Tom - I guess it was really stressful in the sense that it was what we had been working for for a long time and it was at hand. We were trying to put on the best show that we could and it was really hard to relax and be natural. But it ended up working out really well. The staff of Floodgate and Tim Taber, the President, was really great. They made it really easy. And we love Lori Lenz!
Kim - Your band name is Forever Changed and I've read the interview on the Phantom Tollbooth explaining the name, so my question is two-part ... What changes do you hope to bring about in someone's life through the music? How do you minister through your music as a band, getting past the whole "rock band image" and not allowing people to put you on a pedestal because you're a band?
Since this isn't a standard interview question, it was met with dead silence as the members of Forever Changed looked at each other. My photographer, Brian Jones, commented "Nobody wants to swing on that one."
Dan - No, that's a great question ... just a little unexpected. I'd like to answer it. First, I think that the main thing is that no matter what we have to be sincere and authentic in whatever we do. Christ, obviously, was a great example because He was the most real and authentic person. So whenever we're up on stage, playing our songs, we're going to strive to do the best job that we can. We have no problem realizing that we're there for the fans. We want to entertain them and make them have the time of their life. You're right. People tend to put entertainers on a pedestal. But if we're real and if we're true to ourselves, and more importantly, true to them, we can use that platform to let them know what God has done in our lives. I think the best change that we have found, besides just them meeting another Christian, is us challenging them and getting them to start asking questions that maybe they wouldn't have asked in a church setting. They see a rock band that really connects with them lyrically or even the way that we look, and then afterwards they think, "Wow, these guys are born again Christians. I wonder what that's all about." Or "Hey this song talks about this or that ... what is that all about?" If they ask us the question, that's great. We love being put on the spot sometimes and it double checks where we're at. Even if they don't ask us the questions, they ask somebody. We hope and pray that somebody tells them the truth.
Kim - Did you all grow up in church homes?
The guys all answered "Yes" with a few "But that didn't mean anything sometimes" type of comments thrown in.
Kim - So that means you were like normal teenagers, doing normal teenage stuff, making wrong decisions sometimes and getting into trouble for it but keeping the waters at home smooth by showing up at church on Sunday?
"Right" ... "More or less"...
Kim - OK ... so building on that, let's go back to your band name ... Forever Changed. Its simplicity is so powerful. It's not about bells and whistles - it's about change. So tell me the number one thing in your lives, personally, that has changed since you went from those teens who had "Hey how you doing - it's Sunday and I got to keep my parents happy" type of relationships with Christ to real, meaningful relationships. Then follow that up with the one biggest change in your lives since you went into active ministry.
Tom - That's a one-two right there! Talk about knockout combos! I'll go first. I have to say that becoming a Christian, for me, was like a huge event. For me, giving my life to the Lord, in His service, has been a series of learning how to submit to His will and surrender myself. The things that I thought were what the desires of my heart, I had to learn to submit them to the Lord and let Him guide and move and direct and use me the best He could. As far as the changes since we've gone into active ministry, I can't really say what I've learned yet, but I know what I need to learn. I need to learn humility more so than anything else and I need to learn how to humble myself before my peers and before the Lord. I'm not to seek glory and earthly riches or praise. I just need to stay humble and let the Lord do His work, being open to His will, whatever that may be.
