ROGERS (KFSM) -- Hundreds of people came together Tuesday (Jan. 12) evening to celebrate the life of singer Craig Strickland at Cross Church Pinnacle Hills.
“We are going to be joyful tonight. We are going to celebrate tonight,” said Dr. Nick Floyd, pastor at Cross Church. “We know Craig would want that tonight.”
Family, friends, and fans attended the ceremony, which was also broadcasted online.
The stream had nearly 5,000 viewers.
Family shared their memories of Strickland on video, and friends spoke to the crowd on stage.
“[Strickland] had that childlike fascination, and that endless energy,” said Rev. Aaron Matthews, a friend of Strickland’s. “He never stopped chasing his dreams. And, that is what was so remarkable about him.”
The memorial service was designed to be a celebration of Strickland’s life, rather than a time of mourning.
“He is more alive today in this moment, than he has ever been before,” Floyd said.
His band, Backroad Anthem, and other guests played at the service.
Strickland`s faith in God was the main point of discussion.
“He lived each day like it was his last,” Matthews said. “With little thought of tomorrow. But, always having known he had an eternity secured in heaven.”
Strickland`s wife, Helen, said the loss of her husband was saddening.
However, she wanted others to take a message from the life he lived.
“In Christ, we may be struck down for this time. But, we are never destroyed,” Helen Strickland said. “Therefore, I encourage you, and everyone else, to be bold. And, to reach people like Craig did. To love empathetically and to cherish relationships.”