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A Christmas production by a 2,000-seat church is a labor of love, with equal emphasis on both words.
By WAVENEY ANN MOORE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published December 15, 2001
PINELLAS PARK -- At least eight weeks before the Christmas holiday and several days toward its peak, members of Pinellas Park Wesleyan Church willingly add to the whirlwind of their daily lives to deliver what they believe are important spiritual tidings of the season.
They present an annual Christmas production known for its lavish execution of nostalgic music, gigantic steel frame "living" Christmas trees and a retelling of the Nativity story.
The production is the culmination of hours of devoted work by church volunteers. Weeks before the show opens, some church members labor feverishly into the early morning hours. One woman schedules her vacation to coincide with the effort. Another squeezes in performances before rushing to her night job at a Wal-Mart supercenter. Two families make the long trek from Bradenton.
"It's a love of mine to sing for Jesus," said Debbie Blinkey, a Bradenton resident who is a soloist in the program. Her two sons, John and Josh, work behind the scenes.
"If I had to sing in the secular world, it would not fulfill me in the way that it does sharing the gospel this way," she said.
"When we do the Christmas program, we put on Santa and Rudolph and Frosty, but we also bring the message that Jesus was born at Christmas. We've all been raised with Santa Claus and the fun and fantasy, and there's nothing wrong with that, but we have to always bring it back to Jesus. He was our gift. Then we give people an opportunity to accept him."
On Monday evening that opportunity came in the form a low-key altar call.
"In spite of the fact that we've had fun," the Rev. Rick Cowley, senior pastor of Pinellas Park Wesleyan Church, told the audience of about 1,600, "if you've come to this place with an emptiness inside, knowing that there is something missing in your life, I'd like to introduce you to Jesus."
Cowley then asked those present to pray "in their heart" to Jesus, acknowledging that they are sinners and asking him to be their savior.
"We thank you for Christmas and all that Christmas means," prayed Cowley, who opened the evening with the hope that those who saw his church's musical show would "see in a new way, a fresh way, the joy of Christmas."
The crowds began arriving at 5:30 for the 7 p.m. event. Because the church's parking lot could not accommodate everyone, arrangements had been made to run a shuttle service from ParkSide mall. The audience Monday included groups from retirement communities, First Assembly of God Church in Spring Hill and the VA Medical Center at Bay Pines. One couple, Irv and Nancy Johnson, had traveled from Wilmette, Ill., to see their daughter and son-in-law, Kim and Jeff Boggs, who were soloists in the production.
In many ways, the hour before curtain call was a typical whirl of activity. Helpers inflated red, green, white and gold balloons that later would be released in the 2,000-seat octagonal sanctuary. Performers in costumes -- men in tuxedos and women in sparkling blouses and flowing burgundy silk skirts -- milled around sipping bottles of water, calmed their nerves and just before going on stage spent time in prayer. The church's newly formed brass quintet entertained the waiting crowd with a medley of Christmas carols.
The evening began with an appearance by the Speechless Monks, who "performed" Handel's Hallelujah Chorus by holding up large cue cards to coincide with recorded music from Messiah. The monks were a hit.
Divided into three segments, the production acknowledged the holiday's secular attractions with appearances by Rudolph, Santa Claus and Frosty the Snowman. Traditional holiday songs and carols were performed with the nostalgic flair of a Robert Shaw Chorale, and the story of Jesus' birth was told in the style of a Broadway musical. Baby Jesus was serenely played by 6-week-old Elisabeth Laws.
"I try to feed her just before she goes on," said her mother, Sarah Laws, who watches protectively from backstage.
"I'm very honored that they wanted her to do it," she said.
In the final segment of the show, the choir performed from the "branches" of the gigantic Christmas trees. The "trees" -- one 30 feet tall and two at 22 feet each -- were the stars of the show with their more than 140,000 glowing, twinkling lights.
The two-hour program concluded on the resounding notes of O Holy Night, sung by tenor Ray Long, and The Light of a Million Mornings, the production's theme song, which was performed by Kim Boggs.
Paul Priore, assistant pastor and director of the production, normally begins preparing for the show in September. He also directs musical programs for Easter, Independence Day and fall.
The Christmas show is the most popular, he said.
Priore said the help he gets from the congregation is invaluable.
There is Cathy Brown, for instance, a financial analyst who follows him around with a clipboard.
"His catch phrase is, "Take a note,' " she said, laughing.
Then there is Cindy Jackson, who schedules her vacation around the production to make sure the Christmas trees and their thousands of lights are properly placed and in working order.
"It takes not only the two weeks of her vacation, but she'll spend every night here as well. She is very dedicated," Priore said.
As are many others, he said.
"We believe that part of our purpose is to serve the community," Priore said.
"One of the ways is to provide seasonal entertainment. (But) We are not here solely to entertain. Our bottom-line purpose is to glorify God."
"We are praying to be bringers of God's love," said Elana Peters, a choir member.
"We want to entertain, but we want to do more than entertain. We've really been working to let the joy of the Lord bubble out of us, not as a fake thing, but to make it contagious."
"It's a lot of fun," said 12-year-old Jewel Kessie. "I like ministering to people."
The Light of a Million Mornings, 7 p.m. today and Sunday at Pinellas Park Wesleyan Church, 4400 70th Ave. N. Free admission and nursery. An offering will be taken. Call (727) 526-3674.