Pastor Beckwith and Grace United Methodist Church bring us A Night To Remember Senior Prom

Jeff Williams:
Welcome to Community Voices, a production of NPR Illinois. In the studio with me today, Pastor Cary Beckwith. Pastor Cary Beckwith, how are you doing today?
Pastor Beckwith:
I am doing well. How about yourself?
Jeff Williams:
Not too bad. I just stepped outside for a second. It's a little cool out there.
Pastor Beckwith:
It's cool and rainy, but it's still a good day.
Jeff Williams:
It's still a good day! Absolutely! I love it. Pastor Cary Beckwith is with the Grace United Methodist Church. Is that correct?
Pastor Beckwith:
Yes, sir.
Jeff Williams:
Right on. And what brings you into the studio today?
Pastor Beckwith:
Well, I am here today because Grace United Methodist Church is putting on what I believe is an awesome event to celebrate the seniors in our community, those stalwarts who have made such a profound impact upon our lives and the lives of so many. So we are sponsoring A Night To Remember Senior Prom Night, which will take place May 23rd here in the City of Springfield at the Northfield Inn and Suites, and the purpose of our Senior Prom is to celebrate our senior (citizens), to... give them their flowers while they are still around to smell and receive them and just allow them to and enjoy a night to remember, which is our theme.
Jeff Williams:
Love it.
Pastor Beckwith:
Where they can dance and connect one with another and just have fun. What's so awesome about this is that it's totally free. We are not charging anyone over the age of 55 to enter into our prom. It's free. Grace United Methodist Church will serve them and honor them for their contributions, not only in the city of Springfield, but beyond.
Jeff Williams:
The stories, the history, they've seen it, love it.
Pastor Beckwith:
The prayer is that we have so much response that we have to open up the facility in order to receive more. (We will max) out at 150 to register. But again, if we're able to receive more, I believe that we can expand the facility to accommodate more seniors. This is a great opportunity to come on and share with you and open this prom up to the rest of the Springfield community that they might take advantage of a special night that Grace United Methodist Church has in store for all of our seniors.
Jeff Williams:
Right on. And once again, where is that located at, where it'll be happening?
Pastor Beckwith:
It'll take place at Northfield Inn and Suites from 5 to 9 on May 23rd. That is on a Saturday evening.
Jeff Williams:
So, when did you first think of this… or come up with it? Have you seen somebody else do something like this? How did that come about?
Pastor Beckwith:
Yes, I have a great friend who pastors a wonderful church in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Jeff Williams:
Okay.
Pastor Beckwith:
And he, for the past 10 or so years, he's put on a Senior Prom.
Jeff Williams:
Okay, yeah.
Pastor Beckwith:
And I have to be honest; they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I took his idea and wanted to bring in here to Springfield to not replicate what he does, but to create and experience ourselves that, again, our seniors would be proud of and that it would make them, at least for a night, feel special.
Jeff Williams:
Sure, and he doesn't have to hog that all down in Knoxville. You know what I mean? (laughter)
Pastor Beckwith:
Not at all. Not at all! He showed me that what he, with the help of his church, could do in Knoxville, we can certainly do here in the city of Springfield.
Jeff Williams:
And what is your connection with him as far as being in Knoxville, how do you know him?
Pastor Beckwith:
Well he’s my fraternity brother! We are members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated. We have been in the fraternity for almost 36 years. So, we're not just great friends and ministry colleagues, we're brothers. And so, I told him I was going to steal his, take his idea to Springfield and he said, go right ahead.
Jeff Williams:
Right ahead, right, very nice.
Pastor Beckwith:
It's been in my heart for at least a year now, but it was a scary proposition because again, you're looking at an event that's entirely free. And so, what would that entail? How much help would we need sponsors and things like that. And I was reminded that something great, anything great that you want to do, it will scare you.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah.
Pastor Beckwith:
Because it takes you out of your comfort zone.
Jeff Williams:
Absolutely, yeah.
Pastor Beckwith:
Once I reflected upon that, I decided with the help of some faithful and dedicated members of Grace (Methodist Church) that we're going to make this happen. And we're not going to worry about how the way is going to be made. We're just going to trust in the God that makes the way.
Jeff Williams:
Right.
Pastor Beckwith:
And so (this) wonderful committee that that has worked so diligently and tirelessly to set up the Eventbrite, to reach out to persons who would want to partner with us as sponsors, those who DJs and photographers, they've been working around the clock. And with their faithfulness and with God placing God's hands on it, we're here now. In a few short days, we will again celebrate our seniors. The theme of the event is a night to remember. And I have no doubt that it will be an evening that will live on far past me. With so much going on in the world and every day … grandma, grandpa, meemaw, big mama, big daddy, they're leaving this earth. So to just have the ability to celebrate them for a night, to allow them to be loved on by the church, I'm just excited for May 23rd.
Jeff Williams:
Sometimes when it is you step outside of your comfort zone and that the fear, the unknown, it happens, but Then through that, as you say, which I'm assuming there was like a lot of the volunteers that kind of helped get this together, members of your congregation, and then reaching out to people outside of that, it's probably kind of rewarding to see how after that, the initial fear, it all begins to come together. And it's like, oh my gosh, I didn't even have to have that.
Pastor Beckwith:
It literally blows my mind daily... to see the passion, the energy that these faithful and willing servants are putting in to ensure the success of this event. You're right, I cast a vision and fortunate enough that some members have run with it. Because they have expertise in some areas that I don't.
Jeff Williams:
Sure.
Pastor Beckwith:
And so, for them to step up the way that they have, it's truly an honor and it's a blessing as well.
Jeff Williams:
Love it, love it.
Pastor Beckwith:
Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri.
Jeff Williams:
Okay.
Pastor Beckwith:
(I’ve been a) Midwest guy my entire life. But ministry has taken my family and myself to many different locations. We've served in East St. Louis all the way to Buffalo, New York, then back to Wood River, Illinois. And now we find ourselves in Springfield.
Jeff Williams:
Right on. Very nice. I saw a documentary that somebody from St. Louis (made), I can't think of his name right now, but he talked about like a lot of the neighborhoods and the brick so many of the neighborhoods that really good brick from the Madrid, I believe it was the Madrid clay pit down south of St. Louis. But anyhow, it kind of like talking about all the brick structures down there. And there was an alderperson, I can't remember his name, but like really tried to help save some of those, the buildings, the beauty of some of those buildings in there before a lot of it was lost. And there still is a lot of really neat neighborhoods in St. Louis. Anyhow, it popped in my head.
Pastor Beckwith:
You just gave me some inspiration while you were speaking, because we want to highlight the beauty of our seniors.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, yeah.
Pastor Beckwith:
Those buildings that are yet still standing. Now, they may be worn a little bit. They may not be as strong as they used to be, but they are still standing.
Jeff Williams:
Absolutely, and have beautiful stories to tell.
Pastor Beckwith:
Absolutely, and we are blessed to be in a time where they're still with us so that we can hear the stories. We're in a time now when the old scrapbooks have been replaced by cell phones. As a result, we're losing a lot of our history. Those recipes that Big Mama passed down that unfortunately generations have lost and have not used, you know, those pieces of wisdom and advice that grandpa would pass down that in our young age we thought of as jibber-jabber, for lack of a better term. But now that we've gotten a little older and experienced life, we now recognize that grandpa knew exactly what he was talking about. And so this prom is, again, to recognize those beautiful buildings that mean so much to us. And we're just so fortunate to have them still with us.
Jeff Williams:
Right, it's like living history, living testaments, all these stories, all these connections to a time that is past, it's past, but… there's just so much that we can learn just to be in the situation where you can hear these stories… so thank you for putting on an event like this because it does, it inspires people, as they're able to hear these stories or just being around them and just talking to them. Just anything that comes out of it. Is this something that you're thinking about? This is your first year doing it, but do you think this is something that you would like to try and continue?
Pastor Beckwith:
I believe so, because every year the mighty oaks fall. And to honor them as best we can, I believe it's a good tradition to start and to keep on. Because this is something, this event is bigger than me. It's bigger than Grace United Methodist Church. I believe that this is an event that will stand the test of time. We're just grateful to be able to kind of launch it. I know for sure that it'll only get bigger and better and more powerful as the years go by.
Jeff Williams:
Right on. Yeah. Everything's got to start somewhere. In each of these things that are now established, traditions, anything like that, at some point, there was somebody who decided, I think this might be good. It might be hard, but it might be good, and then it continues from there. So once again, in the studio, we are with Pastor Cary Beckwith with Grace United Methodist. He's putting on a senior prom. Once again, could you let people know how, if they're listening, how to get some information on this?
Pastor Beckwith:
Yes, sir. Again, our Senior Prom will take place May 23rd from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Northfield Inn in Suites. Grace United Methodist Church, A Night To Remember” Senior Prom. You just have to be over 55 years old and you must have a willingness to dance and eat.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, so… there will be food?
Pastor Beckwith:
Oh, absolutely! Food, giveaways. We're seeking to create a prom experience. As a matter of fact, we are looking for some persons who would be willing to serve as correspondents for the evening. We're creating a red-carpet experience, just like you would see at the Academy Awards or the Grammys. And so think about our seniors walking the red carpet and a reporter comes up to them and asks them what they are wearing, right? And so we just want to create an entire red-carpet experience before we enter into the Northfield Suites and as soon as we get inside the Northfield Inn and Suites, that it's a night of elegance and class and also a night to remember. I do have a number that you can call if you want to register. It's area code 314-339-7470. Again, area code 314-339-7470.
Jeff Williams:
You're reaching out, you've got the volunteers, as your sponsorship goes, or like some or who are the sponsors or things, the people you've been affiliated with for this event.
Pastor Beckwith:
Yes, we have been blessed by sponsorships from people in our church, devoted healthcare and some local businesses, but we are always in need of persons and or businesses who would be willing to sponsor the event. As I said earlier, it's free for our seniors, but there are costs that incur. And so, we want to do the very best we can to defray those costs. And so hence we have special and specific sponsorship packages. And we go all the way from the patron sponsor from $25 to $199, our next level's bronze, $200 to $399. Our table sponsor, $400 to $499. And then our final two packages are our silver sponsorship, which is those who sponsor at a level of $500 to $999. And our gold sponsors is $1,000 and up. And everyone who's a sponsor will be recognized that evening for their contribution to the success of our prime. And so we are still in need of businesses and or persons who would be willing to sponsor. And if you have a desire to do so, again, you can call area code 314- 339-7470 and we would love to have you partner with us at this wonderful event.
Jeff Williams:
Here again in the studio with Pastor Cary Beckwith with Grace United Methodist about upcoming Senior Prom. Thank you so much for coming in and letting us know this information.
Pastor Beckwith:
Thank you, sir. I appreciate you taking some time and allowing me to share.
Jeff Williams:
Absolutely, absolutely. The first year of… what sounds like… a great new tradition in the area. A Night To Remember Senior Prom… for those 55 years and up. Though registration might be closed, there's still time to partner with, sponsor, or be a correspondence volunteer. To get more information about being involved, you can get a hold of Pastor Cary Beckwith at 314-339-7470. Community Voices is a production of NPR, Illinois.