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Personality
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On Working in CCM
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Ken Anderson
Station Manager
On Air: 9:30 - noon weekdays
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You know, I never had a desire to "work" in CCM, but I had a great desire to do something that would be an encouragement to other Christians. The "CCM part" just found me! It is the thing that Jane and I believe the Father gave us to do for our family, our friends and the community. It's the vehicle that carries the message of Grace and Peace that we were so fond of and hoped to share with people.
I've had some really wonderful experiences with CCM. I remember a Philips, Craig and Dean concert that I thought was our most "profound" concert event, and I always thought Wes King had a unique way to express the Gospel to us. I think everyone knows the artist that I found the most intriguing was Rich Mullins. We had Rich in concert the first year we were on the air, and that concert was just unforgettable for me. Jeans, bare feet, a can of Coke, the simplicity of a dulcimer and the Word of God expressed through Rich... that's my "Mind" picture of CCM!
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Andria Sittig
On Air:12:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Mondays through Wednesdays & Fridays
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I was drawn to CCM from the first listen. I love the mix of music and message, and believe in the ability of CCM to have a profound impact in lives because I’ve experienced it firsthand. Certain songs have been just the support I needed in dark times, while certain other songs have been the “soundtrack” during celebratory times in my life. The music of WBVN has been like an old friend since it took the airwaves in 1990. So after receiving my degree in Communications in 1996, working at the station seemed like a no-brainer and God’s grace opened the door at the right time.
I started working at WBVN in 1998. I attended my first concert as a WBVN employee shortly thereafter; it was a Satellite Soul concert at John A. Logan College. While I stood at the front entrance collecting tickets, little did I know I was about to take the ticket of my soon-to-be-husband, Lance Sittig, who I first really met thanks to WBVN.
I believe that music has the potential to reach deep places in our hearts. It catches our defenses off-guard and touches our emotions making us uniquely vulnerable to its message for the good or the bad; so what better music to put into your spirit on a day-to-day basis than CCM with its focus on Christ? Phil. 4:8
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Amy Eckert
On Air: 7:00 - 9:30 am weekdays |
Psalm 37 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." The funny thing is, I never imagined that working at a radio station would be the desire of my heart!
I had known about WBVN for a very long time, but when I started working here in January (2005) I had only been a listener for a little over a year. It had become such a consistent source of encouragement to me... always positive, always uplifting, always there! When it came time to look for a job after four years as a stay-at-home mom, I thought that WBVN would be a wonderful place to work. I spoke with Ken, but he didn't need any help at that time. I went on to get a job, that very same day as a matter of fact, and continued listening to the CCM at 'BVN. I went on about my life but couldn't shake that feeling about the station. In January I spoke with a dear friend asking for her advice, "Should I make another call to Ken, or should I just be content where I am?" She quoted Psalm 37 and told me that if it's been on my heart, I should call him. It was that moment that I realized that it truly was a desire of my heart!
I'm so blessed to be a part of this ministry that has meant so much to me!
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Tom Mann
On Air: 3:00 - 6:00 pm weekdays |
I first learned about Contemporary Christian Music nearly 25 years ago from my high school girlfriend. She told me, "If you want to go out with me, you will listen to this music." I listened. Since that time, I spent more than ten years on the air at various radio stations playing the music that got me a date. I knew that I was blessed to use such a tool to minister to others . I left Christian radio for more than a decade to own and operate a media production business for radio & television in Memphis, TN. Like the life of Job in the Bible, some unpredictable circumstances in my life brought me to Southern Illinois. I found that the music I used to play touched my heart and lifted my spirit during my time of loss. During those days I remember praying for the chance to use my talents again as never before. Now you know the rest of the story... WBVN.
Until recently, I did not fully understand the POWER of Contemporary Christian music. I used to think it was a great way to communicate the Gospel to a new generation and a cool way to be a Christian. But it is much more than that... "It's a Spirit Thing" as coined by the Newsboys. The music changes through the years but the message is the same powered by the Spirit of the living God. Every day I am aware of the powerful message of hope and encouragement that each song brings to WBVN listeners. To play the music I play and to work at WBVN is a true blessing beyond my imagination. Just ask all four of my kids (ages 16 to 25) and my wife whom I met at a WBVN concert. That is another "Spirit Thing" story... and proof to me of God's hand at work in Southern Illinois through WBVN.
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Colleen Lindsay
On Air: 3:00 - 4:00 pm Fridays
Fast Forward |
I have always loved Contemporary Christian Music; I grew up hearing WBVN on the radio. I am an avid ticket collector and the first ticket that I ever collected was from a WBVN concert with Kim Boyce. I can remember attending the concerts from their beginning at the old Civic Center, to Aldersgate Methodist Church, and back to the new Civic Center. So, WBVN and CCM have always been a part of my life.
Although I have only been with WBVN for about a year, I have had my share of mess-ups. I often go off the air and stick out my tongue at myself and go "blhhh." My first on-air interview (with Christian rock groups Skuf and The Romance) was nerve wrecking. I knew everyone was listening to me. Ken had been telling me to treat the interview as if I were talking to them in a normal setting and that the microphone was not between us, basically make up questions as we went along. For me, this was virtually impossible. As one of my last questions to Skuf, I wanted to ask them about what they did in the band. I tried to be conversational and collected about it, but I couldn't find the words to make it work. My notes read, "What do in band?" but what came out of my mouth was "What position do you play?" With that lead, they played off the old Abbott and Costello routine and replied, "Third bass!" You can learn a lot with practice, as I am finding out, and every day is a new experience.
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Laura Miles
On Air: Fill In
Production |
I truly cannot remember a time in my life without Contemporary Christian Music. I remember very early, when I volunteered at the station on Saturday mornings. I would arrive at the station way too early, due to my excitement. I would run the programming on what is now, ancient machinery (which included 8 tracks!!!) Now, I'm able to be part of this ministry on a regular basis whether it's in the Production Room, filling in on-air, working at concerts or as an avid listener. (I still get here way too early and I now use computers to run the programming.)
It is an incredible thought that my son Parker has had the benefit of CCM on WBVN since his birth, and I am waiting for the day when he will be involved with this ministry. That is one of the wonderful things about WBVN; it reaches from my son, to his great-grandmother. You can walk into her house on any given day, and WBVN is on in basically every room. She has been a listener since WBVN's day one, and Parker has been a listener since his day one. There is no age limit on encouragement, and there is no limit on the amount of encouragement given by WBVN.
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Volunteers to the listeners of WBVN:
Cindy Rolape, Keith Burns, Tim Jeralds, Dale Arnold, Danny Bloodworth, Phil Odle, Debbie Overturf, Nathan Miles, Rachel Brown, Nick Brown, Danny Edwards, Lance Sittig, Trina Edwards, Alexa Hortin, Jerry Kuykendall, David Newlin, Dean Overturf, Linda Kuykendall, Amy Helmly, Tammy Allgaier, Barbara Koehler, Harold Overturf, Debbie Arnold, Steve Fry, Jeff Oestriech, Jane Anderson, Mike Eckert, Mike Hull, Ethan Edwards, Chris Smith, Britney Edwards, Linda Kasten, Sherry Jeralds, Ann Burns, Tara Troutman and Jeremy Gower
In memory of Larry Burns, volunteer 1990-2008
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