Submitted Photo by Roger Riveland
Lead singer of Seventh Day Slumber, Joseph Rojas, left, has performed internationally with his oldest son, Blaise Rojas, right, on drums during their music tours. Joseph’s wife and two other sons travel along with them.
More than 200 people gathered at Oak Park Aug. 24 to listen to a rock concert hosted by The Pursuit Church’s Celebrate Recovery (CR) program. Tennessee-based bands Seventh Day Slumber and its opening act, Magdalene Rose, took a break from touring to share their stories of recovery before rocking out at the outdoor amphitheater.
“This was more of a community event for outreach and to help encourage and connect with people that may be struggling with recovery. Anything from mental health to substance use or any addiction,” said Eric Bonness, The Pursuit Church’s Celebrate Recovery administrator.
He explained the lead singer of Seventh Day Slumber has a strong recovery story himself and that the band is simultaneously doing two music tours. One tour is to pay the bills; the other is their effort to give back, as between their sold-out shows, they make stops along the way in small towns to perform and share their recovery story. The band offers a significantly reduced fee to make it possible for programs such as CR to hire it for community outreach events.
CR is a faith-based 12-step program for individuals struggling with drug addiction, alcoholism, mental health, grief, abuse and more. There are two locations in Minot. The Pursuit Church holds meetings on Thursdays at 6 p.m., and First Baptist Church holds meetings on Fridays at 7 p.m. Bonness said participants in The Pursuit’s CR program can expect a provided meal that transitions into a large group session that includes a lesson or a testimonial. After the large group, participants break into smaller, focused groups for open discussion or step studies.
“Seventh Day did a really good job. They were great to work with–just very humble and so they were fun to work with for that reason. And the Magdalene Rose. She’s got just an amazing story. She just finished her master’s in crisis counseling from Liberty University and just shocked people because her music is like super heavy. She’s really sharp, really smart and just an amazing woman. She did a great job,” Bonness said.
