The Heart of the City Christian Music Stage will feature ethnically diverse, local Christian music throughout the entire event. Styles of music will range from Latino to Black Gospel, Reggae to Rock, Pop, Messianic and modern Praise and Worship. Performers range from solo artists, to bands, to full Gospel choirs.

“I think it will mostly be well received because of the quality and diversity of the music and the ethnic diversity of the different bands,” said Dan Adler, founder of Heart of the City Ministries and organizer for the new stage. “The Taste of Minnesota is meant to be about the diversity of Minnesota, and I think we’ll actually be the biggest expression of that. I’m hoping that this will be a very positive, family-friendly influence on this event.”


Heart of the City
Since 1996, HOTC Ministries has been bringing a “message, model and experience of biblical unity” through worship music with the multi-ethnic, multi-denominational Heart of the City Worship Band.

“We’ve been calling Christians to biblical unity and racial reconciliation through the medium of music that God has given us,” Adler said.

The ministry has hosted monthly Heart of the City Worship Celebrations in urban and suburban churches throughout the metro area for the past 11.5 years. The events are designed to bring Christians together across the racial, denominational and congregational lines that often divide the Church. The ministry has also served as guest worship leaders in many churches and at many conferences.

From 1997 to 2004, the ministry held the Heart of the City Summer Picnic, a one-day music event at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.

“Our focus for that event was basically to have a giant Church picnic with multiple churches across ethnic and denominational lines in order to build bridges between us and new routines of having unified gatherings as the Church,” Adler said.

The picnic drew as many as 10,000 people at times, but weather, competing Christian events and a lack of funding led to the decision to discontinue the annual picnic.


New stage
Since 2004, Adler and others at Heart of the City Ministries wished they could hold similar large events again. In the fall of 2007, Adler met with a local Christian businessman who shared his vision to fund a large evangelistic outreach event at the Fairgrounds.

“I told him that I didn’t think non-Christians would necessarily show up to such an event and I told him that I think we need to go where non-Christians already are—like the Taste of Minnesota,” Adler explained. “I had never thought of the Taste of Minnesota before that moment. We both sort of looked at each other and agreed that it would be a great venue and that we should pursue it.”

When Adler contacted the event’s leadership and explained the cultural diversity of the performers, and the potential to draw new visitors to the annual gathering, they were open to the idea. After meeting in person, the festival leaders told Adler they were willing to allow a Christian music stage for $10,000. When Adler put together a budget for the event—including band fees, a sound system, and other costs—the total came to $76,000.

Not long after, the original donor to the stage informed Adler he could no longer fund the event due to poor economic conditions and a downturn in business. Adler scaled back his original budget and turned to the HOTC e-mail list for support.

On April 4, he sent out an e-mail to the 1,948 people on the list. By April 9, supporters of the ministry had responded with $58,000 in pledges—$2,000 more than Adler’s bare bones budget. The group is still working toward a “fully-funded” stage budget of $76,000, but the early pledges from a fraction of the e-mail list made the new stage a reality.

“I am really thrilled to not only be performing with the Heart of the City Band at a secular festival, but to have the honor of giving a platform to so many other wonderful, ethnically diverse Christian bands to do the same,” Adler said. “It’s such a picture of the Body of Christ. We each have different gifts and functions and in working together we are so much more effective than just working alone.”

In addition to the Heart of the City Christian Music Stage, the Taste of Minnesota will feature two secular rock band stages, a kids stage, inflatable toys, food vendors, and a petting zoo. The Heart of the City Christian Music Stage will have music from 3 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, July 3, and from 1:30 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The stage’s tent will have the capacity to seat 800 people.

Compassion International will also partner with HOTC to have a spot in the tent to encourage visitors to sponsor children in impoverished parts of the world.

“I really want to encourage Christians to come out to this event and invite their non-Christian co-workers, family and friends,” Adler said. “And I really want to invite everyone to be praying for us and for the impact of this event.”


ACTION POINT:
To learn more about Heart of the City Ministries, visit www.heartofthecity.org. For more information about the Taste of Minnesota, visit www.tasteofmn.org