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WHAT IS REVELATION GENERATION™ MUSIC FEST?
A youth group plays volleyball while a rock band ruffles the trees. A family sets up a tent on the green grass and enjoys the contemporary music of the New York Stage. Metal heads are jammin’ on the Philadelphia Stage as skateboarders perform on a challenging street course . Over at the Nashville stage, fans listen to the soulful sounds of an acoustic set from some of Music City’s best. The grills are fired up for burgers and dogs, the vendor tent is hopping, and kids are bouncing their way to an awesome time in a giant inflatable. Welcome to the sights and sounds of Revelation Generation.
Revelation Generation has quickly emerged as the premier Christian festival in greater New York and greater Philadelphia. With the best Contemporary Christian and crossover music—from rock to rap to worship to metal—this two-day mega-event is a great way for youth groups, church groups, families, and singles to come together for a dynamic, memorable concert experience. Last Labor Day Weekend, over 18,000 people attended Revelation Generation and put an exclamation mark on their summer. Started in 2005 by a team of local pastors, parents, and community leaders, Revelation Generation™ speaks to today’s young people in a language they can understand—and dance to. The goal is to give them an alternative to the destructive lifestyles and status quo prevalent in today’s pop culture. With nationally acclaimed speakers and music that takes you to the edge, RevGen is an alcohol-free and drug-free event that will both challenge and affirm young people—and the young at heart. More than a typical concert or festival, RevGen® is a movement that is gaining momentum. It’s a movement that can help shape a generation. It’s a movement whose time has come. The Revelation Generation™ Music Fest takes place on the grounds of Revelation Farms, 140 acres of beautiful, rolling land in Hunterdon County, NJ. Revelation Farms was founded by Robert and Kim Grom. They have a deep passion for youth and have opened up their farm to host events year round such as paintball ministry events, youth camps and concerts.  |
The Word of God is eternal, unchanging, and relevant to every person in every culture and every generation throughout the history of man. A message that interprets God’s Word in a way that is not relevant to all cultures throughout all ages is not an accurate presentation of God’s Word. A message that is preached from a pulpit in a wealthy area in the USA should also be able to be presented in a poverty stricken area in Africa. A message that was preached last century should be just as relevant this century. The acid test is whether the message is universal in its application. Church leaders need to be diligent in protecting the Gospel message from being changed by current social trends.
On the other hand people often confuse church methods, traditions, robes, hymns, musical instruments, dress codes, etc. with the message of Christ. Culture is constantly changing and the church’s presentation needs to change with the culture to remain relevant to the generation it is supposed to reach. The way people dress, their hairstyles, music preferences, musical instruments, etc. have absolutely nothing to do with the Gospel or the Word of God. Some people think that it is holy to dress in a style that is 50 years out of fashion, yet they don’t realize that 60 years ago they would have been considered outrageously modern. When the piano replaced the organ there was an outcry that pianos were not a holy instrument, but now there is an outcry because “holy” pianos are being replaced by “unholy” electrical instruments. Some think that Wesley’s old hymns are holy, unaware that he used melodies of songs that were being sung in the pubs of his day. We face the same illogical response today, that modern songs are considered by some as irreverent while old hymns are holy. Church leaders need to distinguish between church culture and the unchanging message of God.
The church needs to make a concerted effort to reach this next generation or there will be no church tomorrow! Church culture and God’s Word are not one and the same. Church methods need to adjust for the church to fulfill its calling to reach the current culture with the unchanging message of Christ. The message is sacred but the method is not sacred. As Paul the Apostle puts it, “I become all things to all men that I might win them.”
