A Glimpse of Main Stage – Wednesday Night
Describing what took place in Thompson-Boling Arena Wednesday night seems nearly impossible. It was one of those “you had to be there” moments to truly understand. To put it simply, what happened Wednesday night was miraculous.
Beginning the service, the three finalists in the Battle of the Bands contest were brought to the stage. The audience was allowed three minutes to submit their vote via text message to determine a winner. After all in the arena intently kept their eye on the ever-changing percentages, the time ran out. Receiving over 40 percent of the votes, Ellen Tkacsik was declared the winner. “It just feels crazy,” said Ellen after hearing the news.
As the new titleholder, Tkacsik was given the chance to perform for the production of a music video. The video will be revealed Thursday night at Main Stage for all of CHIC to see.
Next on stage, Flyleaf performed accompanied by flashing lights, pounding drums, squealing guitars and top-of-their lungs singing. Although not a common style of worship music, it was clear that the members of Flyleaf had a passionate love for the Lord.
“We’re not better than anyone in this room,” said Lacey Mosley, lead vocalist of Flyleaf. All of this is from God, she said, we were only a band of friends who played together in a garage for fun. God had plans above all we could ask or imagine.
Next on the lineup for the evening was another conversation with the Thailand team. Rather than speaking to the Thailand team across the ocean via satellite, Kerrick, MJ, Rachel and Pastor Cue were on stage, in the flesh, to share with students more about their experiences in Thailand.
An opportunity will be given Thursday evening at Main Stage for CHIC-goers to give to a World Relief offering going toward Thailand.
Following the testimonies of the Thailand crew, the CHIC worship band led students in a heartfelt worship service as an incredibly talented artist skillfully painted the face of Jesus on two different canvases in the middle of the arena. It was truly a sight to see.
Judy Peterson shared a powerful, life-altering message that encouraged students to stop hiding behind a facade. I clean my house before the cleaning lady comes, she said. I used to set my alarm clock so I could get up before my husband so he wouldn’t see the real me without makeup. I paint my toenails before getting a pedicure, said Peterson.
“I live a lie a whole lot of my life. I give the illusion I have it together all the time,” she said. All have their reasons for pretending, but one major fear is rejection. “It’s risky to put yourself out there,” said Peterson.
Loving those whose brokenness and messiness is obvious is easy, such as the homeless or sick. For those of us whose messiness is not obvious, we really need to know God’s love because it’s easier for us to miss His grace, Peterson said. “Christians are often the best pretenders in this game,” she claimed.
Even in our churches, so often our mess is hidden, Peterson said. When sharing prayer requests we pray for things such as holding off the rain for the church picnic. We are coming before our living God and we’re praying for rain? We pretend when our whole life is a struggle, why not be praying for that battle with that unending addiction?
“Pretending lets you have more friends, but I don’t know if they’re friends,” Peterson said. Honesty takes time and we are so busy that we don’t take the time to be honest.
Referencing the story of David and his affair with Bathsheba, followed by the murder of Uriah, Peterson read through Psalm 32. David tried to cover his mistakes, he tried to pretend his way out of it, but it didn’t work. It was not until he confessed his transgressions before God and accepted His forgiveness that David was truly free and able to rejoice.
When sin is not hidden something amazing happens, you’re blessed, Peterson said. It is no longer a fight for survival, but a life of blessing.
In an effort to emphasize her message, Peterson defeated one of her biggest fears onstage before all 5,200 CHIC-goers. Going without makeup is something she never does in public, it is a nerve-wracking exposure for her. Yet before the entire audience, Peterson used a wet washcloth to scrub off every bit of makeup covering her face.
“This is what you have on your soul,” she said as she held up the filthy washcloth.
Every morning, she shared, my sweet husband says, “You are the most beautiful without your makeup on” and kisses my eyelids.
God says the same to us. When our souls are not caked in lies, discolored in false identities and hidden in fear, that is when God kisses our eyelids and says “You are most beautiful without your makeup on, My child.”
A tender God He is, one who Jesus called “Abba,” which is what a Jewish child calls his daddy. Remain in the Abba love because the Abba calls you “beloved”, said Peterson. And nothing will ever separate you from the One who calls you “beloved.”
Walking with the Lord is like dancing, Peterson said. Perhaps we have forgotten how, or maybe we have never done it before. Yet in His beautiful love He says, “Stand on My shoes, I’ll show you.” He holds on with a grip that will never let go and wondrously looks in your eyes, seeing you as His child, His pure, forgiven and forever-loved child.
A cross was mounted in the center of the arena and the opportunity was made available for students to come to the floor and make commitments before the Lord. The Holy Spirit was densely present in the room as the process of becoming undone for many had just begun.
Allowing time to process together what they had just experienced, students and their leaders were given about 30 minutes to break into small groups. Soon they silently filed back into the arena, as all prepared for communion. The CHIC band led the worship as each took their turn at the Lord’s Supper.
In conclusion to the service, all linked hands and together recited the benediction. Many walked out of Thompson-Boling Arena Wednesday night with their world rocked and life forever changed.
I am shedding tears of joy as I read this. Thank you Lord for giving these kids this awesome opportunity!
I’m reading this account of Wednesday night and I can’t hold the tears back, just imagining the power of the Spirit that was there and the lives that were surely touched or changed. Thank you so much for all the very hard work that has gone into this event. You are all precious in His Sight.
this sounds amazing. I bet you loved it as did the kids.
Amen!! My daughter texted me from CHIC that this was the most amazing night in her life; I love seeing Jesus move amongst these beautiful children!!
Wow Ellen, Great job. Congratulations to the other finalists too!
Brian and Family <
I was there and this was truly amazing. 5200 teens worshiping God all in one place doesn’t happen very often. (Probably every 3 years :). And by the way good job Becca.
This night completely changed my life as God made my soul completely undone. I found and dealt with some emotions that I never knew existed. I was uncomprehendingly engulfed in the Holy Spirit in all of His imaginable beauty. Thank you CHIC, and thank you God!
I was blessed with the opportunity to go to chic with my youth group. This night was by far the most memorable and mind boggling night in my entire life. When we were asked if we wanted to make a decision to follow god and come down to pray at the foot of the cross,what seemed like the entire arena started trickeling down towards the floor to make that decision. This Moment for me was the one where I actually felt the holy spirit moving around me like never before. And me being only 16 it was an experience that I have never felt before.I would love to thank all the speakers and everyone involved that night because now I have an understanding and a thirst for god that I thought I wasn’t capable of before. Thanks!
This night was the best of them all. It taught me that I didn’t have to hide things that are going on. I was able to let go of a lot of past things that I had did. It renewed my faith in god. Thanks so much Judy!!!
Wednesday was the most spiritually powerful day of my life so far. I was reading my Bible (I had started at the beginning and was halfway through Exodus) I was tortured on the inside because I had kept secret my sins from my friends and family, but was unable to overcome it by myself. I had known for the month prior to CHIC that I had to tell someone about it and I had decided to tell my friend, who is also named Jake, but I was unable to find him when he was not busy. I prayed to God that if he was standing outside my dorm room at that time, I would invite him in. I looked out into the hallway and Jake was standing there, he didn’t have his dorm key with him. I talked to him and we discussed our struggles. He recommended that I start reading the New Testament first, so I did. That was a great first step, and I knew God wanted me to keep going. Later that night at mainstage, we watched a video of some troubled kids who all said things that would sound like they are happy and have life figured out, but there were subtitles on the bottom of the screen showing what they were hiding. One was someone who said he was really popular and had like 500 friends on Facebook but the subtitles said he felt lonely (there were other ones but I can’t remember them now). Judy spoke mostly about her insecurities of her flaws and how she would always try her best to hid them, but she had the courage to wipe off her make-up in front of 5200 teens and expose her true self. When we broke into our small groups and they prepared the middle of the arena with the cross and the lights and stuff, I felt God calling me to admit my sin to my small group, (all of them were guys from my church, our small group leader was the dad of one of the guys). I was afraid and ashamed to expose myself to them, because I feared judgment. I looked at the screen and all it said was “be still and know that I am God.” God gave me courage and I told my small group of my sin. To my amazement, they were very understanding and comforted me. We prayed about that as well as confessions of the other guys. After the prayer I looked at the screen again, and it was a picture of one of the kids from the video and the text “I have been set free.” I knew the Lord intervening and changing my life that day. The next morning at my base camp, which was in the Knoxville Convention Center, we split up by gender. After some messing around (playing tug-of-war in 52″ waistband underwear) we were lectured by some guys from Lust Free Living. It fit perfectly because they spoke about what I had just admitted to my small group the night before, lust and my constant struggle with inappropriate images and videos on the internet. They asked everyone to stand up, then they asked for everyone who had ever looked at pornography to sit down. I was shocked when almost everyone (myself included) sat down. I had no idea how prevalent it was, especially in Christians! One of the big points they spoke about was the importance of admitting to a close friend or adult you trust of your lustful behavior, so they would hold you accountable. I knew God was calling me to tell my Dad. Later, as I was reading Matthew in the Bible as Jake suggested, two things stuck out to me. Matthew 11:27 “… No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one Knows the Father except the Son…” and Matthew 18:19-20 “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” God was comforting me, telling me my father would understand, and the second part established the importance of accountability that was mentioned (accountability was also an important point during the night we talked about lust in our youth group). When we got back home, after the 23 hour bus ride, I prayed that I wouldn’t just forget all that I learned, and I wanted to stay committed to the Lord and to keep my ‘fire’ going for Jesus, like Efrem Smith talked about on mainstage Thursday night. On Saturday night, God gave me an opportunity to reveal myself to my dad. I told him, he was surprised and had no idea this was going on. He was very understanding and he had his own story to tell about his encounters as a kid. My dad was happy that I admitted it to him, as was I because I knew what was right and what I needed to do but I had neglected to say anything, as Jesus said “the spirit is willing but the body is weak.” I’m thankful that our Lord is a forgiving and merciful Lord, and that I no longer have to live a life hiding my sin, like Judy hiding her insecurities, or the Pharisees hiding their corrupt selves pretending to be righteous people (I’m pretty sure it was either Eugene from one of the base camps or Irwin McManus who talked about them). I pray to God that He will lead me away from temptation so I can live a pure life. I’m so glad that I went to CHIC! I know a lot of people were impacted by CHIC. My sister’s boyfriend came to Christ and I’m so happy for him. As I’m finishing this right now, I’m listening to my local Christian radio station and they’re playing the Untitled Hymn by Chris Rice. “Fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus and live!”
My son went up on Wednesday night to ask Jesus into his heart. He had done this at the age of 9 but said he never fully understood the importance until CHIC. It still brings tears to my eyes when he explains the story of this experience. I am so thankful for God to give him and so many others this experience and to help all of these kids grow in the love of our heavenly Father. I had seen the pictures tonight of my son and others before the cross and it just takes my breath away. Thank you so very much for sharing the love of Christ with these kids. God bless everyone that participated in this.