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The night was Friday, July 22nd. The venue was Gentle Shepherd Community Church in Eugenia, Ontario. The occasion was  the kick off of the annual Mud Volleyball tournament and on this particular night, the crowd of mostly teenagers and some youth leaders heard Pastor Adam Nickell announce that people were in attendance from throughout Ontario including Stayner, London, Aylmer, and even Englehart!

The first band to take the stage was One Way Out from Owen Sound. Their sound is decidedly punkish, in the vein of secular acts such as Sum 41.  The highlight of their set for me was a mock cover of Celine Dion's "That's the Way it Is," complete with choir robed dancers in the background.

Next up was Fighting the Fall, fresh off a US tour.  This band was probably the most easy to listen to and most radio-friendly.  They performed several songs including "Last Wish for a Dying World." They reminded this reader of Simple Plan and Audio Adrenaline.  After their set, Pastor Adam gave a basic salvation message. He told the youth in attendance that God loved them even though He knew their sins. He offers them forgiveness if they will just admit their need for Him.

The last band to play this night was Manic Drive. They were definitely the most professional of all three bands. In fact, they are appearing this year at Kingdom Bound, a large Christian music festival at Darien Lake Theme Park.  Not only was this band the most professional, but they were the heaviest musically of the three acts. Bone-crunching guitars and passionate vocals were in abundance.  The message was quite different from that of mainstream acts, though. Case in point, ponder these lyrics from their song "Memories:"

I will give all I have because of your sacrifice
Because of the death of Jesus Christ
>From the start You came and You loved me always
And I'll love you from here on.

I applaud Gentle Shepherd for being on the cutting edge when it comes to seeking lost souls. These are dark days and we must as Christians find new and relevant ways to reach a dying world with the message of Christ's love.

[And what could be more cutting-edge than a mud volleyball tournament???--editor]