By Anna Keller
Correspondent, The Alabama Baptist
Churches from around the world recently hosted Night to Shine, an annual prom event for those with special needs ages 14 and older.
The Feb. 10 Night to Shine, with more than 70,000 worldwide participants and 150,000 volunteers, is a Tim Tebow Foundation event.
Among the 375 churches that hosted this year’s event were several Alabama Baptist churches, including Big Sandy Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa. It was Big Sandy Baptist’s first year to participate in the event and they held their prom at Big Sandy Elementary School in Moundville.
“We chose to do Night to Shine as a way to be relevant in the community, and we could not think of anything better than to show God’s love to individuals with special needs the weekend before Valentine’s Day,” said Rhonda Walker, Big Sandy Baptist secretary. “We were unsure of the number of individuals in the community, but we wanted to offer this to Tuscaloosa.”
Ninety-four guests came to Night to Shine and more than 75 church members participated as volunteers and “buddies” — volunteers who spend time with the guests at the event. There were an additional 150 volunteers and buddies from the community who were a part of Night to Shine, ranging from teens to professionals in the special needs field.
“Guests and volunteers came from as far as two or so hours to attend and we’ve heard so many great stories come from this one night already,” Walker said. “Parents have told me that it is the one night that their child is ‘the norm.’ To be a part of something done on a worldwide scope is great, but knowing that we can do something that changes the way individuals may view others with special needs and seeing the faces of everyone is really priceless.”
Big Sandy Baptist immediately began planning to be part of the 2018 Night to Shine event.
Community Baptist Church, Maylene, also participated in Night to Shine for the first time. Pastor Bo Brown said the church chose to apply to be a host church because it would give it a chance to show love to a community of people who are a huge joy.
Community Baptist hosted 50 guests, thanks to the help of about 250 volunteers.
Brown said he loved hearing the stories after the event.
“One in particular was a guest who said he was having so much fun he’d forgotten he had autism,” Brown said. “Then the day after the event we received a message of thanks from a parent who attended with her special needs daughter. She said, ‘I’m an adult and have never ridden in a limo or been celebrated down a red carpet — but my daughter has — and she will remember feeling important for the rest of her life.’”
Community Baptist plans to participate in Night to Shine again in 2018 and Brown said he views the event as a chance for everyone to shine.
“Night to Shine is a night not only for guests to shine but for churches to shine, for volunteers to shine and most importantly for Christ to shine,” he said. “Community Baptist Church is honored to be a part of this ministry and we are excited to see how it increases our outreach, as it’s our desire to share His love with all.”
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Alabama Baptist churches that participated in the 2017 event:
• Bethel Baptist Church, Dora
• Agape Baptist Church, Scottsboro
• Big Sandy Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa
• Community Baptist Church, Maylene
• Central Baptist Church, Decatur
• First Baptist Church, Huntsville
For more information about Night to Shine or the Tim Tebow Foundation, visit timtebowfoundation.org.
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