“We want to give the glory right back to God — that’s why we’re here today,” he told a crowd of thousands in Quarryville before launching into the song “Falling.”The applause for Unsearchable Riches was nice, but lead singer Jeremy Sorensen wasn’t hanging on to it.The applause for


That posture, with fingers pointing skyward, was the order of the day Saturday, as the Witness Festival — the free, two-day Christian music marathon — returned to its roots, not just in venue but in vision.


By the time Point of Grace took the stage at 9:25 p.m. — after a full day of seven other nationally known Christian bands — Quarryville police were estimating the crowd at 15,000.


That was after some 10,000 people came to see Rebecca St. James on Friday night, the best first-night crowd in the festival’s four-year history.


“It’s nice to be home,” said Witness board member Craig Deibler — home in Quarryville’s Memorial Park after staging the 2004 event in Muddy Run Park.


Deibler was thrilled by the size of the crowd, and even more thrilled by the 63 people who poured into the prayer tent after St. James’ set to “make decisions,” in church terms, to become Christians.


That, Deibler noted, was the mission of the Witness Festival, and after what organizers felt was a slight detour last year, the festival was back on track.


“We’re not putting on a show,” worship leader Jeff Deyo told the audience during his set Saturday evening. “We want to be glorifying to Jesus Christ tonight.”


Co-host Tim Cardascia of WJTL-FM radio noted that after four years of Witness, “it’s just so neat to see ... how the crowds are growing.”


But he hoped it wouldn’t just be a great concert.


“We pray,” he said, “it will be a life-changing day in your life.”




Hot, hot, hot




The weekend turned out warm and sticky, but without the rains that plagued earlier Witness Festivals.


“I’m just chillin’ in the grass with you today,” Sarah Kelly said as she opened an acoustic set, but “chillin’” was a figure of speech.


It was hot.


Fans lounged on blankets under umbrellas at the front of the stage. The smarter ones set up camp chairs under the trees at the top of the hill.


The smartest ones may have been the folks using the SECA swimming pool, who could stay cool while still hearing the music.


Other performers included worship leader Jami Smith, Mark Schultz, Starfield, Across the Sky and Shane & Shane. Deibler said the production had been “flawless.”


Quarryville Councilman Mike Sullenberger agreed and said he was glad to have Witness back.


Clair Brothers, the Lititz audio firm with the worldwide reputation for excellence, took over the sound for Witness 2005, and it showed. “Clair Brothers is just bringin’ it here,” Deibler said. This year’s festival was budgeted for $100,000, slightly less than last year.


About $70,000 came from sponsors. The board was hoping the balance would come from offerings and from the $5 donation for parking.


By 8:45, Deibler was telling the crowd they needed another $22,000 to balance the books.


“We know how this park works,” Deibler said. “Witness just fits in here so perfectly.”


A turnaround




Just a few months ago, Deibler and his fellow board members were feeling unsettled about the finances and the future.


The 2004 festival had to shift to Muddy Run in Holtwood because of a date conflict with another event in Quarryville. That posed a new set of logistical challenges. An even bigger concern, though, was the possibility that Witness was losing its footing with a lineup of bands more concentrated on what Deibler calls “Christian entertainment” than on praise and worship. The festival couldn’t cover its budget last year.


This year, the board refocused on its original mission statement with acts geared toward worship music. It worked, Deibler said.


“Friday was our best night by far,” he said. “Rebecca (St. James) just ministered and sang for an hour and a half. This whole place was just engulfed with God’s love.”


Ben Foley of Quarryville, who was in charge of the tent, said the volunteers were overwhelmed by the people who came to pray after St. James finished. “It was an awesome response,” Betty Lucar of Willow Street, one of the prayer tent volunteers Saturday, remembered. There was another rush Saturday night, as nearly 60 people flowed into the tent after speaker Rich Stevenson issued an altar call for a “spiritual reboot.”


And by 8:45, festivalgoers had signed up to sponsor 140 needy children around the world through World Vision. Witness was also about fun.


“Feel free to be silly,” Unsearchable Riches singer Sorensen told the crowd at one point.


Then the band led the crowd in the Sunday-school favorite “Father Abraham,” ending with guitarist Garret Hintze jumping on top of Sorensen’s piano. As worship leader Deyo, former frontman of Sonicflood — the headlining band at the first Witness — prayed, “Holy God, we come here because that’s what this festival is all about. We’re here to be transformed into witnesses.”


Just what the festival organizers wanted to hear. “We’re getting back to ... what Witness is,” Deibler said.