Rally for Hope V | Sat. 8-29-09 | 12-5pm | Westlake Park

Thank you for allowing me to introduce myself. I am Terrence Proctor, Senior Pastor of Church by the Side of the Road. Five years ago, I lead a formation of community leaders, churches & organizations to collaborate around an event called “Rally for Hope”. Previous to my pastorate, I was an educator at a local alternative school. Over the course of 15 years, I had become accustomed to seeing your basic “at-risk and deviant” behavior among some of our students but in 2003, I was rocked & shaken by a sudden rise in violent events involving youth in our area. There was what felt like a tangible loss of hope among of our youth and it was leading them to live and act out in ways that said they were just giving up on life. That really drove me to step out of my classroom and call the community of Believers to action on behalf of our children.

The “Rally for Hope V!” is the continuing cross cultural collaborative effort of local churches, organizations and just passionate people with a heart to bring hope to the city. Each year, the City of Seattle has granted us permit to hold this event in the heart of Downtown, right in front of Seattle’s popular and prominent Westlake Mall. Local organizations bring hundreds of kids from all over the city, while thousands of downtown dwellers and passers-by are drawn to the music, variety of arts and just plain good feeling of what’s happening “just down the street”. Last year over 2,500 people attended the event (in the rain) .

This event has a great reputation of staging the best local talent & ministries – who all perform their craft voluntarily – and for putting on display the many great things that youth are doing throughout our city. Local News Stations have come downtown and broadcast the Rally highlighting the many people who are encouraged by the variety of gospel presentations and the dozens of the city’s homeless who are feed by the free food and drinks provided by local ministry youth groups & ministries. Additionally, The Rally for Hope has hosted a great line-up of inspiring speakers, who come to encourage & empower young people as they prepare for the arduous task of returning back to school and the complexities of young life. We have found that many youth who come to the Rally are really at a point of crisis and true to its name the rally provides them with that much need boost of hope for the journey.

We believe in this time of recession and despair it is our call to turn up the volume on Hope and encourage the City more than ever before and we are willing to go to great lengths to fulfill this mission.

Rally for Hope V
Sat. 8/29/09
12 - 5pm
Westlake Park