The Lifest at Brat Fest stage was a new venue this year, a big top tent. Very helpful if it rained (no rain in the forecast), or if the sun was beating down mercilessly, which turned out to be the case for 2018.
The fifth annual community worship service drew a crowd of several hundred that filled the tent on Sunday morning. “I love the local church, but I also love the church universal,” said Bob Lenz, president of Life Promotions, as he welcomed the attendees.
Lenz and his team are preparing for the Lifest Christian music festival, which will be held in Oshkosh, July 12-15. Lenz also speaks to high schools across the country with an anti-bullying campaign called the Dignity Revolution. The offering that was taken during the service went to help pay Brat Fest expenses, as well as support Dignity Revolution. Lenz said he had spoken in 49 schools since January with his message of dignity and value.
Worship leader Todd Agnew did well in bridging the generations, sharing some contemporary songs as well as classic hymns. “If you don’t know the tune you can still worship the truth,” he said.
Agnew is known for updating “Amazing Grace” with a new chorus, “Grace Like Rain.” He had been the featured artist on the Lifest stage the previous evening, to share more of his music.
York Moore, national evangelist for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, spoke about extraordinary things of life, drawing connections beneath the mystical discovery of fireflies at age seven and the story of Jesus turning water into wine. “Jesus had a way of making ordinary things seem extraordinary,” he said.
“Experiencing the extraordinary will point you to the ultimate purpose in life, draw you into the story of God and the resason you were put here on earth,” Moore said.
Moore said that the reason we are all put here on earth is to be loved by God and to love other people. But we need to do a better job of loving other people.
“The problem in America is that we don’t see a need to let our light shine,” he said. “We would rather be fireflies in the daytime. We need to take our light into the darkness.”
For the past five years, the light has been shining at Brat Fest. York Moore will also be speaking at Lifest.