Christian band Thirstborne to perform May 14 as fundraiser for senior Nathan Detweiler

Concert: Thirstborne Concert as a fundraiser for Nathan Detweiler
Date: Saturday, May 14, 2005
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Umble Center
Cost: General admission is $5; $2 for Goshen College students
Event sponsor: Goshen College Campus Ministries
For more information: To purchase tickets, contact Jeron Baker by calling (574) 238-4370 or e-mailing jeronsb@goshen.edu.
Web site: www.thirstborne.com

GOSHEN, Ind. – Thirstborne, a dynamic contemporary Christian band formed by recent Hesston (Kan.) College alumni, will headline a benefit concert for Goshen College senior Nathan Detweiler, who is currently receiving treatment for cancer, in Umble Center on Saturday, May 14 at 8 p.m.

In the fall of 2004, Detweiler (pictured at right), a social work major, was diagnosed with the advanced stages of rhabdomyosarcoma – a type of soft tissue cancer less common in young adults affecting muscles, tendons and fatty tissues – and returned to his home in Washington, Iowa, for further testing, treatment and to spend time with his family. He is hoping to be at the concert.

Thirstborne is currently touring the United States with Mennonite Mission Network and proceeds from the concert will go towards Detweiler's medical expenses. Members of the band were Detweiler's classmates at Hesston College before he transferred to Goshen.

Nathan's parents are Tim and Carol Detweiler, and his father is the pastor at Washington Mennonite Church. He is a 2000 graduate of Iowa Mennonite High School. To follow his progress or to send him a note of encouragement, check out the Web site www.nathanstory.blogspot.com.

Since beginning, Thirstborne (pictured at left) has performed at numerous churches, camps, youth events, concert halls, conventions and schools in 12 states. The band has also drawn fans at the Mennonite Youth Convention in Atlanta in 2003 and at an Indiana Youth Rally. With diverse repertoire, the band might give an intense modern rock show one night and lead a congregation in contemporary worship and hymn arrangements the next morning. They released their first recording, “Let Me Fly,” in 2003.

Thirstborne's mission is “to show their love for Christ through the pursuit of musical excellence and in building relationships.” The band includes vocalist and guitarist Jason Fishburn from Hesston, Kan.; bass player Neil Richer from West Unity, Ohio; drummer Kyle Baker from Princeton, Ill.; lead guitarist Jeremy Kempf from Shickley, Neb.; and keyboardist Erin Kempf from Wayland, Iowa. The group started in October 1999 after graduating from Hesston College and relocating to Greenville (Ill.) College to study and continue making music together.

The group's Web site says, “The name Thirstborne describes the state that we are all born into – a state that drives us to find the one thing, the only thing, which will bring the most satisfaction to our lives. We have ‘borne' a ‘thirst' for our Creator, His son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. To that end we, as worshipers of Him and those who are gifted by Him musically, have come together to give Him praise and to share that joy with others in the music of this generation.”

General admission tickets for the concert are $5 and $2 for GC students. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Jeron Baker by calling (574) 238-4370 or e-mailing jeronsb@goshen.edu.

Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report's “America's Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

Editors: For more information, contact News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

###