A: In a nutshell, it was wonderful, just an all-around wonderful experience!
The name of the concert is based on Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds".
Leading up to concert day, our youth were thrilled to have a concert at Olivet, and helped tremendously with the publicity. One of our students got approval to put up posters at CASH. When I visited CASH for “See You At The Pole”, I was told by one of my students, “The posters are up all over the school, everyone is talking about the concert!”.
Finally, on September 26, Olivet Church became the venue for the final stop of “The Color’s Tour” and hosted our first Contemporary Chirstian Music (CCM) Concert. CCM concert is “Christian-speak”, for rock concert. The bands, Leo, and Shine Bright Baby, gave an awesome high-quality performance and were absolutely the nicest group of outstanding young musicians you could possibly ever want to meet. Our adults and youth also did an outstanding job “working the concert” by selling tickets, taking tickets, selling merchandise, cooking and selling hot dogs and beverages, serving food, working with the bands and the sound engineer to load equipment in and out, move and store furniture, work the lights and DVD player, provide wireless internet service and a green room for the bands, and provide security personnel to keep the high-school group of about 70 youth, from wandering into back-stage or office areas of the church. The bands raved about Harvey’s home-cooked meals for lunch and dinner.
In addition to band merchandise tables, Good Works, TWLOHA, and Compassion International had tables setup in the Garden room. Compassion even provided a speaker for intermission, with a video to show. I briefly talked about TWLOHA and we also presented a dynamic Rob Bell video during intermission. TWLOHA, (To Write Love On Her Arms) is an organization that works to help people in self-abusive habits of many forms.
There were not enough attendees to quite cover all the expenses but Olivet church was financially isolated with the exception of providing the venue, heat, and electricity.
We only had 70 youth show up, but, WOW, WE HAD 70 youth show up! We didn’t cover expenses but after the first song and I saw all the kids get up in front of the band doing “their concert thing”, I knew that my primary message was getting across, “You can be a Christian and you can still listen to rock music and have fun!”
The bands were wonderful to work with and expressed that they were doing what they do, for Jesus. I love when bands express that from the stage! My favorite quote of the night was from our senior pastor, when the fog machine set the fire alarm off. Someone was running to answer the call from the fire department, and Joe said, “Tell ‘em the youth set the church on FIRE!” Yes, I think, with the help of the Holy Spirit, they did!
God Bless,
- allen
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