Kari Jobe can sleep anywhere.
Growing up as the daughter of a traveling minister, versatility was a virtue she quickly learned.
Sometimes a couch. Sometimes a floor. Sometimes bunk beds.
“We stayed with a lot of pastors,” said Jobe, who began leading worship in children’s church at age 10. “It’s made me very adaptable.”
But traveling across the countryside in vans and RVs isn’t the most impactful memory of her childhood. She remembers countless conversations, sitting around kitchen tables, with pastors and other Christians talking about “church culture and hurting people and brokenness.”
“Just what people were going through.”
As a young girl, this shaped Jobe into who she is today—a worship leader who fully understands believers’ deep desire to connect with a Holy God.
And it’s why she spent a 41-day stretch this spring traveling the country, leading worship in 25 different cities. And that’s why the two-time Dove Award-winning artist will load up again this fall, putting on 22 shows in four different time zones.
“There’s a lot of really great people who come so ready to worship,” said Jobe, who also serves as Associate Worship Pastor at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. “I love that. I would much prefer to just lead worship than it be a concert.”
In between shows, Jobe is carving out time to play three events for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, helping to lead people to Christ. On Aug. 15, she helped open the Three Rivers Festival of Hope in Pittsburgh. This Sunday, she’ll play at the Greater Toronto Festival of Hope and on Sept. 28, she’ll close out the final day of Rock the Lakes in Erie, Pennsylvania.
At each event, she’ll set the stage for Franklin Graham to share the Good News about eternal hope through Jesus Christ.
“I’m excited,” she said. “My team knows that’s my heart. If it’s at a Festival or another event where the message is being delivered and people are getting saved, then yes, I want to do that.”
And that’s the prayer of 600 churches this weekend in Toronto. Jobe and Michael W. Smith will take the stage Sunday, beginning at 6 p.m. (ET). The City Harmonic and Newsboys kick off the Festival on Friday night, while Lecrae, Thousand Foot Crutch and others will perform Saturday at a high-energy youth night.
You can watch all three nights live at www.billygraham.ca/Live.
Kari Jobe was also featured on the 2013 CD, My Hope: Songs Inspired by the Message and Mission of Billy Graham.
