Christian performers get ready to rock Orlando

In Florida, the signal that summer is coming to a close isn't Labor Day weekend.

A better sign comes Friday and Saturday when two of the country's largest Christian music festivals dual it out in Orlando.

For the 29th year, Walt Disney World Resort will host Night of Joy, and right down the street, Universal Studios will showcase its Rock the Universe for the 14th year.

Both events bring in the industry's top groups and solo singers, performing everything from praise and worship to rock, pop, urban and contemporary gospel music. Tickets for the shows include admission to the individual parks.

For ticket information and schedules, go to www.nightofjoy.com or www.rocktheuniverse.com.

Here's a look at four of the artists who will be performing.

Jeremy Camp

What a difference 10 years makes. A decade ago, Jeremy Camp was mourning his 21-year-old wife, Melissa, who died of ovarian cancer.

"I was in a dark, dark place," says Camp, a singer-songwriter who will perform at Night of Joy. "When something so jolting like this happens, the big thing is in your face and you can't see your way out. But slowly, as time goes on, things become clearer."

Today, the Christian musician is blissfully married to recording artist Adrienne Camp, a red-haired South African he met on tour about a year and a half after Melissa's death. They have two girls, ages 7 and 5, and just became the parents of a baby boy.

They call him Egan, which means for "zeal for the House of Lord." That sums up how the couple approaches life. They live in Franklin, Tenn., on a picturesque 10-acre spread. He hopes to add a few horses to that idyllic setting.

Camp, who has won several Dove awards, uses his testimony to show how faith helps a person endure the worst of times, and how God "will see you out of it, if you put your trust in him." Not only do his songs reflect the power of resilience, he also just published an autobiography on his story of triumph over adversity. The title reflects his attitude: "I Still Believe: Discovering Hope and Healing In the Midst of Life's Deepest Valleys."

He acknowledges that his words may seem too "Christian Pollyannaish" to someone in the throes of depression or despair. But he hopes that by addressing his own experience in a very public manner he can be a catalyst for keeping the faith when all seems lost. He does it through his music and the intimate conversations he has with audience members at his performances.

He wants his story to be one of hope.

"Scriptures tell us that the trials will come. But there is joy and peace on the other side," Camp says. "I want them to understand that God is faithful. He won't abandon us."

Third Day

Guitarist Mark Lee of Third Day, one of the Christian music industry's most venerable groups, says he and fellow band mates are testimony to that old saying that timing is everything.

"We came on the scene right at the time Christian rock was exploding and becoming more mainstream," he says. "That expanded our audience outside of the box. There was so much new blood and energy. It was a fun time."

The four-member group, based out of Atlanta, will mark its 20th anniversary next year. Lee says they were "just babies," right out of high school when they started playing together. Now they're all married with babies of their own – 15 children among them, if you include their keyboardist and another guitar player.

What's happened to their original audience?

"They've grown older along with us," says Lee, 38, whose group performs Saturday at Rock the Universe. "And now they're bringing their kids to our concerts. There's a timeless element to rock music. You don't just wake up one day and say you don't like the music you grew up with."

They've recorded 11 albums since coming on the scene. With 25 No. 1 singles across multiple formats, including both Grammy and Dove awards, the group has garnered praise from the secular market as well. Billboard magazine once proclaimed Third Day as "not only one of the best Christian bands of the '90s, but one of the best rock bands, period."

That success hasn't altered the vision the members have maintained since the early days. Lee says the intent of Third Day's work is to be an "encouragement" to people.

"That's something we're most proud of," he says. "We're getting people to think about the deeper things, about the bigger questions in life. With so much stress going on in the world today and the economy, we want to provide encouragement and hope that you get through faith."

Switchfoot

They got together 15 years ago, buddies from high school in San Diego who loved making music together.

They didn't consider themselves a Christian band. Instead, they were Christians influenced by iconic acts such as Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, U2, Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan. Their first choice of venue to perform: sweaty rock clubs, says Switchfoot drummer Chad Butler.

"We are honored to be associated with the name of Christ," he says. "But we don't want to be compartmentalized. It's better to be out of the box. We want to reach out for a bigger audience."

Band members grew up around the California beaches; hence, the name "Switchfoot," a surfing term. Their love of sand, surf and family drew them back to the area permanently four years ago after spending months at a time in recording studios around the country.

They took a step that many groups would envy. Instead of renting studio space in Nashville or Los Angeles, Switchfoot self-financed a building in San Diego to record albums.

"We still tour, but this gives us a home base right where we grew up," Butler says. "That became more important to us as we got older."

The group now has eight albums. Expect to hear new material from Vice Verses, its newest release, when it performs Friday at Rock the Universe. The album's title reflects a theme on the polarity of life: good experiences and bad, tension and joy, life and death.

Butler says he and his band mates realize just how lucky they are. With so many people out of work these days, they feel blessed to be performing, recording and actually making a living from it.

"We have a universal motto – life is short, live it well," Butler says. "We know we're not guaranteed tomorrow, so let's make the most of today. We also know that what happens off stage is far more meaningful than what happens on stage."

Chris August

He wanted to be a basketball player, and as a teen, he practiced six hours a day.

But asthma got the best of him, so Chris August had to surrender that dream. He taught himself guitar and piano, and how to write songs. Most of his early works were poems he wrote for boyhood crushes that he set to melodies as a way of making his thoughts more persuasive.

That switch in his career plans proved to be the right choice. The Dallas native is now an accomplished singer, songwriter, musician and producer, whose resume includes working with Brian McKnight, Ryan Cabrera and Ashlee Simpson.

"I would get bored if I just concentrated on one area," he says. "I like all aspects of the business."

At the 2011 Dove Awards, he scored a hat trick, winning the prestigious New Artist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year awards for his debut album, "No Far Away."

"That was pretty crazy, pretty surreal. And it was very encouraging to know that people actually liked my stuff," says August, 29. Especially since he was a newcomer to the Christian music scene. He spent the early part of his career in the mainstream market.

He says the biggest difference between the two genres is that Christian audiences tend to know the songs more than the artists. And he's all right with that. His main goal is to write "honest" songs that people can relate to, even if it means revealing some of his most private feelings."

"I have to wear my heart on my sleeve," he says. "I was kinda nervous at first about putting it all out there. But I'm becoming more comfortable with it, and people are responding."

August, who will perform Saturday at Night of Joy, now makes his home in Nashville. He still loves sports – tennis and golf are his games of choice these days – but he never regrets transitioning to the music profession.

"I get to make music for a living, and I get to express my faith in a way that people can relate," he says. "Now if that's not a dream job, I don't know what is."