Loose Leaf Notes

– The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on July 16, 2015. 

The inaugural Replenish Festival was kicked off over the weekend of July 10 – 12. A spirited showing of attendees enjoyed sunny weather, live music, good food and fellowship at the Burnett Farm in Willis.

Celebrating faith, family and fun, the festival is not sponsored by any church, but is a non-denominational faith-based event founded by Travis and Mandie Bishop of Floyd County. It’s just one part of what the couple hopes to accomplish under their newly formed 501C non-profit, Replenish Ministries Incorporated.

“We want everyone to have a good time, religious or not. We want it to be appealing to those who have never set foot in a church,’ said Mandie Bishop, who explained that the idea for the festival came to her husband as a vision from the Lord several years ago.

What first felt like building a Noah’s Ark, putting on the festival has taken time and hard work, but once the effort was put forth, everything began to fall into place, Bishop said. “People with different talents came together. We’ve been blessed with many local sponsors and volunteers.” She described how donations came, not just from friends and family but from strangers.”

Travis Bishop also acknowledged the hard work. “But I believe the vision is coming together.” He said that they hope to cover expenses and to be around for a long time. Any proceeds made from the festival will go back into Replenish Ministries, Inc.

Bishop, who is also a guitarist, said the festival featured a total 18 bands and a variety of vendors. He spoke highly of the sponsors and the work they do and expressed the importance of keeping the festival affordable for families. Children under 12 are free, camping is free, and Sunday’s events – worship, Biblical teaching, communion and baptisms in the creek – are free.

“It’s about purpose and doing something bigger than ourselves. If there’s something missing in someone’s life, we want them to get it here,” he said.

Photos: 1. Two young girls dancing together as JJ Weeks performed Amazing Grace. 2. Craig Whittaker and his band played on Stage B Saturday afternoon. Whittaker is currently serving as pastor of Angels of Rest Baptist Fellowship in Pearisburg, Va. 3. A Saturday afternoon crowd. 4. Replenish Board Members and Team Leaders pose together. They are (left to right) Travis, Charity, Ella and Mandie Bishop, Teresa Martin, Pastor Ed Slaughter, Donna and Bob Barbetti, Linda and Jim Rice and Jackie and Doug Myers.

5. Hailing from Roanoke, Brightwork mixed heavy metal with a message of faith. 6. The crowd singing praises with Eddie James. His music ministry is described as “live music, dance, praise and intercession.” Currently from Atlanta, Bishop featured performances by 40 youth from his Dream Life Center, an organization that reaches out to youth dealing with life-controlling issues.  7. Burnett Farm’s two open meadows are separated by a foot bridge. One open field was used for day time activities and the other for night time activities, Mandy Bishop said.