New Direction Christian Church attracts youth with music
by Gerald Pace
For The St. Louis American
Gospel rapper and minister Travis “This’l” Tyler preached at New Direction Christian Church during its Friday night youth service recently. About 75 youth gathered for the monthly hip-hop-styled youth service. The service is held on the last Friday of each month and often features rap artists who are also committed Christians.
“We use a lot of hip-hop artists. We often have youthful preachers that can bring a youth-oriented message. We are trying to get the youth to fall in love with the Lord,” Kenneth Petty, youth pastor at New Direction, said.
The church has about 20 active youth members, but draws a crowd of 50 to 75 youth from diverse backgrounds and races with the monthly hip-hop service. Jason “J’son” Watson, a member of the New Direction youth committee, opened up the service with a medley of Christian rap songs. Local praise and worship leader Daphanie Rice and Victory Christian Outreach Church’s praise and worship team also performed two songs.
“We wanted This’l to speak to our youth because his love goes beyond entertainment. His ministry is his heart. He has a passion to see people come to the Lord. I know his love for God and the scriptures,” Petty said.
This’l, whose stage name is an acronym for “This House I Shall Live”, is currently a member of Leonard Baptist Church and said he wanted to present a message of God’s love at the hip hop service.
“To the youth that were there that were already saved, I wanted them to understand that it was God’s love that drove Jesus to the cross and through their love for God they should really have the desire to live a righteous life before Him. For the one’s who weren’t saved, I wanted them understand God does love them, Jesus died for their sins and through that love, they have the opportunity to be saved,” This’l said.
“I grew up in the streets hustling and doing everything a person could think of. I used drugs, but six years ago I committed my life to the Lord. My music is for people who grew up like I did. I know what they are going through and I use this insight and the word of God to draw people that are in the streets.
“I had never been in a church for anything but a funeral. In 1999, West End Mt. Carmel Baptist Church evangelized my neighborhood because of the violence there. I was introduced to Christian rappers. There I was saved and I quit hustling instantly,” he said.
This’l grew up in the 26th Ward and performed secular music before becoming a Christian. He recently released an evangelistic cd, The Ezekiel Project and said he is currently working on two albums. The first release will be a mixed disc of Christian rappers from across the country and the second will be a disc of his original music, Chronicles of an X Hustla.
The single “Not too Late Mommy” from Chronicles is already being played on radio stations nationwide. Now This’l is embarking upon a college education at Missouri Baptist College and said he wants to start a non-profit organization called Project 37 Outreach Ministries.
“I want to open a safe house community center in the neighborhood where kids can come and build a one-on-one relationship. I will use the platform God has given me in music to evangelize,” he said.
“My goal is to see love and unity back in the body of Christ. Sometimes we have six churches in the neighborhood with no effects. I want to see the effect of churches in the community.”
For more information about youth services at New Direction Christian Church call (314) 680-6507. For more information about the music and ministry of Travis “This’l” Tyler visit www.thislmuzik.com or call (314) 882-2894.
