Christian Music Online

Concert brings Christian rock to the area

October 6, 2005 – 9:41 am

Concert brings Christian rock to the area
Although rock ‘n’ roll and “wholesome” don’t usually go together, the two will combine when three well-known Christian rock bands take the stage in the gym of Quakertown Community High School.

The benefit concert for, and organized by, Camp Men-O-Lan will take place for the first time on Oct. 15 with performances by Sonicflood, Everlife and Overflow.

“Young people use music today, Christian music, as their ministry,” Camp Men-O-Lan Executive Director Clyde Smoll said, of how the concert originated. “If we’re all about the youth, shouldn’t we be considering having a Christian rock concert?”

With a Grammy nomination in 2001, several top radio hits and two Dove awards from the Gospel Music Association (GMA), Sonicflood, a group of five musicians fronted by Rick Heil, has made a name for itself on the Christian rock scene.

They’ll be the last band to perform for the concert.
Overflow, a group of five men in their early to mid 20s from South Carolina, will open the concert at 7 p.m.

Everlife, a group of three young sisters, who began performing in Indiana, Pennsylvania and have done a lot of work for Disney, will follow.

“It’ll have all the bells and whistles of a real concert,” Smoll said, of the stage and lighting work that will be done to transform the gym.

Following the performances, each band will remain to sign autographs. There will also be tables set up to sell merchandise for all three bands.

The performance will be emceed by a disc jockey from 88.9 the Word FM, and will be broadcasted on all of its affiliates. The idea of holding a Christian rock concert was conceived by Smoll, who was previously involved in minor league baseball and hockey for more than 20 years, and said music was often associated with athletic events.

“It just seemed to me that there’s a lot of Christian rock bands out there,” Smoll said, who has been the executive director for the past 10 months. “The concert is just another Christian, wholesome, fun event.”

At its core, Camp Men-O-Lan, which is owned by several Mennonite churches in Southeastern Pennsylvania, is a Christian youth camp, which is run in June and July.

The camp, however, is operated year-round, with more than 11,000 people coming through its 175-acre property.

While it holds youth camps, Smoll said, there aren’t any annual events geared specifically toward the younger generation.

With a golf outing, banquet and fall festival, each held annually, the benefit concert will be the first event aimed directly at engaging the youth.

While it’s meant as an outreach effort for teenagers to young people in their 20s and 30s, it’s something, Smoll said, that can be enjoyable for the entire family.

“It’s all about the outreach, sharing with everybody who we are and what we do,” he said.

It’s hoped that the concert will become an annual event.
Camp Men-O-Lan began 64 years ago, with the idea of providing a camp for youth, with recreation activities and to offer them a place to study the Bible.

“Over the years it became more than that, it became a retreat center,” Smoll said.

While Bible study is a part of youth camp, Smoll said, the youth who attend will not leave camp with a degree in the Bible.

“It’s not super intensive,” he said. “What we’re basically trying to do, is introduce Jesus Christ into their life.”

The camp offers 35 buildings, four kitchens, two pools, basketball and volleyball courts and a water slide, among other things.

Each August it becomes a host camp for other churches and denominations.

“Our mission is to use the unique qualities of an outdoor setting for developing Christian commitment, character, leadership and service, and to provide a place for retreat, worship, study, fellowship, recreation and personal development for individuals young and old and families young old,” Smoll said, reciting the camp’s mission statement.

The camp is also used for other events, including weddings and reunions.

Pennridge School District also uses the camp in the fall as outdoor observations for its biology classes.

Tickets for the benefit concert are available at Friendly Book Store in Quakertown, Hackman’s Bible Book Store in Whitehall and Provident Book Store in Souderton.

They are also available online at www.itickets.com and www.evangelismtickets.com.

Toni Becker is a reporter for The Free Press. She can be reached at tkbecker@berksmontnews.com

---

---