Forrest Frank’s Jesus Generation Tour hits Detroit with Tori Kelly

Forrest Frank is, objectively, the most iconic CCM artist of our time. I hear his music all the time at my church. If I mention his name to my friends, they are guaranteed to say “I love Forrest Frank!” What a treat it was to have the opportunity to attend his Detroit show and worship Jesus with him!

When I first walked into the arena, I came across a giant cross on top of a hill. I immediately knew where the focus was for this show… and it wasn’t meant to be on Tori or Forrest. I saw so many kids with their parents, some waiting and others running around. Before long, Tori Kelly came out to perform and it took me a second to find her (although you can never lose her with her powerful voice). She was on a smaller circular stage, singing “oceans”. Her setup was simple, yet unforgettable. No fancy lights, no flashy outfits — just Tori, her band, and her talent.

Still, she blew me away.

In between sets, Tori Kelly spoke of being a mom and the life change that comes with motherhood, detailing that she never needs to worry because God is in control. She ended her set with her new singles “Dive” and “Control” to reflect that season of her life.

As with many Christian events, a man got onstage and talked about his son and how he was diagnosed with cancer; he mentioned how the Lord helped him work through that. He drove home to the audience how they were the “Jesus Generation” with such passion. The crowd went wild. He transitioned into sponsoring a child and how, in the last tour, over 10,000 children were sponsored. I was floored. Never have I heard of such high numbers of sponsored children. The man then said 1,200 children were sponsored at the last show in Chicago — I was floored again! And, as this man called the audience to sponsor more children, the crowd went insane.

After the intermission, two men that make up The Figs walked onstage to hype up the crowd. You thought I was going to say ‘Forrest Frank‘, didn’t you? No, these men were yelling about someone else: the king of the universe, the GOAT of Galillee — Jesus Christ! They might as well have announced the most famous NFL player in America, the venue got so loud! Then, the whole place went dark with red words flashing across screens talking about Jesus.

Forrest Frank came out onstage then (or, more accurately, the hill).

The entirearena went insane again. Every person in the room knew the lyrics to all his songs. Every single person was out of their seats dancing, jumping, and singing. The weight of Forrest Frank lyrics really don’t hit you till you’re experiencing his live show.

Every single part of this concert was done with such intention. That giant cross on the hill wasn’t just a cool stage prop; it was used so Forrest could interact with everyone in the arena and so everyone could see the stage. But it was even deeper than that. I saw that giant cross as Forrest’s way of saying, “You guys aren’t here to focus on me, but to focus on Jesus.” It was almost a way to help the audience envision Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

Frank stopped the show after a minute, asking the audience to raise their hands if they needed prayer and encouraged everyone to pray for each other, driving home the power of prayer. In the middle of his set, messaging reminding the audience that Jesus chose the most broken people and died for them anyways flashed on the screens.

Frank took the time to pray for every single child that would get sponsored for the night.

And I’m hoping there was an abundance of them! Forrest even invited Cory Asbury, a worship icon, up next to him to sing songs like “Worthy of It All”. He even got down on his knees to worship the Lord after his pastor was invited onstage to preach the gospel.

When the audience was asked to turn on their lights if they are giving their lives to Jesus, the entire room lit up. All of these things made me pause and reflect on my own walk with Jesus. When Forrest Frank mentioned how the Jesus Generation Tour was the biggest Christian tour in history, I felt proud to be a part of it. Forrest Frank does not back down from the truth of the gospel, no matter what adversity he faces. This tour was the most pointed towards Jesus that I have ever seen.

I grew up in times when talking about Jesus wasn’t cool and Christian music was considered cheesy. In churches that are more outspoken about the gospel, they grow instead of shrink. There’s a shift happening now because people are being bolder with their faith and living it out in love — the way God called his followers to do. Believers are seeing they don’t walk alone anymore. And what brings non-believers in? The truth told in love. Forrest Frank is a huge part of this era of Christian revival and I gained so much respect for him after seeing his show this night.

Photography by Kayla N. Rising

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