Nights of Joy

This weekend is the annual Night of Joy weekend at Walt Disney World. For over 30 years WDW has played host to the best in Christian music in early September. The ticket at the top is from the very first NOJ that I attended in 1994, shortly after we had moved to Kissimmee. You may notice that in those days it lasted for two weekends and had the same artists every night. Now it only two nights, with different artists each night.  But it still includes many of the very best acts that Christian music has to offer.

I would attend NOJ with a number of youth groups over the 12 years that followed that first visit, and I have many great memories attached to the event. From Kissimmee, we would go for just one night. Later, I would get us rooms at WDW and the groups would spend the weekend, which also included early admission to the MK. It was always a great time. I am the first to confess that the majority of the youth I took were not there for the music.  They might pause to listen to a song or to watch a particular artist, but most of them were busy on Space Mountain or other such attractions. But for me, the music was the thing!

From my very first NOJ and seeing dc Talk debut Jesus Freak at the castle, I experienced most of my favorite Christian artists in the Magic Kingdom.  I sang Breakfast with the Newsboys and heard Michael W. Smith unveil This Is the Time.  I heard David Crowder Band, Stellar Kart, the O.C. Supertones and Steven Curtis Chapman. I watched as Jars of Clay performed a thrilling acapella version of World's Apart. I saw Audio Adrenaline work the crowd into a frenzy on many occasions. And the aforementioned dc Talk, and the later Toby Mac as solo artist, were there almost every year.  I heard a lot of great music over the years.

That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the attractions as well, and there were non-musical memorable moments over the years as well.  Surviving the stampede the the ferry or the monorail in the early years when we were there for just one night was a miracle in and of itself. Riding Splash Mountain and being able to see concert stages all over the park. Having students complain after having been at the Magic Kingdom for 2 hours that they had "already done everything and wanted to go back the rooms and play video games." Sheesh. Riding The Haunted Mansion with people who were actually a little scared- and with my good friend Lisa Jewett, who was not. Being the object of a scavenger hunt by the youth of FUMC-Kissimmee in 2002 after I had left there and moved back to Tampa. In 2004 laughing hysterically when Ken, Travis and Philip from Wesley Memorial UMC tried to sneak out of their room at the All-Star Sports Resort only to lock themselves and have to call me and confess so they could get back in. Helping Lisa plan the 2005 trip even after I had been let go by the church, and having a wonderful time taking Will. Lots and lots of special moments.

I ventured away from NOJ and tried Universal's rival Rock the Universe once (2003). And just once ("my mother made me go to Rock the Universe once, Johnny. ONCE!" If you have ever seen the movie Johnny Dangerously then you are laughing hysterically right now. Trust me.). Before the weekend their customer service was abysmal. I didn't care for the staging and it was very disorganized. Plus there was a hurricane. So yeah...ONCE!

So this weekend I find myself quite envious of those who are spending the weekend at NOJ. I haven't been since 2006 (with the group from Waycross), and I am not sure when I might go back. I am not as "up" on Christian music as I once was, and I know longer know all the artists who are performing. But if I were in charge this year, here's what I would do.  Michael Tait is now the lead singer for Newsboys. Kevin Max Smith is not the lead singer for Audio Adrenaline. Toby Mac will be performing as usual. There needs to be a dc Talk reunion, and I am sure Disney could make it happen! Now THAT would be a night of joy!   Have a great weekend everyone!

Because of Jesus,

Night of Joy, 2003



The group gathered at Disney's All-Star Sports Resort

Sometimes, in student ministry, one event changes everything.  It changes excitement levels, commitment levels and the attitude of the participants.  At Wesley Memorial UMC we survived the low-budget summer of 2003 still expecting great things in our youth ministry.  Graceland was up and running.  We needed a signature event to bring it all together.  That event was Night of Joy.  We had taken a smaller group in 2002 for one night.  For 2003, we were pulling out all the stops...

For those who may be unfamiliar with Night of Joy, let me explain.  For many years now Walt Disney World has hosted a Christian music festival at the Magic Kingdom the weekend (or for part of 1990s, 2 weekends) after Labor Day.  The format in 2003 included concerts on Friday and Saturday nights September 5th & 6th- the weekend BEFORE Labor Day (it just "happened" to be on the weekend our primary high school had a bye on their football schedule).  There would be different artists each night.  I had taken groups to NOJ on a number of occasions, but had never gone for the weekend and spent the night.  As I planned the event for our student ministry, I wanted to make it a weekend to remember.  We would get the two night tickets, and stay 2 nights on site at WDW to enhance the experience.  My youth groups had enjoyed numerous special moments at WDW through the years, and I was counting on this being yet another.  I would not be disappointed.

Almost from the moment I announced what we were going to do, interest in the trip went through the roof.  Some were excited about the artists for the festival, which included great names like Michael W. Smith, Jars of Clay, Switchfoot, Stacey Orrico, Point of Grace, Daily Planet, downhere, Rachel Lampa and the O.C. Supertones.  Some were excited about being able to spend two nights playing in the Magic Kindgom.  And many were thrilled to be spending a couple of nights with their friends at Disney's All-Star Sports Resort. As we drew near to the event, I drove to WDW twice to buy more tickets and add more rooms.  It seemed everyone connected with Graceland wanted to be part of the excitement.  In fact, people were coming to Graceland because they wanted to be a part of the trip.  I was thrilled.  Every open door is a blessing in youth ministry...

We left after school on Friday and arrived in time to check-in and head to the park for the 7 PM NOJ start time.  We stayed until they threw us out around 1 AM, then went back to the resort for the usual youth group hi-jinks and chasing people back to their rooms.  I remember a couple of the guys (Philip, Ken, maybe Travis?) locking themselves out of their room and needing me to get them a key so they could get back in- which was funny since they weren't supposed to out of the room to begin with!  But we laughed about it, and all-in-all we had a great night.  The following day we slept until 11 AM, all hung out around the pool, got some lunch and made more memories.  At 4 PM we returned to the MK and had another great night with more great music and attractions.  Sunday morning we had a little worship time and then hit the road back to Tampa.  It was just a sensational weekend- with one exception.  I took over 200 pictures with my 35mm camera- and then lost it when we started packing to leave.  The picture at the top is all I have.

That excursion marked the beginning of an absolutely awesome year at Graceland.  Numbers stayed high as students wanted to be part of the excitement.  We were starting to make a real difference in our community.  The new Family Life Center with our new youth room and the gym seemed to be (WRONG!) almost finished.  We had several big moments both before and after, but I still consider Night of Joy 2003 the moment when our ministry came together and began to seek to honor Jesus in a big way.  Looking back, perhaps that would have been the moment to walk away.  But I was still unaware that my own life was drifting into dangerous territory, and I had so much more I wanted to see God accomplish with that group of teenagers. So the story continues...

Because of Jesus,

Night Of Joy 2002

Night of Joy, 2002

The student ministry of Wesley Memorial UMC had some definite momentum as we exited the Summer of '02.  Our mission trip to DC, our Myrtle Beach trip, our Youth Week and all of the little relationship building events had created a sense of community and some real excitement.  Our next big event, Night of Joy at Walt Disney World, seemed to pulling it all together.  We were only going for Saturday night, and we had way too many youth signed up for our van, so I chartered a bus.  We left mid-afternoon on the 90 minute ride over to WDW and were in the Magic Kingdom at 7 PM when the gates opened.  Our group was excited for a variety of reasons.  Some were psyched to hear artists like Audio Adrenaline, Jacquie Velasquez, Plus One and Michael W. Smith.  Others were more interested in Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and the other attractions of the MK.  And the high school guys...well they were just excited about Ed's Sister.

Let me bring you up to speed.  Ed Smith (along with his wife Robyn) was a part of our Youth Ministry Team, and he was with us on this adventure (that's him squatting in the front of the picture).  Ed had a lovely 20-something sister named...well, no one could ever remember.  I didn't know her.  The older guys guys, for whom Ed was the small group leader,  just knew her as Ed's Sister.  And they were all "in love."  When word leaked that Ed's Sister (front row, far left) would be joining us at Night of Joy their excitement levels went through the roof.  There was one (actually lots, but for the purposes of this story, one) major problem.  Ed's Sister would be joined on the trip by her boyfriend, Ed's Sister's Fiance.  Nonetheless, we invaded the park with great energy and enthusiasm and had a marvelous evening.  As we chatted and caught up on everyone's evening in the park on the bus ride home (around 2 AM), I was reminded of an essential truth of student ministry.  An important part of building relationships is a shared history.  Nothing gives a group more of teenagers more shared memories than a trip.  Every trip is a completely unique experience, because that particular group of people will never be together in that place again.  Every person is important to the event.  The memories you create are special to that group and help create a bond that cannot ever be removed.  This trip helped to cement the relationships that had begun to bloom that summer.

A couple of years later we would return to Night of Joy from Tampa with a huge group, staying 2 nights at Disney's All Star Sports Resort and having an amazing weekend.  But the roots of that story (to be told later) could be found in this simple little bus trip from 2002.  And while I like to think my creative planning was the key to the whole thing, I know this to be true- it wouldn't have been the same without great people like Ed Smith... and Ed's Sister!  Every person counts.

Because of Jesus,