Fun in the Son 2018 targets mind, body, spirit

The big stage performances, which begin at 4 p.m. with the Young Ambassadors and go through to closing performer Papa San for a slated 11 p.m. end, will naturally be the focal point of the large audience expected for Saturday's Fun in the Son 2018. However, Tommy Cowan of Glory Music, which is organising the biennial Christian event, noted that the spiritual element is the main aspect of several elements at the National Heroes Park, Kingston.

"It is like trying to cater to the whole person. You are catering to persons' spiritual needs, but at the same time you are catering to their physical needs. Plus, there is actually a counselling service. Going through the communities to sensitise people to Fun in the Son, people are looking forward to that," Cowan said.

The health village, run by Sagicor, opens at 10 a.m. and goes until 4 p.m., offering free hypertension, diabetes and optical checks. A food court is being facilitated by Best Dressed Chicken, Cowan saying, "they will decorate the booths and make the place really look nice." On the financial side, Cowan said, "Jamaica National will do a wealth village. People can come and learn about savings and how to manage their finances and the best practices." Again on the physical side, once again a six-a-side football competition is a part of the Fun in the Son experience, which is being supported by the Jamaica Tourist Board.

All this takes place in an ongoing spiritual atmosphere, as Cowan said, "the peer evangelism team will be on the ground early. People who want prayer and counselling can come out early to be part of that." Donnie McClurkin, who has come to Jamaica with a 20-strong team, brings the word at about 7:30 p.m., but has already gone to the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre, among his many Jamaican visits, Cowan said.

In preparing the park to host the thousands of persons expected to attend the free event, Cowan said, "so far it is a lot of hard work, so we have to keep working right up to the end. We are cleaning up the site. We have put up back the fence, which was all on the ground. We got New Era fencing to put it back up and we hope it will last a year or two. It is not the first time we have put it back up," Cowan said. He has another hope in the much shorter term. "We want the people to come out early on Saturday," Cowan said.

In-between the Young Ambassadors and Papa San, persons slated for the stage are Kevin Downswell, Carlene Davis, Marion Hall, Rondell Positive, Prodigal Son, Jody Kay, Kyann Knight, Brotha George, DJ Zeal, Marq Johnson, Sergeant Rose Marie, and Maurice Griffin.