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NFAF CELEBRATION SERVICE
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| Francesca Battistelli |
Friday night's National Fine Arts Celebration Service began with an inspiring worship concert by 2002 Fine Arts participant and now national recording artist, Francesca Battistelli. Performing such songs as, Beautiful, Beautiful, I'm Letting Go, and It's Your Life, she encouraged the packed arena of students that God can use them even if they never win at Fine Arts.
"In all of my years of National Fine Arts competitions," she said, "I never won once in any category. But God has chosen to use me anyway. Don't let whether or not you win a competition influence your willingness to let God use your gifts for His glory."
After Battistelli's performance, the award presentations for all National Award of Merit recipients (the highest achievement level available) began. Of the over 70,000 Fine Arts participants competing this year at the local, district, and national levels, there were only 67 who received the top awards. Of those 67, 13 were given the opportunity to perform live on stage in front of the full Bobcats Arena.
Also announced this year are two new Fine Arts categories for 2009, including worship dance, and six new categories for Kappa Tau, the college level Fine Arts competition. New Kappa Tau categories include worship team, Christian band, female vocal solo, male vocal solo, drama ensemble, and drama solo.
Here are the 2008 top National Fine Arts award recipients:
Art Division
Graphic Design-Bryan Garrison of Real World Worship Center in Newport News, Virginia
Photography, Digital-Caitlyn Gauthier of Calvary Church in Naperville, Illinois
Photography, Traditional-Hannah Capps of Calvary Church Assemblies of God Fellowship in Greensboro, North Carolina
T-shirt Design-Jennifer Cantrell of Calvary Assembly of God in Orange Park, Florida
Visual Art, Three Dimensional-Daniel Taylor of Calvary Church Assemblies of God in Fellowship Greensboro, North Carolina
Visual Art, Two Dimensional-Alesha Nguyen of Assembly of God in San Jacinto, California
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| Children's Lesson Solo winner, Corinne Smith, Blue Springs (Missouri) Assembly of God. |
Communication Division
American Sign Language Group-God's Handiwork of Ellicott City Assembly of God in Ellicott City, Maryland
American Sign Language Solo-Jason Manning of Ellicott City Assembly of God in Ellicott City, Maryland
Children's Lesson Group-Katherine, Melody and Joshua of The Worship Center in Houston, Texas
Children's Lesson Solo-Corinne Smith of Blue Springs Assembly of God in Blue Springs, Missouri
Puppetry Group-RIOT of Christ Alive Church in Newton, North Carolina
Puppetry Solo-Naomi Benecasa of Central Assembly of God in Springfield, Missouri
Short Film-Eatamax of Christ Church Assembly of God in Fort Worth, Texas
Short Sermon-Andre Grey of Living Water Fellowship in Kissimmee, Florida
Short Sermon, Spanish-Veronica Martinez of Faith Assembly of God in Orlando, Florida
Web Design-Brock Bennett of Assembly of God in Pawnee, Illinois
Drama Division
Drama Ensemble, Large-The Lost Art of The Oaks Assembly of God in Dallas, Texas
Drama Ensemble, Small-It's Ridiculous of The Oaks Assembly of God in Dallas, Texas
Drama Solo-Miguel Guerreiro of Evangel Temple in Springfield, Missouri
Human Video Ensemble, Large-A - The Gospel of Judas of Spring First Church in Spring, Texas
Human Video Ensemble, Small-The Remnant of Faith Assembly of God in Orlando, Florida
Human Video Solo-Tyler Brodess of Grace Community Assembly of God in Flower Mound, Texas
Exhibition Division
American Sign Language Storytelling-Christina Swe of Calvary Assembly of God in Frederick, Maryland
Book Chapter-Lorie Powell of First Assembly of God in Lexington, Kentucky
Children's Literature Collaborated-I Want to Be a Shepherd of Calvary Church Assemblies of God Fellowship in Greensboro, North Carolina
Children's Literature Solo-Benjamin May of Lakeside Assembly of God in Shelby Township, Michigan
Original Instrumental Composition-Unworthy of Radiant Life Church Assembly of God in Dublin, Ohio
Performance Art-Amy Van Heerden of Victorious Life Assembly of God in Wesley Chapel, Florida
Vocal Ensemble, Spanish-Grupo Bethel of Iglesia Bethel Assembly of God in Othello, Washington
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| Instrumental Ensemble winner, The Dueling Guitars, Northville (Michigan) Christian Assembly of God. |
Instrumental Division
Guitar Solo-Thomas Kurtz of Fountain of Life Center in Burlington, New Jersey
Instrumental Ensemble-The Dueling Guitars of Northville Christian Assembly of God in Northville, Michigan
Keyboard Solo-Ryan Temmel of Bethel Assembly of God in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Percussion Solo, Traditional-David Berry of Grand Rapids First Assembly of God in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Percussion Ensemble, Traditional-Trinity Bronze of Trinity Church of the Assemblies of God in Cedar Hill, Texas
Percussion, Unconventional-Divine Soldiers of Assembly of God in Hempstead, New York
String Solo-Alicia Determan of Emmanuel Christian Center Assembly of God in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Wind/Brass Solo-Brock Bennett of Assembly of God in Pawnee, Illinois
Vocal Division
Christian Band-Doubting Benefit of Calvary Assembly of God in Ormond Beach, Florida
Rap Group-LOUD of House of Prayer Assembly of God in Dallas, Texas
Rap Solo-Ryan Holt of Calvary Church Assembly of God in Irving, Texas
Songwriting-As I Am Harvest of Christian Center Assembly of God in Mount Vernon, Ohio
Vocal Ensemble, Large-Out Numbered of Glad Tidings Assembly of God in Reading, Pennsylvania
Vocal Ensemble, Small-King Jesus of Brightmoor Christian Church in Novi, Michigan
Vocal Solo, Female-Mishavonna Henson of South Coast Christian Assembly in San Juan Capistrano, California
Vocal Solo, Male-David Mueller of First Family Church in Osage Beach, Missouri
Vocal Solo, Spanish Female-Jessie Polk of Christian Life Assembly in Columbia, South Carolina
Vocal Solo, Spanish Male-JonCarlos Velez of Oak Creek Assembly of God in Oak Creek, Wisconsin
Worship Team-Face Down of Glad Tidings Assembly of God in Reading, Pennsylvania
Youth Choir-Real Life Youth of Glad Tidings Assembly of God in Reading, Pennsylvania
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| Human Video Ensemble, Large-A winners, The Gospel of Judas of Spring (Texas) First Church (AG). |
Writing Division
First Person Essay-Samantha Orr of Evangel Temple in Springfield, Missouri
Poetry-Lisa Williams of Coeur D Alene First Assembly of God in Coeur D Alene, Idaho
Poetry, Spanish-Nicole Rodriguez of Abundant Life Assembly of God in Harlingen, Texas
Short Story-Naomi Susman of Assembly of God in Peckville, Pennsylvania
Sketch Writing-Mackenzie McIntire of Evangel Temple in Springfield, Missouri
Kappa Tau Art Division
Graphic Design-Jason Fowler of Christian Life Assembly of God in Carrollton, Texas
Photography, Digital-Megan Eyraud of Mossyrock Assembly of God in Mossyrock, Washington
Photography, Traditional-Jeanette Schaaf of Trinity Assembly of God in Lutherville, Maryland
T-shirt Design-Jena Clark of Freedom Assembly of God in Arizona City, Arizona
Visual Art, Three Dimensional-Lemuel Calpito of People's Church San Diego in San Diego, California
Visual Art, Two Dimensional-Thomas Harshberger of North Central Assembly of God in North Syracuse, New York
Kappa Tau Communication Division
Short Film-Cravings of Grace Chapel Assembly of God Church in Magnolia, Texas
Kappa Tau Writing Division
Book Chapter-Nathan McKay of ROC International Church in Northville, Michigan
Children's Literature Solo-Dani Schiewek of Faith Assembly of Lacey in Lacey, Washington
First Person Essay-Nicole Potter of Calvary Assembly of God in Orange Park, Florida
Poetry-Shayna Baker of Faith Assembly of God in Orlando, Florida
Short Story-Jennifer Wallace of First Assembly of God in Beaumont, California
Sketch Writing-Shayna Baker of Faith Assembly of God in Orlando, Florida
Click here to go to a PDF of the top 10 list in each FAF category.
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NYC: WEEK IN REVIEW
So, what did you do last week? For 13,000 National Fine Arts participants, AIMers, students and leaders, they can say they were "Led By Fire" during the National Youth Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. In three days' time, Fine Arts evaluators watched over 36,000 performances and narrowed the field of participants down to the top few National Award of Merit winners.
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| Pulis |
But more important than any awards or trophies, students experienced God during three powerful evening services. On Monday night, national Student Outreach Director Steve Pulis preached on how in the Bible the presence of God was most often signified by fire. However, even though the Israelites were led by fire out of Egypt, as soon as their situation got tough, they wanted to go back to their familiar lives of slavery.
"There are three key questions you need to answer in your pursuit of God," Pulis told students. "Are you going to allow yourself to be led by fire or led by sin? Are you going to allow yourself to be led by fire or led by feelings? And are you going to allow yourself to be led by fire or led by only what you can see?"
"God gives us amazing experiences of his presence, but it's easy for us to just live for the experience," Pulis continued. "We miss out if we do that. God gives us the experience as a way to teach us how to depend on him. If you want to be led by the fire of God's Spirit, then you must learn to be led by His Word. God doesn't want you to sit back and wait for the experience; God wants you to live out your experience when you get back home."
On Tuesday night, Rod Whitlock, national Student Discipleship director, spoke on what each of us needs to do to be led by fire.
"I want North Carolina to be known as the place where God poured out His Spirit on a bunch of teenagers who went out and changed the world." He continued, "If revival is confined to this one arena, then we've missed it. We've missed what God wants to do."
Using the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal, Whitlock gave the students five key steps we all must take to be led by fire:
1. Repair our altar to the Lord.
2. Dig a trench.
3. Prepare the sacrifice.
4. Soak the sacrifice.
5. Pray the fire falls.
"The fire of God consumes and changes all it touches," he said. "Spiritual revival is always born in the hearts of those who are truly consecrated to Him. And we are here to be gap standers. We are here to say, God, even if no one else will, I will!"
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| Lorimer |
During the Thursday night service and release of the new 2008-2009 Speed the Light and FAF theme: EXTRAORDINARY, national Student Missions and Speed the Light Director Rick Lorimer spoke on the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
"In Acts 2, we see a time in history when heaven invaded earth," he said. "Ordinary people had an encounter with an extraordinary God. These ordinary people experienced first-hand supernatural events and accomplished extraordinary exploits! Can I let you in on something? What God did then, he wants to do now."
Lorimer continued with four observations of how God wants to pour out His Spirit. God wants:
1. More people Baptized. God wants every believer baptized in the Holy Spirit.
2. More than tongues. Speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of the Baptism.
3. More outpourings. We need multiple outpourings of God's Spirit.
4. More focus on the mission. The disciples' focus was not on the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, but the mission of the Holy Spirit.
As the service came to a close, no floor space was left at the altar as hundreds of students received the baptism in the Holy Spirit for the first time.
By the time Friday's Celebration service came around, students were ready to celebrate the week's events and go home filled with the fire of God's Spirit.
Student Stephanie Johnson put it best, "This week has been amazing. I didn't even compete in any categories; I just came along with my youth group. But I never expected God to speak to me so clearly. I am ready to start this school year knowing that God is going to use me to do something extraordinary for Him."
For more information about AG national Youth Ministries, see its Web site.
