Ben Fuller at Winchester Church of God: More Than a Concert

Seven hundred fifty people packed into Winchester Church of God on a Friday night in March 2025. The room was sold out, standing room only in places, and you could feel the anticipation before Ben Fuller ever walked on stage. But what happened over the next two hours wasn't a typical concert. The altar was open from the first song to the last. People weren't just listening. They were responding.

Who Is Ben Fuller

If you haven't heard of Ben Fuller yet, you will. He's a country and Christian artist whose music hits different because he's lived every word of it. Before the record deals and the radio play, Ben was a logger in Vermont battling addiction, depression, and a life that was falling apart. His turning point came through an encounter with God that he's been writing songs about ever since.

His music carries the weight of someone who knows what it's like to be broken and what it's like to be put back together. Songs like "Who I Am" and "If You Ain't Been There" aren't performances—they're testimonies set to music. That's why his stuff resonates so deeply with people in recovery and with the families who love them.

This concert came right before Ben's collaboration with Carrie Underwood took him to another level nationally. We caught him at exactly the right moment—already powerful in his ministry, not yet so big that a church in Winchester couldn't book him. God's timing, as usual.

The Event

March 2025. Winchester Church of God. Sold out at 750 people.

The room was electric before Ben even took the stage. Shenandoah Valley Teen Challenge had been promoting this event for months, and the community showed up. Families, church members, people in recovery, people who'd never set foot in a Teen Challenge event before but loved Ben Fuller's music—they all came.

This was a fundraiser for SVTC, but it never felt like a fundraiser. It felt like a worship service that happened to also support the ministry. That's the only way to describe it.

More Than a Performance

Here's what set this night apart: Ben kept the altar open the entire time.

Most concerts have a clear division between performer and audience. You watch, you clap, maybe you sing along, and then you go home. This wasn't that. From the first song, Ben made it clear that anyone who needed prayer, anyone who needed to respond to what God was doing in their heart, could come forward. And people did. Throughout the entire night.

The altar area stayed full. People were on their knees. Others stood with hands raised, tears streaming down their faces. Prayer teams moved through the space, laying hands on people, speaking truth over them. It wasn't choreographed or manipulated. It was just what happens when someone who's been delivered ministers to people who are desperate for the same thing.

There's a moment I keep coming back to. Midway through the night, Ben stopped between songs and just talked. No polish, no scripted transition. He talked about his lowest moments, about the shame he carried, about the night he almost didn't make it. And then he talked about grace. About a God who meets you in the pit and doesn't leave you there. The room was silent. And then, without prompting, people started moving toward the altar again.

That's not entertainment. That's ministry.

The Impact

Nearly $20,000 was raised that night. Every dollar went directly to supporting the work of Shenandoah Valley Teen Challenge—keeping the ministry running, supporting families navigating addiction, and connecting people with the programs that can change their lives.

But the real impact can't be measured in dollars. It's measured in the people who responded at that altar. In the conversations that happened in the lobby afterward. In the seeds planted that night that will bear fruit for years to come.

Nights like this remind you why the work matters. When you're in the daily grind of ministry—the phone calls, the logistics, the hard conversations—it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. Then you stand in a room full of 750 people worshipping together, watching God move in real time, and you remember. This is what it's all for.

The Conversation

Before the concert, Ben sat down with us for a conversation about his story, his faith, and what recovery means to him. We talked about the early days, the turning point, and how he thinks about using his platform now. It's one of the most honest conversations we've had on the podcast.

You can watch the full interview on the Rebuilding Life After Addiction podcast:

If you're walking through recovery yourself, or if you love someone who is, this conversation is worth your time. Ben doesn't sugarcoat it. He tells the truth about how hard it was and how good God has been.

Thank You

Events like this don't happen without a community that shows up.

Thank you to Winchester Church of God for opening your doors and hosting this night. Your hospitality and partnership made everything possible.

Thank you to Robin Skievaski Photography for capturing the evening so beautifully. The images from that night tell a story that words can't fully express.

Thank you to the 750 people who bought tickets, showed up, worshipped, gave, and prayed. You are the reason this ministry can keep doing what it does.

And thank you to Ben Fuller. You gave us more than a setlist. You gave us a night of ministry that people will be talking about for years.