Fervent Records’ modern pop/rock artist By The Tree, named one of the best new artists of 2001 by ChristianityToday.com, will spend spring 2002 on the road to some of the nation’s top colleges and universities on the After Dark tour with Joe White, president of Kanakuk Kamps.

With previous musical guests including Rocketown Records’ Ginny Owens and inPOP’s Phil Joel, the spring 2002 leg of After Dark will team White with By The Tree for events slated at such locations as Duke University in Raleigh, NC; University of Florida in Gainesville, FL; Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL; and University of West Virginia in Morgantown, West Virginia, among others.

“After Dark” features noted author and speaker Joe White as he takes on the role of the Roman cross builder, examining the crucifixion through the eyes of those who witnessed it personally. After each event, a leader at the college campus leads new Christians through a five-session “What Do I Do Now?” course, helping them build a solid foundation in their new faith. Musical guests who have strong teen and college followings, such as By The Tree, perform and help to reach individuals to make decisions for Christ.

“Watching the Lord move hundreds of college students, from the athletic teams to the Greeks to the intellectuals to the depressed and lonely, out of the crowd and on their knees at the foot of the cross is as thrilling as anything I've ever been blessed to be a part of,” notes White, who, for the past three years, has also been one of the co-hosts of Focus on the Family’s teen call-in radio show “Life on the Edge Live,” which airs in 180 markets nationwide. Four students from Colorado University at Boulder summed up their campus event with candor: “I've been on the verse of receiving Christ for the past couple weeks, but didn't know how. You did that for me tonight, thank you!!”; “This presentation was so real to me. I'm definitely in a valley and haven't asked God to help me. Thank you!”; “This really spoke to my heart. I was so emotional; I was feeling distant from God. But I was reunited with Him tonight.”; “Amazing! God came into my heart today. He is amazing.”

A starting defensive tackle for two years for the SMU (Southern Methodist University) Mustangs and a former football coach for Texas A&M University, Joe White is the author of 12 books, including FaithTraining and the 1997 Gold Medallion Book of the Year for Teens, Pure Excitement. In the mid-1970s, Joe White assumed the leadership of Kanakuk Kamps from his father, Spike White, with a vision to expand the ministry of the non-denominational Christian athletics camp which was founded in the 1920s. Now, over 17,000 boys and girls from ages 7 through 18 attend one of six southwest MIssouri Kanakuk Kamps each summer, with an additional 2,200 college-age and professional staff participating each year.

As former Kampers themselves, both as attendees and counselors, Fervent Records’ co-founders Susan and Rod Riley are thrilled about the partnership between the label’s debut artist and Kanakuk Kamps president Joe White. “Kanakuk was extremely instrumental in shaping us as Christians in our formative years. The lessons we were taught were life-changing and are still put into practice in our lives today. We are thrilled that By The Tree is able to be involved with Joe White and his ministry for these events.”

Fervent Records’ By The Tree released their label debut, Invade My Soul, in July 2001 to critical acclaim. The album was the top-selling project for numerous weeks at several national retail chains, and the success of the project helped generate such top-ten rock radio hits as “Reveal” and “There For Me.” ChristianityToday.com reviewers recently ranked By The Tree as one of the site’s top 10 best new artists of 2001, noting “They write moving songs with a vertical focus, while demonstrating an infectious and catchy radio-friendly sound.” "Invade My Soul," the title track from the band's debut project, is the latest single from By The Tree, and is garnering praise from radio stations nationwide. Dave Masters at KTSL in Spokane, WA, proclaims "We had a solid top-10 hit with 'Reveal,' and the title cut is not only a worthy follow-up, it's the strongest CHR song on what is absolutely one of 2001's best debut projects." This week, By The Tree is in Europe performing at the Winter Wonder Rock festival in the Netherlands, as well as in Germany participating in Youth For Christ’s Night of Praise.