Christ’s love on exhibit in The Museum

WACO—The Museum is doing more than just displaying works of art or historical artifacts. The Museum—a Christian band with roots in Waco—is displaying the love of Christ to a world in desperate need of the gospel.

While attending Baylor University, lead singer Ben Richter served on the praise team at Highland Baptist Church in Waco, where he met guitarist Geoffrey Ashcraft. A few years later, drummer Josh Kirk and bass player Chris Brink were added to the mix as The Museum set out to lead worship at events around the country.

Members selected their band’s name after Kirk returned from a mission trip to Romania and told how the experience affected his walk with God. While in Romania, Kirk had the opportunity to visit the Revolution Museum and also performed at a large Christian gathering in the same town square where communism had been overthrown in 1989. 

“We decided that our band would be called The Museum, because we hope that our music and those we share it with can be the evidence that Christ has done a revolution in our hearts,” Kirk said.

This summer, the band released the album, Let Love Win, which features a collection of songs about faith, hope, love and the light that comes after darkness. Their current single, “My Help Comes From the Lord,” is receiving national radio airplay.

“This song is based on Psalm 121 and talks about when sorrow comes into our life and hope seems to be gone, Jesus Christ is the rock we can rest on,” Richter said. “We’ve received countless e-mails from people sharing heartbreaking and encouraging stories about how this song has reminded them that Christ is the anchor that holds us firmly in place during our darkest times.”

The band maintains a busy schedule leading worship and performing at Christian music festivals, conferences, camps and other events. As the band travels, they hope to witness—and perhaps spark—a revolution that changes lives for the glory of God. 

“After hearing the music and messages about Christ’s love and forgiveness at our concerts, we hope that people will realize that Christ has a promise for each of our lives,” Richter said.  “I’ve seen so many people throw their lives away to things that are not eternal, so we really want to remind people that Christ came so we can have life more abundantly. 

“We really want to let people know that they don’t have to believe the lies that Satan is throwing at them. I once heard: ‘Sin will take you farther than you want to go, cost you more than you’re willing to pay and keep you longer than you’re willing to stay.’ For whatever reason, that expression has stuck with me since I was 14 years old, and now serves as a reminder about the importance of communicating messages to teenagers and young adults about honoring Christ with words and actions.”

The band’s concerts also benefit missions organizations. Proceeds from their merchandise sales are donated to help provide clean water to children in Africa, help free young girls from sexual slavery and feed victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

“Just as people store up things of significance in a museum, we hope that our music and our journey as a band are simply the things we leave behind to show that God has changed us from the inside out,” Richter said. “We want to show that he’s done a revolution in our hearts, and we will never be the same.”