From Derbyshire Church, Mid June 2010
By Chris Ashby

Fun and Faith for all Ages

Thousands join action packed event as Big Church Day Out comes to East Midlands

The first day of the second annual Big Church Day Out at Stanford Hall, near Loughborough, on Saturday May 29th attracted around eleven thousand Christians to the verdant and expansive grounds of a country manor for an event which aims to bring followers of Jesus together and celebrate the faith they have in common.

Stalls, marquees and large temporary edifices were erected in close proximity to accommodate a wide variety of Christian entertainment, from the serene King's Chamber Orchestra, performing in the Tea Tent to an audience of scone-eating string music admirers, to the globally renowned Christian bands playing on the Main Stage.

Touch rugby, drumming lessons and bouncy castles were readily available for those desirous of such activity, but more compelling, and the factor which has led the Big Church Day Out to become, by most accounts, the largest one day Christian gathering in the UK, was the sheer quality of music on display.

Tim Jupp, founder and chief organiser of the Day Out, is aware of the pulling power that high-profile bands have, which is why a total of seventy-five international visas were issued to overseas artists and their staff offering their services at this year's event: the Australian Hillsong United; Americans Israel Houghton, Switchfoot and TobyMac, and South African Brenton Brown, to name a few.

The musicians represented a number of styles, ranging from gospel-jazz fusion to reggae, and counted amongst their number two Grammy winners (Israel Houghton and TobyMac), an Urban and Gospel award winner (Guvna B), a “Stars in Their Eyes” finalist (Rachel Kerr) and a Rhodes Scholar (Brenton Brown).

The Christian music festival is an American export which has only recently begun to catch on this side of the Atlantic. The Big Church Day Out, for instance, was conceived in 2002, when Jupp's band, Delirious?, arranged a concert in their native Littlehampton entitled 'The Big Day Out'. Seven years later, Delirious? enlisted the support of fellow Christian artists and repeated the occasion on a grander scale, again in Sussex.

2009's Big Church Day Out had its challenges, with a few typical first year festival hiccups, but the 15,000 who attended had a good time, including the Mayor of Worthing, who created a stir when he indulged in a spot of crowd-surfing.

This time around, with the benefit of experience, the Day Out ran smoothly, and an additional two days were added to the programme: a second, repeat event in Sussex and a day in the East Midlands, which I was fortunate enough to attend.

I spent an enjoyable few hours wandering from entertaining spectacle to thought-provoking delivery, and had an agreeable lunch at one of the twenty distinct eateries. I was given the opportunity of observing an artists' press conference, which was enlightening, and at the end of the day felt satisfied and inspired. I would recommend next year's Day Out; tickets, information and suchlike will be made available at www.bigchurchdayout.com

 
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