Early 2012 will be the time for Christian mega-concerts in Indianapolis. First, the Rock & Worship Roadshow headlined by MercyMe will play at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Jan. 28 with six other Christian acts. Then, Skillet will lead Winter Jam 2012 into town on March 30. Billed as Christian music’s largest tour, it also will play at the fieldhouse with a total of 10 acts. Each concert offers $10 general admission at the door. No...

Josh Garrels followed God’s call to give away the best work of his life for free on the Internet. God has been paying him back ever since. The payback culminated this week with Christianity Today naming his free collection of music  — “Love & War & the Sea In Between” — as its album of the year. It was a bold move by the magazine, eschewing the Christian music establishment by honoring a fiercely...

It was a banner year for Christian music, from alternative rock to gospel to pop. As Mandisa would say, it was stronger. Strong songs. Strong production. Strong performances. And, as always, a strong message. Here are the Hoosierlujah Top 10 for 2011. 1. Vice Verses   Switchfoot This sonic adventure is Switchfoot at its alt rock peak, both lyrically and musically.  As the title suggests, it explores how we battle our many vices —...

At Christmas, there are always certain recordings  that take you back to your childhood. Or entire albums that remind you of times you spent with your own children. Here are the recordings that hold a special place in my heart. These are my Top 5 Christmas songs. What are yours? 1. “Precious Promise” by Steven Curtis Chapman. Actually, it’s just not Christmas at our house until we’ve listened to Chapman’s...

Christmas is a joyous time. But it can also a challenging one for church praise bands. Contemporary worship is not really the place where you want to launch into a sleepy, organ-laden arrangement of “Silent Night.” Yet, some members of your congregation long to hear these traditional Christmas tunes. So what’s a praise band to do? Find some great, contemporary arrangements of familiar carols. Here are a few...