Redefine how your church shares the love of Jesus Christ with people with special needs in your community.

We believe the Church is not complete without people with disabilities. We also believe the Bible is clear in its call to serve and care for the most vulnerable among us (Isaiah 58:10, Luke 14:12-14) and that people with special needs are often some of the most under-reached and overlooked individuals in every community. Jesus Christ, during His ministry on earth, perfectly modeled caring for the most vulnerable – many of His recorded miracles were performed for people with special needs.

Not only are we confident that serving people with special needs is biblical, but we also believe Night to Shine creates a unique opportunity to engage your congregation, as well as many members of your local community who may otherwise never step foot in a church. Local businesses donating goods or services, college students volunteering and local government officials being involved; we have seen incredibly diverse groups come together around one purpose – celebrating and loving individuals and families experiencing disability.

Night to Shine takes place annually on the Friday before Valentine’s Day. This coming year, the event will be held around the globe on Friday, February 9, 2024.

The events are held simultaneously on the same date worldwide. Exceptions are typically only made in the event of a weather cancellation or other unavoidable circumstance.

Night to Shine is a celebration! Every honored guest enters this complimentary event on a red carpet complete with a warm welcome from a friendly crowd and paparazzi. Once inside, guests receive the royal treatment, including hair and makeup stations, shoe-shining stations, limousine rides, corsages and boutonnieres, a catered dinner, karaoke, gifts, a Respite Room for parents and caregivers, and, of course, dancing! The evening concludes with a crowning moment where every single honored guest is crowned and receives a crown or tiara!

The total cost to host Night to Shine varies considerably from church to church depending on the number of honored guests participating, location, discounts or donations a church may be able to secure for various goods and services needed for Night to Shine, etc.

However, as a guideline, we encourage churches planning to host an average sized Night to Shine event (about 150 guests with special needs) to budget at least $6,500-$8,500. For events of 200 or more guests with special needs, we would encourage increasing the budget to at least $10,000 and on from there depending on the number of guests and the level of extravagance planned (in addition to the standard event expectations shared by TTF).

TTF provides churches with the opportunity to apply for a financial grant to help in covering the cost of hosting the event.

Regarding staffing the event, we would encourage each church to have at least one church staff member who is able to be an integral part of the planning process and communicate on behalf of your church, even if you choose to have your event led primarily by volunteers. Regardless of whether you choose to have the event fully staff-led or volunteer-led, we would highly encourage your church to assemble a core planning team that can divide and share the responsibilities of hosting. From planning out décor and working with vendors, to inviting, registering and communicating with honored guests and volunteers, etc. Planning tasks can be assigned to various members of your core planning team based on their interests and skills. TTF staff will not be present on site at each location to plan or execute the events.

The Tim Tebow Foundation provides the following resources to every Night to Shine host church:

• The Official 2024 Night to Shine Planning Manual
• Personalized guidance and mentorship from a Tim Tebow Foundation staff member through the planning process
• Access to full Night to Shine Virtual Celebration for guests who may need or prefer that option
• A Night to Shine Branded Gift for Honored Guests
• Night to Shine Introductory Prom Kit, exclusive for new host churches, including:
  • Step & Repeat Backdrop featuring your church's logo alongside the official Night to Shine logo and our Global Partner logo(s)
  • Personalized Retractable Night to Shine Banner
  • Night to Shine Table Runner
• Global Partner signage artwork for digital or print representation
• Content for national, regional and local media exposure
• Access to exclusive Night to Shine online store and merchandise
• Access to the HUB, an online resource portal for Night to Shine
• Prayer guide for you and your team during the planning of Night to Shine
• Special video messages from Tim Tebow to your congregation, volunteers, and honored guests
• The opportunity to be part of a worldwide, like-minded effort in sharing God’s love

The Tim Tebow Foundation also provides the opportunity for churches to apply for a financial grant of up to $6,500 their first year.

Each church is responsible for planning and hosting their local expression of Night to Shine. Our prayer is that this event becomes part of the DNA of each host church and will continue to be a ministry supported by the whole community for years to come.

The Tim Tebow Foundation will provide support and resources to assist your church in planning the event but will not organize or plan each individual event. Also, while TTF staff may attend various Night to Shine events on February 9, 2024, we fully trust each host church to execute their event and any visits from TTF staff are simply meant to encourage and share in the celebration of Night to Shine and each honored guest.

After Night to Shine, we sincerely pray your church and congregation will continue to invest in your community of people with special needs. After the success and growth of Night to Shine in the first few years, families and church leaders expressed a deep need for community and celebration beyond one night a year. Following much prayer and relationship-building with world-class organizations, in 2018 Shine On was created to equip and encourage churches to embrace and offer belonging to families experiencing disability.

Shine On, a ministry of the Tim Tebow Foundation, equips the global Church and families living with disability with innovative resources, training, and programs to eliminate barriers and cultivate life-giving community.

For access to hundreds of free resources on a range of topics from key insights on disability and vision for pastors and leaders, to training, curriculum and support for the whole family all in one place, visit www.shineon.org.