Rhett Walker Band, Part 2

This week I am sharing our experiences in planning, preparing for, and celebrating the Rhett Walker Band concert for our church.  I began the week with video from the concert, then shared info of how we got the ball rolling on the concert, and shared some great photos of the evening’s fun.

Hubby and I could barely sleep Friday night.  Saturday was going to be very busy preparing the venue for the event.  It was almost like the night before Christmas and the night before the first day of school all wrapped up into one: sheer excitement and anxiousness.

We met the rest of our team at the church early Saturday morning to collect tables, chairs, and pieces of stage for the drummer.  We climbed steep steps into the auditorium carrying heavy loads.  We loaded hand trucks and rode a rickety elevator up and down and up and down.  We carried sound equipment and heavy woofers and tweeters and whatchamadootles.  It was exhausting… and yet, oh so much fun!

We were friends gathered with a common purpose.  This concert was no longer just about raising money… this concert was about touching lives, offering an opportunity to praise the Lord, and introducing our community to some really great music.

We had to set up concessions, set up ticket sales tables and merchandise tables.  We had to prepare the dressing room and a dining area for the band.  We had to find space for our youth choir and reserve seats for choir members and sponsors.  By the end of the night, we were mentally and physically drained.  We were away from home over 12 hours, but we were working as a family.

The kids and I had a lot of fun making use of the acoustics in the old auditorium.  To set the stage for you, my high school plays were performed in this very hall.  It was part of an old, condemned high school that we enjoyed exploring between scenes.  The adjoining building was revitalized when Hubby and I were new parents, and the building was turned into low-income apartments.  We gathered with friends for Saturday night sings that drew crowds wanting to hear good country and gospel music.  Now, the college has purchased the building and made even more improvements.  The apartments are now awaiting college students as new dorm rooms, full of character and charm.  And since school has not yet begun, I found myself again roaming the halls exploring the old building.

Sunday morning was a bustle of activity as we filled chests full of coolers, laid out programs, and awaited the band’s arrival.  The youth were in the auditorium practicing when they came.  The band came in and introduced themselves to each of us: Rhett, Kevin, Kenny, and Joe.  Then, we sent the kids home to get ready as we unloaded yet another trailer of sound equipment and began riding the elevator again.

People began to gather outside the doors in the full heat of the day, so we decided to open the doors early.  We greeted friends, old and new, as everyone gathered in and filled both the auditorium and the balcony.  We had groups as small as one and as big as 45 come into see the band perform.  We didn’t sell out, but we filled the hall with chatter and excitement.

Hubby and I gathered the kids in one of the empty apartments and prayed for the umpteenth time that day.  We prayed that God would bless the crowd and remove the fears of each of our youth.  We prayed that someone would be blessed and make a commitment to come closer to Him.  And then we lined the kids up and headed for the stage. The time was here.

1 Timothy 4:12 (NCV) Do not let anyone treat you as if you are unimportant because you are young.  Instead, be an example to the believers with your words, your actions, your love, your faith, and your pure life.

There is so much more to share of this story.  Join me over the next few days and let it all sink in… God is good, people!!