t the end of concerts, devoted fans wait for endless hours to get their ticket stubs signed by the performers, snap a picture with their favorite band member or share a story about how the music impacts their lives. Some bands, exhausted after performing, never make that trek outside; but Fireflight, an Orlando-based Christian rock group, makes spending time with fans a priority for one reason: to make a difference.

“We've always said that reaching people with the message of Christ's love and acceptance is our main goal and that hasn't changed,” guitarist Justin Cox says. “We believe God put us at shows to minister to people, whether it is kids, adults or even the crew working the event. When we play somewhere, we want people to walk away from the event feeling like we're approachable and are people they can talk to, because building relationships is why we started doing this to begin with.”

The band members, Dawn Michele Richardson, lead vocals; Justin Cox, guitar; Glenn Drennen, guitar; Wendy Drennen, bass; and Phee Shorb, drums, have seen that dedication pays off through connections made with fans during their eight years of touring. When not at a show, they keep in touch with fans through their MySpace Web site, personally responding to each message received.

“Sometimes kids don't want to talk to their friends or family about issues they may have, but they're willing to talk to us through MySpace or at a show. We want to be available for that kind of interaction and support,” Cox says.

They fondly recall an “incredibly difficult day” when they were scheduled to play at an outside venue in Kentucky. The steady rain during the day damaged the monitor board, causing the monitors to malfunction in the middle of the show. Despite the frustration, Fireflight used the inconvenience as a chance to interact with the fans.

“While they were fixing the problem, Dawn decided to hold an impromptu Q&A session with the audience,” Cox says. “There was a kid who shared his heart about his struggles with health issues, and how our song ‘Unbreakable’ has really been a huge source of strength for him. It was an amazing story and, after the show, he came up to us and thanked us for allowing him to share that with everyone there.”

The band’s hard work and dedication to the fans became the catalyst for a highly successful past year, beginning with “Unbreakable,” Fireflight’s sophomore album, climbing to No. 10 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart in March 2008. The album garnered five-star reviews and two No.1 rock singles with “The Hunger” and the title track, which held the top spot on Christian rock radio stations for four weeks.

Fireflight's "Unbreakable" album cover.

The album’s success and increased radio play secured a win in Taco Bell’s inaugural “Best of the Beat” contest, selected by fans who voted for their favorite band on Taco Bell’s Feed the Beat Virtual Music Festival Web site during October and November 2008. During the online contest, 100 bands showcased their music on the site, vying for the chance to become “Best of the Beat.” Fans cast more than 180,000 votes over the course of six weeks.

Fireflight went on to perform at Winter X Games 13 in Aspen, Colo. in January and in February was nominated by the Gospel Music Association for four Dove Awards – Artist of the Year, Rock/Contemporary Album, Rock/Contemporary Song and Rock Recorded Song.

While the band didn’t bring home any Dove Awards, its members give glory to God, who they credit as their source of strength for the “Unbreakable” album. And Fireflight still has the fans, a reminder to persevere through a grueling tour schedule that averages 140 shows per year.

“Our desire to reach out to others is what keeps us going. It definitely gets hard to be away from home, friends and family, but the reward of being able to hang out with so many people with such a powerful tool like music makes everything worth it. To see those smiling faces singing along to our songs and seeing them raising their hands in praise is worth every night I spend in a different city,” Cox says.

After an amazing year that launched Fireflight into the limelight, the band has its sights set on recording another album it hopes can be as successful as “Unbreakable.”

“We've always surrounded our music in prayer and have asked God to use us as an instrument to deliver his message; so we're praying that he continues to do that,” Cox says.

Ultimately, Fireflight hopes the songs can continue to inspire fans and provide hope for the hurting.

“The stories we hear and read about our music changing someone's life are so rewarding.  It never gets old hearing about how ‘Unbreakable’ or ‘You Decide,’ or any of our songs have impacted someone's life,” Cox says. “There have been stories about people heading home to kill themselves, but they heard ‘Unbreakable’ on the radio and decided not to do it. That's incredible. We know that God is the reason that these people are hearing things in these songs, and we give him all the glory.”