An interview with best-selling artist, Jeremy Camp.
Jeremy Camp just returned from Europe…
Yes, it’s been amazing. We toured Germany, Holland, Scotland, Ireland, and the Faro Islands — next year we’re hitting 15 countries. My heart is here in the states, but I’ve seen doors open. God has expanded our ministry globally.
There’s an excitement overseas where people don’t have access to Christian concerts. I share the Gospel and I share my life and share about my kids. There is such an excitement and a hunger for that.
What about language barriers?
There is definitely a culture barrier and sometimes I have a translator. But we’re one Body. No matter where I go around the world we’re one Body. There are different cultures and languages, but sharing what God has done transcends all that. It’s amazing.
How does Jeremy Camp manage the work-family balance?
We never go more than a week without seeing each other. This fall tour I’ll be gone four days, home for three. It’s still hard. If I’m gone too often we try to get the kids and Adie to visit for a weekend. When we tour to the West Coast, we’re going to be gone for a little over two weeks, so they’re coming the whole time with me.
Your girls aren’t in school, yet, right?
No. It’s been in Adie’s heart to homeschool so we can have the freedom to go with each other whenever, wherever. So this fall when we go to the West Coast they’ll be with me for two weeks straight, Adie will school them on the bus. Adie is amazing.
What are you teaching your family?
Music is not my life. Christ is my life and if I’m not putting Him at the head of everything — then everything is going to suffer. It’s important that Adie and the girls know that.
If I invest time in the Word of God, and spend time in prayer and love God with all my heart, mind and soul — I’ll love my family better and I’ll be able to do this more effectively. Music does not take the place of family.
My heart would be as God called David, that when I leave people will say, He was a man after God’s own heart, and that my children will see that as well.
What legacy are you leaving for your girls?
The examples we set, the things that we allow in the home — the music we listen to, the things that we watch — is very much black and white. And outside the home there are influences we can’t control. But you can’t isolate; you can’t put them in a bubble. We try to be the example of Christ. You’re to love. You’re to forgive. You’re to share. If they’re never learning those attributes, then when they get older it’s going to be tough.
In essence we’re saying, Hey, this is what you’re going to be up against. Hey, this is what you’re going to deal with. So you be an example. You learn to share. You learn to forgive. You learn to be patient.
How do you and Adie connect spiritually?
Every morning she wakes up at six in the morning. Adie will open the Bible and she’ll send me a Scripture, a nugget. She’s like, Oh, check this out. And we’ll discuss it. What we ask each other is, Hey, so what did you read. Or how are doing? What’s God teaching you? That’s how we connect.
I love hearing her heart and hearing her talk about things that she’s read or things that God is showing her. And if one of us is slipping, we can encourage one another in that aspect. Hey, let’s get up tomorrow and take time out and make sure that we get back on track.
We’re (as husbands) called to be the head of the household. I need to be able to spur her along or be an example or ask, How are you doing? How was your time in the Word? It says to “wash your wives in the water of the Word.” Hey, honey, this is the Scripture I read today. Isn’t that awesome? That’s a way to wash our spouses in the water of the Word.
Communication is so important. We really need to connect on how each other is doing. You have to be able to explain how you’re feeling; many couples don’t do that. We’ve come to the conclusion that no matter how small it is — if it’s a hurt or disappointment — we need to talk about it.
Copyright © 2009 by Jim Mueller, President and co-founder of Growthtrac Ministries.
[schemaapprating]
Jim Mueller
Jim is the founder, with wife, Sheri, of Growthtrac Ministries as well as Program Director of GrowthtracRadio and the architect behind marriagetrac.com. Jim holds a B.S. in business management and is a facilitator for PREPARE/ENRICH, the most widely used customized couple assessment tool. He has authored numerous articles, interviewed leading relationship experts, and Christian artists, and has contributed to Dr. Les Parrott’s book, The Complete Guide to Marriage Mentoring. Jim has worked for more than 15 years to help premarital couples and married couples build and maintain healthy relationships.
