Ok people today is the first day of Flavor Fest! If you know about this then you're probably already there and if you don't, then here is a little history on this Christ centered urban hip hop event with conferences and concerts with artists and speakers you don't want to miss. And if you did , its ok there is always next year.
The first Flavor Fest was launched in November of 2000. Our mission statement is "To train, network and resource emerging leaders to impact hip-hop culture for Christ." The conference targets pastors, youth pastors, church planters, youth and church leaders, and artists. Fla.vor Fest has become one of the largest, well known events in the Christian Hip-Hop Community. Over 10,000 people have been a part of the event over the years. Several TV stations, newspapers, websites and magazines have done exclusive reports about the Fest. The INSP (Inspiration) Network sent their Steelroots crew to capture live footage for their TV Shows. Jaq Thomas, who does marketing for Steelroots, was quoted by The Tampa Tribune saying, "Tommy is a true pioneer in every sense of the word. He has set a standard, pushed it out there, and now the world is paying attention. Last year the show's producers spent $35,000 to film Flavor Fest. We're willing to spend that kind of money because it is an awesome conference. A lot of people are being changed by this ministry."
Steelroots also partnered with Crossover to produce two double disc DVD sets (vol. 1 & 2) along with a compilation CD to accompany it. All three of these projects were nationally distributed and sold thousands of copies each. Urban D. also hosted the TV Show "Fla.vor Fest Hip-Hop Series" on INSP and I-Life that ran for several seasons.
Crossover Church's purpose statement is to reach the Tampa Bay community and to also provide training, resources and guidance for other ministries reaching out to those influenced by Hip-Hop culture. Flavor Fest is a major launching pad for fulfilling the second part of our ministry's purpose.
We continue to hear incredible reports from ministries who have attended the conference and implemented things they've learned at the Fest. The diversity of these places ranges from New York City to Kentucky to Indian Reservations to overseas. It's been exciting to watch the movement grow as several churches around the country have now been planted with a similar focus as Crossover. Each year the conference has grown in numbers, organization, sponsorship, and solid training.
No comments:
Post a Comment