Throughout the weeks leading up to Night of Hope OKC, I felt as though something was different. I didn’t feel more or less organized or prepared, nor did I expect a bigger crowd than previous two events. But I felt as though God was up to something. That He was going to do something special. I felt like He was going to change lives in a way like we’d never experienced. I prayed that He would show up and show off and He did!
August 15th, 2014 was a night for the ages!
Hope is Alive Ministries third Night of Hope event was by all accounts a major success!  Over 700 people from all across Oklahoma gathered at Quail Springs Baptist church to celebrate new life, second chances and HOPE! As you can see by the pictures, the guests arrived and were welcome by a crew of energized, wild and crazy blue-shirted volunteers that clapped, cheered, hi-fived and yelled their hearts out for each person as they made their way down the celebratory blue carpet runway.
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At the end of the blue carpet runway guests were greeted by our outstanding professional photographers who snapped their pictures in front of the themed backdrop. These pics came out great; make sure you go check them out at www.NightofHopeOKC.com/pics. Buy a few and post them on FB, Twitter, or IG. Use our hashtag (#NOHOKC) of course…
Once inside, the attendees gazed upon a beautifully lit stage with blue and silver balloons spelling out the word HOPE. It was the perfect backdrop for what would be an incredibly HOPE-filled evening!
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As the countdown hit 0:00, the worship team began an unbelievable music set featuring the Jesus Culture tune “Forevermore” whose opening lyrics “Hope, Hope is Alive in me” perfectly kicked off the evening. Next up the band played through Matt Redman’s emotionally packed ballad “Never Once” which had the crowd fully engaged and ready to witness the powerful video testimonies of two of Hope is Alive Ministries volunteers and supporters, Austin Brister and Jorge Vara III.
As the worship set came to an end the crowd was hyped and ready to hear from the speakers. As I made my way to the stage, the energy was off the charts. The lights came up and I was greeted by a packed house. One of the most powerful moments for me came early on as I challenged anyone who was in recovery to stand up…. Immediately what seemed like ¾ of the room rose to their feet and were greeted by a thunderous applause from the rest of the crowd. It was an inspiring moment!
Mrs. Annie Lobert hit the stage first and immediately made her presence felt. She was authentic, vulnerable, and passionate, leaving an impact on every single person in the church. I heard dozens of sniffles throughout the audience as she told story after story of her painful past as a prostitute. She described the beatings she endured by the hands of her pimps and tearfully described the moment in which she called out to God and He answered. As she closed she serenaded the room with her own beautiful version of “Amazing Grace”. Ending the song with this phrase “His blood is what has set me free, He did to give me grace”.  It was truly an amazing moment and needless to say Annie left the stage to a standing ovation.
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As Mrs. Annie ended, the audience was stirred into a frenzy with the challenge of taking the most creative “selfie” or “groupie”. The prize of a 4 free rounds at Quail Creek Country Club awaited the winner.
You can view all of these awesome shots, by searching #NOHOKC on Instagram, FB or Twitter.
After the selfie contest the crowd was anxious to hear from the keynote speaker. Darryl Strawberry graced the stage and in his typical fashion knocked his speech out of the park. He boldly talked about his past, his ups and his downs. He claimed his mistakes and pointed all of his success back to Jesus. He was humble, courageous and did something no one expected. Especially me! About half way through his talk he challenged the audience to support HIA Ministries and then went a step further by pledging his own support to the tune of a $5000 donation! It was yet another incredible moment!
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What I loved about Darryl Strawberry was his clear depiction of a life transformed. No one in the room could doubt that God had done an incredible work in his life. Mr. Strawberry was passionate and unashamed to proclaim that God had done for him what he could not do for himself. He gave a clear presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and inspired hope in the lives of all attendees.
As the main event came to an end, I made my way back to the stage and held a commemorative Night of Hope OKC coin in my hand. I raised the coin up and told the audience that in just a moment they would have the chance to come forward and pick up a coin for themselves, memorializing this special evening as a night God did something in their lives they don’t ever want to forget. But something happened as I continued speaking, people began to stand up. I tried to press-on and finish what I had to say, but people were so ready to make the walk to the altar and pick up a coin that I finally stopped talking and just said come on! Over 200 people rushed the altar! In that moment as people were lined up waiting to pick up their coin, I knew that what I had prayed for God had delivered! It was moment I will NEVER forget.
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But the night was still not done. We still had the After Party! And much to my delight over 300 people made the walk to the beautifully decorated fellowship hall to pick up a cupcake, a cup of coffee or to have a conversation with one of over ten local resources that had booths set up to help people begin their journey out of addiction. The After Party was a blast and I must thank Annie and Darryl for sticking around for over an hour to take pictures, sign autographs and talk with all the guests. Also, a BIG S/O to Cuppies and Joe for providing all of the cupcakes and cookies!
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As we begin to tie a bow around Night of Hope OKC, many of you now know what this event is really all about. I hope you see that it’s about freedom, joy, happiness, love, acceptance and lots and lots of HOPE! As we move forward with planning our next Night of Hope event you may be thinking, how do I get involved? Maybe you want your organization to be a sponsor or maybe you want to join the wild bunch of blue shirts we call the Hope Squad. If so, head over to the Connect Page on the new HIA website and drop us a line. Tell us how you want to begin spreading hope to others at future Night of Hope events.
In closing, at the end of the day my prayer for the event and any event we host is that ONE life would be changed. If that happens, then all the work, all the money and all the time were well, well worth it! And with tears in my eyes I can write today without a doubt in my mind that tons of lives were changed forever through Night of Hope OKC! 
So will we do it again??? Absolutely! Details coming soon.
One last thing…. A BIG thank you to all the volunteers who helped make Night of Hope OKC so special. You guys are the best of the best!!  Especially the leadership – Allyson VinZant, Stephanie Miller and Matt Schenck you guys killed it… YET AGAIN! Thanks for doing all the hard work behind the scenes! I want to be more like all of you… Much Love!
-Hope is Alive