News
Message Never Changes at LifeLight
LifeLight was recently featured on the homepage of the Argus Leader out of Sioux Falls, SD on April 4, 2008. You can download that article here or see it at ArgusLeader.com. In response to that story, we have responded with the following:
No change here!
LifeLight’s mission is and always has been “Taking the church outside the walls and bringing Light into darkness”. It is taken from the Biblical scripture John 8:12 “He that follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life”.
There has been no change in ministry philosophy. We want to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ and let them evaluate those claims for themselves. Jesus loves all people and wants a relationship with us. There is no watering down of that message; in fact quite the opposite is true. The statement was made in the Argus Leader (newspaper in Sioux Falls, SD) "The 2007 festival was kind of a turning point for us in that it was very clear that a lot of the audience was not necessarily Christian, church-going people". This is true and we are excited about the fact that the unchurched is coming. It has always been our desire for all to hear the good news.In reference to music and crossover bands there are and always have been bands who receive radio play and an interest from a broader audience than just the Christian market. In 2001, LifeLight had Switchfoot. In 2004, Larry Gatlin and Blindside. These are all committed Christians, and yet not necessarily considered “Christian bands”. Some bands, such as Switchfoot have received airplay on popular secular radio stations. We rejoice in this crossover, as a band of Christian influence crosses over they are indeed reaching teens in their environment and on the stations this hurting generation is listening to.
Again, all bands at LifeLight are professing Christians. One of the hardest rock bands performing at the Souled Out stage had this to say "I'm not sure what the difference is between five Christians playing in a band and a Christian band. If you truly believe something, then it should affect every area of your life. All five of us are Christians. I believe that change should start with me first…”.Speakers including myself will boldly proclaim the good news at LifeLight and this is the reason we keep going and offering the event for free. Since the vast majority of people are not in Church we want to invite them to come and hear and experience the message.
We have never hidden the fact that we are a Christian ministry, however, as far as the festival or concerts are concerned it is not just a party or club for Christians. We welcome all to come. The public is invited not just Christians.
In summary, see below the facts.- YES all bands booked at the LifeLight Christian Music Festival are professing Christians.
- YES all LifeLight Tours are booked with bands who are professing Christians.
- YES as has been the case for the first ten years, the LifeLight Music festival and all other LifeLight events will be alcohol free.
- YES some of our bands have crossed over to both secular and Christian radio. See definition of crossover outlined below.
- YES we will present the gospel in a real and relevant way.
- YES our message will be evangelistic and clearly presented.
- YES we invite the world. We welcome the unbeliever. Our mission is “Taking the Church outside the walls, bringing Light into the darkness, with the life changing message of Jesus Christ” so that ALL may hear and know the Truth.
- YES the Festival is FREE. We believe that the saving message of Jesus Christ is a FREE gift for ALL.
cross·o·ver (krôs
a. The adaptation of a musical style, as by blending elements of two or more styles or categories, to appeal to a wider audience.
b. A recording designed to appeal to more than one segment or portion of the listening audience.
c. One that appeals to a wide or diverse audience.
The LifeLight ministry is so much more than a festival; it is a year round ministry including other areas, Student Ministries, Concerts & Tours, Missions, and Radio.
I hope this clears up some questions. We invite you to the festival to check it out for yourselves.
Our website is a great place to go before making assumptions. Visit www.lifelight.org or simply call our office at 605-338-2847. We are always willing to discuss any concerns or questions anyone may have.Alan Greene
President/Founder
