A fundraising concert for Columbus Christian School’s Expansion Project and Encouraging and Inspiring Bridge FM, Big Daddy Weave with special guest Billy Ballenger will be live at the Brown County Music Center in Nashville, Ind., on Friday, November 10, 2023.

This fundraising concert will support the $2.8 million, 8600 square foot school expansion, which will allow for an additional 200 students. It also benefits Encouraging and Inspiring Bridge FM, playing Contemporary Christian music across south central Indiana and beyond.

About Big Daddy Weave: Known for honest songs that tell personal stories of freedom in Christ, Big Daddy Weave fans have long admired the band for their real-life, real-person openness. With songs like “My Story,” “The Lion and the Lamb,” “Overwhelmed,” “Redeemed,” and from their current album, “Alive,” “I Know,” and “All Things New,” Big Daddy Weave has become one of the most beloved bands in Christian music.

Millions have taken their anthems of Jesus’s chain-breaking love as their own and sung along to songs about the radical act of redemption. The men of Big Daddy Weave, Mike Weaver (lead vocals, guitar), Jeremy Redmon (guitar, vocals), Joe Shirk (saxophone, keys, vocals) and Brian Beihl (drums), found themselves needing those themes of comfort and assurance at the beginning of 2022. Founding member and Mike’s brother, Jay Weaver, went to be with the Lord on January 2, 2022.

In the first few days, the group wondered how they could go on. After Jay’s funeral and testimony after testimony of how Jay and the group have been used, the question became, how could we not go on?

Big Daddy Weave is answering that call to minister through music and word both live and in new songs and recorded music being created now. The band’s openness to go through whatever doors God opens for them has kept them going since their early days as students at the University of Mobile. Their spirit of dedication to their calling and their craft shows up in everything they do.

“We challenge each other about what we’re going do with that,” says Mike, “saying, we’re alive and we’re here. How are we going to use this time?”

Big Daddy Weave’s testimony is about a deep and personal faith in Jesus, no matter the circumstances. It’s one thing to sing about trusting God in the midst of trials, but the men of Big Daddy Weave have learned what it means to truly live by faith and to trust in a God who makes all things new. Website: https://bigdaddyweave.com/ 

About Billy Ballenger: Billy Ballenger’s personal story reads like a movie script, and his music is driven by his heart to create a song that speaks for those who have no voice and inspire those who do! He found his musical passion as a young boy growing up in Indiana. Yet as a child, he was troubled and bullied which led to bad decisions and bad outcomes. Following his childhood, Billy married and became a father at the age of 18 as he pursued a lifestyle of partying, substance abuse, violence, and burglary. After a SWAT team invaded their home, He and his wife, Jodie, were both sentenced to six years in prison and lost custody of their daughter. Shortly before he went to prison, he began attending church where he re-committed his life to Christ. While incarcerated, he studied the Bible and grew in his faith, and two years later, he and Jodie were miraculously released early and reunited with their daughter.

Today, his journey fuels his passion for sharing the Hope of Jesus Christ with audiences around the world, including Russia, China, and worldwide television. His non-profit, Break the Grey Inc., has performed school assemblies at hundreds of public schools across the Midwest and parts of Canada, and he’s shared his testimony and music with more than 500,000 listeners at festivals, conferences, churches, camps, and other venues. In 2020, Billy joined the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular lineup — performing in 31 arenas around the country. He has released six full-length recordings, along with two EPs: 2020’s Walking on Waves, 2021's Tree and the Nails, and several 2022 singles like Mercy, I Believe it, Close to You and more. His story has been featured on the 700 Club, Life Today, 100 Huntley Street, "Weathering the Storm" with Ryan Stevenson, and in Home Life Magazine among other leading media outlets. Billy is incredibly grateful for the friendships and collaboration he’s found touring with artists like Building 429, NewSong, and so many more. However, He’s not done yet! To make an impact wherever he goes, he continues to accept opportunities to expand his outreach to reflect the hope of Jesus Christ through his music and speaking. Website: https://billyballenger.com/