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.
Reach Kelly Jasper at (706) 823-3552 or kelly.jasper@augustachronicle.com.
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The song "Arise My Love" from New Song is a powerfully beautiful message of God's love for His Son as well as His awesome love for all of us....
This is the first year I haven't been able to attend Winter Jam but I bet it was amazing. Why doesn't the James Brown Arena have more Christian based concerts. They are always packed and is a good source of revenue for the City, not to mention a blessing to whomever attends.
I experienced my first Winter Jam with my 7 and 11 year old boys. It amazes me that if we keep the price low and bring in awesome talent we can fill the Arena to the max, have a respectable croud of young people all in one building with no problems. Why are we not doing this way more often throughout the year. I would say at least have some youth event quarterly. Maybe it was sooo successful because it was for Jesus Christ and not man. I was just amazed to see so many young people have a great time and behave so respectably. Why don't we have revivals coming to the arena. These young people are searching for something and from what I saw last night if it is provided they will come and maybe if we had more things like this our community would change as a whole. Bring more black and white christian artists together or just pastors for a revival and bridge this community as they said last night to one family. Jesus' family. Maybe this is what we need to get our youth out of the clubs at 2:00 in the morning and ending up getting shot, doing drugs or worse being the criminal. Wakeup Christian leaders and provide more for the youth in our area, they are hungry.
I jammed at Winter Jam!! God rocked the house through these awesomely talented Christian artists. So, Mama Mia sold nearly 11,000 tickets over several days. How many attended last night's "one-night" Winter Jam? I think the Chronicle should talk this up in a news brief. How about it? Praise the Lord for a packed house last night and about 2,000 new believers in the Family of God!! Keep rocking tobyMac, Newsong and crew!