1,000-member flash mob sings Amazing Grace to bagpipes & violin

GRANDVILLE, Mich. (Christian Examiner) -- A five-minute flash mob drew more than 1,000 participants gathering to sing the hymn "Amazing Grace" at Rivertown Crossings Mall in Grandville, Michigan, last weekend.

The event's coordinator Valerie Porter , 35, first announced her event on the Facebook page "The Amazing Grace Flash Mob RiverTown Edition" that invited locals to meet at the shopping center on Dec. 13. at 12:30 p.m. More than 6,000 shares circulated the details of when and where.

The day of the event, Porter's brother, Kyle Windemuller, and his band Soul Convicted led the mass sing-along. The group was joined by a violinist and bagpipers from CelticWoodwinds.com. Tracts with the song's lyrics on the back were distributed at the event which allowed shoppers unaware about the event to join along.

The mother of 3 said she never expected her event to grow so big. Before the gathering, she told her family she would consider 100 attendees a success, then nearly 250 individuals confirmed their attendance with RSVPs.

Surprised by the mass turn out he mother of three said, "It just snowballed into something way more than we imagined."

Porter told Mlive.com the inspiration to orchestrate the event came after learning of another "Amazing Grace" flash mob arranged by the ministry Living Waters, that occurred on a subway in Budapest last year. Living Waters Ministry was founded by evangelist Ray Comfort who together with Kirk Cameron, leads an organization that teaches people like Porter to take Christian evangelism into their communities.

Encouraged by the event's success and urged by others,  Porter plans to launch another "Amazing Grace" flash mob during the Easter season.

"There's been so much response. People are asking if we can do it again," she said.

Details for that event will be updated on the Facebook page, The "Amazing Grace" West Michigan flash mob.