World Pulse Festival 2008 Christian Music

World Pulse Festival 2008

August 19, 2008 – 1:45 pm

Rock ‘n’ roll is about singing about what you’re passionate about, said John Cooper.

And for Cooper, his fellow band members in Skillet, and the thousands of people gathered, it was all about praising God through music at the World Pulse Festival on Saturday.

The annual festival draws more than 40,000 people and broadcasts over the Internet, radio and television to millions worldwide. The LeSea Broadcasting Network has held the event for 22 years.

A sea of people on lawn chairs blanketed the lawn in front of the stage, almost all the way back to the concession stands. The festival gates opened at 8 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m. there was still a steady stream of people coming in.

Dispersed among the crowd, groups of teenagers held signs offering “Free Hugs” and high fives. Smiling and giggling they occasionally got into a hug-o-war as two or three people would try to hug the same stranger.

“The free hugs are going fantastic,” said Jeremy Polk, 15, as he raised his hand to high-five a passing person.

Polk and fellow youth group members from Mottville Community Church near Delphi came to the festival to enjoy the festivities. Polk said he was excited to see tobyMac.

Along with tobyMac and Skillet, Mandisa, C3, and Casting Crowns also performed.

Warsaw resident Ron Yeiter said he went for tobyMac and Casting Crowns, but enjoyed all of the acts that performed. Yeiter said what’s great about Christian rock music is that it’s a different way to express and experience a love for God.

“Christian rock has brought a lot of young people back to the church,” Yeiter said. “Kids can relate to it. That’s the neat thing about it.”

And at age 58, Yeiter said he can relate to it too. Something keeps bringing young people in touch with their faith is a good thing, he said.

Before Skillet finished their set, a long line of fans formed, armed with photos and T-shirts to get band members’ autographs.

“It’s not too bad,” said Chelsea Plew, 15. “It’s worth the wait.”

LauraBeth VanKirk, 17, from Charlotte, Mich., said it was her first Pulse festival and that “it was pretty awesome” to see Skillet in concert. VanKirk and Plew said they enjoy Christian rock because of the message.

“When they (bands) sing they don’t just sing about themselves,” Plew said.

“Their lyrics mean something,” VanKirk said. “It’s not just any kind of music.”

Both agreed that it’s brought not only young people, but many people of all ages to be close to God.

A tent covered in pieces of burlap stitched together also had a consistently long line throughout the day.

The World Vision Experience: AIDS Tour was one of the highlights of this year’s festival.

For 20 minutes, visitors who entered the tent were immersed in the sights and sounds of what children in sub-Saharan Africa face every day.

One of the children visitors learn about is a little boy in Uganda who was taken from his parents and forced to be a child soldier. Jesse Blinn said many people don’t know that children as young as 12 are forced into warfare.

“People come out of the tent and often say, ‘I didn’t know how bad it was,’ ” Blinn said. “It’s something people never talk about, so if we can raise awareness and teach people about this, we can make a difference.”

Information on how to adopt a child in Africa through World Vision was available at a table outside of the tent.

Erica McKinley, 13, Adrienne Ogden, 13, and Amy Ihnen, 14, of North Manchester, said it was an interesting experience. McKinley said she didn’t realize that 12 million children are orphaned by AIDS and how many die from it.

“It was kind of sad,” Ogden said.

LaPorte resident Jadie Novak, 16, said before going into the tent she was already considering long-term missions work in Africa. Novak said more people need to see exhibits like this and get involved in helping Africa.

Blinn, who is originally from Lodi, Calif., said he saw the tent for the first time at a Christian music festival in New Hampshire last year. It made him want to spread awareness about children in Africa, so he joined the World Vision tour. Blinn said “hope is contagious” and that just one adopted child in a village, can spread hope to everyone else who lives there. It’s this hope that can lead to change, he said.

Many of the festivals the World Vision tour has visited have been much smaller that the World Pulse Festival, Blinn said, and his first experience at it has been exceptional.

“I love it. It’s so great,” Blinn said. “I’m really impressed

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