Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Matthew Nicodemus, foreground, and Caleb Seppala prepare the stage for a Lifelight Ministries festival in Ironwood's Downtown City Square Tuesday morning. The event, set for that afternoon and evening, was to include two Christian bands as well as other family friendly entertainment including illusionists, unicyclists and BMX stunt bicyclists.
by Veronica Cruz
Ironwood - Lifelight Ministries returned to Ironwood Tuesday to offer a family friendly festival of Christian music, as well as illusionists, unicyclists and BMX stunt bicyclists, in Ironwood's Downtown City Square.
Jill Seppala, festivals director for the South Dakota-based Lifelight Ministries, said the event was free and open to the public. Funding was provided by three local churches, including Cornerstone Church from Ramsay, St. Paul Lutheran in Ironwood and Living Water Missionary Assembly also Ironwood.
Seppala said Lifelight does a number of festivals each year as part of their international missions. Lifelight partners with ministries in different cities across the nation to create a family friendly events, as well as safe environments for youth and other groups.
Tuesday's event was scheduled for 4:30 to 8 p.m. and was to include musicians Phil Joel, the former bassist for The News Boys and now touring with his own band, and Cade Thompson. Seppala called him "an up and coming Christian artist who has a few hits on Christian radio such as K-Love."
Other acts for the evening, performing in the park and on a blocked off Lowell Street next to the park were a pair of illusionists, as well as a unicycling squad known as Champions Forever, and a group of BMX stunt riders known as the Stunt Dudes.
This is the third year in a row that Lifelight has done a festival in Ironwood. Seppala said this festival group of acts will be in Iron River, Calumet and Marquette in the next few days.
Seppala said the group travels the world to do missions and there is even a youth center that is run in one of the rougher neighborhoods in Sioux Falls and a group called Z8 that focuses on reaching out to high schoolers and college age kids. Seppala said that Lifelight focuses on fun family events in different areas to work with churches and ministries that have the same heart and values as Lifelight itself.
Seppala also said that Lifelight works to network with ministries across the country and the churches raise funds so Lifelight can put on these festivals for the local communities.
Lifelight did 13 festivals in 2021, Seppala said. So far this year, the group has done 10 festivals. Festivals are typically held outside, but in colder weather they put together events to do inside as well.
Lifelight is interested in "taking the church outside the walls" according to their website lifelight.org.
Seppala said Lifelight's goal is to put on these festivals and events by communicating with local churches to create a family friendly spot to spread hope and light wherever they end up.
