The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
GIVING A PEP TALK
Local pastor plans religious night in Elyria
ELYRIA — A local pastor is planning a night of religious “pep talks” from a crosssection of area religious leaders. Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Lorain Palace Theatre, 617 Broadway, Lorain, Pastor Danny Parsons, head of the Church of the New Harvest, 223 Clinton Ave., Elyria, will present “Ignite One Another.”
“Right now, I have 10 pastors, and I’m going to meet more, to share this idea of us coming together,” Parsons said.
“What I wanted to do was to see how to arouse the passion and ignite believers. I came up with the concept of a coach at halftime giving a pep talk. When you leave the locker room and go back on the field, you feel you can accomplish anything. I want us to all come together under one roof for a night of explosion,” he said.
“We’ll have pastors representing Pentecostals, Baptists, non-denominationals and Roman Catholics. It’s not about religion, but about building relationships and encouraging one another to go out and get
people to believe and achieve.
“They only get three minutes. I think three minutes is enough, just like a coach. He gives you a quick, energetic message to ignite your spirit and your heart. I want them to be able to focus on their powerful message,” Parsons said.
“The procedure is to get volunteers to speak passionately about an area of their life that (faith) has affected. To ignite such a stir in others’ lives that will forever change their ways of thinking.”
The event is free and open to the public.
Along with the three-minute testimonies, Parsons said there will be a praise and worship service, along with special dancing and a gospel choir.
A representative from Chick-fil-A, a fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., and influenced by its founder’s Christian beliefs, will be on hand with special prize giveaways for those in attendance.
“I believe that it’s time all church- es put aside their differences, beliefs, race, nationalities, opinions and unite. Churches aren’t in competition with one another,” Parsons said.
“People only (tend to) see the negative side of the community and don’t see changes and positive things. I think that many churches and believers have been taking the backseat for too long. We need to let our voices be heard. We need to make our light shine,” Parsons said.
Parsons’ Church of the New Harvest, a non-denominational church, has an estimated 50 members. The church will celebrate its second anniversary in October.
For further information on “Ignite One Another,” call Parsons at 7140820.