"In the next year we plan to travel to China as well as another possible trip to India. God has called this band to spread the Gospel in the missions field using rock music -- a tool that is allowing us to reach many young people that are not reached through traditional missions crusades. We are seeing God using us on the forefront of this new movement." - Jason Anderson
Click here to go to the Re:Zound missions page where they share details of their most recent trip to India.
MQ: I've got to ask the typical interviewer question. What CDs have you listened to recently? Do you have any in the car?
Jeff: Let's see right now - Switchfoot - Jeremy Camp's new worship album. I've been listening to that quite a bit. Blindside. Ever Stays Red ... got to get a plug in for a label mate there.
MQ: What do you think about opportunities musicians and groups are having with missions and charity organizations?
Jason:
I think it's always a good idea to keep in front of people
that there is a hungry world out there that we can help.
America is a very, very prosperous nation. We go to India and
five dollars, I think Mike gave a guy a twenty dollar tip at the
hotel - that's what that guy makes in a month! Do you see the
difference? It's a hungry world and our dollars go a long,
long way - and we spend them frivolously sometimes. We're a blessed
nation. We're not against people being blessed. We're not
trying to make American society feel guilty. But at the same
time I think what freely we have received, freely we give. If we
can remind people from time to time that there's some needs out
there that we can meet pretty easily, that other countries, other nations, other
peoples cannot meet - we should keep that in front of them. We're not hooked up with Compassion International or those because we are going to India and doing that. But
at the same time we sometimes ask for an offering. You know, "Hey, help us on this trip, we could really use your guy's help."
America is a wealthy nation. It should certainly be funding
the gospel.
MQ: Do you have anything you do while traveling maybe just to keep the normalcy, keep a routine, keep focus, or keep inspired?
Jason: You have to stay in touch with your pastor. We do know that that is true. Which means that you get the tapes when you're back in town and you listen to them for your next trip while you're out of town. You have to remember that your pastor has got a Word from God for you. And so, if you're missing out on the Word that he's teaching out of the Bible then there's some revelation you're going to need in your life. You might make some really bad decisions 'cause you just didn't know. That's one thing we do. You gotta stay in the Word. We do that in the mornings. I sometimes hold a Bible study with the guys - especially when we're traveling. Every morning for breakfast we sit down and have a teaching prepared and we all talk and read about the Lord. We're ministering in church so we get a lot of Word there too.
MQ: If you had a free day with unlimited resources, what would you do?
Jeff: Something with my family, I'm sure.
Jason: I'd have to think about that for a long, long time. I'd probably somehow help the church if I had unlimited resources. Because I know that seed is sown and I'll reap the harvest back on that anyways - you can't outgive God.
MQ: Is there a practical joker in the group?
Jason: This is the practical joker right here!
Jeff: I'm the silent but deadly guy - you know no one ever thinks that it came from me.
Jason: (laughing) What is some of the stuff we've done? You can never think of it when you're asked though. Our tours are hilariously filled with all sorts of crazy things.
Jeff: We hear some horror stories from bands out on the road. They're fighting each other and this and that. We can't even imagine that going on.
Jason: We laugh so hard!
MQ: Cool. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Jason: I think just staying on the race that Christ has marked out for us, you know, keeping our eyes fixed on Him. The race is pretty clear. Commitment develops momentum. I believe firmly that commitment develops momentum. So, we're committed to, and will continue to release worship albums and travel and spread the Message...and probably continue to go to India. So, five years from now we'll probably still be staying at whatever that is because that is certainly our purpose.