Timisoara, Romania
METRO BIG BAND
MAY 21-30, 2026
God is Moving: Metro Big Band’s Journey to Romania
On our recent project with the Metro Big Band, we felt God’s presence in a very unique way. Historically, the culture in Romania during the Communist era was deeply restrictive and dark. While coming out of that time has been a slow process, visible progress is everywhere. Still, the local evangelistic churches have traditionally been ultra-conservative in their outward expression of joy in the Lord.
We have been blessed to visit Romania several times, but on this visit, there was a distinctly new, receptive spirit in the air.
Watch the recap video to hear some of the stories of what God was doing in Romania on this project.
A New Joy in the Church
Bringing a full jazz big band into a Romanian church is something that had quite literally never been seen before. To be honest, the music was probably a bit of a shock to the people at first!
However, that shock quickly turned into excitement. The congregation rapidly warmed to our presence and our message. The climate of the room completely shifted as we shared God’s message of love through music and personal testimonies. The breakthrough became beautifully clear at the close of the Sunday morning service, when the pastor stood up and said:
"We love you and want you to please return again!"
To hear those words from a traditional pastor and to see the people responding so warmly to our music was nothing short of amazing.
Surprised by Grace in Liberty Square
The ultimate highlight of the project came at our final concert in Liberty Square, located in the center of Timisoara. This was a completely unplanned concert that the government miraculously granted permission for just one day before the presentation.
Because it was so last-minute, we had no idea how the crowd would respond. It was a Friday night, and hundreds of people were walking and talking around the square, out for a good time with friends and family. We fully expected people to just keep walking by as we played, perhaps enjoying a bit of the music in passing.
What actually happened blew us away:
A Captivated Audience: Over 100 people completely stopped in their tracks to listen and gave an incredible response.
They Stayed: Our plan was to play for 30 minutes, take a short break to mingle, and then play a second 30-minute set. Amazingly, the group that gathered virtually all stayed to hear the entire hour-long program.
The Power of Connection
On every single project our word is "connect." And on this trip, we truly did.
At every concert, we left the stage at the end of the music to go directly out into the crowd. We wanted to bring the love of the Lord to the people with a genuine smile and be prepared to respond to any questions they had about His plan for them.
During our break in Liberty Square, we visited with one young lady whose response reminded us exactly why we do this. She told us:
"I was not having a good day today, but you have brought me inspiration and hope."
That is God working. What a blessing to be a part of His message through music, love, and human connection. At every single venue, the people we spoke with responded with heartfelt invitations to "please come back."