The Refuge sparkles at Night to Shine

On Feb. 7, in 56 countries and in all 50 U.S. states, and just up the road in Wichita Falls people came together to celebrate Night to Shine.

What is Night to Shine?

According to the Tim Tebow Foundation website, Night to Shine is “an unforgettable worldwide celebration event, centered on God’s love, honoring and valuing people with special needs.”

Over the last six years, OneLife Community Church in Wichita Falls has hosted Night to Shine, and for the last three years The Refuge has taken volunteers to serve.

This year The Refuge was able to take 11 people to serve at Night to Shine: Terri Hayter, Shannon Moses, D’Heaven Moses, Serenity Winter, Blake Jordan, Charleigh Krajca, Shelby Krajca, Richard Behrens, Jessica Hayter, Mackenzie Berngen, and Jacqueline Gober.

This is an event where you get to see God’s children come together and celebrate. Many of the Honored Guests (individuals with special needs) don’t get to experience the unconditional love of Christ through the Church or other individuals.

About 15 percent of the world’s population are individuals with a disability. That is a people group that in many ways the Church does not reach well. So, about 11 years ago, Tim Tebow decided to change that and Night to Shine was born. It is one evening to come together and love those with disabilities with a love that only comes from Christ.

That love looks like actions and words. Throughout the night a buddy is paired with an honored guest and they have the amazing opportunity to love on that honored guest- by sharing, verbally, the love of Christ, by actions that are selfless and by having the heart of a servant.

The pinnacle of the evening is when each of the honored guests are crowned a king or queen.

They hear a message about God’s love and how Jesus came to save all people and it is with that same love we celebrate them.

Then as 50 pounds of confetti is fired off, each buddy crowns their honored guest. This moment is so beautiful. You can hear honored guests saying things like, “I’m a queen?”

“That crown is for me?”

“I am a child of God!”

It is truly hard to put into words the emotions of that crowning ceremony. Or to even put into words the look on their faces when you say, “You are so beautiful!”

The Lord is truly so kind to let those that serve be even a small part of this night. In Matthew 28:18-19 Jesus gives His followers a command, a job: “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”

Night to Shine is the Great Commission being lived out, and it’s happening just up the road. We don’t need to go to different countries or states to share who Christ is with others, we can start right here in Olney.

To finish out this story, here is a little of what Olney volunteer Jessica Hayter has to say about Night to Shine: “Night to Shine is an amazing experience. Not only for the honored guests but for those who volunteer. After the night ends, I automatically count down for next year’s Night to Shine.”