stood up and cheered. It was a glorious moment.

After the show, I was on a spiritual high. It’s always been difficult for me to step out of my comfort zone and really give my all to Jesus as I worship; but at Teen Challenge, I finally busted through that wall, and it felt so good. God has really used Shining Light to bring me closer to Him, and it’s been a remarkable experience. Whether it’s our culminating tour, a local prison, or a local community performance, God never ceases to amaze me through Shining Light. It has left an indelible mark on my spiritual walk and shown me the true meaning of the phrase, “God will provide.”

Hello to everyone out there! I’d like to introduce myself…altough, you could just read my bio. In the case that you did not check out my delightful yet short biography, I can fill you in. My name is Kelsey Snavely, and I am a recent, as in about four months ago, High School graduate from Manheim Central located in…you got it, Manheim. Coincidently, the same location as my home.

Throughout high school, I was always involved in pretty much any drama that was on our stage, and the wonderful opportunity to play several leads in musicals and plays. I was quite sad to see that part of my life end, and then remembered a wonderful show I had seen presented at Manheim Brethern in Christ Church by Shining Light. So, long-ish story short, I am now a member of Shining Light. Yay me!

Anyway, my first night at Shining Light I knew a total of one person, who also goes to Manheim Central. But that was okay with me, seeing as I’m really not a very introverted person.

Since then, I am proud to say I do know more than one person, and I’m very excited to be making so many friends! The atmosphere at Shining Light is very Christ-centered and inviting, the way the body of Christ should be. It has been such an incredible blessing to me to be able to be surronded by so many Christians who have a heart to reach out to those who are largley forgotten about.

During these past weeks a preparation for the first show, I was really very how impressed how organized the ministry is. Everything is planned out so well, and it really makes the whole experience much more enjoyable. So bonus points to the leadership team!

I also had the opportunity to audtion for a recieve parts in the drama, “Wonderfully, Speacially Made” and a solo for the song, “You are the Truth”. Although this has made for extra practices, I’m pretty okay with it. It provides another chance for me to hang out and fellowship with my friends from Shining Light.

Approaching our first show, I will not deny that I was more or less dreading two things: 1. Khakis. 2. Set-up. First off, I really despise khakis, but I figured I could probably suck it up, seeing as that’s not really the focus of our program. So I moved on. And then set-up. I was mostly apprehensive because I really had (and still don’t) have a clue as to what I was doing. But I really wasn’t all that bad, and I should be much better at set-up by the time tour comes.

Surprisingly, I was not really nervous for the show, maybe because I’ve done similar things in the past. Before the show, our small groups we able to talk with some of the guys who were at Teen Challenge, and it was awesome to see the be so open with where they came from and where they want to head, now that they have God in their lives. I am also currently reading the biography of David Wilkerson, the man who founded Teen Challenge, so it really a blessing to see the fruit of God’s work in his life.

The guys at Teen Challenge (who were not really teens..although I suppose “Teen Challenge” sounds a bit cooler than “Middle-Age Challenge”. Just a thought.) were a wonderful audience and really helped to boost my confidence, seeing as we will soon be facing slightly more intimadating audiences soon.

Overall, Shining Light has been a crazy awesome blessing in my life, and I can’t wait to see where God takes us this year! God bless everyone!

And here’s a sweet verse that I’ll leave you with:

Philippians 2:14-16 (New International Version)
“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe…”