Eighty members… thirty different congregations… eleven denominations.  I know these statistics about the people who make up Knoxville Christian Arts Ministries (KnoxCAM), but that is not what I notice today.  I look around me, on the stage where we are assembled to present our story and I don’t perceive my fellow performers as being members of this church or that church; I see a body of believers.

I see a mother, a father, and their almost adult child, a mother with a brand new baby, a widow,  teachers, business people, retired people, and high school students scattered throughout the different artistic groups that make up KnoxCAM.  I see those dealing with family members who are ill or struggling or even in prison.  I see people I’ve come to love and respect.

There is something special that happens when one shares in this ministry.  Over time, you begin to talk to those around you about your life.  You find you are with a group of believers who pray with you, rejoice with you, and who will walk with you through life.  You find friends, sisters, and brothers.

The bus ride to a facility where we will perform becomes a family reunion.  It’s a chance to catch up with an old friend, or begin a new friendship.  Today I compare notes with a fellow home schooling mom.  There is a young woman I had the privilege to make friends with a few weeks ago.  I’m touched by friends who remember to ask about prayer requests I’ve shared.  I see the guy who teases me almost as much as my son does (don’t tell him, but I enjoy his brand of brotherly love).  I see a family, a body of believers who come together and share God’s message.

As we wind down this performing season, I know some of our troupe will not return next year.  Whether they move away, take time off for family reasons, or head off to college, we will miss each one of them. But we’re excited about the new people God will bring into our ranks next year. We hope you will consider becoming part of our KnoxCAM family.  We’ll save you a seat on the bus.