FAF Celebration Service Inspires

In a service featuring the Award of Merit winners from the national Fine Arts Festival (FAF) taking place this week, the youth of the Assemblies of God presented their incredible talents in concluding the 2015 General Council in Orlando.

General Superintendent George O. Wood greeted the Celebration Service audience, encouraging the youth: "I pray that this year in your schools will be an impactful year for Jesus Christ, that you will share your witness, and literally lead hundreds of thousands of your peers to the Lord."

Executives and directors from the Assemblies of God national office paired to present the Award of Merit  -- the highest honor awarded -- to groups and individuals in both the youth and Kappa Tau (college) categories. Honorable Mention awards were presented to the top person or group in exhibition (first-year) categories.

However, the excitement of the service paused and took a serious turn following Alexis Gauthier's Short Sermon Award of Merit presentation. Following giving her sermon, which included her father's battle with cancer who she has now learned been given a week to live, National Youth Ministries Senior Director Heath Adamson led the Celebration Service congregation in prayer for Alexis, healing for her father, and for the youth -- that no matter what, they would remain faithful to God.  

Following prayer, the service continued.

Of significant note about national FAF is that numerous categories had as many as 100 to more than 400 nationally qualified (through district competition) participants vying for the Award of Merit. Following are the participants who were presented with a 2015 FAF Award of Merit, Excellence, or Honorable Mention (those in bold copy below ministered in front of the Celebration Service audience):

Musical Theater Honorable Mention -- Hard Knock Life, Phoenix First AG, Phoenix, Arizona

Visual Art, Two Dimensional, Painting and Drawing Award of Merit -- C. James Wolverton, Evangel AG Bismarck, North Dakota

Kappa Tau - Vocal Solo, Male Award of Merit -- Dominic Polverino Faith AG, Orlando, Florida

Bass Solo Award of Merit -- Kareem Headley, Full Gospel Assembly Brooklyn, New York

Spoken Word Award of Merit -- Zoe Gambel, Iglesia Vida Abundante, Clearwater, Florida

Kappa Tau - Worship Dance, Solo Award of Merit -- Alexis Parris, Bethel Christian Center Blackwood, New Jersey

Poetry Award of Merit -- Jillian Griffith, James River Church Ozark, Missouri

Children's Lesson Solo Award of Merit -- Taylor Davis, Chapel Springs AG, Church Bristow, Virginia

Urban Troupe Award of Merit -- Outsiders, Freedom Chapel AG, Amityville, New York

Mini Saga Honorable Mention -- Daniel Holland, GracePointe AG, Winfield, Kansas

Kappa Tau - Graphic Design Award of Merit -- Joselyn Dontfraid, Calvary Christian Center, Ormond Beach, Florida

Kappa Tau - Drama Ensemble Award of Merit -- The Day the Crayons Quit, Ridge AG, Davenport, Florida

First Person Essay Award of Merit -- Abby Mullinary, Allison Park Church of the AG, Allison Park, Pennsylvania

Kappa Tau - Vocal Solo, Female Award of Merit -- Kara Hawayek, Faith AG, Orlando, Florida

Short Sermon, Jr. Award of Excellence -- Kaleb Alford, Freedom Church First AG, Tallahassee, Florida

Worship Dance, Troupe -- Award of Merit, Unashamed, Evangel Church International Miami, Florida

Kappa Tau - American Sign Language Solo -- Award of Merit, Melissa Petruccillo, North Providence AG, North Providence, Rhode Island

Children's Lesson Group Award of Merit -- You are the Special, Grace AG, Syracuse, New York

T-Shirt Design Award of Merit -- Peyton Gross, Evangel Community Church AG, Snellville, Georgia

Woodwind Solo Award of Merit -- Julio Emmanuel Hernandez, La Puerta Abierta Church, Irvine, California

Kappa Tau - Spoken Word Award of Merit -- Taylor Jackson, First AG, Concord, North Carolina

Instrumental Ensemble, Traditional Award of Merit -- Sisters Jubilee, Christian Center Fairfax, Virginia

Rap Group Award of Merit -- Wildfire, The Church at Chapel Hill, Douglasville, Georgia

Kappa Tau - Flash Fiction Award of Merit -- Isaac Brown, Ridge AG, Davenport, Florida

Drama Ensemble, Large Award of Merit -- Misfit Fairy Tales Too, Trinity Fellowship AG, Sharpsburg, Georgia

Vocal Solo, Male, Sr. Award of Merit -- Brett Bouck, Rock Community Church, Red Oak, Texas

Instrumental Ensemble, Folk Honorable Mention -- AnnaBeth Muldoon, Community AG, Anchorage, Alaska

Book Chapter Award of Merit -- Samantha Proctor, First AG, Delta, Colorado

Urban Solo Award of Merit -- Brandon Kent, Trinity Fellowship AG, Sharpsburg, Georgia

Vocal Ensemble, Small Award of Merit -- DJ Squared, Evangel Chapel, Bridgewater, New Jersey

Vocal Solo, Female, Jr. Award of Excellence -- Natalie Burchett, Christian Life Assembly, Columbia, South Carolina

Human Video Ensemble, Spanish Award of Merit -- Something Else I Can't Pronounce, Ridge AG, Davenport, Florida

Photography, Digital Award of Merit -- Daisry Joy Ladignon, Evangel Chapel, Bridgewater, New Jersey

Kappa Tau - Worship Team Award of Merit -- Calvary Worship Live, Calvary Christian Center, Ormond Beach, Florida

Songwriting, Modern Hymn Award of Merit -- Nehemiah Bates, Freedom Fellowship International, Waxahachie, Texas

American Sign Language Group Award of Merit -- C'annolis, Assembly of God, South Attleboro, Massachusetts

Graphic Design Award of Merit -- Sydney Wilson, Christian Life Assembly, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania

Vocal Solo, Male, Jr. Award of Excellence -- Joshua Brown, Wellspring AG, Blytheville, Arkansas

Kappa Tau - Human Video Ensemble Award of Merit -- Kappa...What?, Faith AG, Orlando, Florida

Worship Dance, Solo Award of Merit -- Hannah Bottarel, Evangel Temple, Springfield, Missouri

Vocal Solo, Female, Sr. Award of Merit -- Sydney Wilson, Faith AG, Orlando, Florida

Kappa Tau - Urban Troupe Award of Merit -- (Crew), Ridge AG, Davenport, Florida ‪

Puppetry Solo Award of Merit -- Braden Clapp, Fairfax AG, Fairfax, Oklahoma ‪

Piano Solo Award of Merit -- Brett Bouck, Rock Community Church, Red Oak, Texas

Kappa Tau - Rap Group Award of Merit -- Legit Gents, Faith AG, Orlando, Florida ‪

Kappa Tau - Visual Art, Three Dimensional Award of Merit -- Mollie Young, Bethel AG, Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Christian Band Award of Merit -- In Shadows, Calvary Christian Center, Ormond Beach, Florida

Short Sermon, Spanish Award of Merit -- Ayin Monge, First AG, Council Bluffs, Iowa

Visual Art, Three Dimensional Award of Merit -- Diana Veer, Cedar Valley Church Bloomington, Bloomington, Minnesota

Children's Literature Award of Merit -- You Are Mine, Northville Christian AG, Northville, Michigan

Dramatized Quoting Award of Merit -- Zachariah Brookbank, Evangel Church, Kansas City, Missouri

Readers Theater Honorable Mention -- Started from The Bottom, Calvary Christian Center, Ormond Beach, Florida

Kappa Tau - First Person Essay Award of Merit -- Alexis Gauthier, Faith AG, Orlando, Florida

Vocal Solo, Spanish Female Award of Merit -- Abby Kauffman, Bethel AG, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

Short Sermon, Sr. Award of Merit -- Taighlor Meredith, Family Life AG, Katy, Texas

Percussion Solo, Traditional Award of Merit -- Kareem Headley, Full Gospel Assembly, Brooklyn, New York

Worship Leading, Solo Honorable Mention -- Abby Kauffman, Bethel AG, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

Kappa Tau - Photography, Digital Award of Merit -- David Mendoza, The Hope Center Tabernacle, Jersey City, New Jersey

Kappa Tau - Visual Art, Two Dimensional, Painting & Drawing Award of Merit -- Caroline Matthews, First AG, Rock Hill, South Carolina

Puppetry Group Award of Merit -- Ruby and Senka Show, First AG, Searcy, Arkansas ‪

String Solo Award of Merit -- April Simmons, Life Fellowship Community Church, Des Allemands, Louisiana

Kappa Tau - American Sign Language Group Award of Merit -- ASL 4 Life, Connect Church, Alachua, Florida

Human Video Ensemble, Small Award of Merit -- Virtuoso Calvary Church AG Fellowship, Greensboro, North Carolina

Vocal Solo, Spanish Male Award of Merit -- Pedro Hernandez, Iglesia Riquezas En Gloria, Daytona Beach, Florida

Kappa Tau - Worship Dance, Troupe Award of Merit -- Union Oasis Christian Life Assembly, Columbia, South Carolina

Kappa Tau - Songwriting, Modern Hymn Award of Merit -- Krissia Sanchez, Faith AG, Orlando, Florida

Flash Fiction Award of Merit -- Ariele Lee, Calvary Christian Church, Lynnfield, Massachusetts

Vocal Ensemble, Large Award of Merit -- The Society, SVE Church of Hope, Sarasota, Florida

Instrumental Solo, Folk Honorable Mention -- Allie Hagan, First AG, Lexington, Kentucky

Choir Award of Merit -- The Source Presents, Chapel Springs AG, Church Bristow, Virginia

Kappa Tau - Human Video Solo Award of Merit -- Luis Pena, Faith AG, Orlando, Florida

Percussion Ensemble, Traditional Award of Merit -- Trinity Bells, AG Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania

Kappa Tau - Poetry Award of Merit -- Ryler Evans, Assembly of God, Marionville, Missouri

Drama Ensemble, Small Award of Merit -- Camp Colossians, Power House AG, Moore, Oklahoma

Kappa Tau - Short Sermon Award of Merit -- Alexis Gauthier, Faith AG, Orlando, Florida

Visual Art, Two Dimensional, Alternative Media Award of Merit -- Jacob Martinez, Bridgewood Church, Clarkston, Michigan

Brass Solo Award of Merit -- Justin Vistine, First AG, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Worship Team, Large Award of Merit -- Crave Calvary Christian Center, Ormond Beach, Florida

Kappa Tau - T-Shirt Design Award of Merit -- Benjamin Ocel, South Hills AG, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania

Human Video Ensemble, Large Award of Merit -- Dream, Trinity Church of the AG, Cedar Hill, Texas

Rap Solo Award of Merit -- Vanessa Stewart-Ferguson, Grace World Outreach Church, Brooksville, Florida

Step Troupe Award of Merit -- Finest Chefs, Church of All Nations, Boca Raton, Florida ‪

Kappa Tau - Urban Solo Award of Merit -- Daquan Goodson, Faith AG, Orlando, Florida

Songwriting Award of Merit -- Elliot Tolar, United Church, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee ‪

Short Film Award of Merit -- Voiceless, Abundant Life AG, Grapevine, Texas

Kappa Tau - Piano Solo Award of Merit -- Judah Crowder, Faith Assembly, Rock Hill, South Carolina

Vocal Solo, Classical, Sr. Honorable Mention -- Melody Warda, Woodland Church, Brownstown, Michigan

Kappa Tau - Drama Solo Award of Merit -- Jake Allen, Sneads AG, Sneads, Florida ‪

Guitar Solo Award of Merit -- Ryan Dicksen, Bethany Church Parsippany, Parsippany, New Jersey

Percussion, Unconventional Award of Merit -- The Patrol Faith AG, Orlando, Florida

Vocal Ensemble, Spanish Award of Merit -- Treble Tones, Bethel AG, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

Worship Team, Small Award of Merit -- Feed the Faith, King of Glory Pentecostal Church, Austin, Texas

Kappa Tau - Book Chapter Award of Merit -- Jessica Cutler, Assembly of God, Winston, Oregon ‪

American Sign Language Solo Award of Merit -- Samuel Boyd, Copper Pointe Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Photography, Film Award of Merit -- Cedar Stone Trinity Church of the AG, Cedar Hill, Texas

Promo Video Honorable Mention -- Ethan Alloway, North Hills Church Brea, California

Human Video Solo Award of Merit -- Ivanna Rios, Trinity Church of the AG, Cedar Hill, Texas

The complete listing of the top 10 in each category is posted on the FAF site. In addition, the location for the 2016 National Youth Convention and FAF was revealed: Louisville, Kentucky.

Dan Van Veen

Dan Van Veen is news editor of AG News. Prior to transitioning to AG News in 2001, Van Veen served as managing editor of AG U.S. Missions American Horizon magazine for five years. He attends Central Assembly of God in Springfield, Missouri, where he and his wife, Lori, teach preschool Sunday School and 4- and 5-year-old Rainbows boys and girls on Wednesdays.