KELLY THORESON

Remember this old hymn? It’s me in a nutshell and the inspiration for The Halo Project – An Angelic Musical:

“I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love;
I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true,
It satisfies my longings, as nothing else would do.
I love to tell the story, ’Twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story, Of Jesus and His love.”

Sitting in church one Christmas, everything was familiar (which was great), but I saw a lot of people yawning (not so great). The most wonderful, true story the world has ever known was being told and people were nodding off! I wondered (after my own sad yawn) if there was a unique way to share this story that would renew the wonder of Christmas in the seasoned believer and capture the attention of the seasonal churchgoer? From Mary and Josephs’ perspectives? Check. I’ve seen that. The Shepherds? Yep. The donkey? Yes. (And it was hilarious!) Hmmm – how about from the perspective of unseen things above? Certainly God’s celestial beings had a front row seat to His unfolding, redemptive plan!

As I observed the weary world around me, I became aware of the growing fascination of the spiritual realm. Needless to say, the ‘spirits’ being dramatized in movies and on TV were not the ‘holy’ type. Gone were the days of Touched by an Angel and Clarence of It’s a Wonderful Life. Believe it or not, Lucifer is a current hit TV series! Apparently, there is no need to cover up the intent of Hollywood these days.

I’ve always had a creative bent and an overactive imagination (not always helpful), but I took the next few months and wrote fast and furiously in-between making PB&Js and driving four sons to everything from hockey practice to TKD to youth group. My hands were shaking as I presented the first script to my pastors for review, but it was a unanimous, “We have to do this!” That next Christmas, close to 5,000 people came to The Halo Project, many giving their lives to Jesus. I was then urged to write an Easter sequel. (What had I gotten myself into?) We staged both productions the following year. Approximately 15,000 people were touched by the Gospel message as told through the eyes of angels.

The Halo Project, at one time two separate musicals, has now been merged together into one Broadway-style production telling the narrative from before Jesus’ birth through the resurrection! Audiences can witness the entire Gospel story in one show, and I can’t wait to share it with the world!

I live in Fargo, ND with my favorite person in the whole world, Jay. Our growing family is up to 18 now, so I’m still making quite a few PB&Js. My ministry travels of singing and teaching God’s Word have led me to serve in Romania, Mozambique, Brazil, Italy, Canada, Thailand, and Germany (the latter two leading worship at Evangelical Free Missions and Greater Europe Missions’ conferences). I’ve ministered in churches of 20,000, put on crusades in small farming communities, worked alongside speakers/authors Susie Larson and Dee Brestin, and have found profound joy in serving in my church, local jails, nursing homes, and homeless shelters… not to mention discipling college girls in my living room. It all falls under “Encounter God, Impact the World” – something I will strive to do until I see Jesus face to face.