One of the highlights every year of our partnering with the community is the opportunity our students and staff have to lead worship at the Phoenix Dream Center.
The Phoenix Dream Center, a volunteer driven nonprofit organization, which exists to serve the homeless, low-income, at risk youth and struggling individuals and families by providing resources, opportunities and supportive services to help them realize their dream of living a self-sufficient life.
The Phoenix Dream Center currently serves over 36,000 people each month.
On Friday, February 3, our Choir and Drama students lead worship and performed at the Dream Center and Dr. Tonkinson delivered a powerful message.
Several students reflected on their experience:
“I have been to the Dream Center three times now. I can’t believe that each time I have been, I have been amazed and awed as much as I have. The Dream Center always catches me at a time when I feel spiritually dry. Even at this most recent concert, it has filled me to the brim like it always does. Not only does it minister to me through the worship, but it also ministers to me through watching others worship. Seeing how God can move in other people’s lives always brings me closer to the Holy Spirit. It continually pushes me to live out my authenticity as a believer and I know it does the same for my classmates. I love the people there because of how real they are and how on-fire for Jesus they can be. I’ve loved singing at the Dream Center for the past three years and I can’t wait for one more.” – Caden Tonkinson
“As a freshman at Valley Christian, this was my first experience at the Dream Center. Everyone had talked about how amazing the concert was and the different ways that God has used the service to bring others to Him. So, that meant that I went into the concert with a lot of expectations. However high my expectations were for the service, they got blown out of the water. It was amazing how incredibly free I felt praising and worshipping God. To look around and see of room full of people whose lives were so torn apart by drugs and alcohol and sex trafficking, and yet they were still praising Jesus as their one and only savior was one of the most moving experiences of my life. I had never felt so close to God as I did for those two hours. I think often we get complacent in our worship every Sunday, myself included, and the worship at the Dream Center opened my eyes to what it’s like to give myself completely over when worshipping. I am striving to worship that way both on Chapel days and at Church.” – Abigail Calicchio
“This is my first semester in Choir at Valley so I had a lot of music to learn very quickly for our time at the Dream Center. I was stressed! When we got there and started performing, I knew every word to the songs! I got chills. I am not the type of person to raise my hands or close my eyes during worship but the Holy Spirit moved in me and the whole time I was actively worshipping. I can’t really describe my experience in words except that the Holy Spirit was present and it was a life-changing experience. It was great to hear other’s testimonies and to pray with them. I do not think I will ever have an experience quite like it.” — Hayden Schweitzer
“The Phoenix Dream Center event was a great night for those of us in Choir and Drama Team. We all bonded so much while serving Jesus and our community. We learned so much about the Lord from the residents and our classmates.” — Rachel Langston
“This was my third year going to the Phoenix Dream Center. The Choir and Drama Team prepared to minister for weeks. The week of our concert, we prayed and worshipped every day in class. Having prepared our hearts to minister and, at least for me, to praise without abandon, the Holy Spirit moved through the service in a truly overwhelming way.” — Josiah Ingegneri
“The Dream Center is always a highlight for the Choir and myself. I love seeing so many people break down their walls and authentically worship God with everything in them. I can only credit the Holy Spirit for this unbreakable bond that was formed Friday night in the Choir. I cannot wait to worship the same way in Chapel on Wednesday.” — Jacob Waterhouse
“This year at the Dream Center was unlike any other. The day before we left for the concert, I felt the Lord tugging at my heart and calling me to speak. I had the opportunity to give my testimony and to talk about the refinement God is doing in my life. While speaking, I felt God in a way I never had before. It was astounding to experience God working through me and my story, not only to the residents at the Dream Center but to Valley students as well. The van ride home was just as memorable as the concert itself. I was blessed to witness new, deeper connections between the girls in my van. I went home that night on cloud nine, wishing I could go back and live it all over again.” — Audrey Potts
