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Each year local believers follow Jesus’ words to his followers: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Most often, the gospel (the good news of Christ Jesus) is shared to other nations in mission trips. However, Christians in Manchester and surrounding areas follow this command to share his love at The Jesus Tent in Outeroo (area surrounding Centeroo including camping, parking, etc.)

Volunteers come from all over the area and vary in every way except one: they’re all Christians. Through a cooperative program 3,000 churches support the tent in a way with 219 physical volunteers spanning four states.

One of the youngest volunteers, Isabella Miles, is serving in her first year eligible. She attends First Baptist Church Manchester. She shares, “Often, I think people hear the term “Jesus Tent” and assume we’re preaching to them.

She continues, “[Serving in The Jesus Tent] has been good. I like serving people and it’s one of my favorite mission projects. The people are so eager to hear and learn.”

Lifelong friend of Miles and member of New Vision in Murfreesboro, Maggie Few tells, “We got to build connections with people last night and watch those [volunteers] who have been here longer. We don’t even to bring up Jesus, but showing it through our actions.”

Miles tells a story about a young women she met the night before. The woman asked when the tent closed, so Miles responded with, “Oh, we don’t. It’s open 24/7.” The woman stared back confused asking, “And you’re all volunteers?” So, Miles answered, “Yes.” All the woman said back was, “Why?”

Miles and Few’s statements correlate with another goal of the tent. While Gospel conversations may seem to be the only goal, there is so much more there.

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” This set of verses is found in 1 Peter 4:8-11 ESV.

This set of verses unofficially represent The Jesus Tent. Paired with praise and instruction, Peter (Author of 1 Peter) shares a message that resonates with the tent of today.

Veteran Volunteer Lizzy Hunt shares, “My favorite part is sharing the love of Jesus with people who may have not had a good church experience. This could be their first good experience with “Church people.” I love hearing people come back and tell us how The Jesus Tent changed their mind on Jesus and church people and its positive impact on them.”

Hunt’s statement clearly displays the instruction found in 1 Peter 4:8-9, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” Instead of hatred for unbelievers, Hunt and the tent love them fiercely without complaint. That is a mission of The Jesus Tent.

As I was in the midst of the tent talking with Hunt, Misti Garrett, certified massage therapist, emerged with her massage table. Just beyond, Angela Seals Leftwich was working in the tent for her second day braiding hair of tent visitors.

These two women, and many others, were serving the Lord with their gifts aligning with 1 Peter 4:10, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” The volunteers at The Jesus Tent use their gifts from God to serve him and others while giving him the glory. That is a mission of The Jesus Tent.

It is here in The Tent the message of Bonnaroo is amplified, “Radiate positivity.” As you enter the tent, you can feel the unity of everyone involved. From the free supplies and food to the theology books and Bibles covering every covered table.

Each table covered by disposable plastic tablecloth drowning in artwork, drawings and the message of Christ. Dr. Jake Dorak, Coordinator of The Jesus Tent and Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church drew me one of his favorite diagrams.

Dr. Dorak’s dissertation focused on The Jesus Tent and how to reach Bonnaroo attendees. He shares, “I wrote my dissertation on a strategy to reach Bonnaroo. It focused on having worldview conversations that lead to gospel conversations. It would primarily be through song lyrics,” and then he began writing on the table,

He wrote four words: Creation, Fall, Redemption and Restoration. This is the story of the Bible. Then he said, “What is your favorite song right now?” I replied with the song “Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve” by Taylor Swift.

The song was written about her relationship with John Mayer from over a decade ago. When the two dated, Swift was 19 while Mayer was 32. While Swift and Mayer both have songs directed at the other, nothing is quite like “Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve” because it unpacks the permanent damage done by this relationship.

In this song, the fall of humanity is clear. There is something wrong with our world because there are bad relationships and heartbreak. Audiences admit there is something wrong in our world.

This is when Dr. Dorak breaks out his strategy to shift the conversation from a worldview to a Gospel conversation. Next, he would say something along the lines of, “Now isn’t it weird that God said everything is perfect, but there’s something so obviously wrong in the world?”

The breakdown begins at Creation when God created the Earth. In early Genesis, humanity falls. We now live in a broken world. We are in need of a Savior and Redemption. That Savior is Jesus Christ who was crucified for our sins after living the perfect life. He redeemed everyone. Now, we wait for God to restore to the beauty of original creation.

Creation. Fall. Redemption. Restoration. That message is the Gospel. That is the mission of The Jesus Tent.

One of these four words are found in media of all kinds—songs, movies or books. Another example could be a song that reminds you of your childhood before the world got too brutal and real. That conversation might shift to a comparison of your childhood with creation and your inciting incident with the fall.

Dr. Dorak shares that this works so well because, “God’s story is written on our hearts.”

These types of comparisons and conversations last forever. There is one hindrance to Dr. Dorak’s plan that he shares, “Here’s the difficulty with it, I know how to do this. But, it’s hard to train other people to do it and finding the time to train others.” He shares that the big picture goal is for every Jesus Tent volunteer to easily do this.

Dr. Dorak tells where his origin of passion for The Jesus Tent came from, “So my heart has always been reaching people who are like me, who are not in the church or who do not yet know Christ. At 20-years-old, a group of Christians invited me to a Bible study and that’s how i came to know Jesus.”

“I love opportunity to step in to where the nations come to Manchester and we get the opportunity to a give them a positive church experience, share the gospel and share the love of Jesus Christ. If you talk to most people and see they have a church background but their Christian experience has not always been positive. And it’s about equipping the local church to think this way too.”

He continues, “All of this wouldn’t be possible without the generous donations of local churches, Duck River Baptist association, and the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. We’re grateful for their emerging generation’s specialist Dr. Ryan Keaton. Ryan comes out every year to serve as a TN Baptist Mission Board representative.”

Dr. Keaton says, “From the mission board, we’re excited to see local churches to come together and the next generation coming up. As Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, we have a heart with sharing the gospel with the next generation and it’s awesome to see all these churches coming together to do that.”

The Jesus Tent was not always at Bonnaroo though. It has been built up over time. Dr. Dorak shared what he believed to be the beginning of the tent.

Back in 2002, the first year of Bonnaroo, traffic in Manchester was severely backed up. The cars piled up all the way back to First Baptist Church. Cyndi Cox remembered their leftover popsicles from Vacation Bible School and passed them out. Dr. Cox and Dr. Walker, pastors of local churches, then gathered to pass out water.

As the infrastructure of Manchester improved, there was no longer a need to pass out water on the side of the road. These leaders knew they needed to get on festival grounds and that’s when Dr. Walker found a piece of private property in the middle of Bonnaroo property.

Now the tent floods with people each year: returning friends, loving volunteers and new visitors. The Jesus Tent is a small gem that both Bonnaroovians and Manchester Christians hold dearly.