How it Started
I was working as a youth pastor in Colorado and after a meeting one night, a teenage girl sat down on the edge of the stage next to me. I could see tears streaming down her face. She held out her arms and I could see where she’d been cutting herself. I looked at her and told her she didn’t need to do that because of what Jesus did for her. The next week we’d did a drama to illustrate both the price that Jesus paid for us and the reality of the spiritual battle for our destiny, calling, and identity.
A group of volunteer youth ministry leaders took on the roles of Jesus, the disciples, centurions, angels, and demons. The first Thorn presentation wasn’t amazing, but it worked…because God loves it when we tell His story. That night, scores of young people decided to follow Jesus. And when the Senior Pastor heard about it, he asked us to perform The Thorn the next year for Easter weekend.
The Early Years
That next Easter season, we improved the production, added a few new scenes, and built a basic set. We didn’t know much about live theater but we did our best and God filled in the gaps. And the word got out. By Easter Sunday, there was a line of cars that couldn’t get into the parking lot. People were parking on the field and jumping the fence to get into the church.
For the next ten years, The Thorn continued to grow, drawing tens of thousands of people. Every year, hundreds of people came to faith in Jesus. People found freedom from addiction, restoration in marriages, and even physical and emotional healing.
Over the years, the production got bigger and more spectacular. We added a 30’ rotating platform, a hydraulic lift, and even live Indonesian tigers. We added dance, gymnastics, aerial acrobatics, and even martial art scenes with angels and demons battling while Jesus was praying in the Garden. Through it all, we kept our eyes on the main thing: communicating a clear Gospel message.
Going on Tour
In 2010, we formed an official production company and traveled in a caravan of trucks and a team of cast and crew to four different cities, performing at megachurches. That year, thousands more showed up and became followers of Jesus and fans of The Thorn. We formed a partnership with Compassion International and over the years, nearly 15,000 kids have been rescued from poverty through Thorn attendees.
The Dark Year
In 2020, as the cast and crew started the tour, we began to hear rumors of Covid19. As we setup for the Colorado shows, the Governor of Colorado canceled all events larger than 200 people. In 2021, The Thorn was dark. No tour. No trucks or buses or waiting in lines at the airport. No cast or crew. Nothing. The Thorn, it seemed, was over. But then, God gave us an idea. What if we could film The Thorn as a way to extend the story and the reach of the production beyond just a live show? We contacted a distributor, Fathom Events, and they loved the idea. In 2022, we captured The Thorn on film and premiere dates were set for March 6 & 7, 2023.
The Public Square
In addition to the movie, we began to plan for the 2023 Thorn live tour. But instead of bringing the Thorn to church venues, we decided to book performing arts centers, taking God’s Story to the middle of the public square. In 2023, The Thorn live tour will be the biggest yet, going exclusively to cultural venues with a clear message of the Gospel.
Over the years, over a million people have experienced The Thorn. What’s next? We can only imagine. But we know by now that nothing can stop God’s story from being told. We plan to expand The Thorn live tour to every major city in the United States. Will we stop there? Not likely. We have plans to tell this story in multiple languages, around the world for as long as God gives us the strength to do it.
