Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:1-8)
The Greater Atlanta Church of Christ (GACC) had the honor of having Daniel and Tracy Macaluso, along with their two wonderful daughters, in town for the recent Arts & Entertainment Ministry Weekend. The Macalusos lead the Buffalo Church of Christ and have been long-time friends of Michael and Shawn Patterson, who lead the GACC. Daniel was a professional musician when he got converted and went on to serve in the Daytime Ministry in New York City and Philadelphia, PA where he and Tracy helped plant the church. Tracy was a professional dancer when she became a disciple and went on to choreograph some of the church’s biggest productions under Steve Johnson, including “Upside Down”—the story of the book of Acts.
The Macalusos kicked off the weekend by leading a devotional Saturday morning for all the artists and performers in the GACC ministry. They convicted and challenged our hearts as they taught out of Romans 12 and shared their experiences as artists who have helped many artists become disciples and helped them stay faithful to the Lord. We were also very much inspired to hear about the victories they have had in the arts and entertainment world as well as the vision that is still alive in their hearts today.
Their devotional immediately produced fruit at Saturday night’s Open Mic Night at the Imzadi Performing Arts Theatre. The venue was packed with disciples and their friends as they were entertained by singers, dancers, spoken word artists and more. It was so impactful to hear the brothers and sisters share their hearts and lives while glorifying God through their incredible talents.
The weekend ended with a bang as Daniel preached the word of God passionately Sunday afternoon. The title of his message was “What’s Going on?” His sermon helped the disciples in the audience check our hearts and reevaluate our faith and humility. He warned us about the consequences of faithless decisions and unmet expectations. Finally Daniel challenged those searching for God to think about their future and respond to the call of discipleship. As an added treat, Daniel performed the Marvin Gaye song, “What’s Going On?” with the GACC band.
The GACC in extremely grateful for the Macalusos and all they did to serve our congregation, specifically the Arts & Entertainment Ministry. Pray for us as we strive to spread the gospel to an industry that’s in desperate need of Good News!
