The Promise Banquet will take place at The Upper Room in Marshall on Thursday at 6 p.m., and those planning to attend are asked to RSVP by Sunday at www.truelightchristianschool.org/promisebanquet.

“The Promise Banquet is True Light’s largest fundraiser for tuition assistance, and it’s a powerful night with an impactful speaker. This year we’re going to have Matt Hammitt,” Dusti Livingston, Promise Banquet coordinator, said. “It is a fundraising event where we are seeking funds for tuition assistance, but you aren’t required to give by any means … Not only monetary donations, but also just being in prayer for us, and just any way people can help our school.”

Hammitt is a recording artist, author and speaker that was formerly the lead singer for the band Sanctus Real from 1996-2016. He has won three Dove Awards and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. He is originally from Ohio and currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

“We’re really excited about him. I think he’s going to be a unique speaker,” Livingston about welcoming in Hammitt. “He’s not only going to speak, but I think he’s going to give us a little taste of his music as well.”

Photo by Joe Holt: True Light Christian School of Marshall hosts its annual Promise Banquet last year at the Upper Room. This year's banquet is next Thursday back at the Upper Room at 6 p.m.

The banquet is free of charge for community members to attend, and will provide a meal for all.

“It’s an adult-only event. It includes a delicious dinner. Our seventh and eighth-grade girls do a singing performance. It’s an impactful event with testimonies and stories,” Livingston said. “What’s really cool about our event is that it’s completely underwritten. So, because of generous donors, everybody’s able to attend free of charge. You get a four-course meal provided by Atlantic Place.”

The True Light students that will be in attendance will also assist guests with seating and serving the meals.

“The students are the ones that are impacted by [this fundraiser] … It’s good for the students to be able to see all the people that are coming together from the community for the school,” Livingston said. “I think it truly does impact people when they come … It’s a way to honor everybody that’s involved with True Light.”

Livingston said the event has continued to be well-received in the past, and is an ongoing day that those of True Light are excited about each year to see the support for the students and school at the forefront.

Photo by Joe Holt: True Light Christian School of Marshall hosts its annual Promise Banquet last year at the Upper Room. This year's banquet is next Thursday back at the Upper Room at 6 p.m.

“It’s a way that our school and our community come together. A lot of our donors are able to be there. A lot of our staff are there, our families, the students,” Livingston said. “All of us come together, and we just get a great night of not only sharing the community of the school, but we also get to hear the gospel. We get to listen to a Christian speaker, so it’s just something that’s exciting, and to have a really good meal.”

The banquet will last approximately two hours, and will conclude by around 8 p.m.

“We’d encourage anybody that has even just an inkling of curiosity, or maybe wanting to learn more about the gospel or to learn more about the school and would have an interest in supporting the school, to come and RSVP to the event,” Livingston said. “Come to the event, no strings attached, and see what True Light is all about.”