Audio Adrenaline sees music as avenue to challenge youth

Posted: 3/03/06

Audio Adrenaline sees music
as avenue to challenge youth

By Leann Callaway

Special to the Baptist Standard

Audio Adrenaline has been a prominent force in Christian rock music nearly 15 years, selling more than 3 million records and racking up 18 No. 1 singles.

Lead vocalist Mark Stuart, bass guitarist Will McGinniss, guitarist/vocalist Tyler Burkum and drummer Ben Cissell formed the band on the campus of Kentucky Christian College, and in spite of their success, they remained focused on using their music as a platform to challenge students to make a global impact for Christ.

Stuart’s parents served as missionaries in Haiti, and Audio Adrenaline works closely with several missions organizations, including the Go Foundation, which helps plug youth directly into a missions organization that matches their strengths.

Audio Adrenaline lead vocalist Mark Stuart traveled 3,000 miles in 11 days on his Victory motorcycle on the “Hands and Feet Across America” benefit ride.

“Growing up in Haiti, I saw my parents go through a lot,” Stuart said. “They worked hard trying to make a difference in a Third World country. In the midst of that, my sister was diagnosed with leukemia. There are stories like that from missionaries and God’s servants all over the world. But I think God’s people are at their strongest when they’re broken, because God can use them to do incredible things when they say, ‘All I can do is rely on God.’”

Last year, Audio Adrenaline established the Hands and Feet Project—an orphanage in Haiti that the group is building from the ground up. The goal of this project is to create a children’s village that would provide a caring a environment for orphaned children with a home, food, education and the love of a Christian family.

The band’s “Hands & Feet Across America” benefit motorcycle ride—in which Stuart traveled 3,000 miles in 11 days on his motorcycle—and the band’s online charity auction raised more than $60,000 for the project. Auction items included the motorcycle Stuart used in the benefit ride, as well as a live Audio Adrenaline performance.

While performing at a variety of youth events, including the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ Youth Evangelism Conference, Audio Adrenaline encourages youth to share Christ in their everyday surroundings.

“At our concerts, we want people to experience God and worship him,” Stuart said. “It’s more than having a great time at our shows. We want people to be challenged in their walk with the Lord. The worship movement is so strong now, and we want to challenge kids not to fall in love with feeling good about worship so much that they build a wall around themselves in their youth group. They need to take their worship to their schools and community.

“We encourage youth to get out there in the world and share Christ … even if it’s just at their next-door neighbor’s house or their school. I think we need to encourage youth to be the leaders of today and not wait until tomorrow to make a difference. They need to stand up and say: ‘I think this is the way that God wants us to work. I want to lead this group, and I want to be empowered by God to be a leader in my community and in my school.’ It’s all about putting worship into motion, putting faith into action worldwide.”