Twenty minutes before show time Thursday night, a few dozen pastors waded against the crowds toward the back of the James Brown Arena.

The lights were low and their youth groups already found seats, but there was no sense starting a Christian concert without prayer.

It's an annual tradition at Winter Jam, the country's largest Christian music tour, for pastors to pray back stage with the artists. This year, that included tobyMac, Brandon Heath and Eddie Carswell of NewSong.

They offered prayers for the youth, the music and the invitation that was to be issued a few hours into the concert.

"As a youth pastor you feel alone, unsupported, and here you've got tobyMac supporting you," said the Rev. John Noblin, who brought a group of 12 from Plum Branch, S.C.

The former dc Talk front man shared his testimony. He's the tour's headliner now, but as a kid, "I was just a little punk running around."

A friend invited him to camp, where, he said, "each night a volunteer youth pastor and me and three or four friends would sit on the floor together and he would open up God's word."

He prayed to become a Christian that week.

"For that," tobyMac said, "I will always appreciate you guys. We recognize you guys have the hard jobs."

Pop-rocker Stephanie Smith said she also owed a debt of gratitude to her youth pastor.

"I grew up without a father in my home and my youth pastor was very much a father figure and he shepherded me," she said. "I know you guys are the ones really investing. You see their highs and lows."

Tracy and Tina Bridges count themselves the shepherds of the 13 youth they brought from Masters Worship Center.

"She's exactly right," Tracy Bridges said. "Kids need that sort of guidance, which is why we're so happy that they can have a good time in a godly atmosphere."

The tour's pastor, Tony Nolan, prayed that the evening would be glorifying to God.

Unlike a traditional revival, the youth don't raise their hands to say they've chosen to follow Christianity. At Winter Jam, they send Mr. Nolan a text message. In the tour's first week, he's received 6,400 texts. Each, he said, is a "decision for Christ." By the end of the tour last year, he had received 53,000.

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