College Station Church Hosts Area Revival

Lord, send a revival, and let it begin with me! Are you tired of the mean spirited nature of our world today? Would you like an infusion of love and hope in your community? Christ UMC in College Station will host REVIVEBCS, March 6-8, 2011, in what is hoped to be a mere spark that will re-ignite the fires of Bryan and College Station’s heart and vibrant spirit. By reaching out to others across the community and across boundaries that often see things differently, the church hopes to impact the entire Bryan-College Station area.

Years ago, a former U.S. President talked about his personal vision of 1,000 points of light, whereby individuals and organizations would strive to make a difference in their sphere of influence. We are striving, through this revival, to be a point of light for Jesus Christ in the Bryan-College Station area. The guest speaker for this  revival will be Bishop Robert Hayes, Jr., leader of the Oklahoma Area of The United Methodist Church. As bishop, he presides over 530 churches in the Oklahoma Conference and almost 90 churches of the Oklahoma Indian Missionary  Conference. Hayes said he felt called to the ministry at the early age of four as he banged his small hands on his father’s pulpit after church on Sundays and conducted elaborate funerals for deceased cats, birds and other pets for his friends.

Bishop Hayes has previously served in Texas as the Superintendent of the Houston Southwest District, pastured two churches in Houston, one in Longview, Texas, as a student pastor, and served as chaplain and instructor of religion and philosophy at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas for three years. The guest Musician for the series will be Ken Medema, who was born blind, and is known for his compositions sung by choirs all over the world. Medema, who says he has spent his life with some degree of “being different” found empathy with those who feel disenfranchised. He began playing the piano at age five and by age eight had a wonderful teacher who taught him the classics in Braille music and how to play by ear.

Medema earned a master’s degree in music therapy from Michigan State University and worked as a music therapist for a number of years. He began writing songs about his patient’s lives and thus his career as a recording artist began in 1973. In 1985 he founded Brier Patch Music, an independent recording, publishing and booking company that creates musical expression that celebrates all aspects of the human experience with an emphasis on spirituality. The revival begins on Sunday morning, March 6, when Bishop Hayes will issue a call to revival during his morning message.

Sunday evening, there will be an emphasis on the youth of the community. A youth choir composed of youth from the Bryan-College Station area will provide special music along with Ken Medema. Monday evening is planned to be a night especially for pastors of all denominations. Area clergy will be invited to the revival that evening for a time of worship designed to uplift, encourage, and enrich those men and women God calls to serve as pastors.

Rev. Chris Osborne, senior pastor of Central Baptist Church in Bryan, will offer an encouraging word to the pastors in attendance and Rev. Brian Fisher, senior pastor of Grace Bible Church, will offer a word of prayer. The revival will conclude on Tuesday evening with a call to action to go out and carry the spirit of revival throughout the community in our daily lives.

All evening services will begin at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary of Christ UMC in College Station, 4201 Highway 6 South. A nursery will be provided. Members of Christ United Methodist Church began preparing for this revival of spirit back in November, with 120 Days of Prayer and encouraged members to participate in giving back to the community through 3,000 hours of service to others.

To reiterate the goal, this revival is about being a spark for those who have lost their way, those who do not know God, those who are suffering in numerous ways, and those believers who are ready for a renewal of their spirit. The community is invited to join during any or all of the revival. For more information, visit www.REVIVEBCS.com or call the church office at 979-690-4673.