Christian Vocal Duo: Blake and Jenna Bolerjack performing at First Baptist Church of Olney Aug. 11
With so much tragedy surrounding the Olney community recently, it will be wonderful to rebuild our spirits with the sounds of Christian music. The award-winning Christian Vocal Duo, Blake and Jenna Bolerjack, will perform a mini-concert Sunday, Aug. 11, at First Baptist Church of Olney (FBCO) located at 201 W. Main St. Olney, Texas. The concert will begin at 10:45 a.m. and there is no charge for admission.
The Bolerjacks are not new to Olney. After hearing the Bolerjacks in concert at FBCO, Olney resident Jeff McClatchy wrote Jenna a note to let her know that her testimony about surviving cancer touched him. Looking back on that moment, Jenna recalled, “He told me that at one point in my testimony when I said if you put your trust in Jesus, it is a win/win situation—whether God heals you here in this life or He heals you by taking you to Heaven. Jeff said he had prayed for healing for his dad, and it never occurred to him that God did answer that prayer by healing his dad in Heaven.” Jenna said she kept Jeff’s note on her desk as a reminder that everyone is going through something. A year later, she discovered that Jeff died as a result of cancer.
Returning to Olney with a message of hope, the Bolerjacks want to remind our community that we are not alone, and we should always listen for God’s Word. “Just like Jeff, God comforted him in the present with something that was going to happen in the future. God does not leave us hanging. When God knows something is coming, He wants to draw us closer to Him, so when the storm hits, we are ready to lean into Him during the storm rather than feel alone,” Jenna said.
Their latest song “I Will Pray” was released on Facebook this past weekend, and in three days, the video had more than 10,000 views. “I Will Pray” is one of the songs they plan to sing from their most recent album titled “Love Still Holds” that was released one year ago. “It’s one of our favorite songs to sing, so we always sing that,” Jenna said. To explain the meaning of the song, Jenna said, “It is encouraging to know that God does not play hide and seek with you. When you ask, He will let you know. The audience can also look forward to classic and inspirational Christian music selections that will encourage and uplift. Their music has a central message of faith and is appealing to all ages and denominations.
Blake has held on to memories of growing up around music since he was 3 years old. His parents formed a group with another married couple, and he recalled hiding beneath the piano to listen to them sing. “Music has always been a part of our family and part of my life. For some reason, music just ministers to me and speaks to me very deeply,” Blake said. He has always known he wanted to encourage others through music because it was his saving grace during his battle with depression as a teen. “I would listen to Christian music, which was something in which I found encouragement. And the way the singers ministered to me through music made me realize at a very young age that [music] was something I wanted to do.”
Jenna, on the other hand, had no clue that she would become a singer. “We started dating in college [at Oklahoma Baptist University], I was already singing professionally for six months when we got engaged. Then we got married, and Jenna just came in and passionately supported the dreams God put on my heart,” Blake said.
Married for 13 years, the Bolerjack’s love for God and each other translates through their vocals. They recently finished recording their new Christmas Duo CD that releases in October or November 2019. Blake explained that fans could look forward to an eclectic mix with a couple of standard songs like “O Holy Night” and “O Come Emmanuel.” He said the CD would also include two original songs written by him as well as new songs that are story-driven.
While waiting for the release of their latest album, listen to the Bolerjacks online at www.BlakeandJenna.com. On the website, you may purchase music, book them for an event at your church and donate to their music ministry. You may also connect with them via www.Facebook.com/blakeandjenna.
The Bolerjacks are not motivated by accolades, such as being named the “Sunrise Duet of the Year.” Instead, they are focused primarily on using their music ministry as a platform to witness for Jesus Christ. The “What If ” section—on their website and enclosed in every CD—solidifies their purpose. “We print it so people can give our CD to the people they don’t know how to introduce Jesus to,” Jenna said. Blake chimed in, “Sometimes you have that friend where you bring up God and they sort of shut down, but music is non-threatening, and you can say, ‘Hey I went to a concert, and I thought you mike like this music.’ It is an easy way to witness.”
Lots of new things are on the horizon for the Bolerjacks. Blake’s original song “Bring on the Storm” was just recorded by a group called The 11th Hour and will be released in September. The Bolerjacks hold Olney in their hearts with the hope that we can continue on the path God has set before us. They look forward to seeing us at First Baptist Church Aug. 11.