Our Story

Summer of 2016 Shine Tallahassee, Inc. was formed when a group of 22 year olds began aging out of Young Life’s special needs program called Capernaum. At that time, Genesis Church was connected to Capernaum because Scott Hunter, then lead pastor of Genesis Church, allowed Capernaum to use space at the church on Friday Nights for their program.  

Capernaum Parents wanted to ensure their adult children would not lose the community of faith so solidly built through Capernaum. The leaders at Genesis Church saw this too and stepped up to help create a new opportunity. That new opportunity became Shine Tallahassee. Genesis Church volunteers already knew and loved these adults with special needs due to years of building friendships with them at Night to Shine Prom. They readily engaged to meet the need and heartedly supported the mission of this new organization.  

Starting that summer, the planning committee created Shine Tallahassee, a 501(c)3 Non-Profit organization. The initial celebratory, social program, called Friday Night Shine, launched a few months later in August for anyone 14+ years and older. No age cap! No one will ever graduate out of this program. Everything began with just a handful of Friends, then a few years later Friday Night Shine exploded with an average of over 100 Friends.

Shine Tallahassee partnered with Genesis Church to continue the Night to Shine Prom. In year three of the Prom in Tallahassee, it was so packed we had to move it off Genesis Church’s Campus to The Pavilion at Centre of Tallahassee.  After outgrowing that venue in two years, Shine Tallahassee and Genesis Church held Night to Shine Prom at its third location, The North Florida Fairgrounds!

Shine Tallahassee, Inc. and Genesis Church has formed a strong partnership in which we work in tandem together. It is a partnership built on love and faith. This powerful partnership has fueled such God-influenced growth that even the Tim Tebow Foundation (TTF) had to take notice when Tallahassee became one of the largest Night to Shine Proms in the world! In fact, Tim Tebow, his wife Demi-Leigh, and the entire TTF Foundation showed up at a Prom and participated in all our activities with our amazing Friends!

Our Prom attendance brought together over 4,000 people including 1,014 Guests with special needs. That is an increase of 1,308% in just six years! Due to Covid-19, Night to Shine was virtual for a year, but Genesis Church and Shine Tallahassee created a SHINE THROUGH event to allow all our guests to pick up their NTS Gift Kits as they drove through the parking lot with music, confetti, paparazzi and more!

We believe God has greater things in store for us. GOD WILL DO UNBELIEVABLE THINGS WHEN YOU ANSWER HIS CALL! In February of 2021, the Rise and Shine (R&S) Day Program was launched. Here again, Genesis Church stood as our solid partner allowing us to meet in its annex, now called Shine Studio West. The R&S Day Program focuses on establishing the concepts of Grow, Know, and Go. Concepts that stimulate mental and social growth, community and self awareness, and confidence in oneself. The program creates and supports community in a creative and exciting way! Each day will provide our Friends with an unforgettable experience. Visit the Life Skills Program Page to see if our program fits the needs of your child!

After many years of dedicated service, the initial Shine Tallahassee leadership needed to move on for personal and family focus. With their transition, a new Board of leaders have stepped up to guide the organization so that Shine Tallahassee can continue the mission of serving teens and adults with special needs. A mission that stays focused on the real life needs of our community and programs that can support those needs the best way possible.

We have only just begun...