Since splashing onto the Christian music scene in 1995 with the hit song “Flood,” the Grammy- and Dove Award-winning Christian rock band Jars of Clay have been doing more than just riding a wave of success. They have been using their musical platform to help those in need.
Desiring to reach out and make a difference in this world, the band founded a nonprofit organization, Blood:Water Mission, to build clean water wells, support medical facilities and tangibly reduce the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa while addressing the underlying issues of poverty, injustice and oppression.
Its concerts benefit the relief efforts and provide a variety of ways to help meet needs in Jesus’ name. In 2005, Jars of Clay launched their first relief effort, the 1,000 Wells Project, with a goal of raising funds to build, rebuild and repair 1,000 wells in urban and rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. This year, they celebrated achieving their goal and bringing clean water to more than 150,000 people.
“It gives weight to the things we talk about in our songs,” lead singer Dan Haseltine said. “We really want our lyrics to focus on making a difference in the lives of people by reaching out and being the hands and feet of Christ.”
Haseltine was inspired to establish Blood:Water Mission after taking a missions trip to Africa in 2001.
“That trip made a huge impact on my life,” he said. “For me, it was important to hear people’s stories. It opened my eyes to see that this was more than statistics about a disease or crisis; it was people sharing the pain in their life. Because I saw a human perspective on this subject, it made my heart overflow with a desire to help out.”
Band members now take regular missions trips to Africa, and they have established a full-time staff there to assist with relief efforts.
In the last six years, Blood:Water Mission has served more than 600,000 people in 11 countries with safe water, hygiene and sanitation and has opened four comprehensive care clinics that have served more than 26,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. Funds have been raised through nationwide community-led lemonade stands, car washes and other grass-roots efforts.
“There is a huge water crisis and a huge crisis with HIV/AIDS, but the only way for us to stay engaged and truly make a difference in people’s lives is if they see that we are committed to building friendships and relationships with them and that we’re implicated in their story,” Haseltine said.
“That makes a huge difference in their lives and is what sustains a continued effort to bring healing. You can’t really attack an issue or disease in a foreign country if you don’t know the people — because it would strip them of their dignity. It’s only through a relationship that you’re able to understand: ‘How do I love this person, serve this person, humble myself, see their strengths and bolster their strengths?’”
Through their music and message, Jars of Clay hope to encourage people to find ways to impact lives for God’s glory and make a difference in their communities. The band’s name is derived from 2 Corinthians 4:7, which states, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
Their latest album, “Jars of Clay Presents The Shelter,” is a compelling and community-minded project designed to encourage believers in their daily walk with Christ. Jars of Clay were inspired by an old Irish proverb, translated as “It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.”
“It doesn’t take giant movements to change the world,” Haseltine said. “It just takes people having the courage to do small things, like being kind to a neighbor and offering a hand to help somebody. Those are very courageous acts that really do change the world. It’s our desire that people will realize that Jesus is calling us to make a difference in each other’s lives and to recognize what really matters most in this world.”
For more information, visit www.jarsofclay.com.
Share with others: