2023 KINGDOM COME FESTIVAL - A VERY BLESSED DAY!!!

Welcome to Kingdom Come Festival.

 

Note: I will identify the below photos at the bottom of this blog, all of which were either taken by or include yours truly (I have yet to master the selfie yet). 

You may remember my interviews with Always One Ministries co-founder Angie Leyda in '21 and photographer Jeanette Yoder last year dealing with Kingdom Come Festival (and if you don't I'm sure you noticed their names in blue, indicating a link to said interviews). Those were among my favorite interviews, but still those two years had me desiring to attend but not making the trip.

Well, I finally made it!

For those unaware, the past couple of years the festival was at Howard County Vietnam Veteran's Healing Fields in Greentown, IN (a little east of Kokomo, an hour's drive from Indianapolis). It starts on one stage on Thursday night, and continues on two stages both Friday and Saturday. 

Maybe when I retire, I might buy or borrow a camper and spend the whole weekend there. But since I am not yet retired and not committed enough to take more than one two-hour round trips per festival, I only went on Saturday this year. Praise the Lord, I was interested in hearing 9 of 10 groups scheduled to perform at the Redemption Stage. (Before I attended, I didn't know what to expect, and wondered if I had a half mile walk between the two stages. I know better now.) 

Allow me to give some observations about the day (July 17th, 2023). 

1. One thing I hoped for was to get to meet or get to re-meet several of my favorite musicians. Big check mark there. I had the honor of meeting Always One Ministries co-founders Chris Bousum and Angie Leyda (had a nice conversation with Chris), and photographer Jeanette Yoder (I spent the day in Redemption Stage with Concert Foto's Chad Fenner, and didn't have the manners to introduce myself! 😭)
   
   I wanted to meet Undefeated for over a year, and missed hearing them perform (they took the stage Friday while I worked), but got to meet them in the Merchandise. I had the honor of meeting Jerrod Cunningham (I Am The Pendragon), Nicolle Drennan (BRVVE), Sarah Shue (Eye's AFlame), Kamber Kigin (Raviner), Russ T. Shipp (Rusty Shipp), and an Upstanding Gent. I also got reacquainted with Scott Shireman (Hush Harbor), Miranda Brown, and 3/4 of Divine Martyr and 3/4 of Reclaim The Day (I don't believe I had the honor of meeting either DM vocalist Olivia Guetle or RTD bassist Logan Morehouse yet). 
   
2. One singer I wanted to hear was Zahna. She had an acoustic set on Friday evening (I was working) and a midnight set Saturday night (past my bedtime), plus an appearance with Reclaim The Day on Friday (again, was working). But Saturday morning started with her singing the National Anthem. Still want to hear her live. By the way, I didn't stay to hear Samuel Day or TheoTerran, though I wanted to hear both -
   
   I happened to be both teaching Sunday School and working in the video booth the next morning). I did get to hear a couple of songs by Jesus Music legend Nancy Honeytree, which I didn't expect to, since she was scheduled the same time as Divine Martyr, but the singer before her didn't come, so she performed when I took a lunch break.
   
   
   
3. I was thankful I still have my hearing. The Redemption Stage was a metal barn. The first act, BRVVE, wasn't a problem, but they consisted of two ladies taking turns playing an acoustic guitar and a conga player. The rest of the bands: I couldn't understand any female vocalists and struggled with the male singers.
   
   
   
4. Did the above mean I didn't enjoy it? NO WAY! I got to hear many of the songs that have become recent favorites: "Truth" and "Fear" by Divine Martyr; "Heartbreak Embrace," "Fight," and "Not The End" by Eye's Aflame; "Your Love" by BRVVE; "Boots On The Ground," "Copper Miner's Son," and "World Gone Mad"
   
   by Upstanding Gents, "What's Kraken?" by Rusty Shipp, and "Drown" by Raviner.  I also got introduced to a song that will rapidly become a favorite: "Atonement" by I Am The Pendragon.

Of course, there are things I didn't get to hear. I missed hearing Hush Harbor, Undefeated, Zahna, and Reclaim The Day, because of my work schecule. Other favorite artists - Jodi Essex,

Worhol, and True Revival - weren't there (though, after Honeytree, I might get to hear older groups I haven't heard in concert after decades, such as Steve Camp, Malcolm Wild [with either Alwyn or the Mirrors], Daniel Band, Idle Cure, and Selah). But the day was a big blessing.

Photos (from top): 

• Me and Jerrod Cunningham of I Am The Pendragon
• Me and Always One Co-founder Chris Bousum
• Me with Undefeated
• Zahna singing national anthem
• Concert Fotos' Chad Fenner photographing Jammin Shue of Eye's Aflame
• Me with Samuel Day
• BRVVE
• I Am The Pendragon
• Me with Rusty Shipp
• Upstanding Gents
• Divine Martyr
  
• Me with Tristan Harris and Marcus Sugg of Reclaim The Day
• Eye's Aflame
• Raviner
• Me with part of TheoTerran (don't know his name. 😢)
  

  

  
  
  
  
  

INTERVIEW WITH PHOTOGRAPHER JEANETTE YODER

 

Photographer Jeanette Yoder, photographed by Chad Fenner (Concert Fotos)

You may remember my interview with Angie Leyda of Always One Ministries, which puts on the Kingdom Come Festival (and if not, click here). And you may remember the great photos of the headliners and some of my favorite artists. That photographer is Jeanette Yoder, who I'm excited to interview. 

Description and Credits for below photos at the bottom of the interview. 

JR: Welcome to my blog, Jeanette. Allow me to start with asking how you came to Christ and how you became interested in photography. 

JY: I grew up in church and in a Christian home that made church a priority.  I was probably about 12 when I realized that I didn’t remember ever actually praying the “sinner’s prayer” and asking Jesus into my heart/life.  I definitely haven’t always been a “good Christian” since then and went through some pretty rebellious times in my life.  But finding a love of photography and pursuing my love of concert photography actually began to point me back in the right direction.   

As for my interest in photography, I’ve had a camera in hand of some sort or another since I was about 7 years old.  It started with a little 110 film camera, then a 35mm in junior high, and my first digital camera soon after I graduated from college.  It wasn’t until about 2010 when I got my first DSLR that I REALLY fell in love with photography. 

Soon after I bought it, I started doing some photos for some friends’ bands.  After they saw some of my photos of a friends’ band that had played a show there, I was asked by a small concert venue in Louisville if I would have any interest in being their venue photographer (although they could only afford to pay me in coffee and free concert tickets).  I became friends with Luke, the guy who ran the venue, and he and his wife encouraged me to actually start my own photography business.   And the rest, as they say is history.  My dream is to someday actually own my own studio space, but for now photography is still just a part-time gig for me (full-time I’m a high school Spanish teacher).   

JR: On your FB business page, you have a list of different cameras you use. How do you decide which to use for certain situations?

JY: Most of the gear listed there is actually lenses.  I’ve found that it’s more about choosing the right lens to achieve the look I’m going for, as well as the settings I use, than a particular camera body.  Some lenses do better in lowlight situations.  Some compress images more.  Some give me a shallower depth of field.  I do also collect some antique cameras and will still shoot film with them sometimes for personal projects, but that’s pretty infrequent.  

JR: I learned about your photography via Angie Leyda of Always 1 Ministries and your work with Kingdom Come Festival (KCF). Before I switch my focus to that event, what are some of your other photography career highlights?

JY:  Early on, I got to do some live photos of Twenty One Pilots (before they were signed to a label, when they were Regional at Best… pun intended).  Getting to work some of the smaller stages at Ichthus as a photographer in 2012.  Having Love & Death ask to use some of my photos that I did at a festival that same year as well as photographing several shows for them was another definite highlight (I had a number of friends who were big Korn fans in junior high and high school, so even though I wasn’t allowed to listen to their music when I was younger, getting to meet Brian Head Welch was a bit surreal).  But honestly, the biggest highlight has been ongoing- it’s the relationships I’ve gotten to form with people whom I may never have met if I wasn’t doing photography.   

JR: How did the blessing of working with KCF come about? What were some of your favorite moments of KCF (both as a photographer and as a fan)?

JY: In 2012, I was mostly just looking to get my name out there as a photographer.  I knew I enjoyed doing concert photography and just started searching for festivals and concerts that were within an hour or two from me.  I found KCF (only in its third year at that time), and sent a message to Jay Karp (one of the A1M/KCF co-founders), offering my photography services in exchange for stage access so that I could get the shots I wanted, along with access to food and water from hospitality so that my only cost was gas money to get there. I guess it worked because they gave me a photo pass and a hospitality wrist band.  I’ve worked/volunteered every KCF since.  Haha.

There have been so many great moments from KCF over the years.  I think in her interview (linked above), Angie Leyda referenced the “Holy Spirit Tsunami” that took place the last year that KCF was held at Foster Park in Kokomo (2014).  That definitely stands out as a favorite moment as a fan/attendee.  There’s also been what we’ve deemed “The Protest Effect,” where storms have literally dissipated, changed course, or split apart to avoid KCF on evenings that The Protest has played.  There’s also the legend that is “Tornado Tammy.”  Every year she has run the welcome tent, something happens where the tent flies away… except this year.  This year they got her a welcome trailer.  

As a photographer, most of my favorite moments have been ones where I get to capture the passion and emotion of a performance.  Well, that or when bands decide to pull shenanigans onstage, like Daniel Streety coming out dressed in a sumo suit this year. Things like that are always fun to capture on camera.   

JR: Has there been any “Such A Time As This” moment in your photography, where you know God brought you to a certain place or situation to glorify Him?

JY: Honestly, KCF has been one huge “For Such A Time As This” moment for me, year after year.  It’s an absolute honor to spend 2 full days (2 1/2 this year!) serving alongside some of the best people I know and doing it all to glorify God.  The festival exists because several people made it their mission to reach just one more person for Christ, using music as the platform to do so.  I know that working at A1M events like KCF has made a huge difference in my life, so I just want to play a small part in making that kind of difference in someone else’s life using the gifts/talents that God has given me.  Jay Karp always tell me that the festival gained credibility when I came along.  I think it would’ve even if I hadn’t come along, but I’m glad that God decided to use a little nobody from nowhere photographer to help grow a festival with a purpose.  

JR: Thank you for your time. How can we find out more about your photography and any services you have?

JY: It’s been a pleasure! You can check out my official photography page on Facebook (Jeanette Yoder Photography), follow me on instagram (@jyophoto81), and of course check out the KCF and A1M pages for some of my work.  If you have any questions, you can always get in touch with me at jyophoto@gmail.com.

Above photos from top:

1. 
   Jeanette Yoder (lower left) photographing The Protest, photographed by Katie Slater (Katie's Media).
2. Zahna (left) and Becca Sugg of Reclaim The Day, taken by Jeanette Yoder (Jeanette Yoder Photography).
3. Daniel Streeter of Bred 4 War, taken by Jeanette Yoder (Jeanette Yoder Photography).
4. LuLu English of Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh, by Jeanette Yoder (Jeanette Yoder Photography).
5. Jeanette Yoder (left), taken by Katie Slater (Katie's Media).
   

INTERVIEW WITH CASEY PRICE OF FORSAKEN HERO

 

A week ago, I checked to see who was coming to the Kingdom Come Festival this year and scrolled down the list. (Last year, I had the pleasure of interviewing Angie Leyda of Always One Ministries, who puts the festival together each year; if you missed it, click here to read it.) One of the bands listed was Forsaken Hero. I listened to their songs, and was impressed.

I'm interviewing guitarist/lead vocalist Casey Price. The other members of the band include Casey's sister Emily (vocals) and brothers Marcus (lead guitar), David (drums) and Matthew (bass, piano) Collins.

 JR: When, how, and why did the band start, including the choosing of your name? Could you introduce who all is in the group?

CP: Forsaken Hero started in High School. Over 11 years ago! Crazy how time flies! The name was based on our love for Skillet. Both Forsaken and Hero are Skillet songs. But the scriptural meaning is Jesus is our Forsaken Hero. We forsake him and sin daily. But he still died for our sins anyway!

JR: How many CDs do you have out? Could you tell us about them?

CP: Forsaken Hero has released 4 albums. Only two of them are currently available as well as some singles that were released not on disc between those periods of time. The first two albums in 2013 and 2016. Where made before we rebranded and started making professional records in Nashville etc.

JR: I’m looking forward to hearing you this year at the Kingdom Come Festival this year. I also notice you have quite a long list of people you’ve opened for, including Stryper. Is there a concert that has been especially memorable?

CP: There's so many memories of so many different shows over the years. The two Stryper tours we did were wild. Kingdom come is always a blast because there are so many amazing bands we are friends with it's just such a great time of fellowship and worship. Probably our favorite show we've done was a youth conference in Indiana in 2020 right before the pandemic, over 1000 high schoolers on fire for God, worshiping and singing and jumping around and praising together was just such an amazing experience!

JR: I consider Christian musicians are often on the front-lines of Spiritual Warfare. What sources do you have for godly encouragement? Any mentors or authors or bands that lift you up?

CP: Mentors are definitely our church family and peers at Highlands Fellowship in the Virginia and Tennessee area. Most of our band members play at different campuses since our church has multiple locations so there's a lot of people to create friendship and Godly bonds with. Musically Skillet's Comatose and Awake albums were a huge blessing and influence in my life and music.

JR: The first song I heard of yours is “God of Revival”, and absolutely loved it. What inspired that song? I’m sure you agree the church – at least in the U.S. - needs an awakening – what do you think it will look like, and is there anything we need to do for it to occur?

CP: So God of Revival is actually a cover song. It's originally by Bethel worship. We just loved the song and the lyrics and message of the song but the real song is very soft until the end and it gets huge and I was like what if we made our own version and had it big right at the beginning?? That would be awesome! We don't release a lot of cover songs to streaming since there's a lot of red tape getting the rights to the song etc. But this song was very important to us to release to the world.

JR: Thank you for your time. What’s on the horizon, both in recording and in performing? How can we keep up with you?

CP: Forsaken Hero is currently writing our new record now. And we also came out with a hard rock side project called Sonflower Seed. Same message just heavier music. We currently have one single out "Fate Holds The Gun". And our next single will be releasing soon. And Forsaken Hero will be announcing new music soon as well!! 

If you'd like to keep up with the band, you can click here to get access to their webpage and social media sites

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2022

Courtesy of Enclave Publishing

 

Okay, I've spent a few days looking back at 2021. What am I looking forward to the next year?

First off, since I'm a writer and do a lot of writing, I'll start off with what I'm looking forward to reading. As I did last year, I'll set the goal of reading one non-fiction and two fiction books a month.  

As far as non-fiction, I have a few on deck. Last year, I read three 9-Marks: Building A Healthy Church books, and I'm considering reading four more. I also discovered "New Studies in Biblical Theology," and I'm planning on reading more (though I'm not planning on reading all in the series, which is at 52 last time I checked). Plus, I might reread some books such as Discipled Warriors by Chuck Lawless and Superheroes Can't Save You by Todd Miles.

On the fiction end - am I through with my reading a lot of Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense? Probably not next year. I read 9 in '19 (only 3 before that), 11 in '20, and 18 in '21; I've got 21 on my docket for next year. Nancy Mehl and Donna Fletcher Crow are tied for second on my most-read-novelist list with 16 each, and the competition will occur next year, and there's an Agatha Christie book I plan to read, slightly increasing her lead at 23. Kerry Nietz has a couple of books I'm planning to read as well, and the long awaited third installment of Janet Sketchley's Green Dory Inn is due out. Of course, I'm hoping for something new by favorite authors like Randy Singer, John Otte, Julianna Deering, J.P. Leck, J.M. Hackman, and Allistair MacLean. (Okay, I don't expect a new MacLean book.)

Three of my favorite interviews this year were with Angie Leyda of Always 1 Ministries, which hosts the Kingdom Come and Pitt Fest music festivals Becca Sugg of the band Reclaim The Day, and Devin Cunningham.  Hopefully, I can get to one of those two festivals this year and be blessed with a RTD concert either at the festival or elsewhere. There's also the Indiana Gospel Music Festival which is different stylistically, where I can hear Cunningham again. Finally, I'm looking forward to judging NCFCA speech/debate contests, and hopefully live this year.

Finally, Becky and I are talking about various ministry opportunities we can get involved with, and I'm planning on taking the next step with what seems like the never ending road to publication. 

The one thing I haven't talked about are this blog. This will be the topic for New Year's Eve, which is also known as tomorrow. 

How about you? What do you plan to read this year? Is there anything on your to do list?

INTERVIEW WITH ANGIE LEYDA OF ALWAYS 1 MINISTRIES AND KINGDOM COME FESTIVAL

 

Photo courtesy of Jeanette Yoder photography, from Kingdom Come Festival 2014.

JR: Angie, when and how did Kingdom Come Festival (afterward abbreviated KCF) get its start? And do you ever get confused with a fried chicken chain?

AL: I’ll try to keep the origin story of KCF brief!  It starts with Chris Bousum.  He is my uncle, but acted as a big brother/father figure for myself and my brother, Jay.  Chris introduced us to Christian music when we were younger… Keith Green, Amy Grant, Daniel Amos, Phil Keaggy… just to name a few.  Several years later, Chris started writing music and wanted to form a band.  Jay became the drummer and I helped with back up vocals for a while.  The name of the band was Strange Reflection.  Chris and Jay had attended Cornerstone music festival in Illinois  a few times prior to starting the band, but after the band was formed, they were able to actually perform at Cornerstone on a few stages.  While they were there, they connected with a few bands and had a great experience.  

It was sometime after they got home that they were talking about the possibility of organizing a small festival.  Jay works in a security role at a high school.  He hears so many stories from the students. As bad as you think it is with the kids, it’s actually worse. These stories sparked a conversation between himself and Chris about doing something that could help the youth and the lost.  That was the birth of the first Kingdom Come Festival.  It was 2010. They reached out to the bands they connected with at Cornerstone and had 8 bands in 8 hours.  Jay would say it was a disaster, LOL, but the lead singer of one of the bands, Josh Randolph of News From Verona (later renamed Pioneer), would speak life over the festival and convince Jay that it was worth it to try again.  The next year I jumped on as coordinator and my husband as tech director.  We make the plans and give God the show.  This past year (2021) was our 12^th KCF!! 

And, YES, we don’t have folks say anything directly to us about KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), but when someone shares a post about KCF, I have seen a TON of folks comment and laugh because they read KCF as KFC and wondered what the big deal was!!  I will have to admit that I, myself, went to KFC and accidentally ordered a KCF bowl in the drive thru!  Ha ha ha!!

JR: You serve as the Event Coordinator for Always One Ministries (aka A1M). When did this ministry start, and what other activities do you have besides KCF (I almost typed KFC 😃)

AL: A1M is the organization we created after the first couple of KCF’s because we decided we wanted to do more than just KCF.  We have Pit Fest and our Christmas Outreach, but we also do other things here and there.  The name Always One Ministries comes from something God laid on the heart of Jay, my brother and our co-founder.  No matter where you are or what you are doing, there’s always one.. one person to reach out to or help or minister to.  Jesus was about the one.  The one lost sheep.  If we can just reach one… imagine the domino or even snowball effect that could have.  I mean, Billy Graham was just one…

JR: This year's schedule alone is too long to list in the blog, let alone those from previous years. Are there any particular performances that you would consider especially memorable?

AL: Any time we have artists cross over into another artists set, it makes the experience memorable for the attendees and we love that.  For instance Matt Sassano was performing this past year and he had a song that he released that featured Zahna.  Well, she happened to be there and snuck up on the stage with him to sing her part in person.  Surprised him and thrilled the crowd!  However, the performances that I think are etched forever in my memory came from the same day.  I think it might have been KCF 2014?? 

It started with Trevor Heyd.  He was doing his beatboxing and ministering and the Holy Spirit took over the place.  I had to run into my camper, which acts as our office at KCF, and when I came out, nearly every person in the crowd were on their knees.  I had never seen anything like it.  Next band to perform after that was The Protest.  During their set, a young woman rushed up on the stage.  She said something to Josh, the lead singer, and the next thing we saw was Josh getting to his knees with this girl and praying with her.  The music stopped, the rest of the Protest members joined in laying hands on her, other members of other bands that were hanging out behind the stage joined in with them.  That young lady found Jesus right there on the stage.  Josh later told me that what she said to him was, “I’m so scared to die”.  While that was going on, Adam Jefferson from Nine Lashes got his Bible out, preached a little message and had an impromptu altar call. Several people came down to accept Jesus or rededicate their lives.  Jay refers to it as the Holy Spirit Tsunami that took over that day.  There will never be enough words to describe how incredible that was. 

JR: The Friday of this year's festival, I was home in Indianapolis - about 50 miles south - and we got hit with hail around an inch in diameter. I don't know if you dealt with it, but how do you prepare for things like hail and COVID and power failures and the like?

AL: We do a whole lot of trusting God!!  For the last several years, we have held the event at the Howard County Vietnam Veterans Organization grounds outside of Kokomo.  So, as things come up, we discuss options with them.  Although, I will say that God has really done an amazing job of protecting us.  Nearly every year the forecast calls for storms.  Some rain is pretty common, but every year we watch the radar and the nastiest stuff will come at us and either dissipate or go around us.  Every. Single. Time. We just don’t worry about it because we know he is faithful.  We are also a very “go with the flow” type of fest.  My guess would be that if the power went out, we’d just do acoustic stuff, but we typically have enough generators around to take care of most of the issues we might have.  COVID has been interesting, but the timing of KCF has been great.  Where so many other festivals have had to cancel, we have been blessed to be able to keep going. Being an outdoor festival helps.  We did put the typical precautions in place.  Masks if you want, social distance when possible, hand sanitizer EVERYWHERE. Etc. 

JR: This year’s festival took place June 18^th and 19^th. What do you do the rest of the year to prepare for next year’s festival?  

AL: Well, right after the fest is over, we ask our volunteers to give us a list of what worked and what didn’t, while it is fresh in our minds.  And then, surprisingly, we don’t think much about KCF until late fall when we try to line up headliners.  Our brains turn to our smaller festival, Pit Fest, that happens in September at the Jonesboro River Rally and then directly to our Christmas Outreach.  After the first of the year, we line up the rest of the bands and then start the rest of the KCF prep!

JR: How has KCF made disciples, both in evangelism and equipping the saints for the ministry?

AL: That’s an interesting question.  Our ministry isn’t really called to make disciples, it is more for seed planting and introducing folks to Jesus, so they can have the opportunity to accept Him. Having said that, though, we know how crucial discipleship is!  If someone were to make a decision for Christ at KCF, we don’t want people to accept Jesus at the stage front and then send them on their way and tell them we’ll pray for them!  We have a crew available to give them little booklets that explain what they should do from this point…starting with finding a church home!  We take their info, if they want to give it to us, and then try to keep in touch and follow up with them.

JR: How can we learn about next year's festival? Any particular prayer needs for this ministry? And anything else you want to share?

AL: Our Facebook page is where we post most of the info, but we are also on Instagram and Twitter (@A1Mkokomo for both of those).  Our biggest prayer is that we always put ministry first and that God have His way with anything we organize.  We pray that seeds will be planted and lives will be changed.  We would love prayers for the finances to always be there, as well.  Prayer that God lead us to the bands that He wants to be at KCF would be great, too!!! 

As for anything else we would like to share, that is a dangerous thing to ask me, LOL.  I’m referred to as “the mouth of the ministry” for a reason!  I seriously could share so much more… about the impact that I have seen from the people involved in this ministry.  How God has touched folks.  Not just for the attendees, but the bands, too.  We have heard so many of them share how they were feeling a certain way, but just being at KCF has given them a renewed spirit.  It is like a big family reunion and we make sure to take care of every kind of need the bands may have so that they are fulfilled and can do what they are called to do.  I just couldn’t love this ministry more and am so completely blessed to be a part of it! 

Musician Photos from Top to Bottom:  Josh Bramlett (The Protest), Disciple (headliner Saturday June 19th), The Letter Black (headliner Friday June 18th), Matt Sassano, Zahna, Trevor Heyd, The Protest, Theody, Bred 4 War. All photos courtesy of Jeanette Yoder Photography except Trevor Heyd's, which is courtesy of Skip Johnson Photography.