GUNGOR Launches Kickstarter Campaign To Fund New Live CD/DVD Album

 

The latest artist to join the Kickstarter revolution is Gungor. The popular indie worship band has the hopes to fashion a brand new live CD/DVD and are asking fans for their help to fund it. Check out their statement below and visit their Kickstarter campaign for more info!

 

At the heart of Gungor’s music is that corporate transcendent experience that can happen when people get together to worship. Our music has always been designed to draw the listener into a moment of connection with the Divine. For this reason, our live shows are a very important part of our work. The live shows aren’t simply the places that we market the songs that we previously recorded; they are the places of connection from the music to real human faces, joy and pain. It is abstraction moving to connection. I think this is part of why people keep asking us for a live album. 

There is something that happens live that is difficult to capture in a studio. There is a power when there is a “we” that has purposefully joined their hearts together. We have had some pretty incredible moments of connection in our live shows, but we’ve never had a way of sharing those moments with people outside of the ones at the show. We’ve actually pitched the idea of a live album several times in the past to our label, but it never worked out.

We have recently fulfilled our contract with our label and are now free to make this album that we feel like we are supposed to make, but we can’t do it without your help.

The idea is to make a live album as well as a short film of sorts. Rather than focusing on a single concert experience, we would like to record the majority of our upcoming Spring tour and compile the most “magical” moments that happen into one project.

One of our hopes in doing it this way is not only to gather from the best of our live experiences, but also to portray some of the diversity and beauty of the Body of Christ. The extent of this project is going to be directly tied to the budget. I have big dreams for what this could be, but we don’t have the resources to do it all ourselves.

To let you into my head a little bit, we are planning on doing a fair amount of international traveling this year, and I am imaging capturing expressions of the Body of Christ from all around the world. For example, how cool would it be to have one song recorded with the Church gathered in a mainstream venue in New York City, but then the next song is being sung with the Church gathered working in an African orphanage or a basement in China? How powerful would it be to bring a couple acoustic guitars and a string section into a room with a bunch of recovering drug addicts and sing “Beautiful Things” with them? That’s the kind of thing we’d like to see on this film rather than just a traditional concert DVD.

To pull it off though, we are going to need to bring a bunch of gear and personnel out on tour with us, and that’s not cheap. If we raised 30,000 dollars from Kickstarter, we could afford to get it done, but we’d still have to cut some corners. Anything extra that we could raise over our bottom line goal would go towards making this project that much better. As many problems as human religion has, we believe the Bride of Christ is beautiful and we’d like to put her on display a little bit to the world.

This is something that’s been rolling around in my head and heart for a long time, but we’ve never had a way to pull it off. I’m hoping this could be the way. Thanks for your prayers and consideration! Grace and peace,

Michael

An Article Blog Post That Louie Giglio Thinks You Should Read

Louie Giglio tweeted Monday, 23 January 2012 about an article he thought his followers should definitely check out.  Giglio tweeted:

@louiegiglioLouie Giglio

Great post from @bradlomenick on connecting with those you seek out/desire to meet with:http://bit.ly

 

Below is the blog post/article in its entirety.

 

You want to meet, but “What do you Really Want?”

 

Over the last 15 years, I’ve heard this alot. From key leaders, CEO’s, authors, celebrities, politicians, actors, producers, pastors, and lots of other folks.

I would figure out a way to make a connection with someone, and then arrange a meeting, phone call, breakfast, lunch, or coffee. Inevitably, this question would eventually come out in the conversation. I loved hearing it. It was the honest question.

Now I ask it. Not because I’m someone who deserves to ask it, but more because time is precious. When you are a leader and have a team and an organization to run, besides family and friends and all kinds of other things that require your attention, and there are people who want to spend time with you, you have to make choices. I understand now why all these folks were always asking me that question.

So next time you have a meeting or phone call or a lunch with someone who you respect and want to learn from and consider to be a key influencer, here are a few pointers on how to make sure they’ll want to talk to you the next time you call or want to meet:

1. Honor that person’s time. Find out how much time they have, and then stick to that. And actually wrap up sooner than what is expected.

2. Ask way more questions than you give answers. You’re not the expert, they are. So leverage the time and soak up their wisdom. Don’t use the time to share your story, unless the person truly wants to know.

3. Pay for it. If you are at breakfast or lunch or dinner, pay for the meal. I don’t care if you are meeting with Bill Gates, pay for it. It is a sign of respect. Even if you are a non-profit and trying to raise money, pay for the meal. Seriously.

4. Tell the person what the agenda is. If you are planning to ask them for money, tell them that. If you want a favor, tell them that. If you have a certain need you want to get their advice on, tell them that. If you have specific questions you want to ask and get their answers on, tell them those questions. Be upfront. Be honest. Be real and authentic.

5. Be prepared. Know everything you can about the person you are meeting with. Have 8-10 questions prepared for the conversation (more on this in a later post), plus several items of interest you will want to cover. Do your homework. The more you know about someone and have a good understanding of who they are and what their interests are, proves that you value and respect their time.

6. Write it down and follow up. Bring something to write with, and write down the good stuff. Also, based on questions you ask, figure out ways you can serve that person. If that person likes a certain coffee, send them a gift card. If that person likes a certain college team, make a connection about that team a month later. If you can make a connection for that person that will serve them, do it. If you want to create a long term value add friendship, you’ll need to be intentional around their likes and interests.

Country Singer Josh Turner Shares How Jesus Gave Him The Courage To Follow His Dreams Inspite Of Major Adversity

 

It’s not about the money or the fame or the glory, but about changing people, multi-platinum country music artist Josh Turner shares on iamsecond.com, a website built to inspire people to live for God and for others.

Turner’s story marks the latest addition to the site, which spotlights dozens of celebrities and everyday people telling their testimonies of personal struggle, transformation and hope through short films.

“I haven’t always been the guy that walks into a room and automatically the attention is on me,” the country singer admitted. “I’m normally the guy that stands off in the corner.”

Now, able to move whole audiences to their feet and command the Billboard country charts, the 34-year-old musician is capturing the attention of thousands nationwide, charming many with his deep and expressive voice.

“Singing allowed me to express myself in ways that I wouldn’t be able to do otherwise,” Turner stated.

It also allowed him to explore his faith more through song.

Growing up in the church in Hannah, S.C., a small farming community “a long way from any kind of big city,” Turner found himself singing the bass and baritone parts in numerous choirs, cultivating his talent.

Though he always dreamed of singing country music as a young boy, he never really thought he could make a living out of it until he heard Randy Travis’ album Storms of Life.

“That was the album that really made me start dreaming of the possibility of doing this for a living,” he remembered. Moving to Nashville in 1998 to get a record deal and try to get his foot in the industry, Turner enrolled at Belmont University where he majored in vocal performance.

One night while in college, walking home from the school’s music library, a vision came to him of a long, black, beautiful, shiny train.

“People are standing out to the sides of the track, watching this train go by, just craving to get on it,” Turner described. “At the same time, they know that this train leads to destruction, it leads to emptiness, it leads to nowhere, but yet they still want to get on it. This train was a physical metaphor for temptation.”

Hurrying home to his apartment, he wrote three verses and a chorus that night, waking up the next morning to write a fourth verse as well.

“At that moment in time when I laid the pen down, I said nobody’s ever gonna want to hear this,” he said. “It’s too old-fashioned, it’s too old-timey, it’s a gospel song. So this is probably not going to end up on one of my records in the future.”

But that was precisely the song that helped him sell a million copies of his first record, Long Black Train in 2003, with a hit title track by the same name reaching the Top 20 of the Billboard country singles chart.

It was also the song that he played the first time he was on the “Grand Ole Opry,” for which he received two standing ovations and an encore.

With many touched by his lyrics, Turner had a realization about his newfound fame: It wasn’t about the money or the glory, but about the people.

“It’s about changing people, it’s about touching people and influencing people in a positive way, and so from that point on, that’s what I’ve tried to do,” he affirmed.

He also realized that there was no song he could write or no record he could make that was going to “save” him. Only a Savior could do that.

“I’m thankful to have Jesus as my Savior,” Turner expressed. “My relationship with God has always been one to where I’m talking to him all day, every day, about anything and everything. It’s just a continuous ongoing conversation that I have with the Lord, and I feel like that’s brought me closer to Him.”

“It helps me think through things clearly, I feel like it’s given me wisdom about other people, about myself, about the life that I live. Ultimately, I get my joy from Him, and always put Him first,” he concluded.

“I don’t feel like God called me to be a Gospel singer. He didn’t call me to be a Christian singer, he called me to be a country singer, and I just happen to be a Christian.”

Turner’s latest single, “Time is Love,” was officially released on Tuesday from his upcoming yet-to-be titled fifth studio album. The debut single from his last album Haywire, “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” a four-week No. 1 hit, was the most-played song at country radio in 2010, according to Mediabase. It also won an American Country Award for Single of the Year-Male.

His fourth No. 1 single, “All Over Me,” was named BMI’s 2011 Song of the Year, and by garnering No. 1, made him one of only seven country artists to have two No. 1 hits in 2010.

Josh Turner’s testimony is just one story among dozens featured on I am Second, which includes other personal films from stars like Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers outfielder and 2010 American League MVP; former Korn band member Brian Welch; surfer Bethany Hamilton; and football stars Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford.

The site, which launched in 2008 in Dallas-Fort Worth, has more than 5.5 million visitors from 217 countries worldwide. Additionally, Thomas Nelson Publishers released the I am Second book this month.

Requiem Aeternam Dona Eis, Domine Lyrics David Crowder

Requiem aeternam dona eis
Domine et lux perpetua luceat eis
Te decet hymnus Deus, in Sion
et tibi reddetur votum in lerusalem
Exaudi orationem meam
ad te omnis caro veniet
Requem aeternam dona eis
Domine et lux perpetua luceat eis

[English Translation]

Grant them eternal rest
O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them
You should hymn of God, in Zion
and unto thee shall the vow be performed in Jerusalem
Hear my prayer
all flesh shall come to thee
Grant them eternal required
O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them

Here Lyrics Kari Jobe

Come and rest here
Come and lay your burdens down
Come and rest here
There is refuge for you now
You’ll find His peace and know you’re not alone anymore
He is near
You’ll find His healing, your heart isn’t shattered anymore
He is here
Breathe in, Breathe out, you will find Him here
Come and rest here
Come and lay your burdens down
Come and rest here
There is refuge for you now
You’ll find His peace and know you’re not alone anymore
He is near
You’ll find His healing, your heart isn’t shattered anymore
He is here
Breathe in, Breathe out, you will find Him here
I will rest in you
I will rest in you
I will rest in you
I will rest in you
Breathe in, Breathe out, you will find Him here
Breathe in, Breathe out, you will find Him here
You will, you will find Him here
You will, you will find Him here

We Exalt Your Name (featuring Matt Maher) Lyrics Kari Jobe

Spirit come and change the atmosphere
Convict and open hearts here
The anthems that the angels sing
The worship of the King of Kings

For Jesus reigns
Over all, He reigns

We exalt Your Name
High above the heavens
We exalt Your Name
All of creation sings praise

For Jesus reigns
Over all, He reigns

Your presence fills and satisfies
Tears down the walls we hide behind
Oh God of every aching heart
We long for You in light and dark

For Jesus reigns
Over all, He reigns

We exalt Your Name
High above the heavens
We exalt Your Name
All of creation sings praise

For Jesus reigns
Over all, He reigns
For Jesus reigns
Over all, He reigns

You reign, yes

We exalt Your Name
High above the heavens
We exalt Your Name
All of creation sings praise

For Jesus reigns
Over all, He reigns
For Jesus reigns
Over all, He reigns

We exalt Your Name

Love Came Down Lyrics Kari Jobe

If my heart is overwhelmed
And I cannot hear Your voice
I hold on to what is true
Though I cannot see

If the storms of life they come
And the road ahead gets steep
I will lift these hands in faith
I will believe

I’ll remind myself
Of all that You’ve done
And the life I have
Because of Your son

Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours
I am forever Yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out and remind my soul
I am Yours
I am forever Yours

When my heart is filled with hope
Every promise comes my way
When I feel Your hands of grace
Rest upon me

Staying desperate for You, God
Staying humble at Your feet
I will lift these hands in praise
I will believe

I’ll remind myself
Of all that You’ve done
And the life I have
Because of Your son

Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours
I am forever Yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out and remind my soul
I am Yours
I am forever Yours

I am Yours
I am Yours
All my days
Jesus, I am Yours

Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours
I am forever Yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out and remind my soul
I am Yours
I am forever Yours

I am Yours
I am Yours
I am Yours
Jesus, I am Yours

Rise Lyrics Kari Kobe

Lead us to You
Show us Your mercy
Your majesty lifted up on high
It tells of Your goodness

Your name is true
Your name is holy
Your splendor is written in the skies
It tells of Your greatness

We will rise
To praise You
Offer our lives before You
Let every nation, all of creation
We will rise
You are worthy
Lift up our eyes to Your glory
Let every nation, all of creation
We will rise

We stand in awe
You won the victory
Your enemies tremble at Your name
It speaks of Your triumph

You clothe the poor
You mend the broken
You heal our hearts
You take our shame
It speaks of Your kindness

We will rise
To praise You
Offer our lives before You
Let every nation, all of creation
We will rise
You are worthy
Lift up our eyes to Your glory
Let every nation, all of creation
We will rise

We will cry out Your renown
You are the God who has saved us
We will rise to praise You
We lift a glorious sound
You are the One who redeemed us
We will rise to praise You

We will rise
To praise You
Offer our lives before You
Let every nation, all of creation
We will rise
You are worthy
Lift up our eyes to Your glory
Let every nation, all of creation
We will rise
We will rise

We will rise to You

 

Run To You Lyrics Kari Jobe

Lord, You’re calling me
Lord, You’re beckoning
With love abounding
And I run
I run

I need You
I can’t get enough of You
I come alive when I’m in Your presence
Oh God of my salvation

Lord you’re drawing me
I am completely
Overtaken
Yes, I Run
Jesus, I Run

I need You
I can’t get enough of You
I come alive when I’m in Your presence
Oh God of my salvation

Lord I’m running
Lord I’m running
Lord I’m running to You
Draw me closer

I need You
I can’t get enough of You
I come alive when I’m in Your presence
Oh God of my salvation

I run to You (Lord)
I run, I run, I run to You
I run to You
I run to You

What Love is This Lyrics Kari Jobe

You never change
You are the God
You say You are
When I’m afraid
You come and still my beating heart
You stay the same
When hope is just a distant thought
You take my pain
And You lead me to the cross

What love is this
That you gave Your life for me
And made a way for me to know You
And I confess
You’re always enough for me
You’re all I need

I look to You
I see the scars upon Your hands
And hold the truth
That when I can’t You always can
I’m standing here
Beneath the shadow of the cross
I’m overwhelmed
That I’ll keep finding open arms

What love is this
that You gave your life for me
And made a way for me to know You
And I confess
You’re always enough for me
You’re all I need

Jesus in Your suffering
You were reaching
You thought of me

What love is this
that You gave Your life for me
And made a way for me to know You
And I confess
You’re always enough for me
You’re all I need

What love is this
that You gave Your life for me
And made a way for me to know You
And I confess
You’re always enough for me
Always enough for me
Always enough for me

Stars in the Sky Lyrics Kari jobe

Take the sun
Take the moon
Take the earth and watch it move
Under Your control
Cause You’re all they know

Here’s my life and all my heart
I give it all but every part
Is under Your control
Lord You’re all I know

The stars in the sky will hang there
’til You tell them to
The faith in my heart will still sing
Of what Your love can do
And even when life weighs heavy on me
I know You’re in control
And You’re all I need
The stars in the sky will hang there
’til You tell them to

Take the sea
Take the tide
Take the waters watch them rise
Giving praise to You
Always praising You
Here’s my voice
And all my soul
Singing freely when
Lord, I’m giving praise to You
Lord I’m praising You

The stars in the sky will hang there
’til You tell them to
The faith in my heart will still sing
Of what Your love can do
And even when life weighs heavy on me
I know You’re in control
And You’re all I need
The stars in the sky will hang there
’til You tell them to

The clouds will rain
The seasons change
(Cause You told them to)
The sun will shine
Your burning light
(Cause You told it to)
When You speak your words through my soul
So I know it’s true
You’re in control
You’re in control
You’re in control

The stars in the sky will hang there
The faith in my heart will still sing

The stars in the sky will hang there
’til You tell them to
The faith in my heart will still sing
Of what Your love can do
And even when life weighs heavy on me
I know You’re in control
And You’re all I need
The stars in the sky will hang there
The stars in the sky will hang there

Savior’s Here Kari Jobe

You bring hope
You bring life
Awaken hearts
Open eyes
With our voices
Hear them rise
We call these dry bones to come alive
You are faithful
You are true
We can always run to

Love that never fails
Arms that never close
Blood that covers sin
Grace that never ends

You have saved us
You have won
Sin is broken
Death is gone
Freedom’s found us
Breakthrough’s near
In Your presence
No more fear
Our Savior’s here
Our Savior’s here

Faith is stirring
Hearts are free
Chains are broken
When we believe
You are mighty
You come through
We can always run to

Love that never fails
Arms that never close
Blood that covers sin
Grace that never ends

You have saved us
You have won
Sin is broken
Death is gone
Freedom’s found us
Breakthrough’s near
In Your presence
No more fear
Our Savior’s here
Our Savior’s here

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Our God saves

You have saved us
You have won
Sin is broken
Death is gone
Freedom’s found us
Breakthrough’s near
In Your presence
No more fear
Our Savior’s here
Our Savior’s here

Oh, You save us
You save us
You save us
Lord, You save us
You save us
You save us
Yeah, You free us
You free us
You free us
Oh, You free us
You free us
You free us
Yeah, You heal us
You heal us
You heal us
Yeah, You heal us
You heal us
You heal us
You’re our Savior
Our Savior
Our Savior
Our Savior

You opened the blind eyes
Opened the blind eyes
Heal our sickness
You alone
You opened my blind eyes
Gave me a new life
Oh yeah, our Savior’s here

Find You On My Knees

Troubles chasing me again
Breaking down my best defense
I’m looking
God, I’m looking for You
Weary just won’t let me rest
And fear is filling up my head
I’m longing
God, I’m longing for You

But I will find You in the place I’m in
Find You when I’m at my end
Find You when there’s nothing left of me
To offer you except for brokenness
You lift me up
You’ll never leave me thirsty
When I am weak
When I am lost and searching
I’ll find You on my knees.

So what if sorrow shakes my faith
What if heartache still remains,
I’ll trust you
My God I’ll trust You
Cuz You are faithful and

I will find You in the place I’m in
Find you when I’m at my end
Find you when there’s nothing left of me
To offer You except for brokenness
You lift me up
You’ll never leave me thirsty
When I am weak
When I am lost and searching
I’ll find You on my knees, my knees

When my hope is gone
When the fear is strong
When the pain is real
When it’s hard to heal
When my faith is shaken
And my heart is broken and my joy is stolen
God I know that

You lift me up
You’ll never leave me searching

Find You in the place I’m in
Find You when I’m at my end
Find You when there’s nothing left of me
To offer You except for brokenness
You lift me up
You’ll never leave me thirsty
When I am weak
When I am lost and searching
I’ll find You on my knees

One Desire Kari Jobe

Here I am
Just for You, only You
Here I stand
Wanting You, only You

In Your presence, Lord
I will find my strength
You’re the breath in me
You’re my everything
With my heart bowed low
And my hands held high
All consuming fire
You’re my one desire

Your name, oh, Your name
Let it stay on my lips
I will seek Your face
God, it’s You, only You

In Your presence, Lord
I will find my strength
You’re the breath in me
You’re my everything
With my heart bowed low
And my hands held high
All consuming fire
You’re my one desire

It’s You
God, it’s You
It’s You
God, only You

My heart will always sing
I love You, I love You

In Your presence, Lord
I will find my strength
You’re the breath in me
You’re my everything
With my heart bowed low
And my hands held high
All consuming fire
You’re my one desire

It’s You
God, it’s You
It’s You
Only You

It is You

My heart will always sing
I love You, I love You

We Are Kari Jobe

Every secret, every shame
Every fear, every pain
Live inside the dark
But that’s not who we are
We are children of the day
So wake up sleeper, lift your head
We were meant for more than this
Fight the shadows, conquer death
Make the most of the time we have left

We are the light of the world
We are the city on a hill
We are the light of the world
And we gotta, we gotta, we gotta
Let the light shine

We are called to spread the news
To tell the world the simple truth
Jesus came to save
There’s freedome in His name
So let His love break through

We are the light of the world
We are the city on a hill
We are the light of the world
And we gotta, we gotta, we gotta
Let the light shine

We are the light (3x)
So let your light shine brighter
We are the light (3x)
Jesus
You are the light (3x)
We will lift You high
And shine, shine, shine

We are the light of the world
We are the city on a hill
We are the light of the world
And we gotta, we gotta, we gotta
Let the light shine

Steady My Heart Lyrics Kari Jobe

Wish it could be easy
Why is life so messy
Why is pain a part of us
There are days I feel like
Nothing ever goes right
Sometimes it just hurts so much

But You’re here
You’re real
I know I can trust You

Even when it hurts
Even when it’s hard
Even when it all just falls apart
I will run to You
Cause I know that You are
Lover of my soul
Healer of my scars
You steady my heart (x2)

I’m not gonna worry
I know that You got me
Right inside the palm of your hand
Each and every moment
What’s good and what gets broken
Happens just the way that You plan

And I will run to You
You’re my refuge in Your arms
And I will sing to You
Cause of everything You are

You steady my heart (x2)