From Darkness to Light
Neil Johns used to count down the days to MaggotFest. For years, it was the event he looked forward to, a gathering that celebrated rugby mayhem that can be dark and chaotic. But after encountering Christ, everything changed. The music he once loved felt hollow. The atmosphere he once craved felt empty. And a question started gnawing at him: why isn't there something like this for believers? Why isn't there a festival that channels that same energy, that same anticipation, but toward something life-giving instead of life-draining?
In 2025, as MaggotFest approached its 50th anniversary, God gave Neil clarity. The answer to his question wasn't to wait for someone else to create it. It was to step out in faith and build it himself. JesusFest was born from that conviction: a celebration that mirrors the energy and community of festivals like MaggotFest, but one that glorifies Jesus instead of the demonic realm. What was once darkness could now be light.
A Vision Takes Shape
A vision without action remains a dream. When Neil shared his heart for JesusFest, Teri Johns didn't just encourage him. She rolled up her sleeves and got to work. While Neil carried the spiritual conviction, Teri brought the practical execution. She coordinated with the Ravalli County Fairgrounds, locked in dates, navigated permits, and turned an idea into something tangible.
Together, Neil and Teri embody what JesusFest is all about: unity in action. One brings the prophetic vision, the other brings the faithful follow-through. It's a picture of how the body of Christ is meant to function. Different gifts, one mission. What started as a burden on one man's heart became a partnership that's building something bigger than either of them could accomplish alone.
Why Unity Matters
That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. - John 17:21-23 (NIV)
Jesus prayed in John 17:21-23 that all believers would be one, just as He and the Father are one. It wasn't a casual suggestion. It was a passionate plea. He knew that unity among His followers would be the ultimate witness to a watching world. Yet too often, we let denominations, traditions, and preferences divide us. We gather in our separate corners, missing out on the fullness of what God intended.
JesusFest exists to change that. This isn't a Baptist event or a Pentecostal gathering or a Catholic celebration. It's a Jesus celebration. Period. We believe that what unites us is infinitely greater than what divides us. When believers from every background come together to worship, serve, and celebrate, something supernatural happens. Walls fall. Hearts soften. And revival begins, not in a building, but in the wide-open space where God's people gather as one.
