Classical Music Concerts to Share the Gospel

Julie Lowe is a gifted pianist who uses classical music concerts to share her story, preach the gospel, and comfort those who are struggling. Through the concerts, she can break down barriers to faith and introduce the gospel in a way that doesn’t feel intimidating. But her ministry is also the result of disappointment in her personal life and music career.

Julie began playing music when she was four by copying whatever her older brother played. After getting a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of British Columbia, she moved to Europe and continued her studies in London, Cologne, and Vienna. When she entered a competition in Brussels, she was humbled when she didn’t make it past the first round. Then she started to doubt her talent. So she prayed about it, asking God if she had it in her to be a world-class musician. The Lord’s answer was clear. “He said, ‘No, you’re not a world-class musician; you’re a Kingdom-class musician,’” Julie says. 

For a while, she didn’t know what that meant. Did it mean she would play regular concerts and just throw in subtle “God bless you” statements? Did it mean she would play for God in heaven after she dies? 

For a while, she didn’t play music at all. She went through a painful divorce and thought her status as a divorcee would preclude her from doing ministry work. “At that point, I didn’t even know if I was still going to heaven,” she says.

The calling to be a “Kingdom-class musician” was over, or so she thought. After the dust settled, she took 40 days of fasting and prayer. She prayed to God, “If you can still use me, whatever you can still use, it’s yours.” Not long after that, a friend who loved the idea of combining music and faith called and invited her to her first testimony concert tour, playing at churches in Japan. The concerts were mostly in Tōhoku, an area recently devastated by an earthquake.

Beginning her ministry

After a show in Tōhoku, one person told her, “Your music, from the first notes, opened my heart. There’s been such sadness here, and I was in tears from the beginning of the concert.” Another said, ‘Your music tilled the soil in my heart. That was the soil that God used to plant a seed.”

That feedback inspired Julie to continue with her music as a ministry. During her performances, Julie shares her story about her painful divorce, bouts with cancer, and depression, and how God has gotten her through it all. “You have to give enough of the facts of what happened to you so that other people can relate to that,” Julie says. “The focus is on who Christ is, what He can do, what He’s done in my life, and what He can do in someone else’s.”

After a concert in Brazil, a young woman came up to her and said, “I became a Christian a couple of years ago, and my mom was angry about it. She would discourage me from going to church.” Her mother even resorted to spiking her food with pepper that triggers her allergies to keep her from going out to church. She took a chance and invited her mom to the concert, since she likes classical music. Her mom was moved to tears and thanked Julie for putting on the concert.

To Julie, music is a way of breaking down barriers and ministering to people on their terms. “I’m hoping to give non-Christians an opportunity to hear the gospel and Christians an opportunity to use it as outreach in a non-threatening way,” Julie says.

People who would never go to church or listen to a sermon will come to a concert and listen to her music. Christians often bring friends with whom they want to share the gospel, but are worried about ruining their friendship. “I’ll do my best to present the gospel as clearly as I can in a way that hopefully will resonate with them. If that leads to a follow-up discussion with them, super!”

“All we can ask is that the Lord will use whatever means we have available to make a pathway to somebody else,” Julie says.

Meeting on Zoom during COVID

While on lockdown during the COVID pandemic and unable to put on concerts, Julie looked for ways to serve God and those around her. When she read an email from Dallas Theological Seminary about an online evangelism course, she invited her Christian contacts to join her. They took the course together and met on Zoom to talk about it. After completing the course, they decided to continue connecting over Zoom calls. They went through RightNow Media evangelism content together. When the lockdowns lifted, most people stopped attending, but a core of six people continues to meet weekly. 

A passion for reaching and comforting others

Julie is a gifted musician, but she doesn’t consider that to be her passion. That’s what she uses to get people’s attention, to break down barriers, and offer opportunities for gospel conversations. “What gets me up in the morning is knowing that there are people going through the things I’ve gone through, but they don’t have the hope,” she says.

She understands what it feels like for people to feel judged. She wants to reassure others who are struggling that God knows how they feel and He cares about them. “My passion has always been to say that whatever you’re going through, Christ has also gone through,” she says. “He knows what it’s like to be rejected. He knows what it’s like to be betrayed. He knows what it’s like to be disbelieved, misunderstood, and criticized.”

For Julie, music is the easiest way to share her testimony and explain the gospel. She encourages people to find the way that works for them, whether they’re a musician, graphic designer, gamer, or whatever. The key is trusting God to use your gifts and passions to make an impact. 

You may not have world-class talent, but everyone has something they can use to spark spiritual conversations. “The Lord will provide inspiration for what you will do, how you will use your gifts,” she says.

To know more about Julie Lowe visit her website at julielowe.com