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What John Lowe yearns for is what he saw when he drove by a Three Dog Night concert a couple of years ago.
Not the group, but the people watching the group.
"The place was packed," Lowe said of the people gathered at Warsaw's Central Park to watch the concert.
Lowe is the pastor of New Life Christian Church And World Outreach, and Saturday his church will host its second "Sonsplash" in Central Park.
On the ticket for Sonsplash, which will take place from 4 to 10 p.m., are Christian comedian Mike Warnke and Christian recording artists Khanyisa and Karen Wheaton.
Khanyisa, which means "to bring the light," combines dance and upbeat music. The high-energy group from South Africa expresses their culture and their faith through song and dance. Wheaton has been on "The 700 Club." Khanyisa performed last year at Sonsplash, as did Warnke.
The concert is free. Food and drinks - which includes hot dogs, popcorn and sodas - served at the concert are free.
"It's funny," Lowe said. "The first thing most people say about church - they don't say it about the grocery store, gas station or anybody else - but they say it about church: 'All they want is money.' The first thing we did was eliminate all fees."
Lowe's church pays for the concert through an offering that raised $34,000 toward the concert.
"That's the concert, lights, food, advertising ... everything," he said.
The concert is only part of what New Life Christian Church will do that day. Church members also will hand out free food to 300 families, families already chosen by Combined Community Services.
"We were looking for a way for our church to make an impact in the community that would be positive and be able to share the Lord in public," Lowe said. "Sometimes as Christians we stay in the church too much. Christianity's meant to be taken to the streets. We wanted to do something for low income families, so we decided to do the groceries."
"The 700 Club," through its Hunger Strike Force ministry, provided 23 pallets of food, several 5 feet high, for the cause. New Life Christian Church pitched in by buying food at food banks and local grocery stores.
New Life Christian Church filled 1,500 paper bags with groceries. Nine hundred of them have been loaded in a truck. Six hundred of them are sitting on the floor in New Life's unfinished gymnasium. Each of the 300 families will receive five grocery bags, which will be handed out at the Penguin Point parking lot from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday.
Last year's Sonsplash ran from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and drew an estimated 3,000 people. Four thousand five hundred free hot dogs were handed out.
"Twelve hours is a lot of work," Lowe said. "Cutting it to six hours helps us take better care of the artists. It simplified things."
This year's schedule goes like this: A praise and worship team from New Life will open the concert and will be followed by Michelle Valley, a teen-age girl from Florida who sings in Spanish; then Khanyisa; then Warnke; and then Wheaton, who will close the concert.
Lowe recently found out Christian singer Eli will be in town, and should he have no other obligations, he will invite him to sing between 7 and 8 p.m.
Last year's headline performer was Michael English.
"Last year when we brought in Michael English and Mike Warnke, both artists had past problems," Lowe said. "We wanted to say all of us have a past and God takes care the past and let's us go on.
"It's amazing even this year - and it's only been three or four people -Êhave commented to people they won't come because Mike Warnke will be there. I sure hope they don't have to get judged by their past like they are judging Mike Warnke by his."
The 1998 Sonsplash had an unexpected guest, a big black man chiseled out of granite who walked around the park. His name was Tony Norris. Wrestling fans know him as "Ahmed Johnson." At Sonsplash, Norris claimed he was miserable with his life, so he quit the World Wrestling Federation and walked away from a $1.5 million contract.
Norris is out of wrestling now but is training with hopes for a comeback, either in World Championship Wrestling or in a smaller league.
A friend introduced Norris, who became a Christian last summer, to Lowe.
"Tony may show up," Lowe said. "We've talked to him on the phone. But I wouldn't count on it."
Plans for next year's Sonsplash, which will be called Kidsplash, Funsplash and Sonsplash, have begun. Lowe's already targeted his headline performer: Michael W. Smith, a well-known Christian recording artist.
"We almost had him this year, but he had committed to a state fair back home in West Virginia," Lowe said. "I went to high school with him, so I have an in there."
