Pastor Rasper to participate in Impact Music Festival

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

Pastor Chris Rasper of Joy Community Church has been selected to perform on the main stage of the Impact Music Festival in Alpena next month.

Rasper participated in a talent contest at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Alpena to determine some of the performers of the Christian music event and he tied for first place.

The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., July 11. Rasper will be on stage for one hour beginning at 3 p.m. singing selections he?s written over the years. ?It will have

Christian bands from across the county, who are on the verge of making it big but they haven?t quite made it yet,? said Rasper, following Praise Band practice Wednesday.

JOINING RASPER on stage will be the church?s band. The group is calling themselves Engraved. ?They (Impact) are going to have games for kids and a lot of fun activities,? said Rasper. ?I think there are bands coming from Texas and other places.?

Organizers are tying to establish an event similar to the popular ?Big Ticket Festival? this weekend in Gaylord, which attracts some of Christian music?s most popular bands and singers.

It is not the first time Rasper has participated in a music contest. Several years ago, he took part in a contest in Detroit, which would land the winner a record deal in Nashville. Rasper didn?t win but was encouraged to continue writing by a judge who liked his music. He?s been writing music for the last six to seven years, he said.