There are many first's in my life, which now include volunteering at a Christian Concert. Shawn's wife suggested I get involved, so I fired off an email to the Christian Radio station offering to volunteer.
The response back asked me to be down at the US Cellular Center at 10 AM to help setup the merchandising area. I found out a bit later I would be working the even all day and evening, with a break in the middle of the day.
The concert featured Casting Crowns as the headliner with Danny Gokey and Unspoken at the opening group. Each band came with a full selection of merchandise featuring CD's, Shirts, Pullovers, books, key chains, and mugs.
My iPhone 7 had trouble connecting to the network right after I entered the US Cellular Center and even locked up on a warning screen to either continue or cancel. Having my phone lock up proved frustrating, as I could not get it to restart using the standard procedure. Worse, I did not know how to a hard reboot on my phone, causing me to go without my phone for several hours.
At one point, we were behind the stage looking out into the arena. I couldn't use my phone camera because it was locked, and missed the shot.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7 NIV
Worried I would miss more shots, I resorted to what should have been my first line of defense. I went into prayer, asking God to reboot my phone so I won't miss out on photo opportunities.
My phone went back into my pocket, and I spent a couple of minutes finishing up folding some shirts, and then tried it again. This time, I hit the button, and my iPhone rebooted!
Finally! I took a picture of the merchandise setup, turned around, took a picture down the hallway and here comes Mark Hall, lead singer of Casting Crowns to visit with the other three volunteers and me! Talk about the right time to pray about it.
Volunteering at a Christian Concert – Experience
Volunteering at a Christian Concert is unlike being involved or going to any other concert. The members of the bands treat you like you have known them all your life, and are incredibly humble people. And, the fans are every bit as friendly as well.
I sold merchandise before, during intermission and after the concert. In between time, I snuck down on the floor, sitting with Shawn and Alison. The seats were the first row of the floor risers, giving us an aisle directly in front of us. Needless to say, we were in an excellent position to view the concert!
Brandon and John Micheal(Mark Hall's son) worked directly with us on setup and the tear-down. They are very gracious people, thanking us for helping out, and proved to be very clear with directions. And, we watched as John Micheal got up on stage to play Bass Guitar for a song, in front of the nearly sold out arena.
We finished tearing down at fifteen minutes before midnight, and I headed home for a great night of sleep. What a fantastic experience.
Would I do another Christian Concert? I am definitely in, as I loved working with so many great people. The band, the fans, and the people I worked with are all great people. What a fantastic experience!
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