Singles Ring in the New Year

By Christina Pon

“You’re it!” This is the response that we in the Turning Point Singles Ministry in Los Angeles have come to expect and appreciate from our leaders when we have an idea. This motto has become a mindset and has given us countless opportunities to make changes and enrich our ministry, from how we conduct our midweek services, and welcome guests to our church to planning exciting and unique social events. Gone are the days of grumbling and complaining about a single’s event being mediocre. You know the ones when you were too afraid to invite your friend in the world for fear that he or she might ask, “what’s in this Kool-Aid you guys are serving?” Or, perhaps you’ve felt like the Hebrews wandering the desert but free from their enslavement in Egypt, looking back longingly to your pre-Christ days as the best of your singlehood gone by.

I’ve been living the single, Christian life for 10 years now, and one of the things that I believe keeps me faithful is having fun, making memories, living life to the full! For me and many others, that means going out dancing on New Year’s Eve as a Christian with other Christians, without all the worldly alcoholic influences and shameful regrets. And, although it was not my idea to have a Masquerade Ball for the New Year’s Eve dance, it fell into my lap, and so I accepted the charge as God’s divine calling: “Christina, you’re it! I was inspired to recruit two other “it girls,” whose reputations for serving the singles reached beyond their own ministries. Party planner extraordinaire, Amanda Porter from Orange County, hosted a Luau complete with Polynesian dancers, a Red Carpet Party with flashy Paparazzi photography and a Cinco De Mayo beach day, while the queen of the Evite invitations, Cassia Wade, who hails from The Metro Heights Ministry, had coordinated numerous inter-regional movie night premiers and group dates. I knew if we were going to plan an event to remember that would inspire singles in their faith, planners who have big hearts and big ideas would be instrumental!

Of course with all of the careful planning and God’s blessing, the Masquerade Ball was a big hit! There were so many elaborate masks worn by captivating sisters and debonair brothers, who dressed to leave a lasting impression. Of the 500 singles who attended many came from outside of the Los Angeles area: Arizona, Wyoming, San Diego, and even as far away as Florida! I was thrilled to hear the buzz about what a great time was had by all who attended. At midnight, it was amazing as we all came together to worship God by singing in the new year, “I’ll stand, with arms high and heart abandoned in awe of the One who gave it all…what could I say, what could I do, but offer this heart oh God, completely to you.” Let’s all give our hearts fully to God and to each other and adopt the “you’re it” concept in our singles’ ministries and take them to a new level in 2009.

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