The Newsboys have seen a lot of changes over the 35 years since their formation. There have been changes in music preferences, changes in world­views, and even a large amount of changes within their own band. Through it all, they’ve kept their focus and stayed steadfast to their mission of bringing people closer to Christ by presenting their ideas through great musicianship and great songs that have been able to stand the test of time.With more than eight million units sold worldwide, Newsboys are unquestionably one of the most influential bands in contemporary Christian music history. The band has released 17 albums, six of which have gone gold, and have been nominated for four Grammy awards. As a testament to their longevity, many of today’s Christian artists cite them as an influence. In addition, their 2011 mega-hit song “God’s Not Dead” has inspired one of the most popular Christian film franchises of all time.Former bandmates Peter Furler and Phil Joel have rejoined the band, the reason they are billing themselves as Newsboys United. The group is out in support of their newest album, United, released in May 2019. They appear in Fort Wayne on March 8 as part of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants Faith & Family Night which features the Mad Ants playing Grand Rapids at 5 p.m. in the Memorial Coliseum Main Arena and the Newsboys concert at 7 p.m. in the Expo Center. Opening the show are former American Idol contestant Mandisa and the lead singer of Audio Adrenaline, Adam Agee.