Here is an article that was written in today’s Brantford Expositor on what happened last year when Ken was hurt during the disassembling of the Singing Christmas Tree last year.

C

Ken Ricketts says he is still here because of a miracle.

The 44-year-old Brantford man was injured by an electric shock in a mishap at Evangel Pentecostal Church last Jan. 3 while helping to dismantle the church’s annual singing Christmas tree display.

Ricketts had no discernible heart beat for about 40 minutes while fellow parishioners, including a firefighter and a nurse, and then paramedics, toiled to bring him back from the brink, administering CPR and four shocks from a defibrillator.

Ricketts has no memory of the event but was later told that emergency workers were ready to give up. It seemed hopeless.
A friend started to pray. And then a couple more joined in. All of a sudden, a gash on Ricketts’s head started bleeding profusely. His heart was again pumping.

Ricketts was rushed to hospital and, after 10 days in a drug-induced coma, he pulled through. Nearly a year later, he is back to work as an electrician, with no lingering physical problems, he said Friday.

“People tell me I’m lucky,” Ricketts said. “I don’t think it was luck. It was God. It was a miracle.”

Ricketts’s story will be incorporated into this year’s singing Christmas tree presentations at Evangel Church via a video with clips of Ricketts and some of the people who helped during last year’s emergency.

The Christmas tree is a 30-foot artificial tree assembled like a jigsaw puzzle with runners and bases and six different floor levels. When assembled, the tree boasts thousands of lights, said Pastor Scott Bacon.

Choir members stand amid the artificial bows during the performance, creating the effect of a singing Christmas tree.

Presentation nights will be Dec. 11-13 and 18-20 at 7 p.m. Admission is by freewill offering.

Bacon said he expects between 2,500 and 3,000 people will take in the presentation over the next two weekends.

The theme of this year’s presentation is “God with us,” and concerns finding faith during difficult times of personal loss, Bacon said.

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At a Glance

WHAT: Singing Christmas tree presentation at Evangel Pentecostal Church, 30 Fairview Dr.

WHEN: Dec. 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, and 20 at 7 p.m.

COST: Admission by free-will offering.

Just was thinking of the Singing Christmas Tree production that we are about to launch this weekend. We had the practice with all of the tech people and the actors with some of the soloists. Tonight is the dress rehearsal.

I said to someone yesterday, “This thing is about to happen… whether we are ready or not!”

The truth is that I believe that we are ready… for the production. But I’m not quite sure that we are really prepared for what we believe God is going to do ‘through’ this production.

The story is incredible. The music is amazing. The entire production is going to really set a new standard to what our people are prepared to do as well as deliver.

The message is timeless… yet intensely relevant to all who will come. Everyone of us, at one point or another, finds themselves in dark places wondering where God is.

And He IS there. Though we may question His PRESENCE, we can never question His PROMISE to be there and never leave us or forsake us.

He IS with us. And I can’t WAIT to see His hand at work of the next six performances. I trust that you will be there too.

At least that’s how I see it,

C

I am not sure of a poem I’ve heard more at funerals or in messages about the person who was walking in the sand only to see one set of footprints during the hard times. I’m sure you know the rest, Jesus was holding this person during the hard times.

Jesus was called Immanuel – “God with us”… In the good times… in the bad times… During days of joy and happiness… during days of pain and despair. Jesus came to be with us during it all.

This Christmas at Evangel, we are endeavouring to make Christmas real. Our message series is entitled “Characters of Christmas” as we delve into how the Christmas story really affected the lives of the people involved.

Our Singing Christmas Tree production this year is entitled “God WIth Us” and is a candid and realistic perspective of how Christ came for the hurting. I’m not sure of a better opportunity to bring friends and family to an event in the year than to the Singing Christmas Tree. The production is always created not to entertain but to inspire people to come back to God. You can click here if you want more information on it.

Kerry and I would like to wish you the most blessed Christmas and thank you for the many great memories that we will remember about 2010.

Be blessed,

Craig