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Bread of Stone's Journey...
Jen G's View On Bread of Stone
November/December 2009
Now if you’ve been reading AWOE Magazine for a while you’d know that Bread of Stone graced our cover in December 2007. It was a very exciting year for AWOE Magazine; it was the first cover that was collaged with three different artists on one. Bread of Stone blew me away with their interview on their album, Letting Go. At that time, Ben and Bill Kristijanto, Sean and Jeremi very openly walked me through their relationship with Christ and it’s affect on Letting Go.
One of my favorite quotes is when I asked about a track off of Letting Go called, Not My Own, Ben Kristijanto shared how he felt about what God was doing through him, “I think that it’s amazing to see how God can take someone as weak as I am and to give me the strength to do what the Lord has called me to do.” Admitting to being weak is something most people can’t do let alone men, yet Ben Kristijanto put it out there. We as Christian’s pretend to be strong on our own, Letting Go is an album that reminds us the only strength we have is found in our relationship with Christ.
Since 2007, Bread of Stone’s focus hasn’t changed.
One of the things that impressed me about Bread of Stone was their willingness to go. They gave away over 85,000 albums to the people of Indonesia. A predominately Muslim people were given the gospel via music through these guys! I wish I could put into words how this tugs at my heart, but Bill said it the best in the 2007 interview, “…I think we sometimes need to go beyond the typical boundaries and venture to places where people are hungry for the truth.” Once again now with REACH 2009, I found Bread of Stone going beyond the typical boundaries to reach people who were hungry for truth. Not only with their music but by being apart of a tour that helps an outreach that meets the needs of those who are financially and spiritually needy.
Yes, I found myself drawn to see Bread of Stone because I wanted to know what God had been doing with them since. So, Halloween 2009, I wasn’t met with ghouls and ghosts, but welcomed by Bread of Stone’s very kind guitarist, Bill Kristijanto and sat down with the very humble lead singer, Ben Kristijanto for a chat. So I invite you to open your heart as Ben takes us on Bread of Stone’s journey on what they’re doing and where God is taking them.
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Bread of Stone's
Ben Kristijanto Interview
AWOE Magazine Exclusive
"It’s more so showing the true love of Christ whether by
feeding them or facilitating them to come or just being
a servant to people see that, they’ll feel that
far more than what you can preach at them."
Jen G: Why is REACH an important outrreach for Bread of stone?
Ben Kristijanto: REACH is an amazing event. It’s what it should be because it’s more than reaching out to just concert goers and normal Christian families. Reach is reaching out more towards everyone in the community to come out to see the gospel message that’s presented with such a strong point. I think it’s a very, very good ministry happening here.
Jen G: What has been you favorite location so far?
Ben Kristijanto: We’ve had more close to 12 shows. I do like the southern states more for sure because it’s a lot warmer. Actually the Canada show was one of the ones I really enjoyed in St. John’s Bay Canada. It was cold, but it was really cool.
Jen G: Do you like their hockey team?
Ben Kristijanto: I’m not big into sports – so no.
Jen G: How has it been worshipping with Michael Tait?
 Ben Kristijanto: It’s very cool. We were there in the Spring when the transition happened. Michael is a great guy. Very helpful, someone you can be friends with without having to be anybody. He loves people. Loves being around people so it’s great just having him around with the Newsboys. It’s like one great big family. Another band Me In Motion, we’ve toured with them in the past so we all kind of know each other. The guys Seventh Day of Slumber they’re really amazing as well.
Jen G: So Me In Motion where are they from and what’s your favorite song by them?
Ben Kristijanto: They’re from Nashville TN and I like their new single called Loser.
Jen G: What about Seventh Day of Slumber?
Ben Kristijanto: We did a festival with them once and didn’t get to meet them at all. During the tour we just get to know the people. Joe, the lead singer is real – true to what he says and means well with everything that he does. Great, great, guy. Jeremy is their guitar player, love, love that kid. Everybody on this tour people see it. It’s more like a big family.
Jen G: You have a new member since your last album tell me about him.
Ben Kristijanto: Tim is our base player. He joined with us this last year. He’s been a great addition to the band. His heart has been right on the right track for the Lord. Helps us a lot with the set up, managing merchandising and stuff. We enjoy and appreciate having him on board. He just helps us quite a bit.
Jen G: Are you guys working on a new album?
 Ben Kristijanto: We are. We have been working on it for the last two months. Being on the road makes it really hard for us to be in studio, but every chance we have like when we’re back in Nashville we’re usually working on the new record. In fact I usually have a green room where I have my keyboard and computer working on new songs. Working on lyrics.
Jen G: Do you use a PC or Mac?
Ben Kristijanto: We use a Mac.
Jen G: Yeah! Give me five! We all use a Mac, iPhone.
Ben Kristijanto: It makes it a lot easier I say.
Jen G: That’s cool! We’re the Mac people! Okay, do you have any songs that you guys have just written?
Ben Kristijanto: Yeah. We’re actually playing two of them on this tour. I Need You and It’s Time to Live, but the one we’re working on is called so far Beautiful. It’s a real strong worshipful song.
Jen G: Do you and your brother do a lot of the writing?
Ben Kristijanto: Not so much my brother. I do most of the writing for the band. But this time around we’re doing a lot more co-writing with a lot of different writers around the Nashville area. We’re working with two different producers. Hopefully, Lord willing I’m hoping for a phenomenal great project!
Jen G: I gotta say this, I love your shirt. I can’t tell if it’s purple or pink…
Ben Kristijanto: It’s like fushia purple…
Jen G: I love that! What would you say to someone who wants to invite friends from their high school or unsaved friends to come to one of these events across the country?
Ben Kristijanto: I think the best way when your dealing with people who are unfamiliar with Christian music is to just say hey, we’re gonna go watch a concert. There’s going to be a lot of bands, a lot of people are going to be out there just check it out –well what kind of music? All we know is their pretty rocking. Show them some of the music.
Just get them to come out. More so to just enjoy being out. Once you start saying it’s a Christian band, Christian event that kind of builds the walls up – they think they’re just going to preach at me kind of thing. Just come out and just have them enjoy the event. Have them decide for themselves.
I was just speaking to John James, the former lead singer of the Newsboys about that very thing. It’s not about what you say, but people will judge you on whether or not your music is good. Because if they like your music they’re like let me listen to what they have to say, because if they don’t like the music then it’s just uh whatever. I think it’s just best way to approach it again is to let them decide for themselves by coming out to the event.
Jen G: What's Bread of Stone's new ministry?
 Ben Kristijanto: We started a ministry several months ago in Indonesia. Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world. I think 86 percent of the population is Muslim. We’re trying to reach out to a very specific people who are called scavengers. They live out by the major landfills and dumpsters to pick out recycled materials, that’s how they make their income and go back to their villages to give their families the money that they need. We’ve partnered with this church through my Dad’s ministry, basically what we do is facilitate. If they want to come eat they can come eat. If they want to shower or just sleep they can.
We also bring a sack of food. They don’t have houses out there. It’s a temporary place to work. They build shelter out of tin or whatever they have. But the great thing is when they come to the church it’s not anything fancy, just a pretty normal size church.
We’ve made it so they can spend any time there. They can fellowship there, play games there and we have movies that are translated to the Indonesian language. Afterwards they share a little bit about the movies and being the culture the way it is the Muslim religion in itself, you can’t be like Jesus is Lord. Jesus is your savior because for them it’s like they feel like they’re following after the same God, the God of Abraham. They’re like what are you talking about? Why are we wrong and your right?
It’s more so showing the true love of Christ whether by feeding them or facilitating them to come or just being a servant to people see that, they’ll feel that far more than what you can preach at them. That’s our angle to just show them the love of Jesus Christ that’s it. It doesn’t matter to us whether they choose to walk the walk with Christ or whether they choose to be Christians. That’s there own decision, we will keep doing what we do. We’re flying there Thanksgiving Day for two weeks and spending some time.
If you would like to catch the vision for Bread of Stone’s Heart for Indonesia please visit their website: www.breadofstone.com
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