Above All in Pearland

The Above All Apostle Crew performed three scenes at First Church in Pearland, Texas this past Sunday: To Whom Shall We Go, The Last Supper and The Garden Betrayal.  These were very emotional scenes and had a profound affect on the audience.  We recap those scenes and the events leading up them today.

Behind The Scene Shout Out Part 2
The morning of the event saw the cast get their 2 hours before service for makeup and final prep.  Two other groups that don't get enough mention in Above All are the staging crew and the Makeup crew.  Led by Lindsey Toney, the makeup ladies that came with us gave up an entire weekend to serve without being seen.  They created an assembly line that had us ready to go within 30 minutes.  That's 13 men (all of whom fidget when they get their eye liner put on) completely done up in base, powder, eyeliner, mascara and several other cosmetics in half an hour.  They are awesome and a testament to the dedication of our church members to this production. 

Another group that came is Curtis and Helen Morgan.  This couple ensures that the smoke and other technical elements that set the scene in Above All are working properly.  This great couple was able to do for us in one weekend what takes a month or more to prepare and perfect at POA.  They are a a great blessing and selfless in their service.

Setting the Spiritual Stage
As we waited for the service to begin, several prayer meetings broke out and people spoke with anointing over the cast and crew.  One of those people was Wade Wells.  He plays Thaddeus (or Thaddy Daddy as is his nickname).  Wade got us all huddled up right before we went out and told us that even if it was just one person that came forward at the end of all of this, that one person made this trip worth it.  Wade is one of the youngest members of our group, but he spoke with an authority and wisdom that most people don't find in a lifetime.  That's what's great about this group.  At any moment, one of us might have a word or a prayer to share with the entire group.  All of us are open to receiving it because we know that person has been in prayer, the Word and most likely fasting this whole time.  We also trust them because we've created a bond that even brothers don't have.  It's a spiritual connection that is powerful and anointed.

The Service (Fire Alarms and All)
The actual service centered around a series that Pastor Gurley is launching at First Church.  It is called Only Jesus and focuses on how Christ alone can impact our lives in a truly meaningful way.  Interspersed between our scenes, Pastor Gurley gave commentary on the magnitude of the moments we were portraying.  Most importantly, he shared how these scenes related to the people in the congregation today. 

Our first scene nearly didn't happen, though.  During the first blackout, the smoke alarms went off and an announcement went over the speakers for everyone to vacate the building.  Thankfully, there was no fire.  It was just a faulty sensor.  Undeterred, Jesus (played by Troy Toney) went into his first line:  "Have faith in God."  It took a lot of faith to press forward, but we did and the magnitude of what we portrayed was not lost.

God Moves
Throughout the production, we could feel and hear the audiences response.  They were locked in and receiving what God was giving out through us and Pastor Gurley.  At the end of the service, an altar call was given and it didn't take long for the front of the church to fill up.  We joined in with the prayer ministers and laid hands on those who came forward for salvation, deliverance, healing and a touch from God.  Women, men and children all were blessed by the anointing that fell in that church that day.  The full fruit of these efforts will be revealed down the line, but in the service that day an impact was made.  We believe that lives were changed and that First Church will be blessed beyond measure.  We know we were. 

If you want to watch the service at First Church, click here.  Also, consider checking out their other previous services here. Thanks again to Pastor Gurley, Johnathan Dean and all of First Church for having us.  Also, thanks to Pastor and Sister Mickey for trusting us to bring the hopeful message of Above All to the wonderful people of Pearland.