February 4, 2013
Last weekend, I had the neatest experience. I went with a friend to his church. It’s what would be considered a mega-church on the West side of Denver. It was a pleasant service with a talented worship team. I enjoyed the atmosphere.
Between the songs and the preaching, they took a break to talk about an upcoming event. It’s called ‘Shine – The Big Party’. They talked about Jesus telling the party host to invite people who never get invited to parties.
That’s exactly what they do every year.
They remove the chairs from the auditorium and turn it into a dance floor with disco lights, baloons and streamers. It’s a big gala event. Everything is beautifully decorated.
1300 volunteers make the night possible. They bring in handicapped people from the community, dressed in donated formal wear, looking like a million bucks, and treat them like royalty for the night.
Here are two short videos of the highlights of the past two years. The smiles on thier faces are truly priceless!
http://www.flatironschurch.com/shine/
The church said, ‘What if we tried to demonstrate to our community, this is what the heart of god looks like? It’s going to be extravagant. It’s for the people who have never been invited to a banquet or a prom.’
Honestly, I don’t know that I have ever heard of a church doing something more Jesus-like.
I’m sure it’s one of many reason why their church has so many packed-out services and so many people attending. Bravo to them for doing something fantastic for people who cannot ever repay them. Some of them cannot even say ‘thank you’.
I believe this is the first time EVER that I actually wished I lived in the Denver area. I’d love to be part of a body of believers who puts their time, money, and effort where their mouths are. They are truly being Jesus to their community, and I could not be more impressed!
More importantly than that, I believe God is impressed. And that’s what really counts.