by Mark Milioni
I heard the bells on Christmas day … only they began playing on November 1! The Scrooges of the world may not be happy, but I love listening to music that celebrates the birth of our Savior. Music is powerful. The opening chords of “Away In A Manger” evoke memories many Christmases past, memories of loved ones who are now singing sweet refrains in a heavenly choir. The opening question of “Mary Did You Know” reminds me of the sacrifice made by a woman brave enough to trust God. The lyrics of “Joy to the World” lead me to worship and praise the Savior born that night.
Yes, music is powerful. It can make you laugh or cry. It can unite or divide. It can comfort and heal. It can draw you closer to God.
One of the joys of having an office very close to the chapel is hearing our bands rehearse. It begins with a drumbeat, then a guitar. Vocalists join in, and soon the whole area is listening to great music. The voices of these young men and women bring a new perspective to a stressful day as we find ourselves singing along and praising God together.
I love our worship teams. They lead us in chapel and travel nearly every week to lead worship at churches and youth events. Having been in the ministry for three decades gives me a little experience, and I can honestly tell you — our bands are very good! They are filled with young people who love the Lord and who are using their talents to serve Him. They are great ambassadors for Christ and for BBC.
These students worked hard to provide a way for you to experience their music first hand. Jason Cross worked tirelessly with our groups to produce their first CD, Break Away. It features both worship songs and an original song written by the group. This music will allow you to experience the heart of BBC. You can order your copy at www.gobbc.edu.
One of the things I love most about this CD is the opportunity it gave students from all over the country to work together as they prepared for a life of ministry. T.J. Storz from Washington, Amber Steelman, Luke Johnson, Cierra Rodriguez, and Tyler Hanewinkle from Texas, Daniel Marino from Mississippi, Justin Warren from California, Brianna Morton, Jared Ebert, Tim Michalak, and Grant Reynolds from Missouri, Jared Mays from Tennessee, Heather Hanshew from West Virginia, Austin Uphoff from Illinois, Jordan Biggs and Aubrey Gleason from Oklahoma, Michelle Torcita from Ohio, Titus Gamble from Arkansas, and Hanna Worden from Colorado came together at Baptist Bible College to be trained, coached, taught, and fine-tuned. These students are a great representation of both the diversity and unity of the BBFI. Each brought their own talents and then worked together to make something remarkable. Music is powerful. May the voices of BBC and the BBFI change the world for Jesus Christ.
For more information on our new CD, go to www. gobbc.edu.