Sep/Oct 2002

The Pied Piper Of Christian Rock

New Man gets the goods on hot new artist David Crowder.

Some of the freshest music in Christendom is coming out of University Baptist Church in Waco, Texas. That's where the David Crowder Band began and still serves as the music ministry team.

It's the home base from where the band's namesake is making a strong attempt to change what Christian rock sounds like, and in the process, perk up the ears of a new generation of seekers and strayers. David Crowder's success in doing this is evident in his church's 1,000-member congregation, which consists mostly of college students; and in the band's album Can You Hear Us?, which is Sparrow Records' biggest selling debut release ever.

Part of the band's attraction is its fresh, sincere sound. The Dallas Morning News called it "pleasantly out of step with current modern worship." The Orange County Register in California notes that Crowder's songs "are as beautiful as the nature-inspired images they so often portray."

New Man spoke to David Crowder about what college-age people are looking for in a church, what makes his music so hot among these late-teens and 20-somethings and his concerns about contemporary Christian music [CCM].

New Man: In addition to being its worship leader, you also co-founded University Baptist Church. How did that come about?

David Crowder: When I was going to Baylor [University], I realized that out of 14,000 students, 9,000 of them did not attend church. And this is a Christian school. I know college is a time of questioning your parents' beliefs and trying to find things out for yourself; it seems like a natural time to shy away from the church. But it's probably the most important time to hear the gospel. I took a look at what a lot of churches were doing, and to college kids--it was boring and didn't touch their lives.

NM: Irrelevant.

Crowder: Exactly. They couldn't relate. And more important, it didn't feel safe for them to ask the kinds of questions they had rolling around their heads. So we decided to start a church that would have cool music and sound Bible teaching that always brought the message around to what mattered to college-age people.

NM: Is the dismal ratio of churchgoers to nonchurchgoers you saw at Baylor a national problem?

Crowder: Absolutely. We've played a lot of colleges now, and I see it everywhere.

NM: How important is the music in attracting this age group?

Crowder: The kind of music a church plays really matters to young people, but I don't think it's so much the music itself, but what the music means. Music they can get into says: "Hey, we hear you. We understand who you are." It's important to follow that up with preaching from the pulpit that addresses their fears and needs and questions, and to have small groups that aren't intimidating.

NM: Intimidating in what way?

Crowder: A lot of small groups are really just classes where there's a teacher and everyone else are students. The teacher tends to be a somewhat fundamentalist who may not handle challenging, sometimes seemingly heretical questions very well. The questions aren't heretical, just honest pursuits of the truth. Our small groups are really peer groups. There are people who make sure sound doctrine is put forth, but the group is basically run by everybody.

NM: Isn't it hard to be both open to their ideas and firm about the truth?

Crowder: That's the toughest challenge we have. There is always a tension between saying, "I hear your objections and your questions" and saying, "Here's what God says about that," because many of them have heard it before. They grew up with it, and truth or not, it's not always what they want to hear. Leaders in a youth-oriented church, and all youth leaders really, have to learn to thrive in that tension, to find a way to be truthful and fun, biblical and sympathetic.

NM: Was it always your intention to go into youth or music ministry?

Crowder: I thought I would take over my dad's insurance agency. I guess God had other plans for me.

NM: Once you got heavily into the music, was it natural to start writing your own, as opposed to doing covers or the traditional youth worship tunes?

Crowder: At first, we played the typical modern worship music and that brought in a lot of young people. But then we realized that they were coming from other churches. We weren't attracting nonchurchgoers, which was our intention. We stopped doing the tried-and-true music, which was a very hard decision, because people liked it. They wanted to recapture some youth group or camp experience where that music was played. It was comfortable. We started writing music, actually, to drive people away to other churches, to churches that played the music they were used to. We experimented with styles until we found one that drew people who hadn't been going to church.

NM: Kind of a Pied Piper thing.

Crowder: Music can entice, that's one of its functions.

NM: When you started writing and performing your own music, were you conscious of emulating a certain sound or musician?

Crowder: No, but I knew what I didn't want to sound like. In trying to figure out what kind of music would attract young people, I went out and bought a stack of popular Christian CDs. I was playing them when my roommate walked by and said: "Good night! What is that awful sound?" He epitomized who we wanted to reach, and the worship music of the day turned him off completely. So I said, that's not it. Another thing I didn't want to do is copy what mainstream musicians were doing. Almost without fail, I can play a popular CCM song and point to the secular song its guitar riff or melody line was stolen from. I'd rather carry God's message originally.

NM: So what's on your mind when you write music?

Crowder: I think it helps that I'm an outsider to the industry. I didn't learn all the tricks of songwriting. I try to listen to God, what He is speaking to my heart. I don't want audiences to respond to my cleverness or something I've conjured. I want them to truly feel the breath of God come from our music. I want them to respond to that.

NM: What musicians are you excited about?

Crowder: Ones who are breaking away from the crowd, who are telling their labels, "I don't want to do that just because it's a successful formula." There is so much sameness in CCM. It's not what the church is supposed to look like or sound like. We're supposed to be original and create a great variety of things because that's God's nature.

NM: Who's on your short list?

Crowder: The brother of the guy I started this church with, Robbie Seay. He's writing some incredibly exciting stuff. And, Andy Hunter from the United Kingdom. He's about to release a CD over here soon [on the Sparrow label]. They're both doing what I've been trying to do: to break the cycle of follow-the-leader in CCM, especially since there are no leaders. We want to reclaim this form of art, and make it varied and individual again.
Bob Liparulo

Good Reads

4th and Goal
By Bill McCartney (Tyndale). Adapted from Coach McCartney's radio program of the same name, this book of 90 short commentaries is designed to help men pursue integrity. They cover everything from fathering to character-building, from pornography to business ethics (which, come to think of it, seems rather pornographic lately). Their power stems from being so short, like a shot in the arm. No need for elaboration: Here's what's right--do it!

Bottom line: Pithy and pertinent, it examines everyday issues (such as handling money) and sticky ones (abortion, bigotry) with an eye on God's purpose for men.

Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow
By R.C. Sproul (W Publishing).
If you haven't experienced Sproul, treat yourself to his stunning insight and engaging teaching style. From among the thousands of disciplines Christians try to remember and practice, he has distilled these five essential traits: study, prayer, worship, service and stewardship. Peppered generously with pithy anecdotes and Scripture verses, the case for each trait is convincing and thought-provoking.

Bottom line: Makes an ideal gift to help a new believer focus on crucial doctrine or to get the mature Christian's priorities realigned.

Authentic Faith
By Gary L. Thomas (Zondervan).
One sentence on page 64 describes the core of this book: "Getting close to God is to enroll in a difficult school where character is built out of persevering through tough times." Thomas shows how evangelicals tend to wrongly shun painful times, seek solace in possessions and bad habits, celebrate when we should mourn and mourn when we should celebrate. Sounds like a bummer, but his clear understanding of God's purpose for adversity turns the treatise into an eye-opener.

Bottom line: Going through a rough time? Rejoice! This book shows you why and how.

Tunes

Thrive
By the Newsboys (Sparrow).
Despite popular success with 1996's Take Me to Your Leader, Going Public, from two years earlier, remained The Newsboy's best album. Until now. Thrive is sassy and upbeat, with elements from '70s rock mixed with today's techno sound. As it unspools, you'll swear the current song is the flagship tune; then the next one starts up, and you're hooked on that one. Just try to not smile when "Million Pieces" kicks in.

Bottom line: Reverential rock at its very best.

Lifestyle
By The Katinas (Gotee).
Even detractors of live worship albums (what's not to like about washed-out sound and over-noisy crowds?) will be hard-pressed to find anything wrong with this one. The Katinas bring their trademark harmony and soaring vocals to original and traditional praise and worship tunes, several with a Caribbean flair (such as "Lord I Lift Your Name on High"). The result is a party for God.

Bottom line: Titled to remind us to live every moment in worship to God, Lifestyle is a great place to start.

O2: Avalon Remixed
By Avalon (Sparrow).
Take Avalon's hits and pump them through the mixing boards of the dance club scene's best DJs. Funny thing, it works. The melodies shine through and so does Avalon's emphasis on God.

Bottom line: Avalon's tunes get an overhaul that's worth experiencing.

CAMP LIKE A MAN!

Outdoor adventures may be "roughing it," but you don't have to be completely miserable. For safety and comfort, check out these camping and hiking thingamabobs:

Teflon-Treated Adventure Wear
By Ex Officio (exofficio.com; starting at about $50). You're going out in that? Don't even think about hitting the wilds without Ex Officio garments. Wash the Teflon-treated fabrics in a river and they'll be dry by morning. Added features include specialized pockets for fishing gear, cameras and survival gadgets; zip-off pant legs; and mesh vents for temperature and humidity balance.

Cook Without Fire!
By Soltac (soltac.com; $60). The CookSack looks like one of those inflatable rings for people with, well...heinie problems, but this thing's way cooler (for the rest of us, anyway). Point this little beauty toward the sun, put the included pot in the center and before long, you have a steaming meal or cup of coffee. Great for campgrounds that don't permit fires or when a portable propane stone isn't portable enough. (CookSack weighs about as much as a sandal.)

Sand Pillow
By Sun Dreamer (sundreamer.com; $12). Call me a wuss, but I rest better with a pillow, even at timberline in an all-season tent. But who wants to eat up precious backpack space with foam or down? So, I often did without. Not anymore. Sand Pillow is a pouch made of nylon-coated neoprene, with foam padding. Fill it with sand or fine dirt and voilà!--a pillow. In the morning, dump the dirt, stash the pillow skin in your sleeping bag and off you go. Wusses never had it so good.

Expedition Compass/Watch
By Timex (timex.com; $65). Dick Tracy, eat your heart out. What good is a TV watch when you're lost in the woods? But this line of watches from Timex is an adventurer's dream. Besides being as rugged as a rock, having a crystal clear Indiglo readout and a water-resistant case, it boasts a highly accurate digital compass, with bearings based on 16 cardinal points measured in degrees and a user-defined declination angle based on geography. Fancy words that mean you can always find your way home. Just try to lose me now! ...Uh, hello...?