by Emma Ellard
First Baptist Church of Long Beach sponsored an inaugural event called Praise in the Park, which took place on Saturday, October 5, at the Harper McCaughan Town Green. Local churches and recording artists participated, offering performances, while food trucks were present for attendees.
For event organizer Mag Holland, the event provided an opportunity to connect both the churches of Long Beach and the members of the community.
“It was just a way to get everybody together in unity,” Holland said.
At the center of the event were the musical performances from several local churches’ worship teams, including groups from First Baptist Church of Long Beach, Connect Fellowship Church, St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, and Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church. Holland also mentioned that other singers performed between the churches' sets.
Admission to Praise in the Park was free, and food was available for purchase on-site from food trucks. Organizers encouraged all members of the Long Beach community, regardless of church affiliation, to attend.
Although the event had many moving parts, Holland said coordinating it was easy, largely due to the caring nature of the Long Beach church community. Holland and the participating churches aimed to highlight the spirit of unity and community in Christ through the worship night.
“We were all working together to bring a night of praise to Long Beach,” Holland said.
