ICHTHUS FESTIVAL: Peace, Love, and Loud Music!

"The Ichthus Festival is a Christian Music Festival happening in Wilmore, Kentucky from June 10-13, 2009. Tens of thousands of people from all over the country will be coming to see the biggest bands in the world playing on 7 stages across 111 acres.

This summer is Ichthus's 40th year anniversary. Ichthus was founded as a Christian response to the famed Woodstock of 1969. This year will be a summer of peace, love, and really loud music! All of the experiences of Ichthus are centered around our mission of providing students with an environment where they can have life-changing encounters with the true lover and peace giver, Jesus Christ." (from the Ichthus website)

Contemporary Christian music has played a huge role in my life--in so many ways it has been the "soundtrack." I wish there had been more of it to listen to and that it had been more available when I was a teenager. (I'm sure I wouldn't have filled my head so full of Van Halen and Loverboy, and even Pat Benatar, if I had more access to alternatives!) The first Christian music fest like Ichthus that I ever went to was in 1995, the Agape Fest. The headliner that year was Steven Curtis Chapman. Jars of Clay was there, just starting out, and a young Australian girl named Rebecca St. James, standing strong for purity, became a role model for the group of teen girls that I was chaperoning from our church.

So, why am I talking about Ichthus here at my place today? Well, I happen to have a daughter who will be playing the festival! If you are planning to attend, please check out Danya Powell! She and her band will be playing four times on various stages, including the Worship Stage and JSL Productions. This is a pretty big deal, y'all, and I sure would appreciate your prayers for her and her band members, as well as all the people who will be attending. We are so thrilled that she is a part of this event!