Festival gets Nellis "in step" Published April 16, 2008 By 2nd Lt. Jennifer Richard Nellis AFB Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Nellis' first-ever "In Step" Festival, put on by Operation Worship and featuring various Christian entertainers, was held at Freedom Park here April 11. Approximately 2,500 Airmen, their family members and local church group members gathered to watch performances by comedian Bob Smiley, musician and songwriter Todd Agnew and the band "MercyMe." The "In Step" Festival had three main objectives: show appreciation to Nellis and Creech personnel and their families, foster a greater sense of community with Las Vegas-area churches and remind Airmen of the spiritual resources available to them, said Chaplain Michael Brown, 99th Air Base Wing head chaplain. For the entertainers, the festival was an opportunity to show their support for military servicemembers, said Todd Agnew. "We completely support our troops, and anything we can do to be an encouragement to them--we want to participate in that," said Agnew. "We hope to just bring some entertainment and happiness to lives." Jim Bryson, MercyMe keyboard-player, also expressed appreciation for Airmen's service. "We're extremely grateful for what the military has done and continues to do. I hope they understand that we're here for them," he said. After the performances, Chaplain Brown took the stage to give his encouragement to the crowd. To be "in step" in life, people should march along with this cadence in mind: faith...hope...love...mercy...faith...hope...love...mercy, Chaplain Brown said. Attendees hopefully received the message of faith, hope, love and mercy, and hopefully the event boosted Nellis morale, Chaplain Brown said. While there are no current plans for future "In Step" Festivals, the chaplain staff would entertain the idea, he said.
