For King & Country

Christian alternative rockers For King & Country will perform at Temple Baptist Church in Jamestown as part of their Proof of Love Christmas Tour.

“This is just a special thing they’re doing for Christmas,” said Randy Brown, associate pastor of youth and families at Temple Baptist, adding there would be some Christmas music as well as some original For King & Country tunes as well.

The group’s sound is a little bit Coldplay and a little bit U2, a blending of two voices in vocal harmony, piano, guitars and modern percussion.

Singers Joel and Luke Smallbone are the younger brothers of Christian pop singer Rebecca St. James.

According to their website, forkingandcountry. com, they were born in Australia and later moved to Nashville, Tenn.

Their tunes have been featured on “The Vampire Diaries” and “Drop Dead Diva.”

Brown hoped to bring the brothers to Jamestown because he believed their style of music would appeal to this population — especially the college students.

About 50 or 60 students from Jamestown College attend Temple Baptist every week — a sizeable chunk of the 300-person crowd that attends Sunday services there.

“We’re trying to get a college ministry going,” Brown said. “It gives us an opportunity to give back to the college.”

One example of the church’s outreach to college students was the way it opened up as a location for studying during finals week, offering students Internet access, coffee and plenty of room to do schoolwork. Future plans include small groups and Bible studies, mission trips and possibly a ski trip.

“It just gives us a chance to be their church away from home,” Brown said.

The concert is part of that effort too, though the music will appeal to more than just college students.

It cost about $7,000 to bring For King & Country to Jamestown, a price including renting equipment and paying the musicians. The concert is sponsored by Temple Baptist and Nill Construction of Jamestown.

Fifty tickets have been sold so far, and the venue has a 500-person capacity.

The show starts at 7 p.m. Dec. 9 at the church. Tickets are $10 in advance and can be purchased at www.attendstar.com. For $15, tickets can be purchased at the door before the show.

“It’ll just be a time of encouragement and fellowship around Christmastime, around the central message of what Christmas is about,” Brown said.

Sun reporter Kari Lucin can

be reached at 701-952-8453

or by email at

klucin@jamestownsun.com

Tags: life, religion