It was a very cold day, but we all survived brining in the equipment. Set-up went well, and we had small groups in some the classrooms where we discussed the possibility of going to California. I am very excited about it and sincerely hope we go! What an awesome opportunity, and from what I understand it would be our first time going there as a group. After some chit-chat in small group we had cold cuts for supper.
We introduced a new beginning for our show, and it seems like a really cool skit that will defiantly connect with our audience.

I was impressed with the audience. There were a few members who seemed disinterested, but most were paying rapt attention.  I would say that they were one of our better audiences.  Sharing a prayer time was truly a blessing at Northwestern.  One of the guys said he had never really thought about Jesus before, but said he was going to pray when he go back to his cabin. Seriously, praise God for how He is using us to change lives!

Most recently, Shining Light went to Glen Mills School, which is, “the oldest existing residential school for court referred young men in the country.” (Taken from the http://www.glenmillsschool.org/ website.)   It was our first time there as a group!  The beautiful campus is spread out over 80 some acres and looks very much like a college campus.  But as the website states, this is not a normal school.  The school houses delinquents who were issued to come by the court, leaving the teachers with a difficult task ahead of them.  The school focuses a lot on sports to help shape the kids.

We had the opportunity to meet the head of athletics and the Chaplin, Wayne who are both dedicated Christians, and had the chance to hear their story.  Wayne helped lead and mentor the athletic director in his relationship with Christ. In 2005, Wayne began having breathing problems and finally went to the doctor.  The doctor told him his kidneys were failing and he needed surgery and put him on dialysis.  Wayne and his family began praying for God to provide for them.

Later, Wayne saw his friend, the athletic director at lunch; he said his heart started pounding.  He sensed that God was pressing on his heart to donate his kidney to Wayne.  He shared this with his friend, and they prayer together and proceeded to go through and check and see if he was a match.  Not only was his kidney compatible; they were a perfect match.  Because of one man’s willingness to listen to God, he used him to save his friend’s life while giving glory to Jesus.

After meeting those two godly men, we set up for the show and got ready.  The guys filed in and we began.  I began observing the audience and saw them really draw into the message and focusing on us.  They seemed to really understand, and they were such a respectful audience.  While sometimes when we do shows, the guys can be sometimes obnoxious and distracting, these acted like they really cared what we were sharing with them, and it was so encouraging.  The sharing time was also uplifting, as they encouraged us to continue on in our work for God.

I had the chance to go to Manheim Brethren in Christ today, where I attended youth group in high school and occasionally visit.  It is a God-filled church and also the location of our next show, on March 7.  Dustin Sauder, the senior high youth pastor there, interviewed Jessica Charles, Alyssa Nissley and I about Shining Light and what it means to us.  The church seemed really excited about us coming back, so I’m expecting a big group!  I’m looking forward to Shining Light practice tonight when we will be having a guest speaker! I can’t wait to hear what they’ll have to say.  I pray that God will bless everyone this week in new ways!

I can’t thank you all enough for keeping up with Shining Light’s happenings. I’ve had a number of people tell me that they enjoy reading our blogs, and although I don’t know each person who has read my words, I feel a special connection with you all, knowing that you are getting a sneak peak into why I hold this ministry so close to my heart. You all rock

I often find myself in awe when I think about Shining Light. The intricate details that make it such an encouraging and fulfilling ministry are delicately woven into every Sunday rehearsal and performance. What a pleasure to be part of such a unique ministry; I don’t know of any other production quite like Shining Light, and it’s in my own backyard. Because I am financially able to be a member of this ministry, my ultimate goal is to allow myself to have an enriching experience every time I set foot on our stage for a performance, on the gym floor at New Covenant Christian School for a rehearsal, or in a small cafeteria at a youth detention center to pray with my small group.

With electronics, relationships, school work, and a job surrounding me on all sides, I have found it to become incredibly easy to lose focus on the purpose of the ministry. Instead, I find my thoughts entertained with pride, such as getting the part in a feature dance that I auditioned for, or my friends and family coming to see one of our local performances.

God saw that I needed a little nudge, and that’s just what I got when I looked up at the wall in the gym at New Covenant two Sunday evenings ago, where an artist had painted these words: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23. With God’s help, and after a careful evaluation of my thoughts regarding my purpose in Shining Light, I was able to recenter my focus, setting aside my pride and admitting that I had lost focus on my purpose for devoting so much of my time and energy to this ministry; I had taken my eyes off God and placed them on myself.  I was relying on my own strength, but my tank was nearing empty.

In prayer, I’ve asked that God be by my side as I move forward. I have no doubts in the promise He has made to never leave me and carry me if I need carried. For it is His strength, and not the strength of man, that can pick us up as many times as we have fallen. What an encouragement it is that He is honored by the work of this ministry; may we praise Him and Him alone!

God Bless,

Katrina

I’ve been told by our website administrator that the blog has been a pretty popular hangout, so I know that I can speak for Kelsey, Robert, and myself when I say thanks for supporting our writing! : )

I’d like to talk a little bit about our last performance, which was for the women at New Life for Girls in Dover, PA, their families, and the public. Our small groups were again given the wonderful opportunity to speak with a woman residing at New Life. It was purely by coincidence that Mary, the woman who had spoken to my small group last year, was again paired with me, but boy, did I sure go to sleep that night after having a glorious revelation.

Mary is a true woman of God–there is absolutely no doubt in my mind about that. What threw me for a total 360 was that she was not in rehabilitation because she suffered from drug or alcohol abuse. She was not forced into rehab, kicking and screaming pleas of help, by a caring family who knew that she needed the help of the true professional: the Lord, Jesus Christ. Instead, she voluntarily entered the program.

Strangely, after Mary shared this crucial piece of information with our small group, my expectations of hearing a “really crazy story” were lowered. I figured things probably weren’t about to get dramatic, but I just smiled along, trying to grasp onto any bit of her story that I could attract readers with when I blogged about the show. Mary shared with us some stories of growing up in a Christian home, her father a minister, and her mother a firm believer in the salvation of Jesus Christ. Their daughter, however, began to move in a different direction. She moved out of the house and started a successful life of her own with a dream job and a multitude of friends. The amount of money she possessed determined her happiness. She did not develop an addiction to alcohol or begin using drugs. Instead, she simply woke up and decided that she was not happy with the life she was living. She needed more. She enrolled in New Life: the beginning of her new life. She graduated from the program a few months ago and is now working on their staff full-time, encouraging women with radically different stories, but with one common denominator;  their lives were falling apart and they desperately needed a Savior.

Even after speaking to Mary and tearing down after our performance, I felt melancholy about the whole small group experience. I couldn’t help but wonder what God was trying to show me through Mary’s story. It wasn’t until later that night, as I was praying to God before I went to sleep, that I was humbled.

God was able to illustrate my need for Him in a unique way–in a way that I had never quite experienced Him before. It struck me that I didn’t need to be considered an alcoholic or a drug addict before I needed His forgiveness of my sins. No matter how hard I strive every day to be more like Him and live in His ways, the bottom line remains: I am a sinner who needs forgiveness. The woman in the audience who went to jail for theft does not bear a sin that is any heavier than mine, for Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All. I am not the exception, for there are no exceptions.

But, alas, there is hope, and His name is Jesus Christ. For He paid the price, as Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I thank God for the blessing of Mary, for she has brought glory to her Father’s name.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Live on,
Katrina

At our last Sunday night rehearsal before our NYC weekend at Riker’s and Essex County Juvenile Detention Center, Kelly posed the group with a challenge. The challenge was not concerning our choreography or singing skills. It was, instead, to evaluate our genuineness in how we presented our message to those in our audiences. It seemed like a simple challenge–to make everything about Him and nothing about us. To sing every song with the appropriate emotion emulating from our bodies, whether it be empathy, compassion, love or praise. To do this, Kelly played a number of the songs that are in our current presentation. She was not concerned with our dancing. She was not concerned with our voice parts. She was concerned with our connection to each song–that we would be able to identify with the lyrics of the song and why it was put into our production and what message we are sending to our audiences when we perform it. We were looking for our genuineness in the songs we sang every week. Would we find it?

To say that this exercise was helpful would be an understatement. Being a dancer, I am typically consumed with the beat of a song when I hear it, running through the dance moves in my head as the music plays to be absolutely certain I “got it.”  This night was a rare exception. There was more to be concerned with than the beat. My heart was not beating for the music, it was beating for a greater purpose. I was focused on the big picture.  I was focused on my Father, and I wanted nothing more than to please Him with worship and thankfulness and praise. So, that is just what I did. And at our next show, I remembered the pleasure that I had gotten from praising Him, and I was overcome with a desire to do it again. As the group performed the song called “You Are the Truth (Red Sam)” by Flyleaf, I raised my hands and closed my eyes and worshiped. So much, in fact, that I completely missed several of the dance steps written into the choreography. But you know what? I didn’t care. Not one bit. Because I was genuinely moved by the presence of God in that room through song.

I sincerely hope that every member of Shining Light has the opportunity to experience the love of Christ overfilled so much that their sincerity overflows and touches each and every member in our audiences this year. It is an opportunity we won’t soon forget.

Thanks for reading

Nonetheless, we met on Friday early in the morning, 7:30 to be exact. Jeff gave a little preface to what we were about to experience. He also introduced us to a friend of one of the members, Jeff, a college student who was coming along with us. We left, most of the kids going on the bus, but I rode in the van. The bus is great, but the van has a level of intimacy that is unmatched by the bus, considering that the eight or nine of us were together for three hours with only a short break in between. We soon arrived at Riker’s, and after passing several guards, travelled over a very long bridge to the Robert Davoren Center. We got off the van and made our way into a line, two by two. We showed and gave our IDs to the guards, who then gave us visitor tags. After this, we went back out and brought our assigned carts in for set-up. After set-up, we had a delicious meal prepared by the staff at Riker’s consisting of chicken, salad, bread, fruit salad, and some vegetables. This ushered in the time to perform.

This being my fourth time in Riker’s, I expected the audience to be the same as before. In past years, the audience was awfully rude, both during the performance and in talk-time. They laughed at delicate moments, made fun of the songs, and basically disrespected us throughout the entire performance. However, I am happy to say this was very much not the case this time. Sure, there was some laughing during Gretchen’s drama (a drama depicting a dysfunctional family) at the part where the mom’s boyfriend hits Gretchen (since that’s the way many inmates express strong emotion, not being able to show tears lest they be made fun of), but other than that, they were a fantastic audience. I greatly admired the courage of the men that spoke at talk-time, ignoring the laughter of their fellow inmates. Several praised the show, and said that they related strongly to Gretchen’s drama, many coming from tough families themselves. Some asked for an encore, but time not permitting, we didn’t.

Oliver (one of the guards) dismissed the greater majority of the 200 inmates, but a group of approximately thirty remained.  As the first group was dismissed, Oliver, a drummer, wanted to drum to one of our songs, which has become somewhat of a tradition. We all stood up and sang and danced to “Looking for Angels” with Oliver on drums. It was a blast. After the group was out and the song over, Jeff proceeded to ask the remaining group questions, to which they responded much more easily than the other group, since the group was smaller and more intimate and comfortable than the larger group. One of the men, who happened to be 6′9″, talked a little bit about his life. He said that he was in his church choir and sang bass, and then demonstrated a note for us. He also complained about the short size of his bed, saying he would love to be able to stretch out more. On a more serious note, he said that he definitely had his share of hardships. They described a typical day for us as well.  They basically follow the same schedule every single day; some noted the difference between their lives outside of prison, being able to do whatever they want whenever they want, and their lives in prison, not having a say in their schedules. One of the men said that the homogeneity of the schedule didn’t bother him nearly as much as his estrangement from loved ones. That really struck me. The men were preparing to leave, when one of the men asked Oliver if the men could show us their talents. Oliver dismissed this idea immediately, but decided to give in after a little while, seeing that we wanted to see them and they wanted to show us. So Joe the drummer laid down a beat, and the men participated by stomping and clapping on the bleachers in rhythm. A few select members of the audience danced, all of them great, doing tricks such as taking their one shoe off while dancing and grabbing one foot and hopping the other foot through. It occurred to me how amazing it is that two very different parties can come together through God and art.  They truly transcend cultural boundaries.

It was a late night, only coming back to the Salvation Army at 11:00. We had a great snack and then it was off to bed. The next day, my schedule diverted from the rest of Shining Light, because on Saturdays I have Juilliard Pre-College, so I had to go to that. So Barb and I woke up early, ate breakfast, and left. Through construction and bad weather, we finally reached the Juilliard building, a little wetter than when we left. I was still exhausted from the program the night before, so getting through the day was really tough at first, but after having sushi for lunch, I felt very rejuvenated.  Without going through my whole schedule, I can say that the reactions from my colleagues and teachers after telling them I performed at Riker’s Island the night before were quite hilarious. My teachers were surprised, but understanding in my position, and even let me leave a little earlier so I could get to the next show on time. I got to the van, ate dinner (sushi again— it was a good day), and we were at Essex Detention Center in no time, with Barb at the wheel. And kudos to Barb for navigating New York traffic. She must have been a New Yorker in another life.

The next show was very tough. It wasn’t a question whether we affected them or not, we definitely did; but during the dramas and such, we had a sense they were laughing at us as opposed to with us, which is never a good feeling. Even in talk-time, many were laughing and made fun of those who did wish to speak.

I felt a little dismayed at first until Kelly spoke at the end, after all the inmates had left.  Sitting in the front row for the duration of the show, she said that the audience was very captivated, shockingly. She even said that the some of the girls whispered “That was really powerful” at the end of Gretchen’s drama. That blew me away. Honestly, I didn’t think they wanted anything to do with us.

The one good thing about that particular show and about how it differed from other shows is that we didn’t have to break down, which was a blessing in and of itself! We got back around nine, and I rushed to the piano. Apparently, in the handbook, there was stated several times a rule which prohibited piano-playing in the sanctuary, where we were staying, and furthermore, Jeff made an announcement on the bus emphasizing that point. Nonetheless, I was not on the bus during that announcement and had not read the handbook (conveniently), so I was unaware of this rule, but once I had found out (after playing for a bit), I immediately stopped. But this would not remain so for the rest of the night, thanks to the resident musician Shawn Whitehead.  A Texan native, Shawn came to New York a few years ago and has been at the Salvation Army ever since coming. Not only is he a musician, he is the IT of the building and runs his own business in the computer lab upstairs. Anyway, Shining Light had around three hours of free time, and around 11, Dave, the guitarist, walked in and told me that a musician was playing piano, and so of course I wanted to hear him. So I walked in, and I was amazed, to say the least. He had a dynamite ear and could pick up tunes immediately. He could also beatbox and sing well. So after he played, Mitch (another member) and I played as well, and basically until 12 it was a big music fest with Dave on guitar and Joe on drums. Jeff walked in, and I was a little apprehensive he might be irritated at the volume we were playing (we were even using microphones), but once he pulled out his camera and took pictures, I knew he was okay with it. My only regret from that night is that I didn’t know a lot of the words to the songs, but it inspired me to know them better, so that if something like that happens again where I’m asked to sing on the spot, I can. It was an awesome night and I thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with the other musicians.

Late night, early morning. People ate breakfast, showered, and scrambled to get their belongings together and outside to be loaded by 7:30. Our third and final performance took place at Essex again, only with a different crowd. Because of the night before, I wasn’t sure how exactly this group would respond, but I was pleasantly surprised. The group was very courteous, and if I remember correctly, didn’t even laugh at the sensitive parts of Gretchen’s drama, which is a first in a facility other than Teen Challenge (a Christian adult facility Shining Light performs at at the beginning of the year). If the show was great, then the talk-time was even better. The members of the audience had extremely deep questions to ask, like “How do you get over negativity in your life?” and “Do you have trouble fitting in?”. I could not believe the maturity of the audience; it was amazing. What struck some Shining Light members was the testimony from a gentleman whose original question asked to him was “What does a typical day look like for you at home?”. He said that we wakes up at 12 noon every day, sits on the porch, and gets high. He was kicked out of school several times when he was in sixth grade and never returned. When Jeff asked what his biggest struggle was when he was home, he said “staying alive”. At that point, I really saw how fortunate I’ve been in life. I can’t even imagine what that kind of life would be.

A member in the audience asked something on the lines of “What are struggles you deal with?” or something like that. Jeff then passed the mic around our group, and so many answered. After hearing some of the members speak, I came to the conclusion that I didn’t know their lives as well as I thought I had, considering that a good chunk of the responses came from new members. Honestly, all the answers were fantastic. All were succinct, relatable, and showed how God helped in the situation, whether the situation got better or worse. It was a good opportunity for them and for returning members to share about themselves, and I was happy so many did. It was a great show and an even better talk-time. I am so proud of Shining Light for that show. It reminded me of why I love Shining Light so much and how much God works through that group to change my life.

From there we broke down, had a delicious lunch, and then started taking carts out. A few of us got lost, but we made it out alright. On the bus ride home, people sleeped, talked, or played a fun game in the back of the bus called “Mafia”. After a period of time, we got home and some of the guys unloaded the bus. We all retrieved our luggage and then left. And that was the end of our New York weekend.

I could just leave my blog there, but I want to inform the reader how proud of this group I am. Shining Light makes such a difference in thousands of people’s lives. This is my fourth year, and I’m STILL blown away by this group! The energy, the worship, the small groups, the performance, and the talk-time— everything comes together to praise our Lord. Thank you members of Shining Light for making this weekend so memorable for me, and I hope you felt God’s presence this weekend as much as I did.

So, about New York.

First, I would like to say thank you so much to the incredible staff who organized this whole trip, plus food, plus lodging, plus…whatever else it takes to get 50+ kids to prisons and back again alive. God bless you for all the hard work you put in!
I would like say that the trip up to NYC was probably the best ride ever. I had the opportunity to ride on the van for the first time, and was lucky to be with some hysterical people.  It was also especially meaningful to me, because I am from Manheim and don’t get to see my friends from Shining Light, except for at practice. To be able to spend more time with them was truly a blessing.

We all stopped for lunch at a park, and then loaded back up to go to Riker’s Island. I was kind of anticipating angry gaurds, dogs, and mean faces…and, instead I met Ollie, a guard there, who sang when he met me. God bless you Ollie. You made my day.

After setting up for the show, we all chilled for a bit and ate some pretty banging food, made for us by the staff at Riker’s. After that, we had microphone checks and prepartion for the show.

I was a bit apprehensive when all the inmates filed in for the show. They all appeared very tough and callused, and I wondered to myself wheter or not they would really listen to what a bunch of white kids from Pennsylvania had to say about Jesus. Scanning the crowd, I noticed that there was not a single caucasion anywhere. Not that I want white people to go to prison, but I was truly sad that society as a whole has not taken more of an effort to help minorites that live in such difficult situations.

We started the show, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect kind of reaction to get from the audience. It was really awesome to see them getting into the songs, like “Imperfection” and “Open Up”. There was definatly talking, some catcalls and such, but on the whole, they were a great audience.

From my point of view, the show at Riker’s Island was the best.  Not just because it was a great show, but while we were performing I truly felt the presence of God.  It was like I could feel how He felt about all those inmates…I really felt like I loved them, and understood a bit more about how God loves us.  Even in the midst of their anger and rejection of Him, He still chooses to love us, even if we don’t return it.  And it reminded me of the parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18: 12-14, “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.”  It’ s crazy that God cares about us so much that would pursue us, even when we walk away.  That definatly encourgaed me to do my best in the show to demonstarte God’s love to these boys in a tangible way.

After talking to some the guys during Q & A, we then met the warden of Riker’s.  It was awesome to learn that he is a Christian and that God placed a righteous man in charge of the prison. I pray that God can use him to change lives there!

After tear down, we headed to the Salvation Army in Harlem.  Our staff provided a wonderful snack of motzerlla sticks, which I love, by the way.  We set up our air matresses and went to sleep…eventually.

The next day, we had some free time, which I and several others used to eat some soul food at Sylvia’s. Best. Food. Ever.  After some convincing, I ordered the collard greens, and was not disappointed.  Free time came and went, and we packed up the bus and headed to Essex Youth Detention Center. The gym was much smaller, so our backstage was quite small, but we made do.  Set-up went fine, and we anticipated the coming show.

The show went really well, and although our audience was small, a few of them seemed to respond well.  Some of the detainees seemed to try really hard not to let the show affect them, but I pray that our group could reach their hearts in some way. The show the next morning progressed in much the same way, only with a yet smaller audience.  I never know what to expect during the question and answer time, and was blown away by our audience members.  They were so deep and very genuine.  When asked what he was going to do when he left the facitlity, one answered, “Try to stay alive.”  These kids lived only a few hours away from us, but it is an entirely diffrent culture.

Probably one of my favorite moments of the trip was when one of the detainees asked us if we had any negativity in our lives and how we dealt with it.  Looking at him, I felt like he didn’t expect a bunch of white kids to have problems bigger that what to wear to school in the morning, but I watched as his expression changed as the microphone passed through our group for a good 15 minutes.  People shared of deep hurts in their life, and how leaning on God has been instrumental in their healing.  It was crazy to hear people share from their heart in the midst of their hurt about how Jesus was what made the diffrence for us when dealing with bad things.

After the show, we packed up and loaded up the bus and headed for home.  I was exhuasted on the way back, and pretty much chilled out for the ride.

The weekend in New York was an incredible blessing and impact on my life.  God opened my eyes alot to the hurts of people around me and how I should always look for ways to share His love in their lives.  Our God is a powerful God who changes lives, and I pray that he uses this ministry for that purpose! Thank to everyone who made this weekend what it was. God bless!

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.

After that, we moved into small groups. What audiences see is the performance, but an integral part to the Shining Light experience is our small groups, because they provide a means for the members to hear and speak about what is going on Shining Light, church, and in their personal lives so we can pray for and encourage them. Leaders aim to make the groups as comfortable as possible, and to include everyone, which can be a major chore. My small group is wonderful. We have a great balance, and everyone offers insight on whatever we’re talking about. Today’s discussion was about our reactions to Teen Challenge and our concerns and questions about Shining Light’s NYC tour, coming up in November. Members of my group had lots to share. A few said their favorite part at Teen Challenge was when the men gave their testimonies. Another said that his favorite part was the show itself. I said my favorite part was the time spent before, having small groups with a few of the students who were almost ready to leave the program. We then discussed the NYC tour, and how we would get to know each other better and how the Riker’s Island performance is always a treat.  We also discussed some of the perks of exploring the City.

After that we had a snack, and then we went back to work.  We started up again by doing our “Boot Camp” exercises, which are geared to make our group more synchronized in our motions. The left and right sides of the group faced each other and we observed each other’s motions. This transitioned us to the part of rehearsal where we run through the songs of the show in order. We had some time to correct minor details in songs, but for the most part, it was just a run-through. Kelly explained a few of the songs to us using different words so we understand the meaning of the song instead of just sing and dance aimlessly.

It was a great practice and morale was high.  Keep up the great work Shining Light!

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.”

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…”