4th Miracle Miraculous

This past Sunday, seven hundred people, representing nine different congregtions, as well as many tribes and nations, came together, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the 4th annual "Miracle on 127th Street."  The group gathered in the Ozinga Chapel on the campus of Trinity Christian College (Palos Heights, IL) for a two-hour Thanksgiving Celebration. The evening featured:

• A Mass Choir directed by Pastor Paul Melidona (Stone Church in Palos Heights), accompanied by the Lighthouse Band, 
• The "Wave of Glory" dance team (Glorious Life Church in Blue Island),
• The Youth for Christ Mime Team (Progressive Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago),
• Celebrative worship led by Oasis (Life Church in Palos Heights), 
• A documentary on the ministries of the 127th Street churches (produced by Lighthouse Church),
• Participation by seven pastors representing congregations on 127th Street,
• A spontaneous rendering of "Give Thanks" (led by recording artist Pastor Dan Willis and the Lighthouse Band & Oasis singers), 
• A beautiful a capella version of "Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow" (Palos Heights Christian Reformed Church), and
• A stirring message from Dr. Jeanne Porter, founder and president of Transporter Consulting, and Assistant Pastor with the Apostolic Church of God (Chicago).

The "Miracle on 127th Street" began over four years ago when Pastor Dan Willis, of the Lighthouse Church of All Nations in Alsip, IL, called Pastor Sam Hamstra, who was, at that time, serving the Palos Heights Christian Reformed Church. Willis told Hamstra that he had traveled 127th Street from beginning to end and discovered that, on that ten mile road, ten congregations gather for worship. Then Willis asked, "Do you think God would be glorified if all the churches on 127th street could gather as followers of Christ for one service?" Hamstra's positive answer to that question led to the first "Miracle on 127th Street," hosted by the Palos Heights Christian Reformed Church on the Sunday night before Thanksgiving Day in 2005. Over 600 people attended to share the "miracle" of a diverse group of Christ-followers, from many tribes and nations, crossing over denominational barriers, for an evening of fellowship and praise in the name of Jesus Christ. 

After that first event, the participating pastors settled on the Sunday night before Thanksgiving as the date for an annual multi-congregational celebration of thanksgiving. The second "Miracle" was hosted by the Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, located on the eastern edge of 127th Street in Chicago. The third and fourth services were hosted by Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights.

Each year the pastors select a speaker for the event and do so with the hope of reflecting the diversity of their congregations. The first speaker was Pastor Phil Epperson, retired pastor of Stone Church. In 2006, Rev. Esteban Lugo came to town from Grand Rapids, MI, representing the Christian Reformed Church in North America. In 2007, Senator James Meeks, pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Chicago, offered a stirring message on Psalm 127. This year, as previously noted, Dr. Jeanne Porter delivered the keynote address.

This year's participants included the Glorious Life Worship Center (Blue Island), Grace United Methodist Church (Blue Island), Life Church (Palos Heights), Living Hope Church (Palos Heights), Moraine Valley Church (Palos Heights), Palos Heights Christian Reformed Church, Progressive Missionary Baptist Church (Chicago), Stone Church (Palos Heights), and the Lighthouse Church of All Nations (Alsip). After the new year, the pastors will gather to begin plans for Miracle 2009 with the hope that the world will witness their unity and glorify God.