ON THE BALL: McPherson has big plans for Terrebonne hoops
August 1, 2007Dear Editor,
August 3, 2007
Nashville Christian bands By the Tree and The Turning are headlining a citywide evangelistic outreach fest in Houma geared toward bringing souls to Christ.
Set for Sept. 1 at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, the free concert promises revved-up rock ‘n’ roll/contemporary Christian music by a two-time Dove Award-winning band and an equally promising up-and-coming group, a multimedia light show and, most importantly, a message of salvation, said the Rev. Brian Comeaux, pastor of Victory Christian Church in Houma.
The church is sponsoring Victory Fest 2007.
“Everybody’s pulled in several different directions,” said Comeaux, who has preached at Victory Christian for nearly eight years. “The Path you choose is important; making the wrong decision can delay your life.”
Planning for the massive indoor free concert has been a four-month experience, he said. It was born out of a simple goal – finding a way to bring people to Christ’s message without making them feel like they were in church.
Comeaux’s ultimate goal is to see the event become an annual affair locally.
“We are always looking at ways to bring people to church,” he said. “We say we have the ‘good news,’ but yet we try to keep it to ourselves. And, by that, I mean in our own churches.”
Christian music festivals are a common happening on the country’s West Coast, Comeaux explained. “Thousands of people come out,” he said.
And he’s hoping to find success here, as well. Ultimately, he hopes to fill the civic center with 2,000 people. “We want this to be a similar crusade where lost souls come home to Christ.”
The staff at Victory Christian is asking surrounding ministers to join their cause. “We need your help to reach our goal of 2,000 people (at the concert),” said the Rev. Andre Badeaux, also a pastor at Victory Christian.
By The Tree picked up two Dove Awards – the Christian music equivalent of a Grammy – in 2001. “Invade My Soul” won Best Modern Rock/Alternative Album, and Best Recorded Song for the title track.
The band’s latest release, “World On Fire,” is described as an 11-song tour-de-force that is precisely titled.
“These songs are going to blow the doors off when we play them live,” frontman Aaron Blanton said in a release. “They are fun. They are intense. They are revolutionary. They really capture the sound that we have always wanted to have, and have painstakingly worked for the past two years to attain. These songs are not easy-listening, but they are definitely easy to listen to.”
The Turning, in the meantime, is also making waves with its new release, “Learning to Lose.”
The GMA ’06 issue of CCM Magazine said, “[The Turning’s] experience shows on their RKT Records debut… Catchy melodies, expertly executed pop-rock and frequently worship-themed lyrics all conspire to make ‘Learning to Lose’ a remarkable experience.”
The band made the move from playing coffeehouses in their hometown of Chattanooga, Tenn., to writing hits in Nashville.
The idea behind his latest work, frontman Jacob McGinnis says, is that sometimes more is lost by winning. “We don’t serve a God who is occupied with winning and losing,” he said in a release. “He is concerned with the journey and what our hearts learn and become on the way.”
Victory Fest 2007 begins at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
For more information, call Comeaux or Badeaux at (985) 868-3153, or, online, visit www.victoryhouma.com.
