Revive Festival is Reborn!

(Delta Lake) After a couple summers without Revive Festival, the last two years, the areas longest running Christian music event is reborn.

Two area promoters started rolling up their sleeves in January with dozens of volunteers and area churches again to get back to work planning for the August 21st and 22nd family event.

Founder Mark Russ former GM of WVVC the Christian radio station that started Revive is candid about why he took a break as director for a few years, ‘I just got burned out. I lost my job. I lost perspective. I even lost hope for awhile.”

Russ approached Mark Bolos owner of Big Apple Music about taking over the leadership before stepping down. While Russ was finding his way through difficult times Mark Bolos took Revive on the road. Bolos and volunteers took Revive Festival from the comfort of Delta Lake Bible Conference Center to the Utica Parkway a few years ago. That year Revive Festival and volunteers from area churches distributed a tractor-trailer full of food in addition to having live gospel and contemporary Christian music. Earlier this year Russ met with Mark Bolos and discussed partnering again on events.

Since that meeting they collaborated on two other events leading up to the August 21st and 22nd Revive Festival. Last winter they produced a Steve Green benefit concert at the Capitol Theatre for New Hope Children’s Home where a total of $19,000 was raised for an orphanage in Peru. The second concert was held June 5th featuring Gordon Motes and money was raised for Rome Rescue Mission and New Hope Children’s Home.

Russ said. “The only evolution I believe in is when it comes to the growth of a ministry. Similar to businesses they have their ups and downs, but they seem to take on a life of their own. Now it is different I am ready again to work on concerts with Mark Bolos. Mark has a heart for the hurting people of the Mohawk Valley. He is also willing to invest time and money in special Christian projects. I am excited to see where God intends to take the ministry in the future. This year Mark Bolos and I have discussed making Revive Festival a not-for-profit.”

The theme for this year’s Revive Festival is “A Family Reunion.” The two-day music and ministry event returns to Delta Lake Bible Conference Center just north of Rome on Delta Lake. The festival has invited two national recording artists back to help with the family reunion. Lenny LeBlanc and Cheri Keaggy who was a couple of the artist used at the first event held at the conference center. Mark Bolos, Bruce Bowen, Kevin Thompson, Sherry Anne Lints, David Ossenfort (from Metropolitan Opera) and Wade Hammond also join this years musical round up.

This Christian music and ministry family will be held at Delta Lake Bible Conference Center Festival features music and ministry events with camping sites available for the weekend.

Guests bring their own bedding if spending the weekend. Food is catered by The Rome Rescue Mission and is available on site. Proceeds from food sales will go to assist the Rome Rescue Mission is providing meals and food, housing, and education to the areas needy.

Tickets are available at Big Apple Music and Life Discovery Christian Bookstore in New Hartford, and the Rome Rescue Center in Rome.

For details check out www.revivefestival.com

Tickets can also be purchased on line at www.ticketderby.com

One Comment on "Revive Festival is Reborn!"

maggie dubois levick on Fri, 30th Oct 2009 11:15 am

hello Revive people! This article was just fwdd to me. Several of us from South Jersey have attended Revive in the past, including Ru Breau who won one of your songwriting contests. Could you put my info on your contact list and let us know if you do this again ? I hope it went well! thank you, Maggie

Revive Festival is Reborn!

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