Christian Artists Talk About the Last 10 Years

(1999 - 2009)

By Kim Jones, About.com Guide

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I asked several Christian artists to talk about the past 10 years. They were each asked the following questions ...

What do you think was the biggest moment in Christian Music during the past 10 years?
What has been the biggest moment in your own ministry over the past 10 years?
What about in your personal life?
What is your biggest goal for the upcoming 10 years?

Here is what they had to say ...

Save the City Records

"In my humble opinion I think it was the amount of great indie artists that got to get exposure due to the online revolution. I guess that would go for not just indie sector but for everyone doing music."
"My first major release. I collaborated with Kutless on a song called "Pride Away" in 2002 and it led to a recording contract with BEC and eventually three different Dove nominations for two different albums containing the song."
"My marriage to my wife Shara and the birth of my two boys, Phoenix (3-years-old) and Greyson (1 year)."
"I guess just to keep walking through the doors God opens. I will keep doing this as long as God allows! If I could make a wish list though, it would be to make a living doing the ministry that I love so much!"

Kingsway Music

"U2 singing at the Superbowl after 9/11. Hearing Bono speak the words of a Psalm to a nation in pain changed what we thought was possible to say and sing on a world stage. The opportunity to worship the living God in song has gone beyond the doors of the church."
"Probably writing the song Everlasting God with Ken Riley."
"Falling ill with the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that gave birth to that song."
"To be fearless with what God has given me in the face of an indifferent world."

Provident

"I think the biggest moment was the release of "Jesus Freak" by dcTalk. It really brought Christian music to a new level and set a high standard for up-and-coming artists to reach to."
"The release of our first CD, The Healing of Harms. It was when everything finally clicked that we were doing this. Being in a band just seemed like a hobby until that moment, then we realized, 'Hey, this is for real. This is what I've been dreaming of for so long.'"
(see above)
"To be open to wherever it is that God wants to take us, to walk through the doors that He opens, and to connect with the people that He puts in our path."

Jimmie Bratcher

"Mercy Me's "I Can Only Imagine"."
"In 2004 I was invited to play at Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, MS it was the first bar that we had ever played. We showed up to a packed house of bikers and I wasn't sure how they would respond to the message in my music. During one of my songs, the music stops and I scream the words "Jesus, Jesus will you take me as I am?" Not knowing how they would respond, I was shocked as they stood and applauded that His name had been mentioned. It was one of the most worshipful experiences of my life and it open my eyes to see that all people love to hear the gospel."
"The birth of my grand kids."
"To present the Gospel to as many people as possible both in churches and outside of church."

Provident

"It has to be the "Corporate Worship" movement. Artists from Hillsong to Newsboys gravitated toward a U2 esque sound built around a true worship song, giving the listener a deeper worship experience."
"After countless emails, tweets and personal meetings, realizing that what we do means something more than just playing music and singing. It's about the lives that are changed."
"Realizing that GOD has all control and a perfect plan for my life even though I may not understand it now..."
"As a band our goal is to change the way "Christian" music is viewed. We want to write relevant music set to a hope-inspired message that believers and non-believers need to hear. In simple terms, we want to be REAL and RELEVANT."

Courtesy of: Street Level Artists Agency

Courtesy of INO Records

"'I Can only Imagine,' a song about eternity which mentions Jesus was played on secular stations everywhere."
"The biggest moment in my own ministry was assuming the lead pastorate of SCCC. I wasn’t planning on being a lead pastor but here I am leading this thriving church, amazed at God’s grace to us."
"The biggest moment in my personal life was getting married in 2006. I had reluctantly resigned myself to being single the rest of my life. But then came Rebecca Trueblood, a lady who had never been married either. What a beautiful surprise!"
"My biggest goal is to grow our ministry institute called C3mi. I have a strong passion to equip the next generation of leaders with ministry skills as well as give them a Biblical worldview."