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Multi-Artist Roaring Lambs Project Releases

"Despite all the fancy buildings, sophisticated programs, and highly visible presence, it is my contention that the church is almost a non-entity when it comes to shaping culture. In the arts, entertainment, media, education and other culture-shaping venues of our country, the church has abdicated its role as salt and light."

-Bob Briner, from ROARING LAMBS

Every so often, it becomes necessary for someone to rise up and reclaim the obvious. Bob Briner's 1993 book, ROARING LAMBS, came as a wake-up call to thousands of Christians in the music and entertainment fields. At a time in history when the church was developing a dangerously entrenched posture, Briner asked one profoundly simple question: "In light of Christ's call to be salt and light in the culture around us, why do we want to keep all this talent huddled up behind church walls? Shouldn't we be aggressively moving out into a world that desperately needs the truth and love we claim to know?"

Scores of believing artists, entertainers, and record company personnel were deeply impacted by Briner's message. His influential ideas sparked micro-revolutions as pockets of artists and industry types began to reevaluate their calling and methods.

Now, for the first time, several of today's leading artists are stepping forward together to affirm their call to be salt and light in the culture. This unified move was set in motion in late 1997 when Briner's friends at Squint Entertainment approached him with the idea for the ==ROARING LAMBS== album. Label founder {{Steve Taylor}} had been strongly influenced by Briner's counsel as he launched Squint earlier that year. Briner embraced their idea immediately, and personally pursued the involvement of several of the contributing artists.
Steve Taylor's
~NEW SONG~
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LIVE CHAT TRANSCRIPT
Read the Chat Transcript
from the one and only
STEVE TAYLOR about ROARING LAMBS!
For the transcript Click Here


What is a Roaring Lamb?
How can we effectively take our faith
out into the world?
Add your thoughts to our
Roaring Lambs Forum

Listen to the special
"Live From The Lamb's"
broadcast PREMIERE
of the Roaring Lambs
project by clicking here!


Watch the Roaring Lambs
Promo Video

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==ROARING LAMBS== is a collection of original songs from these and other artists-each of whom have, in their own way, journeyed beyond the invisible walls of the evangelical subculture. Unprecedented in its scope, the ==ROARING LAMBS== project comes off as part celebration, part manifesto, and part tribute-but for all that, it's still a cohesive and compelling listen.

Click to hear "Headstrong" from Jars of Clay

"The idea was to honor artists who in one way or another have been about the business of shining their light beyond the walls of the church," explains Taylor. "Even more than that, it was our hope to set these vital concepts in front of a generation who haven't decided on their careers yet. We want high school and college kids to start asking the right questions now so that they don't repeat the mistakes many of us made of sequestering ourselves in a subculture rather than penetrating the culture as salt and light."

Click to hear "Salt & Light" from Ashley Cleveland & Michael Tait

With combined sales of over 20 million records, {{Brent Bourgeois}}, {{Burlap to Cashmere}}, {{Delirious}}, {{Steven Curtis Chapman}}, {{Ashley Cleveland, {{Jars of Clay}}, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Bill Mallonee and {{Vigilantes of Love}}, {{Ginny Owens}}, {{Charlie Peacock}}, {{PFR}}, {{Sixpence None the Richer}}, {{Michael W. Smith}}, Michael Tait ({{dc Talk}}) and {{Steve Taylor}} represent a small cross-section of Christians engaged with their culture. Mixing and melding their diverse styles, these artists managed to fashion ==ROARING LAMBS== into a project with a strong musical center and a distinct identity, an unusual achievement for a various artist venture.

Click to hear "Out There" from Steven Curtis Chapman & Michael W. Smith

Certainly a big part of the ==ROARING LAMBS== appeal is born of the opportunity to hear pairings of artists who have never before recorded together. The easy, flowing pop of Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith's duet "Out There," for instance, marks the first time Christian music's two most successful male vocalists have ever shared songwriting and performance credits. On the blues-influenced "Salt and Light," Ashley Cleveland's scorching vocals provide the perfect counterpoint to the soulful emotion inherent in the voice of dc Talk's Michael Tait.

Click to hear "One Thing" from Ginny Owens & Brent Bourgeois

Charlie Peacock's production wizardry and backhanded jazz chops blend with the stunning Zulu vocals of Ladysmith Black Mambazo-best known for their work on Paul Simon's GRACELAND album-on the infectious tune "Akehlukek Ubaba (With God Everything Is Possible)." In fact, ==ROARING LAMBS== is the only project that boasts Vigilantes of Love performing a Bruce Cockburn cover ("Wondering Where the Lions Are"), Emmylou Harris backing up Sixpence None the Richer, and the first new songs from PFR and Steve Taylor since the mid-nineties, all in one fifty minute ride.

Click to hear "Kingdom Come" from PFR

"I have to stress at every turn that there were plenty of other artists who could have and should have been included on ROARING LAMBS," says Taylor. "The fact that there are so many out there now who are truly being salt and light is in itself a testimony to the impact Bob had."

Click here for audio clips from the entire Roaring Lambs project!

Click here for the complete Roaring Lambs story!

For more information visit www.roaringlambs.net

click here for more participating artist's images!

What is a Roaring Lamb?
How can we effectively take our faith
out into the world?
Add your thoughts to our
Roaring Lambs Forum


READ HERE how vocalist Steve Amerson was inspired by Bob Briner to keep one foot planted in Hollywood and another in the church!



The Music Channel at crosswalk.com was privileged to have Bob Briner as a regular monthly columnist for seven months prior to his passing with his Roaring Lambs column. Please read any of his columns by clicking below.

Roaring Lambs (intro)
Immersing Christians Into The Arts
Roaring Lambs - Vacuum
A Peacock at the Crossroads
The Politicization of Christian Radio
A Different Kind of Class
Sense and Nonsense



Become more acquainted with Bob's challenging and inspiring books by visiting your local Christian bookstore:

Roaring Lambs
Management Methods of Jesus
Management Methods of Jesus (2 audio cassettes)
Business Basics from the Bible
Leadership Lessons of Jesus
More Leadership Lessons of Jesus