More than 7,200 people reportedly gave their lives to Jesus Christ during the 28th annual Winter Jam last month.
The 41-city tour, which kicked off in Tampa, Florida, features various Christian artists and bands, including Andy Mineo, Anne Wilson, Austin French, Disciple, Jeremy Camp, Newsong, Renee, Sean Be, Thrive Worship and We the Kingdom.
Zane Black, tour pastor and Winter Jam featured speaker, told ChurchLeaders.com that over 7,216 people made professions of faith in Christ in the first three weeks of the tour.
During the event, he recalled one girl telling him how “she had struggled with deep depression, self-harm, had been abused as a child, but that night when she heard the message of Jesus reaching out to take hold of her, she placed her trust in Jesus, and she felt instant peace.”
“Each one of those numbers is a person, and each one of those people are on a new trajectory of life. Only heaven knows the impact that God made in their lives,” Black said. “I think about my story and how that day that I trusted Jesus, everything changed … And I think about all that God has done since then. It makes me wonder what God will do [to] each one of those 7,216!”
This year’s Winter Jam also marks the first time in nine years that Christian rock band Disciple performed at the event.
“We did it for a couple of weeks back in 2014 and have been trying to [get] back on it since. We were very surprised when they called us and asked us and very thankful,” Disciple’s lead singer Kevin Young told ChurchLeaders.com.
Disciple, founded by Young and his high school years in 1992, recently released the single “Promise to Live” from their upcoming album Skeleton Psalms. The song addresses the topics of anxiety, depression, and suicide.
“You can’t imagine/Why all this happened/Don’t close your eyes/I vow to hold you/Until you break through/Just swear you’ll stay alive/All your death will be resurrected again/With your hand on my heart/Make me a promise to live/A promise to live,” the lyrics read in part.
Young shared that one guy waiting in line told him he had been struggling with suicidal thoughts and that the song impacted him, despite never hearing the band before. In response, Young got up from behind the table, hugged him, and prayed for him.
“That stuff is really special to us,” he said.
Regarding the years-long success of Winter Jam, Black told ChurchLeaders.com that “no matter what band or what type of exciting elements are put into the show, the gospel has always been front and center. Winter Jam has made the most important part the proclamation of the gospel and giving people an opportunity to respond to Jesus.”
Photo courtesy: ©GettyImages/Boonyachoat
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for Christian Headlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.