I’m taking a moment before my counterpart AshleyJo gets here to update you all on what has been going on around here. Students taking interterm have just returned, so most of our staff isn’t even back yet. It’s a relatively quiet time on the GC campus… some students return and take one class for three weeks, so it can be a bit intense, but definitely a fun time!! And it allows for a jump start on AgapeFest fun!! Which is great! Right now we’re working on making tickets available through the Greenville College Bookstore, so soon that will be an opportunity! You should come pay us a visit and get your tickets while you’re here!!

The flier is in the works and what I’ve seen so far, it’s lookin’ good!! So hopefully you’ll see those floating around soon. I hope everyone is excited about the lineup [I know I am! Skillet, woo!] Keep your eyes peeled for super cool updates as the staff starts to return to campus and things begin to pick up like crazy!

In the mean time, AshleyJo and I will try to keep you entertained and informed with videoblogs of shenanigans and randomness!! Let us know if you have any ideas or what you would like to see from us

Jesus loves YOU!!!

Make sure you check out the AgapeFest MySpace page at www.myspace.com/agapemusicfestival. I’ve recently updated it and will try to every few days. Add us as a friend, comment us, and even put us in your top friends if you REALLY love us. [No pressure] Just stay connected!

The best way you can help us, the media/PR team, is by simply telling everyone you know about AgapeFest!! Tell them why you love it, why you come, and why they should join you this year! It’d mean the world to us.

Jesus loves you. Never forget that!

My name is Andrew Ely and I am the Assistant Director of AgapeFest this year. I am a junior at Greenville College, currently pursuing a major in Mass Communication. I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself because not only am I the Assistant Director this year, but I will be the Director of the festival in 2010.

I have been involved with AgapeFest since my first year at Greenville College. I was a volunteer my freshman year, then I was on staff sophomore year, and now I am a member of the cabinet. I also attended AgapeFest twice before I was a student at the college. I love this festival and I am so excited to be an intricate part of insuring that it is a success. We have a great team of volunteers this year, but we need your help as well. Let your friends know about AgapeFest and make sure to mention it to your youth pastor. If more people know about Agape it will enable us to run the festival at its full potential.

I look forward to reading your comments about the festival, so keep them coming. Let us know what we can do to improve the festival, or let us know what you have enjoyed about past festivals. Thanks alot and I look forward to seeing you at AgapeFest 2009.

AgapeFest at Parade

Greetings from AgapeFest HQ … As one of three faculty/staff advisors to our trusty AF student team, I hope to be able to shine a light on the AgapeFest planning activity throughout the year.

For the last few weeks most of the discussion has centered around one of the most important things to you all … AF09 bands. (Director Alyssa will reveal the outcome of those discussions as soon as we have confirmed the acts!) The team uses both formal (remember the “Guitar Hero” survey you filled out last year?? ) and informal (when a zillion teenagers stand in line for Hawk Nelson, we tend to take notice) research to put together an initial list of acts. That list gets whittled down based on availability (i.e. if your favorite bands would stop getting married on AgapeFest weekend, it would help! ), pricing, travel schedule, etc. to the point that we have a tentative lineup in place. Next up are band negotiations with booking agents.

At the moment Alyssa and our booking team are waiting on confirmation for our four main headliners. I’m thinking a little friendly competition to guess our headliners might be in the works in the near future … anyone up for free AgapeFest blankets and tickets???

Signing off for now, but keep your eye out for “Behind the Scenes” posts all year long from members of the AF09 team … Robyn (the marketing chick)

Take a gander and leave some comments. We’re in the process of getting the lineup together, so if you have recommendations, let us know!

And. I must say this. To keep up with the latest news (including behind-the-scenes), click that green “subscribe” button at the bottom of the page. You can hook up to our RSS feed and stay on top of all of the info about to flood this site.

P.S. Early bird tickets will be on sale soon… stay tuned.

Right now I am actually at a conference in Nashville with the CFA (Christian Festival Association) where about 40 of the nations top directors get together and discuss festival and encourage each other in our ministry to all of you!

I have to say, I have been so pumped by this conference. I’ve always wondered with the business and stress of it all if it’s hard to start to loose the ministry of it but, man, being in this room with these people they totally have ministry as their #1 priority. It has encouraged me to participate with them and pray for them as they try to make the best decisions as far as bands and speakers go to encourage you, your friends, your parents, your youth pastors and mentors all over the country.

As far as our festival goes I wanted to let you all know that we are seriously considering having a seminar speaker at our fest other than our fantastic ministry through Interlinc. We really want to know who you all think will be a great ministry to the teens and the parents/youth pastors as well. So please give us your feed back!

Also, check out our website continually and invite us to be your friend on Myspace and Facebook. We’d love to keep you updated on what we’re doing and we’d love to continue to see how we can minister to you. Plus we love seeing your pictures, where your lives are going and how we can encourage you all to the best of our ability.

I’ll keep posting as we go along to let you know how things are going and where we’re at. Let me just say our potential line-up looks pretty hot!

God bless you all, keep on rockin!

Alyssa Marshall
Agapefest 2009 Director
317 E. College Ave
CPO 31
Greenville, IL 62246

Just to introduce myself… I’m Rachel, the AgapeFest 2009 Media/PR Director.  My job essentially is to get all of YOU as excited and ready for the festival as we are!

We’ve been throwing out some considerations for a few pretty amazing artists, as well as working on contracts for others, so keep your fingers crossed for your favorite!  Chances are, they’ve graced our list.  I don’t want to be the one to give away too much, but know that we are excited to have bands that you all will love and can bless you in return.  We want to serve Jesus Christ through serving all of you!

I’ll keep you all posted as exciting news begins to unfold!  Be on the look out for 2009 posters, fliers, and info.

Get pumped!!