FLAME OF HOPE BENEFIT

Donate Directly to the Life Care Center, Thief River Falls MN, CLICK HERE

A full video of the May 3 event along with information on the work of the Lifecare Center and the link to support the Center can be found at https://flameofhopebenefit.com/

The Mission of Lifecare Center of Thief River Falls is to provide services that take into consideration a family's needs from conception through the infancy of their child. The Center strives to empower clients to reach their full potential.

The Center focuses on providing Client Advocacy, Education (Pregnancy, Parenting, Positive Alternatives), Local Agency Referrals/Resources, Material Assistance, Bereavement/Post-Abortion Support, Assistant Services (Employment, Education, Financial, Housing, Transportation), Le Leche League (mom' educating moms), Domestic Violence Support, Pregnancy Tests, and Support for Men.

“Rhythm And Poetry” (RAP) was front and center on May 3, 2024, at Kongsvinger Lutheran church of rural Oslo, MN. The Annual Spring Benefit program was highlighted by a presentation from the internationally-acclaimed Christian hip-hop artist, FLAME.

Having begun as a congregational Valentine/Sweetheart program in the mid-1990’s, the annual event has become an evening of fellowship with a focus on raising funds for non-profit organizations that serve local and regional needs consistent with the mission of the congregation.

The 2024 beneficiary of the May 3 benefit was the Lifecare Center of Thief River Falls, MN. The Lifecare Center provides resources, referrals, and lay counseling to women and families with young children. Lifecare clients receive accurate information about pregnancy, fetal development, lifestyle issues and related concerns.

Since March of 2020, Lifecare has lost funding sources from a combination of state-imposed Covid-19 regulations and, more recently, the redirection of state funds away from pregnancy centers to “pro-choice” organizations. In addition, a major water event resulted in the loss of supplies and equipment and forced the Center to relocate to a less desirable location. The result of this series of events was a major constraint on the Center’s resource base.

Marcus Tyrone Gray, stage name Flame, is a GRAMMY® nominated and Stellar Award-winning hip-hop artist. He is well-versed leader in the Christian hip-hop scene with a growing list of accolades, including a GRAMMY® nomination, multiple Billboard chart toppers, and several Dove and Stellar Award nomination.

In his presentation, FLAME described how, as a young Christian, he discovered ways to use “rap music” in a responsible way by incorporating messages of faith and scripture to both educate and entertain. FLAME described how, in his early years as a Christian, he was in an environment where the emphasis was on showing God one’s sincerity by doing good works. Later, he moved into a Christian environment where it was taught that God only came for some individuals who were predestined to be saved. This resulted in his questioning if he was one of “the elect”.

At a point of insecurity about his faith, he was directed to attend Concordia Seminary (St. Louis) where he was introduced to the distinction of Law and Gospel within scripture and the difference between the “theology of glory” and the “theology of the Cross”. Together, he came to realize that God has done all the work of salvation on the Cross and that we receive the gift of salvation through the hearing of the Word and attachment of that Word to the physical means of the Sacraments.

Much of FLAME’s rap music consists of integrating these truths into the hip-hop style of music bringing the Gospel to both a Christian and secular audience in an ‘edutainment’ format. Musical numbers by FLAME such as “Extra Nos”, “Christ For You”, and “Word and Water” are hip-hop summaries of the Word and Sacraments.

A full video of the May 3 event along with information on the work of the Lifecare Center and the link to support the Center can be found at https://flameofhopebenefit.com/

Examples of FLAME’s music are found at https://tinyurl.com/4tymkexn