By Stacey Tinsley, Bossier Press-Tribune
Christian music and faith-based entertainment are becoming an increasingly familiar part of the cultural landscape across North Louisiana, giving families another way to gather, worship and connect outside traditional Sunday morning services.
For families in Bossier Parish, that movement extends beyond events within the parish. Churches throughout the region are drawing audiences from Bossier, Caddo, Webster, Ouachita and surrounding parishes, creating opportunities for people to travel together and experience Christian music, worship and entertainment.
One recent example was The Black Sheep Tour, featuring Christian artists Ben Fuller and Band Reeves, at Cedar Crest Baptist Church in West Monroe on Oct. 2. The concert brought several hundred people together for an evening centered on Christian music, worship and testimony.
Lynn Wilson, administrative pastor at Cedar Crest Baptist Church, said North Louisiana has shown that it will support Christian artists, even when they perform in smaller venues.
“The artists will go where the people support them, and North Louisiana has certainly shown its support over the years,” Wilson said.
That support can be seen in Bossier Parish, where churches continue to provide opportunities for families, young people and adults to experience Christian music and faith-based events close to home.
Wilson said Christian music can reach people because its message speaks to real-life circumstances.
“The lyrics of Christian music have always been able to bring people closer to God by addressing real feelings, needs and issues,” he said. “Whether that is the traditional hymns or new contemporary music, it intersects with people’s lives right where they are.”
For those attending a live worship event, that connection can take on a different meaning.
“You can’t create the worship atmosphere of several hundred people worshiping together except in person,” Wilson said.
That shared experience is one reason churches continue to bring Christian artists and other faith-based entertainment into their communities.
Wilson said concerts can also provide a less intimidating opportunity for people who may not regularly attend church to walk through the doors, meet others and hear a message about faith.
“These events are front-door opportunities to have folks come to our church in a less intimidating environment,” he said.
The Black Sheep Tour was one such opportunity for Cedar Crest. The Awakening Foundation contacted the West Monroe church about hosting the tour, and Wilson had heard about the impact of the artists’ spring tour before the opportunity arose.
He presented the idea to the church’s leadership team, which quickly supported bringing the event to Cedar Crest.
Fuller’s personal story also played an important role in the evening.
“Ben Fuller is a unique artist with an atypical background,” Wilson said. “Many can relate to his story and understand especially the message of the song Black Sheep.”
Wilson said Fuller and his band approached the evening as worship leaders rather than simply performers.
“He and his band really are leaders of worship and not just performers on a stage,” he said. “Their stories have great power to change the lives of folks that come to hear their music.”
That emphasis on personal testimony and faith is part of what makes Christian concerts appealing to families and young people. For some, the event may be a night out with friends or family. For others, it can be an opportunity to hear a message that speaks directly to something happening in their lives.
The movement is also evident closer to home for Bossier Parish residents.
On Oct. 22, Cypress Baptist Church in Benton is scheduled to host Christian comedian Tim Hawkins at 7 p.m. Hawkins is known for combining comedy and music in a faith-based show, giving families and church groups another opportunity to gather in a church setting for an evening of entertainment.
Events such as those at Cedar Crest and Cypress Baptist demonstrate the different ways churches use music, comedy and live entertainment to create opportunities for people to gather.
For Wilson, however, entertainment is not the ultimate purpose.
“Our hope is that through the evening, hearing the music, testimonies, meeting people, etc., that it would all lead people to a genuine encounter with the living God who has the ability to change their lives forever,” he said.
That message reaches beyond one church or one community. As Christian concerts and worship events continue to draw audiences across North Louisiana, Bossier Parish families are becoming part of a larger regional community of believers gathering to worship, listen and fellowship.
Wilson said churches have many opportunities to bring people together, but faith-based concerts can create an experience that is difficult to duplicate.
“We can find many ways to have a good time or have fun, but these events are so much more than that,” he said. “They can be life-changing in very real and practical ways.”
For Cedar Crest, the hope is that people leave with more than memories of a concert.
“First and foremost, we hope God is using the message of the music to draw people to Himself,” Wilson said. “At the end of the day, that is the goal.”
For families in Bossier Parish and throughout North Louisiana, these events offer an opportunity to spend time together while keeping faith at the center — whether through worship, Christian music, testimony or a night of laughter.
For the churches hosting them, the hope is that the doors remain open not simply for an evening of entertainment, but for an encounter with God that continues long after the lights go down.