The Town of Odyssey

Which Christian artist/group is minstering the best to today's culture/society ? Not just other Christians, mind you , but to the secular world as well.

I think that Relient K and Switchfoot are doing a pretty good job, but I wish that they would be a bit more open with their faith in their music.

i think it is hard to "define" what ministering is. also, just because a person or group is "Christian", it shouldn't mean that a concert has to include a long alter call, etc.

for example, my wife and i went to see Casting Crowns earlier this year. we paid $40.00 a ticket, and while i understand the need for them to have a pastor speak in the middle of the concert and bascially have an alter call, it kind of irritated me that this took up about a fourth of the concert.

not that they shouldn't of had such a "call", but if you are going to charge high ticket prices, the "artist" should go the extra mile and put on a longer show if they do so.

i think people put too much pressure on Christian artists to jump through a zillion hoops when they perform in front of people. that's just my opinion, though.

I think Christian artists are doing a good job at ministering to Christians. But not to the rest of the world... which saddens me. As much as I love Christian artists, they just don't spread the gospel enough outside of their songs, and when they do it's usually just a watered-down, feel-good, Jesus-will-make-you-super-happy message. They rarely say anything about sin or why we need to be saved. But to be fair, a lot of modern evangelism is like that.

But I'm speaking very generally. Not all artists are like that. And there are often music tours with very good speakers who do share the gospel effectively.

I hear you on the Casting Crowns Deal, however, there is another side to that. I've heard that a good portion of their money from tickets and other places go to ministries and such.

AS for who is having an impact - THird Day/U2 are having a HUGE impact on the world with their AIDS outreach programs.

I would find a question of this nature quite... ambiguous. As far as 'ministering the best', the underlying point is this: ministering to whom? And when you ask that question, there's always a possible that one artist may not minister to a certain group of people, and yet minister greatly to other groups of people. It's really a matter of preference if you really look at it. Lots of people like Casting Crowns, but others like Switchfoot and Third Day, and even others still like Darlene Zschech.

U2? Last I heard they weren't a Christian artist.

They started out Christian, once saved always saved, and all that.

The Top Crusader wrote:They started out Christian, once saved always saved, and all that.

I don't think Helen was doubting whether or not they were Christian, but rather that they were not showing their Christianity in their music.

THey aren't a Christian band, no, but they do claim to be Christians, and Bono especially has become more outspoken about it over the past few years with his AIDS outreach program

My point was only that they once were a Christian band.

Yay for Joshua Tree!

The Top Crusader wrote:My point was only that they once were a Christian band.

Yay for Joshua Tree!

Indeed they were .