Destination Known charts a course_90803

Posted: 9/5/03

Destination Known charts a course

By Leann Callaway

Special to the Standard

FORT WORTH–The message behind the music starts with the name for the Fort Worth-based worship band Destination Known.

“We want people to know there's a hope for all ages, that they can spend eternity with Christ,” explained band member Blake Bollinger. “At a lot of the camps and youth events we go to, we see youth struggling and being unsure of where they're going to spend eternity. We want them to be sure of their salvation and a fulfilling life by having a relationship with Christ.”

Destination Known is made up of five guys. Vocals are provided by Bollinger, Joey Vanderveer and Jordan Critz. They are joined by drummer Brian Oswalt and bass player Jozef Bobula.

The group's theme verse is 1 Thessalonians 5:9: “For our God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through Christ Jesus, our Lord.”

Many times, having a band like Destination Known perform at church functions can break the ice and make it easier for students to invite their friends to hear the gospel, the band members said.

“One of the things I enjoy most about being in this band is knowing the way music tears down walls,” Vanderveer said. “There's so much that kids today are being taught and so many outlets that they're being influenced by. Because of music, we can reach them in a way that pastors or counselors wouldn't be able to reach them. Kids put up these walls, and music gives us an opportunity to break through those walls so we can speak truth into their lives. Hopefully, we can lead them to Christ through that.”

When Destination Known performs, they offer more than a concert. They hope to provide students and young adults a life-changing encounter.

“At one of our shows in Fort Worth, these people had been praying for this guy who was a Buddhist,” Critz said. “They brought him to the show, and he came because he heard a band was going to be there. … He got saved that night.”

“It was God's hand working, coordinating events, because people had been praying for this guy for a long time,” Bollinger added. “Being at our concert just happened to be the final step in leading him to salvation.”

Vanderveer feels strongly about leading teenagers to Christ because it was his profession of faith in Christ as a teenager that led to creating Destination Known.

After high school, Vanderveer was forming a secular band with some friends. But when one of his friends invited Bollinger over to band practice, Vanderveer's life and musical style began to change.

“At that time, I wasn't a Christian,” Vanderveer said. “But through seeing Christ in Blake's life and seeing the Christian life lived out, he was witnessing to me in that way. … Through that, I became a Christian at a practice we were having. Pretty much right after that, the band changed direction, and we became a worship band.”

The band continued changing shape as Critz, Oswalt and Bobula joined, and they have added a unique mix to the group. Critz can play almost any instrument imaginable, including bagpipes. Bobula, who joined the band in 2001, is originally from Slovakia. Oswalt, who said he started beating on almost everything around his house at an early age before his parents finally gave in and purchased a drum set, joined the group in May 2002.

Today, Destination Known is widely recognized for their emphasis on vocal harmony and use of multiple instruments.

“I think what separates us from other worship bands is our emphasis on vocal harmony,” Bollinger noted. “A lot of times, we'll take a standard praise chorus or hymn and put our own spin on it, whether it's adding accordion or a really unique drum part. We try to detail our praise songs like we would our own songs.

“We believe in doing things to the best of our ability, and that applies to everything we do in life, especially leading worship. In leading worship, we want to put that same attention to detail that we would on anything else in our worship time.”

The band maintains a busy schedule, performing 100 to 150 events a year. They travel with their own sound system and sound engineer, John Vance, who has toured with groups such as dc talk.

Despite their increasing popularity, the boys in the band insist nothing will change their image or their reason for performing.

“We have something called a character contract,” Critz explained. “It's a form of accountability that we stick to certain things–to not give people any reason to see us and think we're doing something wrong. One of the main things we strive for is to always try to be above reproach in everything we do and say.

“The impact you have on the kids, in everything you say, is huge. It's almost like they just put you on a pedestal,” he added.

Despite traveling across the country leading worship, the group remains true to its Texas roots, performing frequently at Baylor University, Mount Lebanon and Zephyr Baptist encampments and The Door in Dallas.

But in their travels, they have worked with Michael W. Smith, FFH, Bebo Norman and Chris Rice.

“We've been fortunate enough to travel all over the country, play in various camps, concerts, retreats, DiscipleNow, conferences, and lead worship Sunday mornings at churches,” Oswalt said. “You name it, and we've probably played it. I think when it all comes down to it, our favorite thing to do is lead worship.”

“One of my favorite experiences was at Camp Zephyr,” Bobula noted. “Another highlight was playing at the Air Force Academy Chapel in Colorado Springs, Colo.”

This fall, Destination Known will team with youth evangelist Jarrod Jones to lead worship for DiscipleNow weekends at Baptist churches in Texas, including First Baptist Church of Waxahachie. In addition to leading worship at youth events, their upcoming schedule includes performing at Six Flags Astroworld, the South Texas Children's Home and Texas Christian University's Fellowship of Christian Athletes Game Day. During the holiday season, they are planning special Christmas concerts at churches, and this spring, they will lead a campus revival at the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor.

While enjoying the journey, they continue to take their task seriously.

“Leading worship needs to be taken very seriously,” Bollinger said. “It's not just playing songs. It's leading people into the throne room of the Lord. We pray each time before we lead worship that God's face will be seen and not ours–that we'll just be a vehicle to lead people in worship.”

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