By Ralph Davis

I have been blessed with the opportunity to attend Soulfest on Gunstock Mountain in Gilford, NH for the past four years as a writer for this paper. Part of my role has been to help staff the Good News Today table which displays current and past issues. When not at the table I take advantage of the time to talk to people. The theme of the event this year was “Believers Celebrating True Love, The Revolution Jesus Started.”

As a “Roving reporter” I had ample opportunities to roam the grounds talking to people, attending workshops, and to view bands with an occasional foray into some of the gastrointestinal delights that are everywhere. I met vendors offering all sorts of Christian products as well as those who seek to educate and arm people with information at their workshops. I spoke with people of all age groups and nationalities and “religions.”

Teens rule the grounds; they are simply everywhere. Their manner of dress is as diverse as some of their hair styles; shades of red and blue hair stroll by our table as well as Mohawks and buzz cuts and “normal” styles. T-shirts range from Christian messages to Metallica or Black Sabbath. If a huge magnet were to appear, a fair number of teens would stick to it via their facial and other “piercings.” Shorts and skirts are often too short, tops to high. Perhaps the oddest subset of the teens is those small groups offering “free hugs” to anyone. Oh my, the temptation to defy the Biblical command that we “do not judge,” can be great.

The adults presented themselves in an equally diverse manner ranging from most dressed conservative/casually to odd colored hair, piercings, shorts too short and shirts too high. “Relics of the sixties” were around. A few older couples sporting motorcycle jackets were seen. Some seemed tense and hurried, as if they were at their jobs. Many seemed relaxed and happy to be “away from it all.” Some had upbeat stories to share, some sad due to events in their lives. Over 1200 people received free copies of The Good News Today, some voicing great interest in it.

Soulfest, which bills itself as “New England’s Premier Soul-Connected Music Festival,” as always, lived up to that claim with over 100 bands. A sampling of the most known are Jars of Clay, Rebecca St James, Kutless, Newsboys, Skillet and Superchic(k). On the music scene I witnessed or often had no choice but to hear bands in the distance that were, in minds of many, too loud and unintelligible to “Be Christian.” On the other hand I heard some of the mellower bands with clear, obviously Christ-centered lyrics and music that I am sure was “not hard or metal or loud enough” so therefore rated too boring by the latter. My favorite music at Soulfest, however, was the families or church groups sitting around their fires sweetly singing hymns and worshipping God, with or without the accompaniment of a guitar.

My favorite part about being at Soulfest is talking with so many people ranging from other vendors, people who stop by our tables, volunteers and virtually anyone in my path. These folks are my sounding board for what to write in many ways since I get their “take” on Soulfest. Many people echoed the same thoughts; at Soulfest you get spoiled by all of the greetings and smiles we get from strangers and then, sadly, we go back to the “real world” where such things don’t exist.

The first person I had contact with was Sarah French, a Soulfest employee whose smile, sense of humor and competency helped smooth out the initial confusion in obtaining our press passes and other credentials. Sarah seemed to always be in action each day as she went about coordinating things and attempting to solve some of the frequent issues or problems that arise. Sarah said that she was originally drawn to the festival out of a love of planning events, and a passion for Christian music in particular and “I soon discovered that Soulfest was a community made up of Christians who passionately believed in its crusade of True Love.”

US Navy Sonar Operator Kevin Rasmussen came to Soulfest from New London, CT where his submarine is based. He told of the long hours and tight quarters on submarines and how hard it is, with the intense work schedules, to attend a church service while deployed. Soulfest was a chance to recharge and to enjoy some of the excellent music and speakers, he said.

I spotted twenty-year-old Brenda R. lying on her stomach on the grass intently writing in a small notebook. I learned that she had traveled alone to Soulfest from Montpellier, VT and was feeling quite sad and lonely and was in despair when she got there. She was, she said, hoping to “find God” and she said that she did. She said that she heard a teenage girl on a stage speaking about her life and how she had been hopelessly dependent on unwholesome relationships with men. The girl explained how she had let God take over her life so she now depended on him for love instead. Hearing the girl, Julie talk, hit a chord in her and Brenda made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as her Savior too.

The table next to ours in the tent was manned by Kelly Roy, New Hampshire State Leader for Operation Outcry and others. Operation Outcry, among other things, offers hope and help to those hurting from their decision to have an abortion. They are actively seeking personal stories of how abortion has hurt women and men to use as evidence to help end abortion by presenting these priceless declarations before the US Supreme Court. If you have been hurt by an abortion, join their One Million Voices, visit www.operationoutcry.org to provide your information.

Hundreds of people stopped by the Operation Outcry table to examine a small collection of baby shoes, each tagged with a baby name and a heartrending note written by a mother, father or sibling of an aborted baby. These shoes are a small portion of a huge number of shoes being displayed by A Cry Without a Voice, a component of Operation Outcry and coordinated by Rebecca Porter of Tampa Florida. The group is gradually reaching their goal of collecting 3500 pairs of shoes which represents the approximate number of abortions that take place every day. They present the shoes in large public settings to create awareness and to bring grieving people forward. The complete story of this ministry will appear in a future issue. Rebecca can be reached at Rebecca@crywithoutavoice.com. Please note that if you are hurting from an abortion decision and would like immediate assistance call the 24/7 National Helpline at 1-866-482-5433.

An extreme departure from the clothing fashions mentioned above was the garb worn by Susanna, Shannon and Rose, located directly across from us. Each wore neck to ankle dresses and each had wreaths of flowers on their heads. There were two males with them, Jordy and Pete, and the group was from a commune-type living arrangement located near Woodstock, NY. I grew to care for each of them and we became friends. Based on the model founded by J. Heinrich Arnold in 1938, this “Bruderhof movement” was bred on Arnold’s selective and unique interpretation and paraphrases of the Holy Bible which clearly omits the gospel message in exchange for the Sermon on the Mount. Their presence led to many lively Biblical challenges and discussion between us and many who stopped to talk with them. To learn more about their community you can call 508-589-5103.

I thought I was on a break from talking and listening when I went to the Mercy Street CafÄ for a snack but this was not to be. Joy Wheeler and Karen Murray are two friends who were sitting at an outdoor table overlooking the grounds and they are regular attendees at Soulfest. They have followed the Christian Music Festivals since they began in the mid-nineties. Karen said that originally there was only music and vendors at the festivals with no speakers or workshops. They both believe that it is better since it became Soulfest since there is much to be learned from the workshops. One conviction that Karen has received from her Soulfest experience this year is “to stop being complacent; be ready to serve Him.” Joy said that “We need to be ready when he calls; not just sitting back.”

I was shaving on the final morning and in the mirror I saw a Pastor from Pittsburgh waiting his turn to shower. We began to chat and I learned that he went by the name “MK” and he was part of a youth group from Grace Chapel in Lexington, MA. Their pilgrimage to Soulfest had an unusual twist; all of their four cars were involved in a single accident with one of the cars totaled. No one was seriously injured and, although shaken by the experience, the group continued to attend concerts and events and to worship and, as MK put it, to “Savor the Savior in all things, good or bad.” The night before a sixteen-year-old girl was raced to the hospital due to dehydration. Although the kids were distressed they chose to continue to glorify God by receiving communion that morning as planned.

I had the pleasure of meeting Judy Pelletier of 90.1 FM, WYCM, Your Christian mix radio station managed by Stephen Binley. The mission of the station is “to encourage the heart of the believer, to reach the heart of the unbeliever and to draw all hearts into praise and worship of the Lord Jesus Christ through quality contemporary Christian music.” Judy is genuine and obviously deeply committed to the Lord and to helping the station achieve its vision of expanding throughout the New England area. The station currently serves southern Worcester County, Northern CT and a tiny NW edge of RI. This 100% listener supported station which seeks to glorify God and edify the listener through the ministry of music has been blessed by God in many ways and will continue to be as He helps them grow. You can contact Judy at 508-764-9010 or jpelletier@wycm.com if you would like more information about their progress or to find out how you can help.

Most of the people who make Soulfest happen do it for free; volunteering their time and energy because they believe in the festival. A few examples are: Leo who said that he and his friends from Leominster, MA do it to get to see the concerts for free but, he said, “We also love Jesus.” Carrie said that she has been volunteering for three years and takes the week out of work to come. She loves the atmosphere and tends to stick to the “Mountain Top Stage” with its magnificent view of the Lakes Region. Mandy said that she and several of her college mates come together every year to save money (Free concerts, camping) and that they enjoy the bands and “just the whole scene.” Some came to re-connect with old friends and some in hopes to make new ones. Whatever the motivation, this army of volunteer’s work hard and exhibit good attitudes as they fulfill their responsibilities each day.

He was twenty-two months when he somehow broke free of his playpen and went into the utility room where he began to douse himself with gasoline. When the water heater pilot light ignited, so did he and over ninety percent of his body was severely burned. Expected to die the first night and later projected to be severely mentally impaired with no chance of ever walking, 23 year-old Chris Tomlinson is alive, alert and ambulatory. He is also married to Shannon and has a bright and beautiful daughter, Nevaeh (Heaven spelled backwards) and has another baby due at the end of September. In a coming issue, read the amazing story of how Chris, after undergoing over two hundred surgeries, is a strong witness for God and is active in several ministries

Coleen Clancy was an exuberant young woman helping run The Word of Life Bible Institute booth from which she recently received her certificate. Her next stop is the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. What especially impressed me about her was her direct, sincere manner and the fact that she would even want to complete two years at Word of Life where the sole purpose is studying the Bible; such a departure from the average teenager! She loved volunteering for the school and said that her favorite band was Flyleaf.

Andrea Schiarizzi, a student at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI stopped by our booth and asked if we were in need of another writer. We sure are! We have been in contact with her since and you might be treated by an article of hers in an upcoming issue. All others interested in volunteering to write, help with graphic arts, deliver or offer any other skills to help us do the Lord’s work feel free to contact us at Larry@thegoodnewstoday.org or call the office and speak with CherylLynn at 401-619-0418.

Finally, Jamie Tarricone hails from Rhode Island and came to Soulfest again this year with six kids and his pastor from the Acoaxet Chapel in Westport, MA. Jamie said that he is involved in several music ministries that are “specifically directed to re-capturing the youth of our area for Christ” so he comes to Soulfest to learn what is happening in “their types of music.” At Soulfest, he said the peer pressure is for the kids he brings to be “Godly, not worldly and that, he thinks, is the biggest draw that keeps him bringing kids back again and again.”

I could go on and on mentioning all of the people I encountered at Soulfest which touched me and shaped my thinking in a number ways but this would be impractical due to space. Suffice to say that many who came to Soulfest empty, left recharged by the Lord. Many who came charged up left even more excited to share the Word of God and His magnificent love for us all by providing His Son Jesus Christ as our salvation, our only way to Heaven. Even those who came “just for the bands” or are cynical of Christianity in general likely left with a seed or two sown in their hearts of God’s wonderful grace.