Two Nights with Josh Baldwin: A Shenandoah Valley Worship Experience

Two churches. Two nights. Opposite ends of the valley. Nearly 1,000 people came out to worship and support a mission that's been changing lives for over twenty years. What happened on those August nights in 2024 was more than a concert series. It was a community showing up for something that matters.

Who Is Josh Baldwin

Josh Baldwin is a worship leader and artist with Bethel Music, known for songs like "Stand in Your Love" that have become staples in churches around the world. His music has a way of filling a room and drawing people into God's presence—not through performance, but through genuine worship.

If you've been in a church service in the last five years, you've probably sung one of his songs. What you might not know is that Josh brings the same heart to a room of 500 that he brings to a stadium of 50,000. He's not there to put on a show. He's there to lead people somewhere.

The Events

August 1, 2024 — Destiny Family Center, Stuarts Draft, Virginia. Approximately 450-500 people.

August 2, 2024 — Open Door Church, Clearbrook, Virginia. Approximately 450-500 people.

Back-to-back nights at opposite ends of the Shenandoah Valley. Same heart, same mission, two communities coming together to worship and support the work of Shenandoah Valley Teen Challenge.

The logistics of pulling off two events in two days at two different venues aren't simple. But the valley is long, and we wanted to make it accessible for people no matter which end they lived on. Stuarts Draft one night. Clearbrook the next. Meet the community where they are.

Both rooms were packed. Both nights were powerful. And both reminded us why we do what we do.

Why Destiny Family Center Mattered

I need to pause here and tell you why the first night hit differently for me.

Destiny Family Center in Stuarts Draft is where I was baptized.

I visited there while I was on pass from Teen Challenge, and that's where it happened—I went under the water as the person I used to be and came up new. I had planned to make it my home church after graduating the program, but God had other plans. An opportunity opened up to youth pastor at Calvary Assembly of God, and that's the direction He took me instead.

Twenty years later, I walked back into that same room—this time as the director of Shenandoah Valley Teen Challenge, hosting a sold-out worship night with Josh Baldwin on stage. Full circle doesn't begin to describe it.

And my parents were there.

My dad, Rev. John Franich, founded SVTC alongside my mom, Novella. That night was the first time I publicly honored him for over twenty years of ministry, in front of a crowd that size. I talked about what he'd built, what he'd sacrificed, and what his faithfulness had meant to hundreds of men and women who found freedom through the ministry he started.

He passed away on Christmas Day 2025.

Looking back now, I'm so grateful for that night. I didn't know it would be one of the last times I'd get to honor him publicly. I didn't know that moment in Stuarts Draft would carry the weight it does now. But God knew. And He gave us that night.

If you want to read more about my dad and his legacy, you can find his memorial page at /johnfranich.

A $10,000 Moment

Midway through the Destiny Family Center event, a woman walked up to me. I didn't recognize her at first. She introduced herself and told me her story.

Years ago, she dated a student who was in the SVTC program during the early days. Through that relationship, she started coming to church. Eventually, she gave her life to Jesus. She's been following Him ever since.

That night, she handed me a check for $10,000.

I stood there holding it, trying to process what just happened. This woman's path to faith started because of a young man in our program—someone we discipled, probably someone we worried about, maybe someone we wondered if we were getting through to. And years later, the ripple from his life came back around in a way none of us could have predicted.

That's the thing about this work. You plant seeds and you rarely see the harvest. You pour into people and then they leave and you wonder if any of it stuck. And then, twenty years later, a woman walks up at a worship concert and hands you $10,000 because of something that started in your program before you even knew it was happening.

God is in the business of long-term returns.

The Impact

Across both nights, nearly $25,000 was raised for Shenandoah Valley Teen Challenge. Close to 1,000 people attended between the two events.

Those funds went directly to supporting the ministry—keeping the program running, supporting families navigating addiction, and ensuring that when someone calls looking for help, we can actually help them.

But numbers only tell part of the story. The real impact was in the room. People worshipping together. People praying together. People giving generously because they believe in what we're doing. A community that showed up and said, "This matters. We're with you."

You can't put a dollar amount on that.

Thank You

Events like this take a village. Actually, they take a valley.

Thank you to Destiny Family Center for hosting the first night—and for being the church that baptized a broken twenty-year-old who had no idea what God was going to do with his life. Your faithfulness over the years has meant more than you know.

Thank you to Open Door Church for hosting the second night and welcoming the northern end of the valley with open arms.

Thank you to Robin's Photography for capturing both evenings so beautifully. Your work helps us tell the story long after the last song fades.

Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket, drove across the valley, worshipped with abandon, and gave generously. You made this possible.

And thank you to Josh Baldwin for bringing your gift and your heart to our little corner of Virginia. Two nights. Two churches. One mission. And a Christ who showed up in both rooms.