NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–The Music City won’t miss a beat during the Southern Baptist Convention.
From June 20-22, messengers and guests at the SBC annual meeting in Nashville, Tenn., will have the opportunity to hear a variety of Christian music artists performing live, both in the exhibit hall and at an outdoor festival stage area.
A range of musical styles will be showcased on two stages hosted by LifeWay Christian Resources — from contemporary pop/rock to Southern Gospel and acoustic worship. An indoor stage, located in the LifeWay exhibit area within the Nashville Convention Center, will feature acoustic performances by a number of recognized and up-and-coming worship-oriented music artists. Two prominent Christian comedians also will perform.
The outdoor festival stage, located on Hall of Fame Plaza between the Hilton Hotel and the Country Music Hall of Fame, will feature several well-known contemporary Christian artists and groups. Performances are scheduled around the lunch and dinner breaks.
OUTDOOR FESTIVAL STAGE SCHEDULE:
Monday, June 20
— Denver & The Mile High Orchestra (big band) and Legacy 5 (Southern Gospel), 4:30-6 p.m.
Tuesday, June 21
— Youth concert with Out of Eden (pop/contemporary) and Tree 63 (pop/rock), noon-1 p.m.
— The Imperials (inspirational/pop) and David Phelps (gospel/pop), 5-6 p.m.
Wednesday, June 22
— Jars of Clay (acoustic pop), noon-1 p.m.
— Jump5 (pop) and Russ Lee (acoustic/contemporary), 4:30-5:30 p.m.
INDOOR EXHIBIT STAGE SCHEDULE:
Monday, June 20
— Steve Amerson (inspirational), 9:30 a.m.
— Barlow Girl (acoustic pop), 2:30 p.m.
— Keith Cooper (guitarist) 7 p.m.
Tuesday, June 21
— Abide (worship duo) 9:30 a.m.
— musician Allen Asbury and comedian Jeff Allen, 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 22
— musician Stephen Hill of the Gaither Homecoming Friends and comedian and Broadman & Holman author Dennis Swanberg, 9:30 a.m.
Musicians and comedians performing in the LifeWay Christian Stores exhibit area also will be available to sign autographs.
“Having popular Christian music artists is a great opportunity for church leaders to listen to musicians and talk face-to-face with artists most often heard only on the radio or CD players,” said David Hassell, corporate events specialist for LifeWay.
“Nashville is known as the Music City,” Hassell said. “Most tourists and visitors coming to Nashville expect to hear great live music. The SBC is no exception, and we have some of the best and most popular acts from the Christian music scene taking part on the LifeWay stage.”
TOP 10 ISSUES
Also in the LifeWay exhibit area, the top 10 issues facing today’s church — as identified in a recent online survey by LifeWay’s e-business department — will be highlighted.
A gateway booth will feature 10 cylindrical pods, each displaying a different issue as well as some resources churches may find helpful in addressing that particular issue. Each display also will have a map of LifeWay’s multiple booth spaces to show specifically where to find more resources.
According to the LifeWay survey’s final results, the top 10 issues were: 1. Prayer: The need for more ongoing, passionate prayer in both personal and church life. 2. Discipleship: The need for involvement of every believer in being continually transformed into the image of Christ. 3. Leadership: The need for clear, biblical vision and direction by church leaders. 4. Evangelism: The decline among Christians in personal sharing of the Gospel. 5. Doctrine/Worldview: The growing pressure to compromise principles to make truths more palatable to an audience. The widening influence of explicitly anti-Christian culture and negative influences on the church. 6. Apathy: The seeming lack of personal interest, support and enthusiasm from the pews for the work of the church. 7. Marriage: The negative effects on families that result from divorce, adultery, etc. 8. Relevance: The seeming inability of the church to answer questions one has living in the “real world.” 9. Homosexuality: The rising social pressure to accept same-sex behavior and relationships. 10. Abortion: The church’s lack of an effective response to 30-plus years of legalized abortion.
“We feel that churches will come in and wonder, ‘How can LifeWay help with these issues?'” said John Gardner, associate to the vice president of LifeWay’s corporate affairs division. “We felt like this was a means for us to say that we are listening to what they need and trying to provide biblical solutions.”
Messengers may pick up a free CD in the gateway booth that features a full report of the survey results. The report includes all 10 issues, data, testimonials and resources applicable to each survey result.
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