“Love Without Stoppin’” was the theme for the first ever Arts & Entertainment Conference hosted by the Greater Atlanta Church of Christ and over 850 people from all over the world joined us as we loved, honored and served God without stopping.
“Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions, give it all you’ve got, be resolute, and love without stopping.” -1 Corinthians 16:13 (The Message)
To cap off the conference, we came together to worship God Sunday morning, hear the Word preached by SPEECH and witness a baptism! Travis Smith, a single father, who had been studying the Bible for over a year, surrendered his life to Christ.
The conference got off to an electric start as leaders from around the kingdom came together to get focused for this life-changing event. The GACC’s Lead Evangelist Michael Patterson challenged and inspired the group to Build, Dream and Preach Without Stoppin'! The energy in the room Friday morning was a small preview of what God had in store for the rest of the weekend.
That night, the GACC kicked off the conference with the original production, “Restoration Through the Resurrection.” Then Steve Johnson lit 
up the stage as he preached about Loving God Without Stoppin' because of God’s never-ending love for us. But the party was just getting started as we opened up the Arts & Entertainment Complex with 5 Hot Spots of music, dance, poetry and fellowship.
Saturday morning, we were at it again. Danny and Tracy Macaluso, who lead the Buffalo Church of Christ, shared an unforgettable message titled Honor God Without Stoppin’ rooted in Romans 12:1-5. As they wrapped up their message, Danny unveiled his poetic tribute to the late Michael Jackson. In the other room, Chimere and Ayanna Stephens, Teen Ministry leaders in the Harlem region of the NYC Church of Christ, inspired the campus and teens to Shine Without Stoppin'. They preached the truth while dispelling the myths the world has to offer. The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to women’s ministry, panel discussions from a variety of industries in the entertainment world, and an art and talent exhibit which provided an excellent opportunity to network and support each other’s talents.
The GACC’s 3rd Annual Art & Soul rocked the house Saturday night. Models of all ages, shapes and colors glided through the catwalk as they showed us the evolution of God’s artistic abilities from creation 
until now. Musical acts The Elements, Nanyana, and Braille opened up for Arrested Development. SPEECH took the festivities to a whole new level as AD performed new hits as well as the old school classics we all love. One of the highlights of the evening was the amount of visitors that came out including Grammy-nominated R&B singer Musiq Soulchild who was one of the many guests in the crowd.
SPEECH had more to say Sunday morning as he spoke the truth to us about being a city on a hill and the salt of the earth. SPEECH shared from his new book, "What is Success?" and helped us grab a vision for our lives and for God’s kingdom! It was the perfect message after awarding kingdom media pioneer Roger Lamb the Arts & Entertainment Legacy Award. 
Now the question remains, who is the next SPEECH, the next Roger Lamb or the next Steve Johnson? God is searching for the next generation of artists and entertainers to shine a bright light on a dark industry that is engulfed with selfish ambition, greed and drugs. Let us move forward with bigger dreams and the faith to match, let us forget what is behind and strive toward what is ahead, and let us love God, each other, and the lost without stoppin’!
Angel Maldonado
Evangelist
Greater Atlanta Church of Christ