The Collisons - Blessings Multiplied (2017)

uly 2001 was the month that Andy and Kelly gave their heart to the Lord. This mother and father of four children had not attended church as a family before so it was a big change for them. As God began to work in their lives miraculous things began to happen. Buddy, the oldest, gave his life to Christ and turned his life around, and Anthony followed shortly after. The radical change in this family had begun.

In 2001, Andrea was 4 and Melissa was 2. Neither have any memory of the family's life before finding the Lord. Anthony and Buddy, however, were first-hand witnesses to how God changed this family. Andy, Anthony, and Buddy were all three musicians in the churches music ministry, Kelly and Andy became Sunday School teachers. Still, no one could imagine what was coming next. Andy received a call from a friend starting a southern gospel group and was asked if he was interested in singing as a baratone. He was confused as to why he would be asked this. He had never sung before in front of anyone. He was reminded, however, of a while before when he sang a single song with his mother and sister at the local church. After some consideration, Andy accepted the offer and began singing with the group in March 2008.

At this time Andrea and Melissa were 7 and 9 years old. Over the next 9 months, as Andy sang with the group, Freedom's Crossing, the girls would alternate singing during intermissions. After several months, Andy was sitting on the front porch swing with Andrea and Melissa and they began to try to harmonize. In no time, it became evident that there was a wonderful ministry ahead. In November 2008, after the dissolving of Freedom's Crossing, The Collisons sang together as a trio for the very first time. More venues and ministry opportunities opened for them in the following months.

Their ministry came to a halt, however, on June 5th, 2009 when Buddy, the oldest son, while on his way to the family home with his wife of just 3 weeks, lost control of his vehicle and was tragically killed in the accident. Life seemed to reset for the Collison family. Though Buddy was a great young man of God and is waiting in Heaven, the pain of loss gripped the family. But God did not forget the Collisons and the plan he had for them. Through searching and prayer God revealed a passage to them which they considered charge to them and all Christians: 2 Timothy 4, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." The Collisons have as a result of this passage three goals: Reach the Lost, Preach the Word, and Encourage believers through the ministry of music. To that end the Collisons endeavor to follow God wherever he leads and depend upon him for the future.