Over 20,000 people attended the first weekend of America's annual Christian youth concert event, the Shoutfest '07 tour.

In addition, it has been reported that 15,000 Books of Hope were distributed, while hundreds of people came forward for ministry with 123 first time decisions for Christ.

Shoutfest kicked off 1 September this year in the US, with the biggest roster of name artists, major national sponsorship alliances, and the largest staging yet.

With the theme "Let The Walls Fall Down", the Shoutfest '07 artist line-up includes Jeremy Camp, Jars Of Clay, Pillar and Superchick.

Performances are presented on two live stages in the twenty plus national markets hosting Shoutfest '07 during its September through November run.

Other artists set to rotate into the tour's market-to-market staging include Building 429, Bebo Norman, Shane & Shane,The Afters, Starfield, Seventh Day Slumber, Jump 5, Everyday Sunday, Storyside B, Group 1 Crew, Nate Huss, Stellarkart, Inhabited, After Edmund, Article One, Starlit Platoon, Cali and Lyrycyst.

Major US youth focused speakers include Joseph Rojas, president of Revolution Generation and founder of Teen Hopeline.com, along with Crossroads Worldwide's ministry founder Clayton King. Christian illusionist Jared Hall will perform and host the mainstream event throughout the concert run. Additionally the tour will field a full presentation of extreme game air sports for concertgoers onsite.

"Shoutfest is more than another Christian rock concert -we consider it to be a real ministry tool for the local church," notes Van Hohe, General Manager of the concert series he partners with Nashville Christian booking executive Jeff Roberts, who founded the event.

"We seek to bring major ministry not only onto the stage with the artists and bands, but in the presentation of our resource partners, and in the major alliances we forge with local youth leaders and churches.

"Our overall goal for the tour is to support the local churches and youth leaders and to leave each market and a lot a young lives closer to God's Kingdom because Shoutfest came to town," added Hohe.

Strategic ministry partnerships in place for the '07 presentation include Book Of Hope USA who through major donor funding will produce a special magazine version of the Bible message which will have the potential of reaching 100,000 concert goers at this year's Shoutfest as a free give-away resource.

Teen Hopeline.com whose inter-active web ministry is a major national youth outreach for prayer and ministry resources will be active onsite as will Compassion International, whose global work has resulted in Christian sponsorship of the world's neediest children.