The End of an Era: Winter Jam ‘09

I had high hopes for blogging regularly during WinterJam, but now the tour is over, and this is my first attempt in months. So much for resolutions. My reasons for not blogging are not necessarily noble, but they are actually good. The thing is, I’ve been so intent on not wasting any opportunities to get to know people on the tour that I’ve barely opened my laptop at all. (My iPhone has served as a nice substitute, actually.) So in living every moment to the fullest as it’s happening and not letting opportunities to build friendships pass me by, I have neglected filling you in on my life. But now begins my discourse on the amazing tour that was WinterJam ’09...

Before anything like this in my life begins, I usually have the feeling that it will never end--that it’s bigger than life. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and WinterJam was no exception. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The first weekend out, I was pretty overwhelmed. I was essentially stuck out on the road alone without my road manager, Shayna, who travels with me whenever I’m able to bring her. Without her as my “security blanket,” things felt a little shaky those first few days. But as usual, The Lord brought me through, and I began to cherish my weekends out on tour. I looked for community and found it in a big way.

The official tour game? (You didn’t know there was one, did you?) It’s called Banana Grams, and it’s basically speed scrabble. Look it up. You won’t be disappointed. Stephanie Smith, her band, pureNRG, and I were the main players for a while, but I fell off the wagon near the end...couldn’t keep up with the competition! Then there was the official iPhone game of the tour which was Wordle. It’s a word game that pureNRG and I actually started playing on the bus to help us win Banana Grams. I told you--competition was fierce. I miss everyone already, and it’s only been a few days.

Good leaders always set the tone for the group of people they lead, and WinterJam has been blessed with fantastic leaders. Eddie Carswell and Billy Goodwin from NewSong (the heart and hands behind WinterJam) along with our tour pastors Tony Nolan and Bobby Joiner truly created an atmosphere where ministry and community could flourish. We saw nearly 70,000 people come to Christ in just 10 weeks, and backstage the morale was high. Jam Church on Sundays were my favorite part of the tour. One of us would lead worship, and Bobby or Tony would bring a word that encouraged us and kept us going. There was just something special about the group of people God put together for WinterJam this year. All 80 of us, from the crew to the staff to the artists, truly became a family. Everyone seemed to be out for everyone else’s good, and there was no sense of jealousy or jadedness. Instead, we’re all rooting for each other, pulling for each other, believing in and hoping for the best in everyone. It’s been an invaluable time in my life and one I will never forget.

I have so many stories to share, and I hope I can distill some more memories for you soon either in pictures, video, or more blogging, but until then, I’m off to do normal things like laundry and grocery shopping. Thanks for reading, and see you soon!

Francesca