By Shara Lee

TWO KINDS of solid rock will be on display this summer in the Fraser Valley.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) is coming  – and they’re bringing a great sound system. It’s for a big concert at Cloverdale’s Millenium Park, which will be the centre of attention for thousands of young people August 7.

Rock the River Tour West will feature several high power bands, including Skillet and Thousand Foot Krutch; high profile evangelist Franklin Graham will speak between performances, and invite non-believers to accept Christ.

The Rock the River (RTR) initiative began in the U.S. and first took place in cities situated along the Mississippi River. It was so successful the BGEA decided to bring it to Canada.

Although it might seem just a  rock concert for teens, RTR is an intensive evangelistic initiative that starts long before the day of the main event.

While targeted at youth, the success of RTR in the Fraser Valley will be dependent on the prayer and support of congregations. Training sessions are provided by the BGEA.

According to Decision (the BGEA magazine), down in the States, “Christians, churches and youth pastors had spent months praying for the event, talking it up among their friends and congregations.”

The enthusiasm at Amp It Up augurs well for the August Rock the River extravaganza.

Since then, the BGEA has been hosting training seminars to share with pastors, student leaders and other church leaders “biblical principles, organizational steps and effective follow-up discipleship plans.”

As the event approaches, the training initiatives will intensify (see page 5).  

River music

Rock the River is not for the faint of ears. Five loud Christian acts have confirmed their participation.

Peterborough, Ontario will be lending us Thousand Foot Krutch, a three-man rock band formed in 1997. The group has released five major albums.

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Tedashii is a hip hop artist from Dallas, Texas, whose lyrics and strong message are known to inspire young people.

Another Canadian group, downhere, is a melodic alt rock band which has won Juno, Dove and Covenant awards since their formation in 1999. They are also acclaimed for their crowd-pleasing Queen tribute.

Local heroes Starfield began life in Winnipeg. After several years in Nashville, the band moved to Abbotsford. They have received multiple Covenant awards, as well as Juno nominations.

Skillet, a hard rock band from Memphis,  has received two Grammy nominations and sold an estimated 1.6 million albums.

Lead singer John Cooper told Decision he has “a real heart for evangelism.”

A self-proclaimed Billy Graham fan himself, Cooper said that at age 18, he wanted to be an evangelist. He would often watch Graham on TV and try to copy his preaching style.

He appreciates the opportunity to have a positive effect on youth, just as Graham influenced him in his younger days.

 “Having this kind of event is a good way to go because young people love music. The truth is that young people are defined by music.”

Cooper said he understands the plight of young people today. Youth face so many difficulties and temptations that it is very easy to stray from their faith.

“It’s easier just to be a selfish sinful person. Sometimes you think ‘I want to be that way today.’ It’s not a nice thought; it’s certainly not pretty. It’s like the monster that lives underneath.”

The audience is very important for this songwriter, and he doesn’t just pull words out of thin air.

“I talk to people after shows about what they are going through.”

Although it is an event targeted for those of a younger age, Cooper had a message for parents and church leaders.

“I believe that music is a big force in drawing people to hear the Gospel,” he said, adding: “That’s my encouragement to older people. Don’t blow this off as some crazy young person thing. But see it as an opportunity for your kids and your friends to hear the genuine gospel – and be at something fun and cool at the same time.”

April 2010