(Photo by Jonathan A. Meyers. JAM Photography.)

1997

• The Insyderz cover "Awesome God" for their album, The Insyderz Present Skalleluiah!
  
  
• Rich cowrote "A Million Years" for This Train's "Mimes of the Old West" album. Rich also sings background vocals on the track.
  
  

  January 10, 1997

• Rich Mullins attends a party for the cast of Canticle of the Plains at St. Timothy's Catholic Church in Mesa, Arizona.
  
  

  January 24, 1997

• Rich Mullins performs at St. Grace Brethren Church in Westerville, OH at 8:00 p.m.
  Set List: Praise Ye The Lord/I Will Sing, Sing, Sing/Swing Low, Sweet Chariot/When the Saints Go Marching In/I Will Sing/Hope to Carry One/Brother's Keeper/Where You Are/Ready for the Storm/Let Mercy Lead/Sing Your Praise to the Lord/If I Stand/Screen Door/We Are Not As Strong As We Think We Are/Invention in A minor on Mandolins/While the Nations Rage/78 Eatonwood Green/Calling Out Your Name/Creed/Hold Me Jesus/Awesome God/Sometimes By Step/It Is Well/Doxology Wayne Millard, audience member "(He) said that they needed to turn Mitch up in his monitor, 'Not Because It's Enjoyable, but because it's almost Necessary.' Mitch then said to turn him up in his too, as he was being 'overwhelmed by Rich,' to which Rich replied 'That's easy when you are on stage with me.'"
  
  

  January 25, 1997

• Rich Mullins and the Ragamuffin Band perform at East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, IN at 7:30 p.m. Songs performed included "Doxology," "Step by Step" and "How Majestic Is Your Name" (Michael W. Smith)
  
  
• David "Beaker" Strasser and his wife Julie welcome the birth of their son Avery Earl Strasser.
  
  

  January 31, 1997

• Rich Mullins and the Ragamuffin Band, with This Train perform in Wichita, KS at the Century II Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. The performance includes an abbreviated performance of some of the Canticle of the Plains.
  Set List: I Will Sing/Sing Your Praise To The Lord/If I Stand/Awesome God/The Dream (Jimmy A)/Screen Door/The Breaks (sung by Rick Elias)/Harlan County Waltz (instrumental by Rich)/78 Eatonwood Green/Calling Out Your Name/While The Nations Rage/There You Are (Mitch)/Heaven Is Waiting (Mitch)/Let Mercy Lead/Hold Me Jesus/I See You/Like It Or Not (This Train)/Baby, Baby (This Train)/Monster Truck (This Train)/Dance With Me Tonight (Rick Elias)/I Need You (That Thing You Do) (Rick Elias)/Invention in A minor - (J.S. Bach, from "Fifteen two-part inventions", Mitch and Beaker on mandolins)/We Are Not As Strong As We Think We Are/Brother's Keeper/The Color Green/Elijah/Sometimes By Step/Peace/Creed/It Is Well With My Soul/How Majestic Is Your Name (by Michael W Smith)/Lord, I Lift Your Name On High (by Rick Founds)/Doxology
  
  

  (Photo by Jonathan A. Meyers. JAM Photography.)

  February 1, 1997

• Rich Mullins and the Ragamuffin Band with This Train perform at the Century II Concert Hall in Wichita, KS. Like the show on January 31st, the night included an abbreviated performance of songs from the Canticle of the Plains.
  
  

  February 2, 1997

• The world premier of Canticle of the Plains on KTLI 99 FM in Wichita, KS.
  "KTLI Light 99 Interview"
  
  

  February 10, 1997

• "Elijah" (Songs Version) debuts on the AC Charts. It would spend 13 weeks on the chart and peak at #7. Interestingly, this song was Rich's first and last singles on the AC Charts during his lifetime.
  
  

  February 14, 1997

• Rich Mullins and Mitch McVicker perform at Bellevue Christian Center in Omaha, NE at 7:30 p.m. Songs performed include "78 Eatonwood Green," "Jacob and 2 Women," and "While the Nations Rage."
  
  
  

  (Photo by Jonathan A. Meyers. JAM Photography.)

  February 15, 1997

• Rich Mullins and Mitch McVicker perform at Park School Auditorium in Chardon, OH.
  
  
• The Reporter-Times in Martinsville, IN runs an interview with Rich Mullins.
  
  

  February 28, 1997

• Rich Mullins performs at DePauw University's Kresge Auditorium Performing Arts Center in Green Castle, IN at 7:30 p.m.
  
  

  March 1997

• Rich Mullins and Mitch McVicker write "My Deliverer" for a planned new album, which at the time was referred to as Ten Songs About Jesus.
  
  

  March 1, 1997

• Rich Mullins and Mitch McVicker perform at Montgomery Assembly of God in Montgomery, OH.
  Concert Review
  
  

  March 2, 1997

• Rich Mullins hosts a conference for young adults at the Montgomery Assembly of God in Montgomery, OH. Since there was only around 20 people attending the conference, Rich and the attendees went to lunch at Montgomery Skyline Chili for lunch. (Source: Tom Laughlin, who attended)
  
  
• Rich Mullins performs at Allegheny Center Alliance Church in Pittsburgh, PA .
  
  

  March 14, 1997

• Rich Mullins and the Ragamuffin band perform in South Bend, IN for the television special "Live From Studio B." Following the live show, they tape an additional set of songs.
  Set List: I Will Sing/Sing Your Praise to the Lord/If I Stand/The Dream (Jimmy A)/Calling Out Your Name/78 Eatonwood Green/Harlan County Waltz/The Color Green/Brother's Keeper/Man of No Reputation (Rick Elias)/Elijah/Awesome God
  

  March 15, 1997

• Rich Mullins and the Ragamuffin Band perform at Bethel College's Everest-Rohrer Fine Arts Center in South Bend, IN at 7:30 p.m..
  Set List: I Will Sing/Sing Your Praise to the Lord/If I Stand/Awesome God/Screen Door/The Dream (Jimmy Abegg)/78 Eatonwood Green/Calling Out Your Name/Invention in A minor - (J.S. Bach, from "Fifteen two-part inventions", Mitch and Beaker on mandolins)/Boy Like Me, Man Like You/Let Mercy Lead/Where You Are/Sometimes By Step/Dance With Me Tonight (Rick Elias)/I Need You (That Thing You Do) (Rick Elias)/Brother's Keeper/Creed/I See You/Hold Me Jesus/Heaven In His Eyes/I'm Gonna Sing, Sing, Sing/Heaven is Waiting/Elijah
  

  March 16, 1997

• A sneak preview of Canticle of the Plains is performed at Bethel College's Everest-Rohrer Fine Arts Center in South Bend, IN at 6.p.m.
  
  

  March 21, 1997

• Rich Mullins and Mitch McVicker perform at Philadelphia College of the Bible in Langhorne, Pa at 7:30 p.m. This performance included the rare unreleased "Charlie."
  Set List: Swing Low Sweet Chariot, THe Old Rugged Cross, How Great Thou Art/The Other Side of the World/Elijah/Sing Your Praise to the Lord/Hold Me Jesus/If I Stand/Awesome God/Where You Are/Growing Young/Ready for the Storm/78 Eatonwood Gree/Calling Out Your Name/Invention in A Minor (Mandolin Duet)/Creed/Brother's Keepr/Let Mercy Lead/Screen Door/Charlie
  

  March 22, 1997

• Rich Mullins and Mitch McVicker perform at Bramalea Baptist Church in Toronto, Ontario Canada .
  
  
• Rich is interviewed by David Wang, the music columnist for The Catholic Register. That interview would appear in the April edition of the magazine.
  "Interview with Rich Mullins"
  
  
  

  (Photo by Jonathan A. Meyers. JAM Photography.)

  March 23, 1997

• Rich Mullins performs at Texas Woman's University's Jones Auditorium in Denton, TX.
  Set List: Hope To Carry On/Where You Are/Ready for the Storm/Let Mercy Lead/Sing Your Praise to the Lord/Hold Me Jesus/Screen Door/We are Not as Strong As We Think We Are/Invention in A minor - (J.S. Bach, from "Fifteen two-part inventions", Mitch and Rich on mandolins)/While the Nations Rage (dedicated to "the President and her husband")/Land of My Sojurn/His Love is Right Here (Mitch)/the lemonade song (Mitch)/Only Love Will (Mitch)/ Jesus Loves Me (Mandolin)/Harland County Waltz (Instrumental)/78 Eatonwood Green/Calling Out Your Name/Creed/Awesome God/It is Well With My Soul/Great is Thy Faithfullness/Sometimes by Step/If I Stand/Sometimes by Step/Elijah/Lord We Lift Your Name On High
  

  March 25, 1997

• Caedmon's Call releases their first self-titled album which includes a cover of Rich's "Hope To Carry On."
  
  

  March 25-27, 1997

• Rich Mullins and the Ragamuffins spend part of Holy Week at a private retreat led by Brennan Manning at Chateau Elan vineyard, north of Atlanta, GA. Manning described Rich as being in a state of emotional termoil about unresolved issues with his family - his father in particular, who had a difficult time expressing affection and supporting his children emotionally.
  Brennan: "During the retreat, I asked Rich to write a letter to his deceased father. The next day I asked him to write a letter from his father to him. Rich resided in the chalet next to mine. As he wrote, I heard sobbing and wailing so loud that I started crying myself. All John Mullins' pent-up affection exploded and came cascading into Rich's heart like a torrent of truth and love. Soon after, Rich came to my place and read the letter, tears streaming down his face.
  Next, I asked Rich to write a letter to Abba followed by a letter from Abba to him. I shall never forget our festive dinner on the last night of the retreat. His black eyes shining like onyx and his face crease in a radiant smile, he said simply, 'Brennan, I'm free.'" (from An Arrow Pointing to Heaven by James Brian Smith)
  
  
• Following the retreat, Rich flew back to Phoenix and called Tom Booth to pick him up at the airport. Tom noted that the only luggage that Rich had was a plastic bag with a toothbrush and a change of underwear in it. Rich told Tom 'I escaped!' He then told Tom that the retreat had been extremely healing for him.
  
  

  March 29, 1997

• The Star Tribune in Minneapolis, MN publishes a short interview and article about Rich Mullins.
  Rich: "I don't think there's anything as additictive as applause and admiration from fans. I also don't think there's anything as dangerous. After a concert, sometimes you get back to your motel, take your shoes off and gag. You think you've really faked them out. You start to struggle. You head home feeling unbelievably empty. And then yu go home and wonder if you've made an impact. The contrast from the ecstasy of performing can be overwhelming."
  Rich: "Success is doing something you love for the joy of doing it and no other reason. It isn't having No. 1 records. I feel sorry for those guys who feel like they have to prove something."
  Rich, on Moving to Window Rock, NM: "I really came here more to try to get beyond my white, middle-class Protestant upbringing and see life through a different lense. Life is really a gift from God and its only purpose and meaning is found in living. We never find real meaning in our work or relationships or in becoming more religious. It's in allowing God to be God."
  
  

  March 31, 1997

• Rich Mullins is filmed walking through Canyon de Chelly National Park in Arizona.
  
  
• The Catholic Register publishes an interview with Rich Mullins.
  "Interview with Rich Mullins"
  
  
• The Wheaton Record publishes an article about Rich Mullins.
  "Rich Mullins Brings Canticle of the Plains to Wheaton"
  
  
  

  (Photo by Jonathan A. Meyers. JAM Photography.)

  April 4, 1997

• Rich Mullins and the Ragamuffin Band perform at the Crystal Evangelical Free Church in Minneapolis, MN at 7:30 p.m.
  
  

  April 5, 1997

• Rich Mullins performs at Garnett Church of Christ in Tulsa, OK at 7:30 p.m.
  
  

  April 11, 1997

• Rich Mullins performs for the morning chapel service at Wheaton College's Edman Memorial Chapel in Wheaton, IL.
  Concert Transcript
  Set List: Sing Your Praise to the Lord/Here In America/The Love Of God/We Are Not As Strong As We Think We Are/If I Stand
  
  
  

  April 15, 1997

• Rich Mullins and Mitch McVicker are interviewed by Artie Terry for WETN's The Exchange which would air on April 17.
  
  

  April 17, 1997

• WETN's program The Exchange airs an interview and performance with Rich Mullins and Mitch McVicker.
  "The Exchange" Transcript
  
  

  April 1997

• The Dick Staub Show airs an interview with Rich.
  "Dick Staub Show Interview with Rich Mullins"
  
  

  April 18, 1997

• The Canticle of the Plains is performed for the first time for the public in Wheaton, IL at Wheaton College's Edman Memorial Chapel at 7:30 p.m. CDs of the soundtrack are available for sale for the first time.
  Set List: I Will Song/Hope to Carry On/Where You Are/Sing Your Praise to the Lord/Brother's Keeper/Let Mercy Lead/New Mexico/I'm Gonna Sing, Sing, Sing/(The Cantical of the Plains Performance)/Jesus Loves Me/Creed/(unknown)/Awesome God/Step by Step
  
  
  

  April 19, 1997

• Rich Mullins performs at Kissimmee Civic Center in Kissimmee, FL at 7:30 p.m.
  Set List: Hymn Medley:a. I'm Gonna Sing, Sing, Sing/b. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot/c. When The Saints Go Marching In/I Will Sing/Hope To Carry On/Where You Are/Ready For The Storm/Let Mercy Lead/Sing Your Praise To The Lord/Screen Door/We Are Not As Strong As We Think We Are/Invention in A minor - (J.S. Bach, from "Fifteen two-part inventions", Mitch and Rich on mandolins)/the lemonade song (Mitch)/Brother's Keeper/Harlan County Waltz (Instrumental)/78 Eatonwood Green/Calling Out Your Name/Creed/Elijah/Awesome God/Sometimes By Step/It Is Well With My Soul/I'm Gonna Sing, I'm Gonna Shout/Swing Low Sweet Chariot/When The Saints Go Marching In/Doxology
  Andrew Peterson, artist: He (Rich) and Mitch McVicker played a show for my college, mainly because I badgered the staff guy in charge of concerts. I volunteered to be the food guy, which meant I got to take Rich's and Mitch's dinner orders. (They both ordered Outback steaks, by the way, which, now that I think about it, is a strange thing to eat just before a show.) When I met him this time around I just said, 'I'm Andrew. I'm the food guy,' hoping he didn’t remember me from before. During the show, Rich told the story about how David only killed Goliath because he was bringing sandwiches to his brothers - and then he glanced at me in the audience and said something like, “There's nothing wrong with being the food guy. After the show I gave him a copy of my indie EP, which I sincerely hope none of you will ever hear, and he stuffed it in his dulcimer case. I also remember being intensely jealous of Mitch, wishing he'd get strep or something so I could fill in. Years later, after Rich died and Mitch and I had done a few shows together, I bashfully said, 'You want to know something crazy? We actually met years ago.' He nodded. 'Yeah, I know. In Florida.' Cue the needle scratch. I was appalled that he remembered. 'Well,' I said, 'sorry if I germed you guys. I gave Rich a copy of my record, and I’ve always wanted to ask...' I took a deep breath. 'Did you guys ever listen to it?' He laughed. 'Yeah,' he said with a grin, 'we kind of hated it.' I love that story so much." (9/26/2017)
  
  

  April 21, 1997

• The Chicago Tribune publishes a short article about the premiere of Canticle of the Plains at Wheaton College on April 18.
  "Mullins Takes Risk with Show on Saint, but Fans Keep Faith"
  
  
  

  (Photo by Jonathan A. Meyers. JAM Photography.)

  April 24, 1997

• The Annual Dove Awards are held in Nashville, TN. Rich did not attend, in spite of being nominated for "Best Recorded Music Packaging" for the "Greatest Hits" collection Songs. Instead, Rich watched the show on TV with Chuck and Cindy Harper at home in Tse Bonito, NM. He reportedly heckled some of the nominees.
  
  

  Early 1997

• At one point, Rich talked to Reunion Records about releasing Canticle of the Plains.
  Dean Diehl (Reunion Records Vice President): "He said 'Dean, I want you to make your best offer, and I'll take it or leave it. I won't negotiate. If you offer 'X' and I don't think that's enough and then you raise it to 'Y,' then I'll feel like you were trying to take advantage of me. Because if you can raise it, then you could have made that offer in the first place. Don't say you're going to give me 10 when you can give me 12. Give me 12.' That's some pressure, knowing the guy is either going to take it or leave it, no negotiating. I'd hate to take that approach to selling cars."
  
  

  May 2, 1997

• A short interview is published in the Grand Rapids Press.
  Rich, on his new home in New Mexico,: "We're right on the border (of Northwest New Mexico and Northeast Arizona). We have a phone in one state and a mailing address in the other. Part of what's happened in the last couple of years is trying to acclimate to what they do. I'm just a novice here."
  Rich, on teaching: "I'm not doing as much teaching as I'd planned. I'm doing some, but not formally. But informally, I'm staying really busy."
  Rich, on 'We Are Not As Strong as we Think We Are': "That song is a reaction to this miscommunication of what the Gospel is all about. The Gospel isn't about creating a beautiful home, with a lovely wife and perfect children. That's very much outside the experience of a good number of people who are still spiritually vital, but have needs which have nothing to do with that."
  Rich, on his time in Michigan: "I think Grand Rapids is a very culturally unique place, not a whole lot like anyplace else."
  Rich, on writing,: "That's kind of how I write. It's based on limitations -- when you're learning a particular skill, during those practice repetitions, that's a lot of times when songs come to mind."
  Rich, on 'Awesome God': "That's the song people always want to hear. I think it's a little different than most songs I've written."
  Rich, on his career: "After 10 years, you come to the point of reevaluating things. Kind of saying, 'I've always been here, but does that mean I always want to be here? We're kind of in the not-sure-where-to-go-what-to-do kind of mode."
  Rich, on performing with Mitch McVicker: "What I like about these concerts is there's a lot more audience participation. It's a lot more intimate, and I enjoy letting an audience in on how a song sounded when it was written before all the production. They're concerts for people who really like the songs."
  
  

  May 3, 1997

• Rich Mullins and Mitch McVicker perform at Peoria Civic Center Theater in Peoria, IL at 7:30 p.m.
  
  

  May 4, 1997

  
  
  
• Rich Mullins, Mitch McVicker and the Ragamuffin Band perform at Welsh Auditorium in Grand Rapids, MI at 7:00 p.m.
  Concert Review
  
  

  May 5, 1997

• The Grand Rapids Press publishes a review of Rich's performance at the Welsh Auditorium on May 4.
  Concert Review
  
  

  May 22,1997

  
  

  (Photo by Jonathan A. Meyers. JAM Photography.)

• Rich Mullins is photographed by Jonathan A. Meyers in Tse Bonito, New Mexico. This photo shoot was an assignment for an article that appeared in "Christian Reader" September/October 1997 Magazine. Many of those photos can be seen on this page. (Used with Permission. www.JamPhotography.com)
  
  

  May 23, 1997

• Rich Mullins is photographed by Jonathan A. Meyers in Tse Bonito, New Mexico This photo shoot was an assignment for an article that appeared in "Christian Reader" September/October 1997 Magazine. Many of those photos can be seen on this page. (Used with Permission. www.JamPhotography.com)
  
  

  May 28, 1997

• Michael Aukofer graduates from Friends University with the Music Education Degree and then prepares to go on tour with Rich and the kid brothers of st. frank.
  
  

  June 1997

• CCM Magazine runs a story on AIDS, which includes the following comments from Rich: "It seems like the church has picked homosexuality out to be the ultimate evil thing, and I'm just not always sure that it is... The people that I know who are homosexual, I don't think about that anymore than I think about my friends who are overweight, who have cheated on their taxes, or have enormous egos. It's all the same thing. If I have to have perfect people in order to have friendships, I'm going to be a very lonely guy."
  The issue also included the following story...
  "A Conversation with Rich Mullins"
  
  
  

  (Photo by Jonathan A. Meyers. JAM Photography.)

  June 1, 1997

• Rich Mullins, back home in Tse Bonito, NM, is interviewed by Jim Veldhuis with LeSea Broadcasting in South Bend, IN.
  
  

  Summer 1997

• Originally, Rich intended to go on tour with the Ragamuffin Band in the Spring/Early Summer of 1997. For reasons that are unclear, plans for that tour fell apart. Rich assembled Mitch, the Kid Brothers, and Mark Robertson and This Train, to go on tour for the rest of the summer. This Train's Jordan Richter came along to run sound, play guitar and drive the equipment truck, and Cobra Joe Curet played drums and helped the road crew.
  
  
• Rich often performs the unreleased song "Charlie" (actual title unknown) during this time, typically with a comment that his record label didn't "let him record it." Other songs performed at this time include "Nothing But the Blood" (Instrumental, on Hammered Dulcimer), Harlan County Waltz (Instrumental, on Lap Dulcimer. Written in 1977), and the traditional hymn "By the Waters of Babylon"
  
  
• Another song that Rich begins performing at this time is "Madeline's Song." The song was written and inspired by the daughter of friend James Bryan Smith. Madeline, who was born with numerous birth defects frequently held her hands as if she were praying.
  James Bryan Smith: "Our second child born - Madeline is her name, she was born with severe birth defects and she was not expected to live. But she did - she lived for a couple of years. She had this strange thing - even though she had a number of problems, her hands were often in a posture of prayer and Rich was really moved by her and her utter helplessness. In this world's eyes she had nothing going for her but she did have her hands together so Rich made her his prayer partner and he would whisper his prayers into her ears. She was profoundly deaf, but he whispered his prayers into her ears because he said, 'She's got pull with God.' Which she did. It really was moving. He was such a great friend in so many ways but for a long time I didn't know how moved he was by Madeline until one time he said, 'Hey I wrote a song for her and we want to come and play it.' We were in and out of the hospital a lot with her and we had just gotten back home and he and the guys in the band piled into our living room and played this beautiful song." (2002 Nashville)
  
  

  Late May/Early June 1997

• Rich Mullins writes "You Did Not Have A Home."
  
  

  June 6, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at Exciting Baptist Tabernacle in Farmington, NM at 7:30 p.m.
  
  

  June 8, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at First Christian Church in Odessa, TX at 7:30 P.M.
  
  

  June 9, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at Trinity Church in Lubbock, TX AT 7:30 P.M.
  
  

  June 11, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at the First Baptist Church in McKinney, TX. Prior to the show, Rich came out and played a couple of songs solo - one of which was a song that he said he had "just written" entitled "You Did Not Have A Home." The song would eventually appear on The Jesus Record.
  
  
  

  (Photo by Jonathan A. Meyers. JAM Photography.)

  June 12, 1997

  
  
• In the Morning and Afternoon, Rich Mullins participates in a video shoot for Caedmon's Call's cover of "Hope to Cary On" at McGonigal's Mucky Duck Irish Pub in Houston, TX. While working on the video, Rich entertains the group with song new songs including "You Did Not Have A Home," and the unreleased "Charlie."
  Ben Pearson: "The last time I saw Rich we were working on a music video together. When he arrived, the first thing I noticed was that the tranquility that I had seen in Ireland had increased into a constant radiance. I told him that we had to talk before he left, but time did not permit a conversation that day. As we were filming I managed to ask him if he had heard the new Appalachia Waltz CD by Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Mark O'Connor. He said he had, and that in fact he was now buying it by the case because he couldn't seem to keep a copy around for himself, since he kept giving it away. "
  
  
• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform in Austin, TX.
  
  

  June 13, 1997

• Rich Mullins is interviewed by KVNE in Longview, TX.
  
  
• A "Meet Rich Mullins" event is held at New Life Bible Book Store in Longview, TX between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.
  
  
• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at LeTourneau University's Assembly Building in Longview, TX at 7:30 p.m. The show was interrupted by a tornado warning sending the band and audience to a tornado shelter where the show continued with just an acoustic guitar. Eventually, the "all clear" was given and everyone returned to the auditorium to finish the show.
  Set List: Nothing But the Blood/Awesome God/Brothers Keeper/Boy Like Me, Man Like You/Harlan County Waltz/Madeline's Song/78 Eatonwood Green/Calling Out Your Name/(Tornado warning sounds)/You Did Not Have A Home (Tornado Shelter)/(Everyone returns to the auditorium)/Awesome God/While the Nations Rage/Screen Door/Ready for the Storm/Creed/Step by Step
  
  
  

  (Photo by Jonathan A. Meyers. JAM Photography.)

  June 14, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at the First Baptist Church in Southaven, MS at 7:30 p.m.
  Set List: 78 Eatonwood Gree/Awesome God/Boy Like Me, Man Like You/Ready for the Storm/Screen Door/Sing your Praise to the Lord/Doxology
  
  

  June 19, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform in Toledo, OH at, with This Train and Mitch McVicker.
  
  

  June 21, 1997

• Rich Mullins, Mitch McVicker and Mark Robertson visit the Carpenter's Son Bookstore in Lafatette, IN and perform a short impromptu concert for the customers.
  
  
• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at the First Assembly of God in Lafayette, IN at 7:30 p.m.
  Set List: Nothing But the Blood of Jesus/Awesome God/Brother's Keeper/Boy Like Me, Man Like You/Madeline's Song/Calling Out Your Name/Such A Thing As Glory/Ready For the Storm/By The Waters of Babylon/Every Word You Said (This Train)/I Saw the Light/Monster Truck/I Will Sing/Sing Your Praise To The Lord/Hold Me Jesus/Why Do the Nations Rage/If I Stand/Screen Door/There You Are (Mitch)/Heaven is Waiting (Mitch)/That Great Atomic Power/We are not as Strong as we think we are/You Did Not Have A Home/Sometimes by Step/Creed/I'm Gonna Sing Sing Sing/When The Saints Go Marching In/Swing Low Sweet Chariot/Doxology
  
  

  June 23-26, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform and teach classes at the Christ in Youth (CIY) Conference at Milligan College in Johnson City, TN.
  
  

  June 26, 1997

• As part of the CIY conference, Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform in at Milligan College in Johnson City, TN.
  
  

  June 27, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL at 8:00 p.m.
  
  

  June 28, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at Moubt Carmel Christian Church in Stone Mountain, GA at 7:30 p.m. At one point during the show, Rich introduced David "Beaker" Strasser and had him come up on the stage and perform "Let Mercy Lead" with him. Rich also tried to get Beaker's 3-year-old son Aiden to come up on stage, but he refused.
  Set List: Right Here, Right Now (Mitch)/Freedom (Mitch)/The Lemonade Song/Only Love Will/Take Hold Of Me/Nothing But the Blood/Awesome God/Brother's Keeper/Boy Like Me/ Man Like You/Madeline's Song/78 Eatonwood Green/Calling Out Your Name/Such A Thing As Glory/Ready For the Storm/By The Waters of Babylon/I See You/You Did Not Have A Home/Every Word You Said (This Train)/Whether You Like It or Not (This Train)/I Saw the Light (This Train)/Monster Truck (This Train)/I Will Sing/Sing Your Praise To the Lord/Where Mercy Leads (with special guest, Beaker)/Hold Me Jesus/While the Nations Rage/If I Stand/Screen Door/There You Are (Mitch)/That Great Atomic Power (This Train)/Hope (Mitch)/Bound to Come Some Trouble/Sometimes By Step/Creed/No Not One/It Is Well With My Soul
  

  July 1997

• CCM Magazine Includes an interview with Rich about the musical that he wrote with Beaker and Mitch McVicker entitled Canticle of the Plains.
  "Rich Mullins: The Dreamer and the Saint
  
  

  July 2, 1997

• Rich Mullins appears with Caedmon's Call at the Cornerstone Music Festival in Bushnel, Illinois.
  Derek Webb (Caedmon's Call): "The last time I saw Rich was at the Cornerstone festival. It was hard to not get right into the spontaneity that surrounded him. A perfect example of it occurred just before our set that night. I was stressing out about the fact that I didn't have nearly enough material to play when Rich very casually suggested that he could come and play some if I needed him to. Being up there with Rich that night filled me with a feeling that I can't really relay. I wish I could've told Rich then how much I loved him."
  
  

  July 4, 1997

• Prism/ESA releases Demonstrations of Love which includes a track by Ragamuffin Jimmy Abegg, "Aliens" and a song from Canticle of the Plains called "There You Are".
  
  
  
  

  (700 Club Out-take)

• While at Cornerstone, Rich gives an interview to two representatives of the TBN television program the 700 Club, for a segment called "On the Road with Pete and Roy". Only a brief portion of the interview was aired. Pete and Roy also spend time with Swirling Eddies and Daniel Amos frontman Terry Scott Taylor who gives a tour of the festival grounds to a cardboard cutout of Pat Robertson. When asked to say 'Hi' to Pat, Rich uses some colorful words that makes the message unusable. :)
  Rich (Aired Segment): "Well for me, one of the things that I most enjoy about the Cornerstone festival is you have a broad range of ages - for one thing, it's so cool to see a guy with a mohawk sitting next to a grandma."
  Rich: (Unaired Segment): "Well for me, one of the things that I most enjoy about the Cornerstone festival is you have a broad range of ages, I mean you have everything from - like I know grandparents that are here and kids and... people from lots of different denominations. In the best sense possible, they're all together in that it's not that they don't think doctrine is important but they all have enough humility to realize that their own particular take on doctrine may be inaccurate. And that's so refreshing when you're around... uh... people that are certain that they're right, even if ... you know.. at whatever cost, they have to be right. For one thing, it's so cool to see a guy with a mohawk sitting next to a grandma. I feel like the whole camping out thing is very wholesome - you know, my parents took me camping a lot. I mean looking right down there, you see two moms with their kids holding hands and walking down the thing... putting these kids in a social environment where they're not turned loose for the village to raise them, but... you see a lot of parental care here and that's a wonderful and inspriring thing to see."
  
  
• Rich Mullins joins This Train on stage for "Great Atomic Power" during their performance at the Cornerstone Festival in Bushnel, IL.
  
  
  
  
• Rich Mullins and the Ragamuffin Band perform at the Cornerstone Music Festival in Bushnel, Illinois. Rich performs the song "Jesus," which was written in the early days - but previously unheard by most of Rich's fans.
  Concert Transcript
  Set List: Hello Old Friends/Sing Your Praise To The Lord/Where You Are/Brothers Keeper/I See You/The Dream (Jimmy Abegg)/Aliens (Jimmy Abegg)/Calling Out Your Name/Big And Strong/A Place To Stand/The Color Green/Dance With Me Tonight (Rick Elias)/I Need You (That Thing You Do) (Rick Elias)/Man Of No Reputation/Jesus/Sometimes By Step/Creed/Awesome God
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Canticle of the Plains is performed at the Cornerstone Music festival shortly after the Ragamuffin's mainstage performance.
  Copies of the album were available at the show, but sold out very quickly.
  
  

  July 7-11, 1997

• Rich Mullins and the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform and minister for a Christ in Youth (CIY) Conference at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, MO.
  
  

  July 14-17, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform for a Christ in Youth (CIY) Conferenceat Western State College in Gunnison, CO.
  Set List (Partial): Brothers Keeper/Screen Door/Here And Now (Mitch McVicker)/Freedom (Mitch)/I will Sing/Praise to the Lord/You Did Not Have A Home/Baby Baby (This Train)/Monster Truck (This Train)/No Not One/Creed/Bound to Come Some Trouble/Sometimes By Step
  
  

  July 18, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at eagle Heights Church in Oklahoma City, OK at 7:30 p.m. This performance included the rare and unreleased "Charlie."
  
  
  

  July 19, 1997

  
  
  
• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at Carpenters Way Christian Fellowship in Lufkin, Texas at 7:30 p.m.
  Portions of this concert was later released on the Homeless Man video. This performance included the rare and unreleased "Charlie."
  Concert Transcript
  Set List: Here And Now (Mitch McVicker)/Freedom (Mitch)/The Lemonade Song (Mitch)/Only Love Will (Mitch)/Take Hold Of Me (Mitch)/
  Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus */Awesome God/Brothers Keeper/Boy Like Me, Man Like You/Harlan County Waltz (Instrumental)/Madeline's Song/78 Eatonwood Green/Calling Out Your Name/Such A Thing As Glory/Ready For The Storm/By The Waters Of Babylon (Traditional) */I See You/You Did Not Have A Home/Charlie */Monster Truck (This Train)/I Will Sing/Sing Your Praise To The Lord/Hold Me Jesus/While The Nations Rage/If I Stand/Screen Door/Heaven Is Waiting (Mitch)/There You Are (Mitch)/That Great Atomic Power (This Train)/Hope (Mitch)/Elijah/Sometimes By Step/Creed/No Not One */It Is Well */Hymn Medley: a. I'm Gonna Sing, Sing, Sing/b. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot/c. When The Saints Go Marching On/Doxology (Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow)
  Lee Miller (Tech Director at Carpenter's Way Church): "That afternoon, we were expecting Rich and the guys to arrive about 2 or 3pm. While we waited inside the church, one of our high school students hung outside watching for them. It was one of those 100 degree days in Texas and Trey came back in the church and reported that they were not here yet, but he did note for us that a scraggly looking guy in a t-shirt and gym shorts wearing no shoes and driving a jeep just zipped into the parking lot. We immediately recognized that description!
  We went out to find Rich in the parking lot taking off his t-shirt and opening up a brand new box of running shoes. We greeted and he asked if he had time to jog around a while. Noting that it was his show and the remainder of the guys were not there yet, we grabbed the dulcimers out of the back and sent him on his jog.
  The church is located in a former strip mall and behind the church is a gear manufacturing facility that had a couple acres of property with nice trees and grass, a great place to jog thought Rich.
  The guys arrived and we got the band set-up and sound check was ready, but no Rich. Finally, after some time, Rich returned to the church. While he was out jogging, on the industrial property, they went home for the day and closed the eight foot security gates to the road locking Rich in the facility. He finally scaled the fence and returned to the church."
  
  

  July 24, 1997

  
  
  

  (Joplin, MO "Screen Door". Photo by Lorinda Gray)

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at Christ Community UMC in Joplin, MO at 7:30 p.m. Rich mentions during the concert that the Ragamuffins would be getting together soon to make another album.
  
  

  July 25, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at St. Matthew Church in Belleville, IL at 8:00 p.m.
  
  

  July 26, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at Southwood's Christian Church in Overland Park, KS at 7:30 p.m.
  
  

  July 28, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform in Stone Mountain, GA.
  
  
  

  (Photo by Jonathan A. Meyers. JAM Photography.)

  July 29-31 1997

• Rich Mullins and band performs for a Christ in Youth (CIY) Conference at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO.
  
  

  August 1-2, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform and teach classes for Christ in Youth (CIY) at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL.
  
  

  August 3, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at the Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, IA at 7:30 p.m.
  
  

  August 1997

• Caedmon's Call releases Intimate Portrait, which includes their cover of Rich's Hope To Carry On" as well as video clips of Rich, interviews with CC about Rich, and the Hope To Carry On" Promo Video filmed earlier in the year.
  
  
  

  (Photo by Jonathan A. Meyers. JAM Photography.)

  August 7, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at Waterloo Church of Christ in Waterloo, IA at 8:00 p.m.
  
  

  August 8, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at First Assembly of God in Rockford, IL at 7:30 p.m.
  
  

  August 9, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform in Naperville, IL at Calvary Church at 7:00 p.m. Songs included "If I Stand" and "While The Nations Rage."
  
  
• During this show in Naperville, IL, Rich mentioned being in a lot of pain due to stomach cramps and that as he gets more and more tired, he may end up weeping. He mentioned that his stomach lining was "comiong out," and that he was "cannibalizing himself."
  
  

  August 10, 1997

  
  
  
• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at Green Bay Community Church in Green Bay, WI at 7:30 p.m.
  A portion of "Nothing But The Blood" from this concert would later be released as the ending to the Jesus record.
  Concert Transcript
  Set List: Here And Now (Mitch McVicker)/Freedom (Mitch)/The Lemonade Song (Mitch)/Only Love Will (Mitch)/Take Hold Of Me (Mitch)/Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus */Awesome God/Brothers Keeper/Boy Like Me, Man Like You/Harlan County Waltz (Instrumental)/Madeline's Song/78 Eatonwood Green/Calling Out Your Name/Such A Thing As Glory/Ready For The Storm/By The Waters Of Babylon (Traditional) */I See You/Whether You Like It Or Not (This Train)/I Saw The Light (This Train)/Mimes Of The Old West (This Train)/Monster Truck (This Train)/I Will Sing/Sing Your Praise To The Lord/Hold Me Jesus/While The Nations Rage/If I Stand/Screen Door/Heaven Is Waiting (Mitch)/That Great Atomic Power (This Train)/Hope (Mitch)/Bound To Come Some Trouble/Sometimes By Step/Creed/
  No Not One */Hymn Medley:a. I'm Gonna Sing, Sing, Sing/b. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot/c. When The Saints Go Marching On/Doxology (Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow)
  

  August 12, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at Elmbrook Church in Milwaukee, WI at 7:30 p.m.
  Set List: Sing Your Praise to the Lord/Screen Door78 Eatonwood Green/Awesome God/If I Stand/While the Nations Rage/I See YouBoy Like Me/Man Like You/uch a Thing as Glory/Sometimes by Step/Hold Me Jesus/Creed/Ready for the Storm/Madeline's Song
  

  August 14, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at the First Assembly of God in Fort Wayne, IN at 7:30 p.m. Rich told concert goers that he was feeling better than he was at previous shows.
  Set List (Partial): 78 Eatonwood Green/Nothing but the Blood/Calling Out Your Name/Sing Your Praise to the Lord/I Will Sing/If I Stand/While the Nations Rage/Madeline's Song
  

  August 15, 1997

• Rich Mullins participates in a radio interview from Detroit, MI and takes questions from callers.
  
  
• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at temple Baptist Church in Plymouth, MI at 7:30 p.m.
  Concert Transcript
  Set List: I Will Sing/Sing Your Praise To The Lord/Hold Me Jesus/While The Nations Rage/If I Stand/Screen Door/Heaven Is Waiting (Mitch)/ There You Are (Mitch)/That Great Atomic Power (This Train)/Hope (Mitch)/The River/Sometimes By Step/Creed/No Not One/I'm Gonna Sing, Sing, Sing
  
  

  (Photo by Jonathan A. Meyers. JAM Photography.)

  August 16, 1997

• Rich Mullins, the Kid Brothers of St. Frank, This Train and Mitch McVicker perform at Evangelical Free Church of Crystal Lake in Crystal Lake, IL at 8:00 p.m.
  
  

  August 17, 1997

• The Wichita Eagle runs an ad for auditions for a performance of Canticle of the Plains. Auditions were helod at the Alexander Auditorium Whittier Fine Arts Center between 7PM and 9PM on the following Thursday and Friday.
  
  

  August 18-21, 1997

• Rich Mullins leads a retreat for Eric Hauk, Michael Aukofer, Keith Bordeaux, Matt Johnson, and Mitch McVicker, in Nashville, TN, about living out Franciscan spirituality in a community setting. He spoke to them about the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. They all stayed at Rich's home in Bellsburg.
  
  
• Rich goes for a walk in Nashville with Keith Bordeaux.
  Keith: "Rich shared with me some simple but profound thoughts on the subject. "Music is my occupation. My life is my ministry," he said. "Ministry is everyday. For example, how do I leave my hotel room when I check out? Do I leave dirty towels all over the place, empty cans on the floor? Do I leave the room destroyed so that when the maid comes in she thinks to herself, 'I am just a maid. My life is not important. I deserve this mess.'? Or do I pile my dirty towels in a corner and empty my own ashtrays? Do I clean up my trash so that when the maid comes in she thinks to herself, 'I am a maid. My life is important. I have dignity.'"
  
  

  August 20, 1997

• Rich Mullins signs a recording contract with Myrhh Records.
  
  
• At some point during this time, Rich's accountant James Dunning, Jr becomes his new manager replacing Gay Quisenberry. Rich Mullins, Mitch McVicker and James Dunning Jr meet with Danl Blackwood at Quisno's in Downtown Wichita, KS about the possibility of setting up an official Rich Mullins website. This site eventually became KidBrothers.net.
  
  

  Late August 1997

• Rich Mullins meets with Kevin Brocksieck and Nicole Capri-Brocksieck about the possibility of hiring them to re-write and add stage directions to the The Canticle of the Plains prior to its performance in Wichita. Nicole was a theatrical director and choreographer, and Kevin was a musician and actor who filled in as St. Frank after Mitch McVicker was injured in Rich’s fatal auto accident.
  
  

  Late August 1997

• Rich Mullins performs at St John United Church of Christ in Ballwin, MO.
  Jerry Williams, Host/Program Director at WCBW: "He gathered all of us who were involved in the show into a little office before the concert started. Not the senior pastor’s office. To call it an office is something of an overstatement. It was more of a closet with a desk and a phone crammed into it. We prayed. Rich looked tired, almost haggard. A couple of days’ worth of stubble didn’t help. There were circles under his eyes. And those eyes didn’t have quite the impish sparkle I remembered from earlier meetings, when both of us were younger. I got him out on stage, stayed for a couple of songs and then headed home. That was my last encounter with Rich Mullins. At least on this side of eternity."
  
  

  Late August 1997

• Rich Mullins goes to Richmond, IN to visit family and friends, including his mother and his Uncle Dick Lewis.
  
  

  August 29, 1997

• Rich Mullins, Mitch McVicker, Mark Robertson, Eric Hauk and Michael Aukofer arrive in Elgin, IL to begin recording Mitch McVicker's album at Roswell East Studio.
  
  

  August 31, 1997

• Rich Mullins writes "Hard to Get," in his hotel room in Wheaton, Il.
  Michael Aukofer: "Rich and I were together, and he had written 'Hard to Get,' and I remember asking him to play it for me. And his reaction was different - he had tears in his eyes before he had even started playing the song. And when he was finished, he still was teary about it. And I said, 'Wow, that was great, I liked it. How do you do that?" And he said all these songs are in him, it's just if he just has the guts to pull them out. I think it's fortunate for all of us that a man like him had the guts." (Homeless Man documentary 1998)
  
  

  September 1997

• CCM Magazine Reviews Canticle of the Plains.
  Album Reviews
  
  

  September 1, 1997

• Rich Mullins, Mitch McVicker and the Kid Brothers of St. Frank perform at the ECC Arts Center at the Elgin Community College in Elgin, IL. (Note: This would turn out to be Rich's final public performance). After the performance, Rich and his band returned to Roswell East Studios and slept in the next door church's sanctuary in sleeping bags.
  
  

  September 2, 1997

• Rich Mullins and Mitch McVicker begin staying at a home in Elgin Ellinois for about a couple of weeks. While at the house, Rich writes the final song for his next album, "All The Way to Kingdom Come."
  
  
• Eric Hauck called a friend Sybil Towner and asked if Rich and his band could stay with her and her family. The Towners were going to be out of town, so Sybil called Claudia Kruse and asked if the Kruse family would host 'some Christian musicians' at their house in Elgin, Illinois. Eric Hauck then called Claudia and made arrangements for himself, Mitch McVicker and Michael Aukofer, all of whom had been sleeping on the floor of the church next to Roswell East Studio, to have dinner with the Kruse family and to spend the night. Claudia did not realize that they were asking to spend the next three weeks at their home, while the band recorded Mitch’s album. That first night, Rich Mullins, Mitch McVicker, Eric Hauk and Michael Aukofer stayed overnight at the Kruse home. After that, Eric and Michael stayed with other friends and only Rich and Mitch stayed with the Kruse family for the next three weeks.
  
  

  September 4, 1997

• Kenny Greenburg arrives at Roswell East Studios to record guitar for Mitch's album.
  
  

  Early September 1997

• According to Fr, Matthew McGinness of the Diocese of Wichita, Rich stated that he had finally made up his mind and decided to be received into the Catholic Church. (Source: ""Asymptotic Catholic", First Things Journal, March 12, 2013)
  
  Father Matt McGinness: "In the Fall of 1997, Rich was in Chicago working on his next CD and doing a lot of recording. He would try to call me and would miss me. I'd call him back and he'd be recording and not available. We missed one another close to ten times. I remember at one point Rich laughing on his message and saying, 'Fr. Matt, this is the longest game of phone tag I have ever played in my life.' When we finally hooked up, he said, 'Fr. Matt, this may sound strange, but I HAVE TO RECEIVE THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST.' I told him that it didn't sound strange at all but that it sounded wonderful. I told him that he had gone through RCIA so that all he needed to do was to go to Confession and to make a public Profession of Faith. I also remember saying, 'We've talked about everything; you can go to Confession with me.' And he said, 'Ah, no, we haven't...' So, I said, 'No problem, I'll hook you up with another priest friend.' I set up an appointment for Rich to go to Confession to Fr. Paul Coakley who is now Archbishop Coakley of Oklahoma City. He was going to make his profession of Faith at the 7:00pm Mass on September 21 at the Newman Center at Wichita State University where I was chaplain for several years. On Saturday morning Sept 20, his agent called me to tell me that he had been killed in a car wreck. I remember feeling like I had been kicked in the gut."
  
  

  September 5, 1997

• On this morning, Rich told the Kruses, 'You have been very gracious to us, taking care of us, we would like to do something for you. What can we can do for you?' Claudia Kruse responded, 'Yes, you can have a concert here at our house.' Rich said 'Sure, I’d be happy to do that.' Claudia requested that Rich perform at their 'Second Saturday Sing,' but Rich replied that he could not do that because he had to go to New Mexico that weekend. He said 'How about if we do it tomorrow?' The Kruses called their friends and neighbors and invited them all to come to the concert. 350 people showed up for the impromptu concert. Sharon Henderson, who lived upstairs, taped the concert. She asked Rich, 'You’re under contract with a recording company, are you going to be in trouble for doing this concert?' Rich responded 'Yeah.' Sharon asked 'Are you afraid of that?' and Rich replied. 'No.'
  
  

  September 6, 1997

• Rich, Mitch and Eric perform a private house concert in Elgin, IL. as a "thank you" to the family for hosting him and Mitch. Rich and Mitch were staying at the house while recording in Illinois. About 350 friends and neighbors attended the concert.
  Set List: Sing Your Praise to the Lord/Bach Concerto/Here and Now (Mitch McVicker)/Only Love (Mitch McVicker)/Screen Door/Step by Step/Lemonade Song (Mitch McVicker)/You Did Not Have A Home/Hard to Get/The Breaks/Song for Mary (excerpt)/If I Stand/Creed/Calling Out Your Name/Gospel Rain (Mitch McVicker)/Harlan County Waltz/Ready for the Storm/Back's Cello Suite 1 in G Major (Eric Hauck)/No Not One/NWhat Trouble Are Giants?/Awesome God/
  

  Early September 1997

• Rick Elias produces Randy Stonehill's Thirst album in Nashville, TN.
  Randy Stonehill: "I was working on a song called 'Hand of God' and I said I hear this as Stuart Adamson of Big Country - the guy who played electric guitar like it was a bagpipe or something. I hear Stuart Adamson meets Rich Mullins. And Rick smiled and said, 'I know both of those guys.' I said, 'You know Stuart Adamson?' and he said 'Yeah he lives in town now. But you know, Rich is going to be coming to town to start preproduction on what we now know became The Jesus Record. I know he'd love to play on your record. A lot of people underestimate him.. but Rich is really good and he is always happy when he gets a chance to do that.'"
  
  

  September 8-9, 1997

• Rich Mullins writes his last song, "All the Way to Kingdom Come" at the Kruse house in Elgin, Il. He played the song for Claudia Kruse the next morning in her kitchen.
  Claudia Kruse: "He did talk about an album called the Jesus album. He said 'There will be ten songs on it and I have written nine but I need to write one more, so if you excuse me I’m going to go in the room and write the last song. So I said 'Okay, good luck.' So, in the morning, when he came out, I said 'how’d it go?' and he said 'It was good.' So I said 'So you wrote the song?' He said 'Yeah, you want to hear it?' I said 'Sure.' So he sang for me, in the kitchen right behind me, the song 'All the Way to Kingdom Come' and he asked me if I liked it and you know, I mean when you first write a song it's not as figured out or polished as I'm sure songs develop, but it was good and I said 'Yeah, I really like that.'"
  
  

  September 10, 1997

• Rich records what later became known as The Jesus Demos in an abandoned church near the studio in Chicago. After playing through the entire set of songs, Rich realized that he had forgotten to take the tape recorder off of "pause." Instead of giving up, he started the recorder and played through them again. These were the working demos of songs for what would later become The Jesus Record (at the time, simply known as Ten Songs About Jesus.) The plan at the time was to start recording the full album in a few weeks. Mitch McVicker joined Rich on guitar for the demo of "All The Way to Kingdom Come."
  
  One song, included on the demo is "Jesus," which was actually written in early 1974 and known by the name "Rolling Stone." Mitch McVicker and Dana Waddel helped Rich to flesh out and finish the song for the planned album. Also included on the demo, although he did not write it, was Mark Robertson and Beaker's song "Surely God Is With Us." Rich told Mark that, fearing the song might get cut, he wanted to put it on the demo tape so the producers would believe that Rich wrote it. He planned to tell them later that Mark wrote it.
  
  Mark Robertson: "I was trying to get him to come upstairs to the studio to get decent recordings of the songs, but we were co-producing Mitch McVicker's debut at the time and Rich didn’t want to take any time away from that process. He instead purchased a cheap boombox cassette recorder to do the demos. Important to note that Rich rarely bothered to make demos. He did this for a few reasons. He'd just signed to a new label and they wanted to hear what he had, so he played ball and made a 'demo.' It was never his intention for anyone outside of Rick Elias/The Rags and the record company to ever hear the tape. He never even made a backup copy and the original tape was damaged when he did attempt to play it at the label meeting. Rick had to fix the tape for it to be playable. He also wanted to demo me and Beakers' tune 'Surely God Is With Us' because my demo risked being rejected by the label for its lyrics (the 'whores' bit I wrote). He thought it stood a better chance if he presented it as his tune and once approved, say me and Beaker wrote it after the fact. The Rags' decision to include Rich's demo on the record was obvious as Rich would not be there to do final vocals himself. ...Rich didn’t want to sing more than one or two songs on the Jesus Record. He wanted the band to share lead vocal duties. We were very much against that, but as always, Rich got his way in the end."
  
  

  September 11, 1997

• Rich has a long telephone conversation with friend and musician Tom Booth.
  Tom Booth: "It was about two weeks before Rich died. We spent a couple hours on the phone. He was tired. He was pretty beat-up. Road weary, he'd been out touring quite a bit. And I said, 'Rich, you've gotta come home. Come to Arizona. Come to New Mexico. Relax a bit.' And he said, 'That's an interesting idea.' He said, 'I just spent a day with my mom and at the end of the day I got up and said, 'Mom, I gotta go home.'' And she said, 'Home? Chicago is home?' (That's where he was headed.) And then he told me, he said, 'Tom, nothing's familiar to me in my life right now. I've moved, I've changed cities, I've changed record companies. My best friend, Beaker, we're not spending the time we used to. My dog Bear is gone. My manager is different. I don't recognize anything in my life.' He said, 'But that's okay, I guess I'll keep singing.' I think, looking back, and even at the time I thought, he's looking for a home, but didn't quite have one just yet."
  Tom Booth: "I was going on tour the next day with John Michael Talbot. I was going to be his opening act. We talked about Rich's tour and home and the fact that I would be (performing) in Wichita that weekend on the tour and he said 'Well, if you don’t hear from me for awhile, just know that I'm thinking of you.' That night, I couldn’t sleep, so I called him about 2:00 a.m. I told him that his song 'Madeline’s Song,' was the most beautiful song that he had written. He then asked me 'Do you wanna hear another one?' and he played 'Hard to Get' for me. He had only written it a couple of days earlier. It just blew me away, too."
  
  

  September 12-14, 1997

  
  Jim Chaffee, Judith Hubbard and Rich
  
  
• Rich returns home and spends a weekend with Judith Volz and Jim Chaffee (from Myrrh Records), Rick Elias (whom Rich wanted to produce his next album), Jim Dunning Jr (Rich's Manager), and Keith Bordeaux (who worked with the William Morris Agency to book Rich's tour dates) as a time to plan for his new album. He also played the tape of demos recorded a few days earlier in Illinois.
  
  Rick Elias: "He put it in one cassette deck and it wouldn't play, The tape got caught in the deck; he stared pulling on it and there was all this tape coming out. I rewound it with a pencil and said, `You'd better put it in another deck before it breaks.' "
  
  Jim Chaffee: "I was with Rich two weeks ago in Window Rock at the Navajo Nation. We had spent two days working on the songs for the new record, then took a day to hike in the canyon. We came home late that day and the missionaries who lived in the compound (Chuck Harper and his wife) invited him over for dinner. We were very tired, but he felt that he should go because this was his only opportunity to see them and he hadn't been home for six months. He had dinner with them, then came back in late. We were thinking he had come back to go to bed, but he grabbed his guitar and said, 'I'll be back in a bit.' He went back to them and sat in their living room until very, very late that night and sang through the whole new record to this missionary couple and their kids because they were his friends and he wanted to share the new music with them. That was the heart of Rich Mullins."
  
  

  September 12, 1997

  Keith Bordeux: "I was with Rich at his home in New Mexico the weekend before his death. He had not been home in six months because of summer touring and he was excited to be back. He was like a child in his enthusiasm to show his guests everything about his life among the Navajo Nation. The trip was scheduled to be a planning time for the new project Rich would be recording... By the first day, he had the entire weekend planned for us. He definitely wanted everyone to hear the new songs and he wanted to discuss direction for the album and touring. But his primary love was evident in the amount of time he had blocked for us to see the Navajo Nation.
  
  We spent four hours on Friday discussing business and the rest of the weekend experiencing the reservation. We saw Window Rock, where the central government of the Navajo people is located. He took us hiking in Canyon de Chelley to experience the beauty and grandeur that inspired 'Cry The Name.' We slept in his hogans, traditional eight-sided Navajo dwellings. We picnicked with his Navajo and missionary friends, and we visited a museum for the Navajo Nation. One of the highlights of the weekend for me was late Friday night, lying on the futon in his trailer with him and Judith and watching his favorite movie, Brother Sun, Sister Moon about the life of St. Francis."
  
  That beautiful weekend in New Mexico helped me to see Rich's heart even more clearly. He had such a strong desire to see the relevance of the Gospel of Christ made evident to the Navajo people. He shared several of his dreams with me. He had already been very involved in teaching the Navajo children and holding retreats and music programs. It was his dream to eventually assemble a choir of Navajo teens to travel the United States and to raise money for inner-city youth in poverty. This would give the Navajo youth a view of life outside of the reservation - a view that some never see - and also would give them a sense of dignity; that although they are in poverty, they could help others in the same condition.
  
  Rich also spoke of organizing a camp to bring white and Navajo children together on the reservation. During the week the teachers would use diverse means to make the four individual gospel accounts relevant to the Navajo. He would do this by incorporating Navajo traditions into the teaching. For example, there are four sacred mountains bordering the Navajo Nation. There are four gospel accounts. Rich Mullins would apply one to each of the sacred mountains. The Navajo are a shepherding people in an arid region who have a real appreciation of water. Christ spoke endlessly of shepherding and of water. The hogans have eight sides. There are eight beatitudes, which, if we live by them and apply them to our lives, can be a strong shelter. It was inspiring to see how strongly Rich Mullins desired to see the gospel come alive in individual hearts. It wasn't about a four step plan or a memorized presentation. It was about meeting a person where they are and sharing Christ's love in a real and tangible way.
  
  For the most part, Rich Mullins had found a balance between business and ministry. Music was very important to him, but the financial gains were the means by which he was able to live the life he wanted to on the reservation. He looked at touring as a major way to fund the work he dreamed of doing with the Navajo. But it broke his heart when I told him that we would need to do a full fall tour next year in support of the new album. I had never seen Rich Mullin's spirit so deflated. He had planned to start the after school music programs for the kids on the reservation in the fall. This program had been pushed back for two years because of other conflicts and it was finally supposed to happen."
  
  

  Mid September 1997

• Rich faxes Sound and Spirit Magazine his goals and resolutions for 1998.
  Rich: "My goal is to stop being grumpy. My resolution is my plan of attack: 1) Get up before I have to so I can have a half-hour at least before I have to talk to anyone. 2) Spend an hour each early evening working out - do not hurry. 3) Unplug my phone - use my answering machine as a dart board. Throw ice cubes at it when I'm frustrated in stead of making cutting remarks to people I love. 4) Stop expecting big successes and start celebrating the little ones. 5) Chart the movements of the Big Dipper and soak in the sun as much as possible. Live in a world that is bigger than my calendar -- more permanent than my feelings, more glorious than my accomplishments (that should be easy)."
  
  

  September 13, 1997

• Rich Mullins has a significant spiritual experience leading him to tell Chuck Harper that "Something has changed." He no longer saw himself as the one setting up and leading the work he was envisioning for the Navajo reservation.
  Chuch Harper: "Well, I really think that when the Lord is calling someone home, I think a lot of times - I've heard this with other people - that idea is kind of in their mind. And the Lord is kind of talking to people and preparing them. We had a lot of barbeques and a lot of people over all the time when he was around which we have ever since and we always love, like doing that. But he had just written the Jesus album and he came home from his tour or whatever he was doing and he says 'We just wrote a new album and I can’t wait to do it for you guys. Do you still have your piano ready to play and could we come over? We wanna share with ya this new album we just wrote. It’s called the Jesus project. He said it's the only time we've ever, well, I don't know the sequence of it all, but he said ‘We've never finished an album before we went in the studio, and this time I already know the sequence of the songs and they're going to be great, it’s going to be our best album ever. Can we come over and play it for ya?' 'Sure, that’d be great, so we got the burgers and we got all the stuff. Some other people were coming over to hear it too, 'cause he'd shared that with other people. And he was just exhausted. You know, the last several, even the year or two before he passed away, he was just getting really exhausted, he was having stomach problems, he was weaker, so that night, he was pretty worn out, we could tell, but we were just having a great time, barbequing and talking and he says 'You know I have it on a cassette tape, maybe we'll just play it. I don't think I have the energy to do this tonight.'
  
  Then he called me outside, and he says, 'You know', as we went outside, he says 'All the stuff we've been dreaming about, the sheep camp and all of this', he said, 'I’m not going to be able to do those things.' And I thought, 'Well, you're just tired tonight, you know. Sure you can. You know, why would you say that? Are you moving somewhere? Are you giving this up?' He goes 'No, I don't know what it is. He says 'Something is changed. And I think I've probably recorded my last album.' And he says, 'I'm not going to be able to do all this stuff that we dreamed about.' But he says 'I will be able to fund it.' And he says 'I don’t know if I'll be in the states, I don’t even know if I'm going to keep recording music. I don’t know how it's going to happen or what the Lord's going to do with it but whatever it is, the Lord's going to fund whatever He wants to do. So, I'm not going to be able to do it but whatever's going to... 'I'm not able to remember his exact words. But I remember just thinking What on earth are you telling me, you know? Are you leaving? It felt.. we're always worried you know that you have great people around you and someday, they're going to pack up and move and this good life you've had is going to be over, and that was kind of what I was feeling, like What are you saying here? And he says 'I don’t know what it is but it's not going to happen.’
  
  So, we went in to play the album and we did, and he did play a couple of the songs live. I remember thinking I wish I could get my recorder and record this tonight, and I didn’t have one at the home with us, cause I had it over here at the office. And, but it was fun to hear his album, and he was talking about all the songs and stuff and anyway, that was what happened that night. Interviewer: And that was the last time you saw him? That was the last time we saw him. Well, we said goodbye to him the next morning. I think he probably rolled out around noon and it was that very weekend when he passed away."
  
  

  September 14, 1997

• Rich Mullins leaves Tse Bonito, New Mexico and returns to Elgin, Il to help complete Mitch's album.
  
  

  September 15-16, 1997

• After returning to Illinois to finish recording, Rich and Eric Hauck go for a walk in Chicago prior to a planned trip to Wichita.
  Eric Hauck: "He said 'I get this feeling that I'm not the one the one to run this Native American ministry - because he really wanted to live in New Mexico and fund and do this music stuff and ministry, and he said, 'Man, I just get the feeling that I'm not supposed to do. I'm really good at making money because I can play shows and sell CDs and I'm really good at that. That's God's gift to me. I'm wondering that instead of touring with me, if you would stay at the reservation and teach the kids music."
  
  Eric Hauck: "He wanted to he really had such a passion and desire to begin a ministry of music to nurture and encourage the voice of the Navajo, and the Hopi and Zuni people in the Southwest where we were living at the time. He said 'Eric, I really feel like God has given me a passion to help raise up the Navajo or the Native American kids, like a choir and to teach them music and help them to have their own voice.' He said 'Maybe I could bring them on the road with me or maybe we could just grow a ministry of nurturing the faith and the music of these beautiful kids in the southwest.. He was working with Compassion USA at the time. But he said Man, Eric, I feel like, God is... I just don’t think I'm going to be the one that’s going to be leading that. I can say that I know that I'm good at playing music and I’m good at making money, because almost all of my recordings make money’ and he said ‘So I can do that, but I don't feel that I’m going to be the one leading that and I was just wondering who’s that going to be, would you be interested in helping to run or lead a ministry of music and outreach to the kids in the schools and not by the schools in the southwest and around Window Rock area.
  
  It’s interesting, it’s like he had a passion and he was moving in the direction but even then that God was giving him an understanding that he was not going to be the one to lead or run that ministry and not, less than 48 hours later, he was, the Lord took him home. He was killed in the car wreck. And so I remember really clearly just him passing on that vision to me of what he was hoping and longing for and how God was going to use his ministry to empower the ministry to the Native American people and um, which I was thought was awesome. That’s what he wanted his money to be about and where he wanted to serve and love and where God gave him a passion. So um, I remember that talk very clearly and him really being honest with me about feeling like that’s where God wanted him to serve. but that he needed to empower somebody else to do that, you know."
  
  Keith Bordaeux: "He felt that God was not going to allow him to be a hands on participant in the work on the reservation. He would not be able to actually do the work he had looked forward to for so long. In tears he told Eric that he felt that God was showing him that his gift was raising money through his music to support the work and wanted Eric to pray about heading up the after school programs for the youth."
  
  

  September 17, 1997

• Rich began to write a book that would be released with his next album.
  
  
• Rich writes Scared of the Dark.
  
  

  September 18, 1997

• Rich phones his friend Kathy Sprinkle and mentions that he would like to spend some time at her house in Wichita. It is planned that Eric Hauck and Michael Aukofer would start driving to Wichita on their own. Rich and Mitch would join them later. Mark Robertson headed to Ohio. During the call, Rich reads "Scared of the Dark" to Kathy over the phone.
  Kathy Sprinkle: "And so, the day before, he called me and we're talking about final stuff about it (an upcoming concert) and, --two parts of this are pretty amazing- and I said 'Well, how long are you staying?', and he said 'I don’t know, I'll stay a week or so' and I said 'Then what?' and he said 'I don’t know.' And I said 'What do you mean you don’t know?' and he said 'I don’t have anything scheduled.' But think about that. He had nothing scheduled. And he said 'I'm just gonna stay with you for a week and then I'm just going to take off for a while.' I said 'What do you mean?' He goes 'I don't know, Sprinkle, I'm at some really weird crossroads.' I said 'Okay, fine then. Stay as long as you want.'
  
  Kathy Sprinkle: "He read me the first reflection for his book and I just sat there. Sometimes he scared me with the things he wrote because I knew they didn't come from him. That's how I felt when I heard this. I told him, 'It's the best thing you've ever written.' He agreed."
  
  
• Rich calls James Dunning, Jr.
  Jim Dunning, Jr: "This is both a horrible time and a good time for such a tragic accident. It is horrible because Rich was so young and such a great writer. But, it was a good time in a way, because Rich was at peace with his life. I take great comfort in knowing when I talked with Rich Thursday afternoon before the accident, Rich was experiencing the greatest peace he had known in his life."
  
  
• Rich also phones Fr. Matthew McGinness of the Diocese of Wichita and makes plans to meet the following Sunday. Rich reportedly told Fr. McGinniss, "This may sound strange, but I have to receive the body and blood of Christ." He made arrangements with Fr. McGinness to make a general confession of his life to (now) Archbishop Paul Coakley on Saturday, Sept. 20 and to formally enter the Catholic Church on Sept. 21, 1997 at the Newman Center at Wichita State University. (Source: ""Asymptotic Catholic", First Things Journal, March 12, 2013)
  
  
  

  September 19, 1997

• Rich and Mitch hit the road to start making their way to Wichita.
  Mitch: "I don't have any memory of the drive except for stopping to get gas and we each got coffee. It was one of those where you put your cup there and you push the button and it fills it up and when it gets to the top it stops and you walk off. So I did that, and Rich did it. It got to the top, he walked off... well the coffee didn't stop running out. And it ran all over the floor. We go up to the cash register and the guy looks to see the mess over there and then he recognizes Rich as 'Rich Mullins.' It was a great juxtaposition of him making a mess on the guys floor and him being Rich Mullins. That's my last memory. I don't even remember leaving or anything."
  
  
• Rich Mullins is killed in a car accident on Highway 39 , Hope Township, near Lostant, Illinois. Rich and Mitch McVicker were on their way to a benefit concert at Lawrence Dumont Stadium in Wichita when they lost control of their jeep and it flipped on the highway ejecting both passengers. A trailing rig swerved to miss the jeep and hit Rich, who was already deceased. He died at age forty-one.
  
  Mark Robertson: "I was with him about two hours before he died." I was in Ohio, taking a small vacation, because Rich and I had just produced a record. The day he died was the last day of tracking the record for a new artist named Mitch McVicker. I checked my messages, and I had about 30 messages, none of which said what happened, just 'I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry'. I finally called a friend who told me to sit down, and told me the news. Basically I cried all night. I feel happy for Rich - he's where he wanted to be, where he always wanted to be, so I'm sure Rich is fine. I feel sorry for me that I have to be without him, as my friend, and I'll never get to play music with him again, and how much I would miss his friendship, and his example to me as a Christian."
  
  Jim Chaffee (Myrrh): "I was with Rich two weeks ago in Window Rock at the Navajo Nation. We had spent two days working on the songs for the new record, then took a day to hike in the canyon. We came home late that day and the missionaries who lived in the compound invited him over for dinner. We were very tired, but he felt that he should go because this was his only opportunity to see them and he hadn't been home for six months. He had dinner with them, then came back in late. We were thinking he had come back to go to bed, but he grabbed his guitar and said, 'I'll be back in a bit.' He went back to them and sat in their living room until very, very late that night and sang through the whole new record to this missionary couple and their kids because they were his friends and he wanted to share the new music with them. That was the heart of Rich Mullins."
  
  Billy Crockett (Musician, Ragamuffin Band): "In the studio Rich would say to me, 'Don't make this too pretty.' He didn't want to be sentimental. 'Hello Old Friends' says it outright: 'Let love be stronger than the feelings.'
  He was always laughing about how out-of-tune his instruments were. He played a beat-up buzzing guitar until one day somebody came to the airport and handed him a new Guild which he received like an amazed little boy.
  Life seemed trivial and dear, like some kind of holy joke. I suppose that it's no real surprise that his life ended abruptly. He did seem to live like a meteorite! The 'reckless raging fury' of God's love is what he was onto! I simply hoped for more chapters, more chances, more strange improvisational occasions to play for and glimpse the wild heart of a true believer."
  
  Michael W. Smith (artist): "Rich Mullins's life and music have impacted me more than anyone I know... Nobody on this planet wrote songs like he did, and I feel we've lost one of the only true poets in our industy. I love Rich Mullins. No one will ever know how much I'll miss him."
  
  Bob Thornton (KTLI Wichita): "Rich used to come into the station quite a bit. He had friends who worked here and all of us knew him, so he would drop in when he was in town. He would just walk in the lobby and call out to any staff that was around, 'Who wants to go to lunch? I haven't got any money!' That was Rich. He never had any money...
  As I got to know him over the years, it was because he literally gave everything away. He really didn't have anything. I've spoken with the lady who was house-sitting his Navajo reservation home. She went over on Sunday [after the accident], and she said 'There's nothing here.' Rich just didn't collect things. A few musical instruments, a jacket...
  So, Rich was just really about giving himself 100% of the time and even when it came down to something simple like, 'I haven't got any money for lunch,' it was probably because he had given everything he had to somebody that had needed it the day before.
  
  Mike Blanton: "Rich's passing is very bittersweet. I've never known anybody who so firmly had one leg already in heaven and one leg still on this earth. I don't think he ever felt fully comfortable or settled-in here, and he lived the type of life of somebody who was not settling in. I know he feels much more at home now than he ever did over here."
  
  

  September 20, 1997

• Rich Mullins had been scheduled to perform at the Fall Rally '97 for Youth from across the Kansas West Conference sponsored by the United Methodist Churches.
  
  
• Carolyn Arends, Randy Stonehill, Michael W. Smith and others perform in North Carolina for Carowinds Christian Music Day.
  Randy Stonehill: "Carolyn Arends showed up and she had big sunglasses on. I said, 'Hey Carolyn - how you doing?' and she just shook her head and said, 'Rich was killed last night on the freeway and I've been crying all day.' I just jumped back like someone had popped me in the face. She hugged me and said, 'I can't talk about it.'"
  Randy Stonehill: "Michael W. Smith came in the main door from across the room and he saw me and in typical smitty fashion he went 'Randall!' and shouted my name across the room. He came up to me and I said, 'I gotta talk to you right now.' He knew something was up. We went into his main dressing room and I said, 'Listen man - I can't just pretend that everything is ok because it's really not and I just wanted to tell you this in private. I just found out from Carolyn that Rich was killed last night on the road.' His eyes got wide and he leaned up against the table and he grabbed his cell phone and immediately started making calls to get any information he could.... I was getting into the van from the theme park that was shuttling artists to and from the hotel - just as I got in the van, he started his set and in front of 13,000 people he started singing 'Step by Step you'll lead me... and I will follow you all of my days...' I started crying sitting there in the van."
  
  

  September 24, 1997

• A public memorial sevice is held for Rich at the Whitewater Christian Church, Richmond, Indiana. Over 1,000 people attended the visitation.
  
  
• A memorial sevice is held for Rich at Kentwood Christian Church in Kentwood, MI.
  
  

  September 25, 1997

• A funeral was held for Rich Mullins at the Fountain City Wesleyan Church in Fountain City, IN. More than 300 people attended the private service, including Amy Grant and her husband Gary Chapman. Dr. Stephen Hook, Rich’s former Old Testament professor from Cincinnati Bible College gave the sermon. Amy Grant sang a tribute to Rich and the service included several readings from Rich's diary. A recording of Mullins's song, "Elijah," was also played. Richard Mullins was buried in the Hollansburg Cemetery in Hollansburg, Ohio, next to his father and infant brother Bryan. (Navajo children from the Window Rock, Arizona reservation where Mullins lived at the time of his death surrounded his grave site, singing a song he taught them "Jesus Loves Me" in their native language.)
  
  
• A memorial sevice is held for Rich at Milligan College's Seeger Chapel in Johnson, TN. Dr. Bruce Montgomery gave Reflections of Rich. Dr. Montgomery was Pastor of Rich's home church in Whitewater, Indiana when Rich was in his teens.
  
  
• Milligan College's Newspaper The Stampede includes an article about Rich's death.
  "His Death Leaves A Void on Campus"
  
  

  September 26, 1997

• A memorial sevice is held for Rich at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN. Musical tributes included performances by Michael W. Smith ("Awesome God," and "Step by Step."), Ashley Cleveland ("Elijah"), Phil Keaggy ("Hold Me Jesus"), Rick Elias ("Man of No Reputation"), and Amy Grant (who performed her own "Somewhere Down the Road," at the request of Rich's mother Neva Mullins).
  
  
• Family News in Focus reports news of Rich Mullins' death.
  
  

  September 27, 1997

• A memorial prayer and praise sevice is held for Rich at Wichita State University's Henry Levitt Arena in Wichita, KS. More than 5000 people attended.
  Dr Stephen Hooks (Rich's former professor): "There's a Ragamuffin Loose in heaven. There are bare feet on the streets of gold. And I tell you, heaven will never be the same!"
  
  
• A memorial sevice is held for Rich at First Assembly of God Church in Peoria, IL.
  
  
• A memorial sevice is held for Rich at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.
  
  

  September 28, 1997

• Rich Mullins had been scheduled to perform a concert at Lincoln Christian College in Lincoln, Il
  
  

  September 29, 1997

• CCM Update includes an artcle on Rich entitled "Christian Music Industry Remembers Rich Mullins".
  
  

  October 1997

• Rich's close friends, Connie Hawk and David Nicholas McCracken arrange for a small memorial service for Rich at the Bethel Methodist Church, adjoining Rich's property in Bellsburg, Tennessee. A few of Rich's close friends were invited and Reverend Neil Spence, pastor at the Mt. Liberty Cumberland Presbyterian Church spoke at the memorial service.
  
  
• "20 The Countdown Magazine" radio show airs a special tribute to Rich.
  
  
• Christian Musician publishes an article about Rich Mullins written by Keith Bordauex.
  "Rich Mullins (1955-1997)"
  
  
• Sound and Spirit publishes an article about Rich Mullins.
  "Remembering Rich Mullins (1955-1997)"
  
  

  October 4, 1997

• Billboard Magazine publishes news about the death of Rich Mullins.
  
  

  October 9, 1997

• "The Canticle of the Plains" is performed at Friends University's Alexander Auditorium in Wichita, KS at 7:30 p.m. Musician/actor Kevin Brocksieck (a member of the quintet, Kenaniah) assumed the lead role of St. Frank in Mitch McVicker's absence.
  
  

  October 10, 1997

• "The Canticle of the Plains" is performed at Friends University's Alexander Auditorium in Wichita, KS at 7:30 p.m. Musician/actor Kevin Brocksieck (a member of the quintet, Kenaniah) assumed the lead role of St. Frank in Mitch McVicker's absence.
  
  
• The Chicago Tribune runs an article on the death of Rich Mullins.
  "A Christian Songwriter Who Broke the Mold"
  
  

  October 11, 1997

• "The Canticle of the Plains" is performed at Friends University's Alexander Auditorium in Wichita, KS at 2:00 p.m. Musician/actor Kevin Brocksieck (a member of the quintet, Kenaniah) assumed the lead role of St. Frank in Mitch McVicker's absence. Beaker was in attendance.
  
  
• John Rivers' 20 The Countdown Magazine Remembers Rich Mullins is broadcast.
  20 The Countdown Magazine Remembers Rich Mullins
  
  
• Billboard Magazine publishes an article on the death of Rich Mullins.
  Billboard - Higher Ground
  
  

  October 13, 1997

• A memorial sevice is held for Rich at the Education Center in Window Rock, AZ.
  
  

  October 20, 1997

• This was the date that Rich had originally planned to start recording his next album in Nashville, TN.
  
  

  October 21, 1997

• A memorial sevice is held for Rich at Seminary's Presidential Hall Gym at Cincinnati Bible College in Cincinnati, OH. Among those that performed songs and spoke about Rich included Jeff Sack, former roommate at CBC Jaimie Carmichael, Terry Fischer of the Jesus House, Jenny Wesner, Beth Snell Lutz, and Tom Weimer (all three of Zion), Professor Ron Henderson, Kathy Sprinkle, David Mullins, and Sam Howard.
  
  
• Phil Heimlich, Cincinnati City Councilman, read a proclamation declaring "Richard Wayne Mullins day" in Cincinnati, OH.
  
  
• The True Tunes Store hosts a "Farewell to Rich" memorial for about 20 people.
  
  

  October 26, 1997

• Our Sunday Visitor publishes an article about Rich Mullins. "Awesome Guy: Remembering Rich Mullins"
  
  

  November 1997

  
  
  
• Rich Mullins appears on the Cover of CCM Magazine. The issue includes a large tribute to Rich, with articles and rare photos.
  "As Best As I Can Remember Him, Volume One"
  "In His Own Words"
  "Requiem For A Ragamuffin"
  "Rich Rememberances"
  
  
• The same issue of CCM also includes the following article by John Fischer.
  "Barefoot in Heaven"
  
  

  November 3-7, 1997

• Rich and the Ragamuffin band were scheduled to lead Milligan College's Spiritual Renewal Week. There were also plans to have Milligan students perform the musical "Canticle of the Plains" on November 7.
  
  

  November 7, 1997

• A memorial sevice is held for Rich at Westside Baptist Church in Boynton Beach, FL.
  
  

  November 8, 1997

• A memorial concert is held for Rich at the Bramalea Baptist Church in Brampton, Ontario Canada at 7:00 p.m.
  
  

  November 10, 1997

• LightMusic airs Part One of a special tribute to Rich.
  
  

  November 17, 1997

• LightMusic airs Part Two of a special tribute to Rich.
  
  

  November 20-23, 1997

• Rich Mullins had been scheduled to speak and perform a concert at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Kansas City, MO. Rich was also supposed to have been interviewed by Mary Lovee Varni for You! Magazine. The National Catholic Youth Conference was a four day conference for high school youth sponsored by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry. Over 18,000 young people attended the event, which was the largest nationally sponsored gathering of Catholic teenagers in the United States.
  
  

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