A Reflection on Night to Shine 2025 and what it means for FPC
by Outreach Pastor, The Rev. Dr. Zac McGowen
For one night a year my office looks a bit different than it does the other 364 days. There isn’t a pulpit or a set of theology books or commentaries. Instead, I stand behind a row of computers, a mixing board, and more than four hours of curated music. There isn’t a sermon to preach or Bible study to teach. There isn’t a counseling session. There is only the music and the dancing. And my co-workers for the evening are the 400+ volunteers and staff whose sole purpose is to celebrate the 200+ guests of our Night to Shine Prom.
Rarely do I get asked why FPC Lakeland hosts this special event anymore. After 10 years, FPC gets the privilege of being part of a worldwide event celebrating people who have sometimes been neglected or overlooked. We get the chance to tell them and their families that the God of the universe loves them and values them, and we feel the same way.
I am honored to be part of a church community that has taken this calling seriously, and I believe we have been at the forefront of a movement that makes the Church a community that openly and unapologetically welcomes for children and adults with special needs. Consistently, I hear about congregations adding space for sensory rooms and adding staff specialists to be more inclusive, and at FPC, we began our journey more than 12 years ago. As a result, people know why we host Night to Shine at FPC.
What I do get asked from time to time is why do I DJ and MC the event? It is not something I was trained to do. There is no course on music mixing in seminary. I do LOVE music of all kinds from across the decades, so that helps. But the reason I participate in this way is pretty simple (and admittedly selfish). I get a front row seat to see people rally around a common cause and a common purpose, and I get a front row seat to watch the joy that unified purpose brings to people who desperately need it.
You see, Night to Shine is not only an FPC event; it is a community event, and so from among the 400+ volunteers we have people from a variety of denominations and people who claim no religious affiliation at all. We have people who are staunch Democrats and others who are passionate Republicans.
Some of our volunteers are from the social and economic elite of Lakeland, while others barely make ends meet financially. All those differences fade to the background as we hurtle toward the Friday before Valentine’s Day each year. Months of planning and thousands of hours of combined labor point to one end. Only the guests matter at Night to Shine.
Playing the right music at the right time has become my part in bringing that purpose to fruition. And it is an honor to be in that position.
At the same time, this is how I view my role as a preacher, teacher, and facilitator. As a congregation, we have a goal: to make and mature disciples of Jesus Christ. As a pastor, I get a front row seat to watching us see beyond our various backgrounds to accomplish that goal.
That goal means we host events like Night to Shine. That goal means we invest in our children’s and youth ministries to disciple the next generation. That goal means we provide spaces of healing from addictions and hang-ups like Celebrate Recovery. That goal means facilitating Grow groups and Bible studies to deepen our understanding of the Bible and how it applies to our lives. That goal is expressed in dozens of ways, and opening up the Word of God in the community is my part in bringing that goal, and all of its expressions to fruition. And it is an honor to be in that position.
My prayer is that we will continue to hold on to that unified mindset and be a light and witness for Jesus Christ to change our city and our world.