Ok, I just have to say that last Friday was one of the most fun days I’ve had in a very long time. So many firsts. FYF held it’s first concert and it was a blast. Caleb attended his first concert just to name a few.

The “day at the concert” started at 1pm when the truck from M&L Sound showed up. Guy (the sound guy) was great. He is a strong Christian and when he found out what FYF is all about, he cut almost 50% of the sound bill (praise God) But back to the concert… We took an hour loading in and hooking up the largest speakers I had ever seen. Hard work but also great friends to be working with and a good cause to be working for.

When the sound was done, it was time to start loading in the bands. it was fun to work side by side with them and to listen to them joke about being “B-level bands” as they set up their own stage. (even though they are Dove award winners). Here’s a shot of load-in.

After load-in, the guys from “This Beautiful Republic” were hungry. When we offered to go get them something and asked what they would like, Their answer was “ARBY”S!!!” So off went RickY to get 4 bags of Arby’s sandwiches. The sad part about that was that when the catered meal from Texas Roadhouse showed up, they were too full to eat it. All the bands completed their sound checks and seperated to watch TV, play on computers, and to sleep. Here is the completed stage.

After dinner, we started running all over the place making sure everything was in order before the doors opened. The church had told us they would have volunteers available for anything we needed done, but they all seemed to have duties when they arrived. Thank you to all our friends that stepped in last minute to fill the voids!!!

This Beautiful Republic took the stage first and completely ROCKED the place. They had a very energetic and loud set and I LOVED THEM!!! All 14 band members (3 bands worth) were great but I think Ben (TBR’s lead singer) and I clicked the best. Here’s a shot of ben and the e-mail he sent me after the show.

Thanks so much Mike! Glad that you were there and we appreciate the encouragement more than you know. Hopefully you had HALF as much fun as we did. Let’s do it again soon!! We were definitely taken good care of at your show, it was amazing and it makes us ( and other bands) want to work with you because you take care of the details. I hope it was a success and wish you guys the best of luck. See you soon!

Ben and the TBR guys.

Next up was NEEDTOBREATHE, best know for their song “Shine On”. I honestly believe they were the most gifted musically of the three bands (just my opinion) especially the lead singer. They did a great acoustic version of “Shine On” to end their set. Here is a shot of their lead singer.

Last but not least came Sanctus Real. They were truly amazing as well. Very humble and grateful guys. They were just happy to be able to play and to tell people about Jesus. 5 truly incredible guys. I look forward to working with them again soon. Here is my favorite shot from the day that I have seen so far. This is Matt, the lead singer of Sanctus Real.

All three groups hung out to sign autographs after the show. They posed for pictures. They especially like the kids that were there. Here is Caleb and his soccer buddy Hunter, with Sanctus Real.

We then loaded it all back into trailers and made the church look as if nothing had taken place.

After everyone had left, dad2three and I sat in the parking lot and rehashed the days events. I got home at 1am, the adreneline let me fall asleep at 2:30 am, and I was up for work at 6am. Needless to say, after work I came home, ate dinner, and fell asleep at 6:30pm. I woke up at 8am the next morning.

Well, that is my recap of the day. I’m sorry it was so long (I could have added alot more) but these are the highlights. I definately have found something I love to do and feel like is making a difference. Best of all, I have a supportive wife that loves to help and a great partner in ministry. (Thanks RickY) I also have lots of good friends who are willing to help in any way they can.

Thanks everyone and we’ll see you at the next event.

On Saturday, August 4, 2007 at 6:30pm, Feed Your Faith is bringing Mark Mittlelberg to speak at Grace Baptist Church (7171 Oak Ridge Highway) in Knoxville, TN. Here’s a preview of the evening:

One of the keys to growing and feeling alive spiritually is learning to communicate our faith to others. But how? Most of us feel ill-equipped and unnatural, and would rather leave outreach to a “professional” — like our pastor or small group leader! That’s a normal feeling, but wait — by doing so you’ll miss the adventure of a lifetime, and you might miss out on the chance to make a life-changing impact on your family and friends.

That’s why we’re excited to have Mark Mittelberg, coauthor of the best-selling book, Becoming a Contagious Christian , come and Feed Our Faith by showing us how we can all find a natural approach to faith-sharing that fits our own individual personalities. It’s a liberating and inspiring message Mark has taught all over the world, freeing up and igniting countless listeners to become “contagious” Christians who have an influence that lasts for eternity.

Don’t miss this one — you’ll be encouraged that night, and impacted life-long!

Proceeds to benefit “Family Promise of Knoxville“. A love offering will be taken.

Register for this event online or by phone:

Purchase tickets online.

Call 865-274-7621 to purchase by phone. Tickets available at: Cedar Springs Christian Bookstores and Grace Baptist Church Join Mark Mittelberg from 1:30-3:00 pm, Aug. 4th, for a special booksigning at Cedar Springs Christian Store. Tickets: $10 Purchase 10 or more tickets to receive a group rate of $8/ticket!

Mark’s bio:

Mark Mittelberg is a best-selling author, sought-after speaker, and a leading strategist and consultant in outreach and evangelism. He is the author of Building a Contagious Church; co-author with Bill Hybels of the best-selling Becoming a Contagious Christian; contributing editor of The Journey, a Bible for spiritual seekers; and the primary author of the newly updated Becoming a Contagious Christian training course, which has been translated into twenty languages and taught to more than a million people around the globe. Mark was the evangelism director at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago for seven years and for the Willow Creek Association for a decade. He was an editorial consultant and a periodic guest for Lee Strobel’s national network television show, “Faith Under Fire.” He is a contributing editor of Outreach magazine, a primary trainer for Luis Palau’s regional friendship evangelism seminars (preparing communities for Luis’s festivals), and a regular speaker for CCN (Church Communication Network) satellite broadcasts to churches all over North America. Mark has a Master’s Degree in Philosophy of Religion from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Heidi, and their two children.