Jesus Culture is known and loved by millions people the world over. What many of their fans might not know is that they got their humble beginnings serving, worshipping with, and pouring into Banning Liebscher’ s youth group at Bethel Church in Redding, CA. The fact that nearly twenty years later, Kim Walker-Smith and Chris Quilala are still serving under Banning’ s leadership is a powerful testimony to his leadership and for God’ s heart to bless those who are faithful in the small things.
While the Jesus Culture worship ministry is an international one, like many of us, they‘ do church’ at the local high school. In fact, Kim, Chris, and the Jesus Culture team have even more in common with you and I than we probably realize, which is why we’ re so excited to share their insights and wisdom with you once again!
[ WM ] Kim, Jesus Culture is about to celebrate twenty years together as well as four years since you were sent out to plant your church in Sacramento – congratulations!
[ Kim Walker-Smith ] Thank you!
[ WM ] Before we get to Living with a Fire, let’ s start by dialing back the clock a bit. Lots’ of people love Jesus Culture, but many of them might not know that it all grew out of Banning Liebscher’ s youth group at Bethel Church. Can you share some of your fondest memories of the early days when Kim Walker-Smith was just Kim Walker the youth leader?
[ Kim ] Well, I joined when I was eighteen and I was a freshman in college. I was a volunteer in the youth group helping to attempt to wrangle teenagers. My role when we all first started was actually the Social Event Instructor, so I came up with all of our fun parties and random outings to Six Flags Theme Park and things like that.
Some of my fondest and funniest memories are coordinating games at winter camp, and playing‘ chubby bunny’ with a million teenagers. Or‘ lock-in’, where you stay overnight and up all night with a bunch of teenagers trapped in church – that was always a lot of fun!
There was a time I arranged our hotels for a trip to Six Flags, and this is back before everyone had the convenience of having iPhones with apps like Trip Advisor or Yelp! I got us in this hotel that was just the sketchiest, dirtiest, most terrifying hotel. We got there and everyone is thinking,“ We can’ t stay in this hotel!” Banning is just laughing hysterically. I was like,“ I got us a good deal!” and he was like,“ Yeah, I bet you did!”( laughs). I had no idea until we got there and saw it, and it was terrifying!
Taking a bunch of teenagers to New York City for“ The Call”, that was pretty crazy. I got lost with one of those teenagers in the city, and again that was before everyone had cell phones. Man, we had lots and lots of adventures. I could talk all day about it!
But, I do have a really sweet, special memory. Every Friday night we’ d have a prayer gathering that we started at like eight or nine o’ clock and we’ d go until midnight in this little room in the
September 2018 WorshipMusician. com
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