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.