Fourth of
July outreach draws thousands
By Kirk Noonan
(6/27/04)
Booms, bangs
and ‘‘ahhs’’ are all part of
the gift Calvary Assembly of God in Toledo, Ohio, gives
to the city of 315,000 each year. On the Sunday before
the Fourth of July — or on Independence Day itself
if the holiday falls on Sunday as it does this year
— the church puts on FireFall, a $20,000 fireworks
display that draws upwards of 15,000 people to the church
grounds.
“As
Christians we need to engage our culture,” says
Calvary Senior Pastor Doug Clay, noting that the idea
for FireFall came from a similar event James River A/G
in Ozark, Mo., puts on each year. “FireFall is
one way to do that while offering an alternative to
[mainstream] Fourth of July celebrations.”
According
to Clay, FireFall, which is in its fifth year, has served
not only to entertain the public and celebrate freedom,
but also to broaden the congregation’s reach and
to bring believers in contact with the unchurched.
Before the
fireworks begin, Christian musical groups, illusionists
and other performers keep the crowd entertained as 300
volunteers and church leaders work their way through
the throng greeting visitors, offering assistance and
picking up trash.
“We
want Toledo to see that our church is interested in
being an integral part of the community and in meeting
the community’s needs,” says Clay, recently
elected to serve as superintendent of the Assemblies
of God’s Ohio District. Clay notes that admission
to FireFall is free. “A healthy church whose members
reach into the community is the most powerful influence
on a city.”
In the four
years since FireFall began, several visitors of the
event have begun attending Calvary and have accepted
Christ as Savior.
