In 2002, high school senior Bobby Layden wanted to create a means to
minister the message of Jesus Christ to high school students in his
region of North Carolina. The region is made up (for the most part) of
North Carolina – east of Interstate 95, though not limited to these
geographical boundaries. Called ‘Raise the Praise’, Bobby’s senior
project was a single event that took his vision and brought it to
fruition.
In 2003, Straight and Narrow Ministries joined with Bobby and brought
Raise the Praise back for a second consecutive year. Through planning,
prayer, and the joining of those who shared the vision of bringing
Christ to high school students, the second Raise the Praise took place
at Perquimans County High School on May 17, 2003.
The Raise the Praise team consists of several passionate servants
running after God’s direction in their lives. Bobby Layden, visionary,
acquired the idea in 2002 when he had to put together a senior project
promoting and studying something he considered pursuing with his life.
However, he needed an advisor to council him, so he sought out
Perquimans County High School guidance counselor John Wells. John has
been a shoulder for many youth through the years in Perquimans County,
helping give direction and spiritual guidance.
As a true man of God, and with a sincere servant’s heart, John caught
onto the passion of Bobby’s vision, and helped bring the event to life.
In the spring of 2003, Bobby’s freshmen year at East Carolina
University, Todd Davis caught onto Bobby’s passion and offered to help
head up the Raise the Praise movement. Through Bobby joining the
Straight and Narrow team in April 2003, Raise the Praise fell under the
umbrella of Straight and Narrow Ministries. From this point, Bobby,
John, and Todd collaborated knowledge, contacts, and visions to let God
use them to produce Raise the Praise II.
From this event, team member Pat Beard caught an extension of the
vision. It was discussed and agreed upon, through much prayer and
consideration, that Raise the Praise should hit the road, taking the
ministry and all its passion throughout the eastern portion of NC. In
July 2003, Straight and Narrow Ministries presented the Raise the
Praise ’03 Summer Tour. We stopped in 5 cities, with 3 bands and 1
speaker proclaiming the message of Christ.
On May 1, 2004 Raise the Praise met again at Perquimans County High
School and held another “one day” event titled RTP 5.1. Scores of
believers united together once again under 1 common purpose. Based off
of Exodus 5:1 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let my
people go so they may hold a festival in my honor…” .
From there Straight and Narrow Ministries took the Raise the Praise
movement on tour for its second consecutive year. This year the theme
was “Let Freedom Ring”. Our passion took on a purpose, and we became
more intentional with becoming a ministry. Original music was written
to lead, an original drama was written and performed and the ministry
was progressing and growing. Again the ministry visited 5 separate
locations throughout the course of one week in July.
Later that year, on October 30, another mass event was held in
Greenville, NC called About Face. Again, scores of people showed up
seeking God’s face. Several bands, two guest speakers and custom media
played into an amazing encounter with God about turning from sin and
toward God’s call for our lives.
After three years of meditation and prayer, God is calling us to
re-unite and build a formal ministry that is not limited to what we’ve
done in the past. Therefore, we must begin by putting together a board
of directors to help us pray, plan, strategize and organize our efforts
in a new, yet (unofficially) established ministry.