After a two-year pause due to the global pandemic, Grammy award-winning artist Chris Tomlin announced that the "Good Friday Nashville" concert that started in 2017 will return to Bridgestone Arena on April 15.
In a statement, Tomlin said "After two years of having to worship together virtually due to COVID, I am so excited to be coming back to Bridgestone Arena, live and in person, for Good Friday Nashville...What an incredible opportunity to gather again as a church and as a local community to remember the hope we have in Jesus because of His sacrifice on the cross."
Good Friday Nashville proceeds will be donated to "For Others," a non-profit foundation established by Tomlin and his wife Lauren, to grant foster care and adoption crises. The organization bridges the gap between children in need and capable care providers through promoting awareness, maximizing resources, and activating communities.
"Good Friday Nashville is one of the most rewarding things I have ever been a part of. When this event began 5 years ago, I had a dream it might become an annual thing...a tradition for family and friends to come together, to celebrate, to remember," Tomlin said.
"As we got closer to that first Good Friday, I felt a need to make this night more than just a concert. My wife, Lauren, and I had felt a calling to shed light on the foster care and adoption crisis in our nation. It was through that and our first Good Friday that our non-profit, For Others, came to be. And so, each year Good Friday Nashville benefits by helping children find forever homes across our state. So, when you join us for this powerful night of worship... know that you are a part of making a difference in so many lives," he continued.
Aside from the comeback of the Good Friday Nashville, the non-profit will host an "inaugural private vision gathering" on April 14 featuring five events together with an exclusive group of difference-makers who share the same goal of solving the foster care crisis in America. Much awaited events include a celebrity golf tournament, private concert, and auction.
"We felt compelled to ... build not only awareness but also harness and gather resources to channel back to those kids who really can't advocate for themselves," Lauren Tomlin shared to Tennessean News.
Participants consist of Chris Tomlin, Marcus Allen, Mike Fisher, Eddie George, Kirk Herbstreit, Tyler Hubbard (Florida Georgia Line), Charles Kelley (Lady A), Shay Mooney (Dan & Shay), Willie Robertson, Ben Roethlisberger, Daryll Strawberry, TobyMac, Brett Young, and Ben Zobrist.
"It's our inaugural gathering of donors, people who want to get involved in a big way," Tomlin explained. "Beyond just a concert, but how do we create this movement across the nation? All this came from Good Friday; all this came from this Nashville concert."
Good Friday Nashville has become a tradition every Easter in Music City, inviting large crowds and blowing audiences with surprise guests. During the pandemic, Tomlin maintained the tradition by partnering with Good Friday Worldwide. The virtual concert was broadcasted through the television network TBN and more than 30 radio stations. The message of hope from the cross successfully reached 32 countries.
