By TAMMY HEAD

To say the atmosphere was casual would be an understatement. Upon entering the building, I was greeted by a very competitive Foosball game and a bunch of excited teens. Next to them, a couple of boys were trying their hand at Cornhole.

Off the foyer, a group of people gathered for refreshments and casual conversation. A quick scan of the guest book showed there were people in attendance from all over Southern Illinois: Benton, West Frankfort, Ewing, Macedonia, Waltonville, Thompsonville, Marion, Mt. Vernon, Vienna and Nashville were a few of the towns listed.

A table for collecting donations to the Benton Ministerial Alliance was positioned near the door with growing stacks of food items.

But the atmosphere wasn’t just casual, it was happy. It was as if long-lost friends were getting together for the first time in a long time. Old friends, new friends, and complete strangers were happy and excited to be there. Bob Pankey, Youth Pastor at Whittington Church said that only about half the people there were from their church.

I was soon introduced to Jon Walker, visionary and founder of the event. Jon quickly began to explain his vision for a community event – not a church event. He originally had wanted to hold the event at the Benton Civic Center so that it was a community location, but the renovations at the Civic Center made that impossible for this first event. However, plans are already underway for another event in the spring at a community location, possible even an outdoor event.

It seemed like all too soon, it was time for the event to begin. I took a seat and watched as people began to carry their refreshments into the auditorium. Another sign of the casualness of the event. A quick scan of the crowd showed that people of all ages expected to enjoy being ‘undivided.’ I had to wonder if some of the older members of the audience knew what they were in for. I had been warned by a band member’s wife that it would be loud! I tried to count as I looked around and quickly figured there were about 100 people there.

As the band took the stage, a feeling of anticipation hit the crowd, like when you attend a concert. I wondered what type of performance I was in for. The lights dimmed, the smoke machine started, and Jon stepped to the microphone. As he welcomed everyone he said, “We want this to be an informal event. We are here to worship Jesus. So if we don’t pay attention to you, it is because we are lost in our own worship.” How true that was!

I’ve had the privilege over the years to hear a lot of great church bands and several professional Christian bands. I’ve watched many of those “perform” for the audience. But there was none of that on Saturday night. This band was there for a higher purpose. It was not about performing or what anyone thought about them. That was so evident as the music began.

Jon Walker is not new to leading worship. He attended a Christian college in Tennessee and traveled to different churches on a music team from the school. It was during that time that he saw a lot of division among people and churches over ‘little’ stuff – stuff that isn’t very important in the grand scheme of things. He has a passion to see people, and in turn churches, united. “I want to find those things that we can all agree on like Jesus, His love, and what He has done for us, and focus on those things,” he said as he began speaking. And by collecting for the Ministerial Alliance too, it turned the event into community ministry. “We need to see more churches working together in my opinion,” he stated.

Although I was told the band had just been practicing together for a few weeks, I could not tell it. The music was powerful and appealed to the vast variety of ages in the audience. A little girl, maybe 4 years old kept coming down in front of me so that she could see around the people standing in front of her. It was touching to watch her raise her little hand in the air. Likewise, the older couple right behind me (the ones I worried about at the beginning) stood for a great portion of the service in praise.

Although Jon was the leader of the band on the acoustic guitar and then piano, he would humbly tell you that he could have not done it without the people on the stage with him. Danny Parkhill and Jeremy Jackson on electric guitars, Calen Mcginty on the drums, Bob Pankey on the bass guitar, Andy Johnson on the acoustic guitar, Steve Newcomb on the keyboard, and Sarah White and Paige Alford on vocals. Together they were a powerful force that allowed you to join in with them as they played to a much bigger audience above. Then when I stood to leave at the end, I was surprised that the auditorium had filled to over 200 people after I took my seat!

The goal is for this event to be the first of many in our area. Like their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/UndividedWorshipIL to stay informed about future events.