[1]VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (BP)–Justin Taylor thought he was going to a typical Christian rock concert to hear some favorite songs and then call it a night. Instead, he made a life-changing decision.
For those who walked through the front doors of London Bridge Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, Va., April 1, this was no typical night in the pews. With a barrage of ear-splitting tunes, top-ranking Christian rock groups Audio Adrenaline and MercyMe led a charge for missions.
Their 48-city “Go Show” tour challenges concertgoers to join God in His mission of bringing a lost world back to Himself.
Following the final song of the concert, Taylor, a 22-year-old college student at Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, accepted a call to missions with more than 30 other concert attendees. They all committed to go on a mission project within the next 18 months.
“I’d actually been thinking about it for a while,” Taylor said after filling out an information card. “I knew it was time for me to make that commitment.”
Since The Go Show tour began in February, more than 3,000 people of all ages have made a commitment to missions. The tour will wrap up May 3.
[2]The concept for the tour is simple enough: Blend two well-known, missions-minded Christian acts — MercyMe and Audio Adrenaline — with two up-and-coming groups — Kutless and The Swift and stir in a simple, yet urgent plea for reaching the world for Christ as a recipe for missions mobilization.
“We’re trying to empower the body of Christ to change the world,” Bart Millard, front man for MercyMe, said.
With the tour recently reaching its halfway point, it is expected to surpass its goal of 5,000 people committing to missions.
“It’s a serious commitment,” said Joel Bench, the tour chaplain. “We tell them that once they make that commitment, ‘We’re gonna bug you until you go.'”
All decisions for missions go straight to The Go Foundation, a joint effort of Audio Adrenaline and MercyMe. Its purpose is to help connect people with organizations like the International Mission Board that will help them participate in a mission project.
In addition to the IMB, the eight other organizations are Iwitness Ministries, International Commission, Awestar Ministries, Spoken For Ministries, Student Evangelism with the North American Mission Board, East West Ministries International, International Sports Federation and G.O. Ministries Inc.
Part of the tour’s success, Millard said, is credited to the diverse dynamic of the show, which varies from the passionate praise tunes of MercyMe to Audio Adrenaline’s circus-like, rock-and-roll antics.
“We’re throwing a bigger net,” Millard said. “We have entire families passing ear plugs.”
At the end of the show, Audio Adrenaline lead singer Mark Stuart gives a simple, passionate plea for volunteers to go share the gospel with the world.
Stuart, a missionary kid who lived in a little hut in Haiti with his family years ago, shared how God stayed faithful to his family during times of sickness and discouragement.
“When you accept the call to missions, God’s got your back,” Stuart told the crowd. “He promises He will be with you until the end.”
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For more information, visit http://www.thegofoundation.org.
Youth and collegiate missions: http://thetask.org.
(BP) photos posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo titles: MUSIC & MISSIONS, SEEKING 5,000, TUNED UP FOR MISSIONS, GOD’S COVER and ADDRESSING THE COMMITTED.