Join Dr. Chrysandra Brunson on The Calling’s radio show as she welcomes Will McGinnis, former member of the acclaimed band Audio Adrenaline, to discuss how saying yes to God can open doors to unimaginable adventures. In this heartfelt episode, Will shares his story of how humble beginnings in Ohio led to an extraordinary music career and further inspired him to co-found the Hands and Feet Project in Haiti, providing support to vulnerable children and families. Listen in to discover how you, too, can embrace God’s calling and make a significant impact on the world.
Welcome, everyone, to The Calling’s radio show to all the dreamers. I’m your radio host, Chrysandra Brunson, founder and CEO of The Calling, and it is such an honor to be with all of you today. You know, at The Calling, we have realized that so many people are afraid to go after their God-given dreams, and that is just plain wrong, because if God is giving you a dream and you’re not living it out, you are wasting it, and we do not want you to die with regret. and that’s why the calling me like to inspire empower and equip people after god’s calling on their lives to reap the best harvest possible to have an eternal impact on themselves and their families we love to do this through so many different avenues from custom tools and programs workshops conferences but especially through this radio show where you get to hear world-renowned guests share how they’re going after their God-given dreams and how you can do the same and you guys today is so special to have the one and only the dearest world shaker Will McGinnis welcome to the show
WILL MCGINNIS:
Will ah thank you so much Chrysandra it’s so such an honor to be on with you and uh I love your passion. I love your energy. I love your enthusiasm. You’re so right. God has a plan for every beautiful person out there that’s listening. And he created them with such a unique and an amazing skill set and set of gifts that he wants to use to advance his kingdom. So, man, I love hearing you say all that. I’m on board. I’m with you, friend.
CHRYSANDRA:
That’s awesome.
WILL MCGINNIS:
These people need to get engaged and jump in with God and let the adventure begin, right? It’s a huge adventure. It’s a lot of fun.
CHRYSANDRA:
Yes. Yes. And I honestly will like the weightiness of anyone to say that for you to say that. I mean, there is some depth there and it’s not easy, but it’s the best adventure we could ever dream of being on. And so true. And people have heard your name, Will, but please just tell our listeners where they’ve heard you from and some of the leadership roles that you have been walking in in the kingdom.
WILL MCGINNIS:
Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, we were in a pretty small band in Christian music called Audio Adrenaline. We were around for a number of years. No, really. We never, you know, thought we were all that. And we were just always surprised at every corner when God would use just four Midwest boys who said yes. We didn’t even know what the question was, but the answer was yes. And when you give God your yes… He takes it and he multiplies it and he takes you places you never could imagine. So this Ohio boy that grew up in cornfields in a broken home, in a trailer home, man, he took me all the way to college and he put me in a rock band and we would go all over the world and we would win some Grammys and some awards. But that wasn’t even the biggest thing he would do. He would allow us to encourage the church. encourage believers through tough times, encourage people who are struggling, and He would allow us to be the voice of the whole generation, give them their sound, their music that they could hold on to, and give them anthemic songs that they could go out and be brave and be courageous and stand for God and live out the gospel. audio adrenaline was an amazing tool an amazing season and then from there he allowed us to to connect with a little country called Haiti uh off Florida about two hours uh yeah so he allowed us to champion a a country called Haiti and and so now we have a work there called hands and feet project and that was around one of our songs we would sing every night called hands and feet you know and we were We were so blessed to be able to use our platform to start hands and feet project children’s villages in Haiti and supporting a bunch of vulnerable children and families there. And so that’s what we do today. And and so that’s what I’m doing currently. I’m able to to just uh help a lot of people in Haiti and I I get to tell their story and have have other fellow believers come along with us on the journey uh you know when god uh wants to invite you on the journey with him and you say yes you get to do and crazy things like go to Haiti and like help people all over the world and so that’s what we’re doing so we’re inviting people into that story
CHRYSANDRA:
Yes, yes. And well, we can’t wait to hear what’s coming up in the near future of how we can all get involved. And we’re going to touch on that a little bit later. But you guys, you will have a way to practically get involved. Absolutely. So you want to stay tuned throughout the whole show, which goes by so quickly. But will you… saying yes um has just be so much fruit not only for- but for souls around the we’ve loved having you on before, but for those who heard your beginning story. I mean, you shared that you were, you were a kid out of a trailer park and you were brave enough to be able to continue to say yes to the Lord. What did that journey look like to be able to get to college and then to be part of, you said, quote unquote, a rock band?
WILL MCGINNIS:
Yeah, that’s right. That’s right. Well, you know, God will surprise you when you say yes. And I, you know, I think He looked after me for a long time, too. He protected me. He’s, you know, my favorite, one of my favorite scriptures is, you know, and when He talks about leaving the 99 to go after the one that is lost, well, I was… I was that rug rat that was lost. I could have ended up in a lot of different places. I could have ended up on drugs or with the wrong people and gangs or whatever else back in my time. I could have just ended up living a life that… was just, you know, chasing the American dream and worldly things. I could have been in pursuit of so many things, but God, but God intersected my path, you know, and he gave me, he gave me a, a, a really cool, you know, future. And that’s what he wants to do. So he can take you from really anywhere. I know so many people listening are in so many different circumstances, maybe than I was, but we’re all the same in that we need to be adopted and, and we need to enter into relationship with our Heavenly Father. He wants to adopt us into His Son, Jesus, and when we accept that, our whole world changes, and all of our motives change, all of our reason for being changes. We get to know that the Creator of the universe knows us by name, knows the number of hairs on our head, has uniquely gifted us, and He wants to do amazing things with us. And we also know our identity. You know, we find out who we really are. You know, like we’re not just some something by chance, but but we’re we’re so special and so dearly loved by the Heavenly Father. So and he’s going to just, you know, love on us and do really cool things. So, yeah, I got to I got to get saved in my 10th grade year. And then I went on to Bible College at Kentucky Christian University. And it was there that I would meet the guys in the band. Wow. You know, my mom ended up talking to them on the sidewalk the very first week of college. And then later, about a week later, they would come knock on my door and said, your mom said you play bass. You know, she overheard us talking about a Christian rock band that we’re going to start. And and so I was like, well, you know, I haven’t been playing bass that long. I just got it from my grandma when I graduated high school. And and they were like, you seem really cool. Bass is easy. We’ll teach you. So that’s how I got in the band. So another surprise, my mom. you know, sharing that I played bass and these guys accepted me into their band in my freshman year in college. And we would spend the next four years in college just honing our craft, you know, learning how to make music and learning how to do that whole thing. And then people in Nashville in 1990, one would would think we were good enough to be signed to a record label that dc talk was at and we would get on the road and we would start singing our music and playing in front of you know thousands of people now who would have ever thought so um that’s what god will do though he’ll meet you at every turn and he’ll surprise you and he’ll equip you And even when you don’t feel like you’re like Moses, you really can speak well or you can really do all the things perfect. He goes, well, I’ll fill in the gaps and I’ll make it happen for you. So we never felt like we were all that. We never felt like we were the best of the best. But, you know, we were willing. And then he would use us and he would fill in the gaps, right?
CHRYSANDRA:
Yeah. Couldn’t have said it better. And just your testament Will of continuing to say yes and the Lord’s grace and all of those transitions. And this huge transition where you were just changing the world with audio adrenaline and continue to do that, but started this journey. ministry of hands and feet project and we want to be able to hear all about it um we do need to go through a short break here but you guys we have Will McGinnis on with us of audio adrenaline and founder of hands and feet project we will be right back
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CHRYSANDRA:
we are back. Thank you for listening to all the dreamers radio show. We have Will McGinnis on with us and founder of Hands and Feet and we were just hearing how yes and the Lord just, you to elevate the influence You know, just saying yes to playing in one band and then being able to have your music go out from the best, the top record labels in all the world for Christian music. Yeah. During that season, Will, did you have, like, is there a special memory where you felt maybe like out of body? Oh, man.
WILL MCGINNIS:
Yeah. Yeah, I mean, yeah, I think there were many times when we were doing these huge festivals in the summer, we were headlining. We felt so unqualified to headline and to be the main band. And it’s like 80,000 people at Creation Fest or we’re at… sunshine in Ohio or, you know, up in Minneapolis, just all over at Six Flags. We went to Disneyland. I know you love that. You know, we got to play on the Castle stage or Universal. I mean, all these big stages. And you’re just like, how did we get here, Lord? And how are we even qualified? And And we just didn’t feel qualified. But God, God would make up the difference and he would allow us to bless these people with our music. They were songs that he would give us, songs that had biblical themes and, you know, songs that were there for people like Big House, The Hope of Heaven or like Ocean Floor. Yeah. Throws your sins into the deepest part and remembers them no more. Leaving 99, like I said, that was my favorite scripture. You know how God would leave the 99 to go after the one who was lost, the father’s heart for the brokenhearted and for the lost. Yeah. And so we got to have all these super cool moments. But it wasn’t always easy. You know, signing up for the Christian life isn’t always easy. It’s not, you know, that God says the sun shines and the rain falls on the just and the unjust. It doesn’t matter if you’re saved or not. If you’re living for the world or you’re living for God, you’re going to face trials. You’re going to face hardships. You’re going to face, you know, disease. And you’re going to face the things that come at you in this world because it’s a fallen and broken world. But we have hope. And we can have joy in the midst of that. We can have peace and we can see God show up and we can see God turn those tough times into just amazing stories of his goodness and his glory, you know. And so that’s what I can testify to that. I’m older in my years now. I’m past the ban and I’m co-founder of Hands and Feet Project getting to work in Haiti. But it’s tough some days and it’s hard and we face things. But God can make up the difference and he can take those hard things and turn them around and give you a testimony, give you something to just proclaim his goodness and meet you in those moments. You know, he’ll meet you there. So that’s really it. You know, God just asked about an out of body moment. I think it’s just knowing that God is with us always from the stage to real life issues that we face. You know, when when you’re going through stuff as a family or or in your job or whatever you’re facing, he’s he’s right there.
CHRYSANDRA:
Yeah. Oh, well, I have chills of you just sharing that, Will. And for you to be able to start Hands and Feet Project, be a co-founder. Yeah. How did that happen? And, you know, I think many people know about Haiti, but they don’t know the depth of the trials that Haiti has seen and why you were called there and what has happened since then.
WILL MCGINNIS:
Yeah, yeah, no, it’s super surprising. I mean, I use that word a lot because, you know, Mark’s mom and dad, our lead singer, were missionaries to Haiti on and off since the 70s. Mark would go on his first mission trip in high school. You know, they took him down there on mission trip and it would change his life. He would. Now, fast forward, I would meet him in Bible college. They kicked him out at the curb and they went to be full time missionaries to Haiti. So Haiti was on our radar. Haiti’s story, Haiti’s people, you know, the hardships, but the beauty, you know, it’s a land of contrast. It’s it’s beautiful Caribbean landscapes with extreme poverty and extreme hardships, extreme. It’s in a corridor of natural disasters with earthquakes and hurricanes. And it has a lot of political unrest. Currently, it’s in a major. season of political unrest. And and so when we signed up for that, I don’t know if we knew exactly what we were signing up for, but we went down there and started children’s villages caring for the orphaned and abandoned children. And then we really realized that a lot of the children that ended up in our care were from for poverty reasons, like just struggling families, you know, and if we could meet their pressure points, if we could lock arms and walk alongside them, we could help their families stay intact. So we not only fight and care for the orphan and abandoned children, we now fight to preserve family and to keep families together. And that comes in a lot of forms. It comes in food support. It comes in medical help. It comes in helping them put their child in school. It comes in helping them build an extra room on their house because they got so many children and they need more space for everyone to have a proper life and a proper upbringing. You know, so it’s so many ways that we can come alongside and walk alongside a family, even in the area of job creation. Like giving a mom or a dad a job allows them to be the solution to their own problem by just going to work, making a fair living wage and then going home and and providing for their family. So we try to every we have about 200 employees. for employees at Hands and Feet Project in Haiti, top-down leadership running the whole work. And so that’s an amazing dignified job and they support their family. And then we try to just fight for Haiti’s future too. We’re standing up Montessori daycares everywhere so that we can invest in the future of Haiti through giving these young children Montessori education infused with the gospel, worship, and we give them a protein. So it’s early child development. It’s brain development. It’s, you know, their bodily development. And so we’re so happy to be championing these creative programs that we feel like God supernaturally gave us, you know, these awesome ideas. And so that’s part of what we’re talking about because we’re coming to Denver, right? We’re coming to Denver. We’re going to be doing a food packing event. With Feed My Starving Children, it’s an amazing food partner. They have the infamous mana packs that are used all over the world as just the best, the world’s leading best in nutritional supplement, you know, supplement of food. And so that’s what we need your listeners and churches in the area and in businesses, anyone.
CHRYSANDRA:
Yay!
WILL MCGINNIS:
Who wants to come out and pack with us? We got Thursday, Friday, Saturday, three sessions each day for people to show up and help pack. It’s an all-ages event. It’s unbelievable. And it’s unifying. And in two hours, you’ll see the work of your hands. You’ll see the work of your labor. It’s free. You show up. just just donate your time and you would have helped a country all across the world or even in Haiti uh you know survive another day you know have a meal and then feed starving children around the world so it’s awesome we’re gonna um share exactly how you guys can get involved in this but
CHRYSANDRA:
you usually have to go on different locations. So going to be off site in not only are you, are you but you feel so filled up And then there’s also a concert afterwards. So hold on. We have more to talk about that here soon. But, well, I just wanted to share and highlight how you guys were just taking these trips to Haiti before – You know, they had just been in this unrestful season, but you guys have been so faithful to be able to toil the soil. And I’m just not going to bear that fruit at the perfect time. And you guys have just been such great friends and partners with the calling in our heart as well. And that’s right in this movement, just seeing the redemption because in the midst of such darkness, the Lord wants to be able to bring a spotlight. We can’t wait to be part of that. Just with your family too, and just saying yes, because when you take part not only as a musician, as a world-renowned Christian leader and into ministry, how has that been a blessing and just heartache for your family?
WILL MCGINNIS:
Yeah, I mean, just seeing how Haiti had kind of a lot of infusion after the big earthquake in 2010. You know, they had the world’s eye on Haiti. Haiti was put on the map kind of after the big earthquake in 2010. Right. And the world’s eye was on and all these churches were going there. And we really we really saw a lot of amazing things happen in Haiti. And then for them to have fallen so far as we’ve come today, just with the political unrest, the gangs. and it’s still a country of 11 million people and and they’re just really struggling right now you know so that’s heartbreaking i lived there with my family for two years and it was probably one of the best seasons of Haiti it’s sad to say that but yeah it was during a really great time and we had an incredible season living there uh and working and working with uh well the all the people at hands and feet project and it really grew our family uh our family was never closer And so, you know, but it is hard, you know, seeing how the rest of the world lives. But people in America need to get out of their comfort zones. They need to go to a place like Haiti. They need to go to many places around the world and see how blessed we have it here and just really not take it for granted. I mean… and and so we wanted our young children at the time to understand how most of the world actually has to function and has to live and it’s not storing up it’s not getting ahead it’s not accumulating wealth and it’s not growing businesses it’s basically a day at a time a day or two at a time they go to market and they get what they need for their you know and it’s such a biblical thing when god says give us our daily bread or back in the old testament when he gave them daily manna and they couldn’t store it up they had to use it if they stored it up it would turn to waste and when he was the cloud was moving by day or the fire by night when he was on the move they were moving when he was hovering over the temple they were staying in place and so it was such a such a greater rhythm you know in Haiti they have an amazing rhythm so that’s why i loved about Haiti they still have amazing rhythms there and it’s a beautiful thing
CHRYSANDRA:
Oh, that’s the perfect articulation, I think, Will, I’ve ever heard. They do have the perfect rhythm of life. Yeah, that’s right. Will, we want to be able to come alongside this incredible movement that you guys are doing through Hands and Feet Project and this upcoming event that’s coming to Parker, Colorado.
WILL MCGINNIS:
That’s right.
CHRYSANDRA:
can you share um real quick your piece of wisdom for someone that’s tuning in they don’t know how to go after what god’s calling them to and we want to hear about this event yeah yeah i mean i would say jump i would say say yes i would say do it i mean don’t wait um
WILL MCGINNIS:
making any decision out of fear or feeling like you’re not good enough or feeling like God can’t use you. I mean, that’s the enemy. It’s totally the enemy and it’s totally, it’s not God’s way. God will do it all. I mean, Jesus said, lay your burden on me. My yoke is light and I’ll give you rest. And if you’re, if you’re weary out there, if you’re heavy, if you’re going through some things, I mean, first and foremost, take it to Jesus and he will help you. But secondarily, getting your eyes kind of off yourself and onto other people. So many people around you are also hurting. There’s a Scottish pastor who said, anyone you come along and see is also carrying a great weight and is also fighting a great battle. So you can know you’re not alone. But God’s ways are the best. And I mean, like I said, he’s not going to make your life easy. He might. He might give you all kinds of money and he’ll want you to give it away and help the poor. But for most people, he’s just going to ask you to do really cool things. And that is just saying yes to going to church, saying yes to helping an inner city with homelessness, inner city brokenness. It’s saying yes to coming to a food packing event. It’s showing up at your church and volunteering. It’s showing up at your place of work and just being a smile on your face and being positive and encouraging people to get through another day. If you see them down, say, I’m thinking about you. I’m praying for you. So it’s all the little things that God cares about when you start saying yes to those. And then sometimes they amount to big things, but not always. it’s that daily walk with god and asking him in every day to help you to be intentional to see where he’s moving and jump in jump in the stream the flow of the river if you will jump in and just go with the flow and follow him and he’s going to use you to do amazing things you won’t even believe it and so i would say jump say yes get in the flow do it allow them to use you and then come out to the easy ways to come out to this food packing event in parker hallelujah farms and help hands and feet project and feed my starving children feed people around the world just with your labor you’re going to pack these amazing meals the mana pack and it’s going to go so far and you’re going to be so proud of yourself and so are we
CHRYSANDRA:
Oh thank you so much. Well and I hope that everyone heard that it’s coming up very soon. That’s right. The end of September you’ll have several different slots at the moment. They’re filling up super quick so get your church, get your school, get your family. Yeah, your business memories. Yes, your business. It’s literally the best. And we’ll, where can they go? Um, we’ll have the direct link on our site, but if they just want to be able to learn more about hands and feet project, where can they do that?
WILL MCGINNIS:
Yeah, handsandfeetproject.org, all spelled out. So hands, the word H-A-N-D, and feetproject.org. And yeah, check out our programs in Haiti. We’re doing so much and we’re feeding a ton of people. And this food packing event is going to help us continue to do that. And yeah, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Yeah, we got an end-of-pack concert on Saturday night at Hallelujah Farms. Doors are at 5. We got Matt Hammett, formerly of Sanctus Real, going to perform. And I’ll be there. We’ll be showing videos, and we’ll be telling stories of the amazing work God’s doing in Haiti. So come out and say hey.
SPEAKER 03 :
it’s gonna be so fun. You to come. This is a priceless thing to be a part of. And just for the opportunity to do for your heart, for your faith and just know that the best You guys Will is uh one of kingdom shakers.
WILL MCGINNIS:
And God and everyone, I’m just such a simpleton, but anyone out there with God using them becomes an amazing kingdom mover, changer, life changer.
CHRYSANDRA:
Anyone can do it. Priceless example, Will. And we just thank everyone for tuning in to all the Dreamers radio show. We will have all of this information on our website as well as our social media. And you can connect with Will and Handsome Feed Project and be part of this food packing movement. Till next time, Dreamer. Keep dreaming big.
