On January 24th, the buses pulled into the parking lot of Fountain of Life in Elizabeth City, North Carolina and began preparing for a night of worship, music and ministry.
The show was mainly promoted as a Big Daddy Weave event, but those in attendance also got the added blessing of seeing newcomer Jason Bare open the evening with his energetic set.
Both Jason and the guys from BDW have such a passionate heart for worship, and they intended the night to be less of a concert and more of a gathering of God's people praising His name and pursuing His heart together. It was a special night for everyone involved, and I think we all walked out feeling refreshed.
Here's a quick recap of some of the highlights.
Most Energetic Moment:
Feeling right at home, North Carolinian Jason Bare began the show in a high energy mood. Between his mix of worship tunes and original material, he had the crowd on their feet in no time, jumping around and having fun. The most energetic part of the whole night came early on as Jason used his strong voice to lead the audience in the Hillsong Young & Free hit "Alive."
Best Crowd Involvement:
The people were obviously excited to see Big Daddy Weave and showed their enthusiasm well by singing loud to help out on the "la, la, la, la" portion of "The Only Name (Yours Will Be)."
Best Cover:
Hillsong Young & Free's "Alive," Matt Maher's "Your Grace Is Enough," and Passion's "One Thing Remains" were all covered during the night and each proved to be a hit, but I think my favorite was BDW's take on Phil Wickham's "This Is Amazing Grace."
Quote of the Night:
"There is no hopeless case in Jesus. In Him, we are everything He says we are. In Him, all the lies we used to believe melt away," Mike Weaver proclaimed as he led into "Redeemed."
Heartfelt Moment of the Night:
As the rest of the BDW guys took a quick break, lead singer Mike came down to talk about the group's recent trip to Cambodia, where he got to meet the child his family sponsors and spend some time living their way of life. With a mix of humor and tears, Mike set the stage to give those present an opportunity to sponsor a child through World Vision, which many people responded to.
Conclusion:
I was going to pick a favorite worship moment, but I soon realized that would be a near impossible thing to do since worship comprised the whole evening. Not only was Jason Bare passionate about leading us into the presence of God, but never have I met people as humble or as genuine in worship as the guys in Big Daddy Weave. It's obviously noticed and appreciated by fans and makes all the difference in who they are as an artist.
When leading a service, the BDW crew is super flexible to what the Holy Spirit wants to do in the room, not being worried about schedules or time. They truly get that it's not about them, but all about God. They even said that they "stopped doing concerts a few years ago" and now they do "worship services." That's every bit true, and just in the few hours you'll spend with them at a show, you can tell that the heart of BDW isn't to glorify themselves or gain fame, but to make Jesus known and lead his people in praise.
From their newest single "Overwhelmed" to widely known songs such as "One Thing Remains," the evening was full of powerful moments that left you in a spirit of worship and likely with some tears running down your face.
As if it wasn't already clear enough that the BDW guys are in it solely for the purpose of showing God's love to others, they ended the show in a way that left me amazed. Instead of a big finale or anything that you'll normally see as a way of closing out a night like this, they followed the leading of the Holy Spirit to do something you won't see many artists do.
They came off stage, stood at the front, and invited people to come and let them pray over them. There was no big production or fanfare; they simply transitioned from singing into praying with people. Many people came down and shared their heart with them, and I watched as they spent time earnestly praying with each one until the room was cleared.
It was incredibly refreshing to see artists who genuinely care about nothing more than lifting Jesus high. They weren't worried about album sales or gaining more followers on social media. I don't even think they cared if you knew their name. They just wanted you to know Jesus and to leave that building feeling loved and cared about. And I think I speak for everyone when I say that we did.
They're successful and talented for sure, but above all, they're humble, godly and do what they do for all the right reasons. If Big Daddy Weave is coming to your city anytime soon, you'll want to be there! It's a night of worship, music and ministry you won't soon forget.
Caitlin Lassiter is a North Carolina girl that loves Jesus, music, concerts, writing, C.S. Lewis, and sweet tea... She's also a worship leader dreaming of traveling the world to share God's love.
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