Elevation Worship to open fall tour in Kansas City
Elevation Worship will open its fall tour Oct. 9 in Kansas City, bringing one of contemporary Christian music’s best-known worship groups to T-Mobile Center. Importantly, it comes at a time when its members say they are seeing a fresh hunger for faith among young people.
The Charlotte, N.C.-based group, connected with Elevation Church, will appear with Pastor Steven Furtick and Elevation Rhythm as part of the Elevation Nights tour. The tour begins in Kansas City before moving to Memphis, Birmingham, San Antonio, Lubbock and Dallas.
“There’s a fire and a hunger in the young people of our church,” Jonsal Barrientes of Elevation Worship said. “That is very much what we’re seeing in our church, and across the country. It’s such a powerful move of God. We’re just happy to be a part of any bit that he would allow us.”
The group has helped shape the sound of modern Protestant worship through songs such as “Praise,” “Trust in God,” “Rattle!” and “God, I’m Just Grateful.” In February, Elevation Worship released its latest album, “So Be It.” The group has about 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
The interest is not limited to concert crowds. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research reported this spring that median in-person worship attendance rose for the first time in 25 years in its Faith Communities Today project, climbing to 70 adults after falling sharply during the pandemic. Researchers cautioned that the recovery has not been even for all congregations.
Gallup also reported that 42% of men ages 18 to 29 said religion is “very important” in their lives, up from 28% in 2022-23. Young men also reported monthly religious attendance at 40%, the highest level in more than a decade.
“I think we’re seeing the Scripture in real time that says ‘remember now your creator in the days of your youth,’” Elevation Worship’s Isaiah Templeton said.
–Alan Goforth
