Dove Award-winners emphasize desire to make a difference

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Songs of praise and testimonies about the message behind the music highlighted the 41st annual Dove Awards, sponsored by the Gospel Music Association.

Singer/songwriter Brandon Heath garnered the Male Vocalist of the Year honor for the second year in a row. He also received a Dove for his participation on the album, Glory Revealed II: The Word of God in Worship, which won Special Event Album of the Year.

“I don’t think that being Male Vocalist of the Year necessarily means being the best singer, but I think it means knowing what you want to say and being given the ability to share that with people,” Heath said. “I’m constantly trying to find a unique way of putting the message of the gospel into songs.

“The goal is for people who wouldn’t normally listen to Christian music to hear a message about the love and grace of God and his life-changing power. That’s what I want to keep writing songs about. I still get e-mails about the lives that are being changed by these songs, and it’s such a driving force to create music that will help lead people into a relationship with Christ.”

At the Dove Awards ceremony, Heath performed with Jars of Clay on the song “Two Hands.” Jars of Clay’s album, The Long Fall Back To Earth, garnered Recorded Music Packaging and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year honors.

“We are humbled to receive these awards, because it is a sign that these songs are connecting with people,” Jars of Clay’s lead singer Dan Haseltine said. “We write songs about things that are hard, true and beautiful. When we’re writing songs, if we feel like something is really connecting and moving us, then there’s a hope that it will move other people. We really want our lyrics to focus on making a difference in the lives of people by reaching out and being the hands and feet of Christ.”

Jars of Clay founded a non-profit organization, Blood:Water Mission, to build clean water wells, support medical facilities and tangibly reduce the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa while addressing the underlying issues of poverty, injustice and oppression.

The band’s first relief effort was the “1,000 Wells Project” with a goal of raising funds to build, rebuild and repair 1,000 wells in urban and rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. This year, Jars of Clay will celebrate achieving their goal and bringing clean water to more than 150,000 people.

“It gives weight to the things we talk about in our songs,” Haseltine said. “The songs on this album share about getting our hands dirty, reaching into the lives of people, being engaged and making a difference for eternity. The songs also share messages about suffering and talk about the way that God provides.

“Through the years, we’ve had the privilege to sit down, laugh and cry with people who actually live that out in more tangible ways than we ever have, and they’ve shared amazing stories of what God is doing around the world.”

At the Dove Awards presentation, Artist of the Year recipients Casting Crowns performed their hit song “Until the Whole World Hears” with a 200-voice children’s choir.

Despite a busy touring schedule, Casting Crowns remains committed to serving in local churches and continues to be one of the nation’s top-selling artists across all genres, with their recent album debuting at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart.

“Whatever we do in word or deed, we do it for the glory of the Lord,” Casting Crowns lead singer Mark Hall said.

“Believers have to understand that we’re not the audience of Christ; we’re the body of Christ. That makes all of us artists. God will use people in different areas to point people to him—whether it’s teaching, accounting or building houses. We share the gospel every night during our concerts, and we talk about how to be a believer means to lay your past at Christ’s feet and walk away from your old life. You have to lay each day at his feet, follow him and live in his strength.”

Source

Jars Of Clay Kicks Off Charity Campaign

The award-winning Christian music group Jars Of Clay has helped the United Methodist Church kick off its “Imagine No Malaria” campaign on World Malaria Day on April 25, in Austin, Texas.

The band was the headlining act in a concert spanning the afternoon held on the steps of the Texas State Capitol. The event was attended by hundreds of very enthusiastic supporters and was broadcast live on the United Methodist Church’s website.

The “Imagine No Malaria” campaign is an awareness raising as well as a fundraising effort to provide thousands of bednets to some of the poorest children in Africa. Children are especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of malaria. It is estimated that at least three thousand children die everyday from malaria.

“What I’ve learned about malaria today is that it is a very treatable disease,” said Dan Haseltine, lead vocalist of Jars of Clay. “What makes it such an injustice is that over 1 million children die every year of malaria.”

“It blows my mind there are people dying of this disease,” added guitarist Stephen Mason. “We can do something to stop it. That’s not true of a lot of diseases today.”

For more information on this campaign, visit www.imaginenomalaria.org

Source

Universal Music Publishing Group’s Christian Music Publishing Division, Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Acquires Emack Music, the Christian Music P

LOS ANGELES, April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- David Renzer, Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) and Dale Mathews, President, Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, today announced that UMPG has acquired the publishing assets of Emack Music, the publishing arm of Christian label Gotee Records.

The Emack Music catalog includes Relient K, Luna Halo, Grits, Jennifer Knapp, Ayeisha, House of Heroes, B. Reith, and more. The companies will jointly publish future works from the label’s new signings.

Regarding the acquisition, Dale Mathews said, “I have a high regard for the value of this catalog and its artists and songwriters. But getting to work together with Joey Elwood and Toby Mac to help find and develop future talent made this opportunity even more appealing to me.”

Joey Elwood said, “Toby and I felt that our future was better served in a partnership with the resources that Dale and his team provide for our staff and artist writers. We're proud and excited to join the Universal Music Publishing Group/BBMP team and look forward to the future of developing artists, writers and producers with them.”

UMPG is a leader in the contemporary Christian/gospel sector through its ownership of Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing. Brentwood-Benson is also active in the important Praise & Worship market through its GreatWorshipSongs.com imprint.

With over 70,000 copyrights, Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing owns the world's largest Christian music publishing catalogue as well as the second largest evangelically-styled choral music catalog. Its songs have been recorded by virtually every major singer in the Christian music industry as well as by such renowned artists as Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, Ray Charles, Linda Ronstadt, Amy Grant, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Alicia Keys, Clay Aiken and Trace Adkins.

UMPG's assets in the contemporary Christian/gospel market also include the Lorenz Creative Services catalogues, Reunion Music (whose catalogue includes the Eric Clapton hit "Change The World"), the Sparrow catalogues (containing numerous legendary gospel classics) and RBI Entertainment.

The company's leading artists in the genre include Kirk Franklin, Jars of Clay, Fred Hammond, Joy Williams, Bebo Norman and Day of Fire. Brentwood-Benson also publishes songs recorded by Third Day, Michael W. Smith and Twila Paris.

About Universal Music Publishing Group

With 47 offices in 41 countries worldwide, Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) is the industry's largest global music publishing operation and is part of Universal Music Group. UMPG represents music in every genre from many of the world’s hottest songwriters and catalogs including U2, Elton John, Bernie Taupin, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, R. Kelly, Coldplay, Nelly, Ciara, Dave Grohl, Prince, Diana Krall, Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5, Britney Spears, Godsmack, Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, No Doubt, 3 Doors Down, Beastie Boys, Anastacia, Robbie Williams, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Paul Simon, Henry Mancini, Christina Aguilera and Linkin Park, among many others. UMPG is also a global leader in the areas of Production Music, Christian and Classical Music. For more information, visit: www.umusicpub.com.

Source

We are jars of clay

As I sit on my couch writing this commentary, I am enjoying a beautiful spring evening. The doors are open, letting the fresh air in, and I can hear birds chirping. I can also hear my son and his friend, who are outside playing catch. They are yelling and having a good ol’ time. In the kitchen, my other two sons are making dinner and joking around. It’s all very pleasant indeed.

These evenings won’t last long. They’ll be gone in a flash. Next year my eldest son will be a senior, and that year will go quickly. It seems like yesterday I was starring at his wriggling form just after he was born wondering what to do.

The apostle Paul said that “we have this treasure in jars of clay …” The term “jars of clay” describes human beings perfectly. We are here today and gone tomorrow. One day we are a child, the next we day we are graduating from high school. Two days later, we’re retiring and our bodies just aren’t what they used to be. Well, I’m not anywhere close to retiring and my body is not what it used to be!

A church in our town is conducting a class called “A Bucket List for Dying.” The Rev. Terilynn Russ derived the name from the movie “The Bucket List,” starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. In this movie, the two men, who are dying, make a list of everything they want to do before they die. Their adventures get a little crazy, but it’s a great idea. While Russ’ class is not so much about doing everything you want before “kicking the bucket,” so to speak, it is about making preparations before death, such as what kind of care is desired and living wills.

As someone who became a widow before the age of 40, I cannot stress the importance of thinking about death before it is necessary, before emotions are raw, or before an accident happens. I will never forget what it was like to sign a “do not resuscitate” order right in front of my husband minutes after the hospice worker told us that he only had a few days to live.

I will also never forget that one of our last conversations, just a couple of days before cancer stole his voice, was how he wanted his funeral to be conducted. No one thinks that they will go through this kind of thing before they are old, but remember “we have this treasure in jars of clay.” Jars of clay are easily broken. We have to be prepared as much as is humanly possible.

God has given us good things in life. As Christians, we can also look forward to eternity with him, but taking care of those we leave behind is essential. It is the best kind of care and will relieve some of the burden for ourselves and our families.

Source

Jars of Clay to Headline World Malaria Day Celebration in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas, April 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — On World Malaria Day, Sunday, April 25, The United Methodist Church will officially launch Imagine No Malaria, its $75 million initiative to eliminate malaria deaths in Africa. To mark the celebration, a free concert event will take place in Austin, Texas, on the south steps of the State Capitol from 2-5 p.m. (CDT).

Christian rock band Jars of Clay will headline the festivities, which are open to the public. The event will also feature local music, family activities and food from local restaurants.

"United Methodists are taking on the fight against malaria in a big way, and we're excited about the potential impact of this effort," said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications. "Malaria is preventable and treatable. It's a fight we can win if we all work together."

Austin is located in the Southwest Texas Annual (regional) Conference of The United Methodist Church, which served as the pilot project for Imagine No Malaria prior to the formal program launch. Although most of the initial support was driven by United Methodist churches, the entire community is invited to the launch event.

The event will also feature live music from Austin's Graham Wilkinson and the Underground Township, the Huston-Tillotson College Choir and a special family area with interactive activities.

"Our entire annual conference embraced the opportunity to lead the way by supporting Imagine No Malaria," said the Rev. James Dorff, bishop of the Southwest Texas Annual Conference. "We are excited to showcase this initiative to the Austin community and to the entire denomination."

For those not able to attend in person, the entire celebration will be broadcast live via streaming video on the Imagine No Malaria Web site at www.ImagineNoMalaria.org.

About Imagine No Malaria

Imagine No Malaria is an extraordinary ministry of the people of The United Methodist Church to eliminate death and suffering from malaria in Africa by 2015. With a goal of raising $75 million to improve health infrastructure and empower a sustainable victory over the disease, Imagine No Malaria is our opportunity to rethink how we reach beyond our church, opening doors to those who need it most.

Source

Alicia Gossman-Steeves: We are jars of clay

As I sit on my couch writing this commentary, I am enjoying a beautiful spring evening. The doors are open, letting the fresh air in, and I can hear birds chirping. I can also hear my son and his friend, who are outside playing catch. They are yelling and having a good ol’ time. In the kitchen, my other two sons are making dinner and joking around. It’s all very pleasant indeed.

These evenings won’t last long. They’ll be gone in a flash. Next year my eldest son will be a senior, and that year will go quickly. It seems like yesterday I was starring at his wriggling form just after he was born wondering what to do.

The apostle Paul said that “we have this treasure in jars of clay …” The term “jars of clay” describes human beings perfectly. We are here today and gone tomorrow. One day we are a child, the next we day we are graduating from high school. Two days later, we’re retiring and our bodies just aren’t what they used to be. Well, I’m not anywhere close to retiring and my body is not what it used to be!

A church in our town is conducting a class called “A Bucket List for Dying.” The Rev. Terilynn Russ derived the name from the movie “The Bucket List,” starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. In this movie, the two men, who are dying, make a list of everything they want to do before they die. Their adventures get a little crazy, but it’s a great idea. While Russ’ class is not so much about doing everything you want before “kicking the bucket,” so to speak, it is about making preparations before death, such as what kind of care is desired and living wills.

As someone who became a widow before the age of 40, I cannot stress the importance of thinking about death before it is necessary, before emotions are raw, or before an accident happens. I will never forget what it was like to sign a “do not resuscitate” order right in front of my husband minutes after the hospice worker told us that he only had a few days to live.

I will also never forget that one of our last conversations, just a couple of days before cancer stole his voice, was how he wanted his funeral to be conducted. No one thinks that they will go through this kind of thing before they are old, but remember “we have this treasure in jars of clay.” Jars of clay are easily broken. We have to be prepared as much as is humanly possible.

God has given us good things in life. As Christians, we can also look forward to eternity with him, but taking care of those we leave behind is essential. It is the best kind of care and will relieve some of the burden for ourselves and our families.

Source

Vote for your candidate and your 7-Eleven drinks are on us.

Please click display images from your browser to view the image.

Click here to Join 7-Elections

Hamilton hosting adoption gala to 'get the word out' UT AD to raise awareness about work in Africa

While sitting in the Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, airport last year, University of Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton discovered the meaning of his youngest adopted daughter's name.

An elderly woman told him that "Kalu" in Amharic meant "get the word out." Kalu is 16 months.

"We felt like that was a sign that God was giving to us to help tell the story of the orphan crisis," Hamilton said recently.

Hamilton and his wife, Beth, will host an April 15 gala to raise awareness about orphans and ongoing work in Africa.

The evening will feature performances from Steven Curtis Chapman, a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, and Watoto Children's Choir, an international touring group of Ugandan orphans.

Proceeds from the gala will be split between two ministries, Show Hope and Blood:Water Mission.

Show Hope is Chapman's organization that gives partial grants to help families complete the adoption process.

Blood:Water Mission, founded by Grammy Award-winning band Jars of Clay, works with African communities to combat the HIV/AIDS and water crises. It builds fresh water wells and teaches the community how to service them.

The organization recently constructed a clinic in Marsabit, Kenya, and the hospital's director, Aida Samir, will speak at the gala.

The Hamiltons, who have five adopted children - one from North Carolina, one from Tennessee and three from Ethiopia - have established the Kalu Grace Foundation to fund organizations that are dealing with the world's orphan crisis and efforts relating to domestic and international adoption issues, Mike Hamilton said.

The April 15 gala may spur some participants to adopt, give to organizations or go on short-term mission trips, he said.

"I don't know where God will touch people but our goal is that what's happening in Africa will be seen in a small way and they'll be compelled to reach out," he said.

Lola Alapo may be reached at 865-342-6376.

Source

Jackson resident one of 20 to cycle on cross-country tour

In less than three months, 20 cyclists will leave San Diego on an eight-week trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. Chase Livingston of Jackson is one of the riders.

The group will spend about eight hours a day on the road as part of the Ride: Well Southern Tour, a fundraiser for an organization founded by Christian rock band Jars of Clay called Blood: Water Mission.

Its goal is to help underdeveloped communities in Africa build clean wells, latrines and health clinics. Livingston, 28, said this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bicycle across America, covering about 3,100 miles.

The tour is scheduled for June 2 to July 26.

Participants stop in communities and churches along the way to talk about the water and blood crises in Africa and to ask for support, according to the tour's Web site.

A support vehicle carries gear and promotional materials, the Web site says.

Every night the group will either stay in a hotel or with a host church, Livingston said. The cyclists will cover about 75 to 100 miles a day.

In the past two years the Ride: Well Tour has raised about $300,000 to provide clean water, clinics and educational opportunities, according to the Web site.

The route takes cyclists through four mountain ranges, four time zones and nine states across the southern United States, the site says.

Livingston heard about the ride from Christian bloggers and writers such as Donald Miller. He thinks it's a good cause.

"Last year my wife and I moved to Jackson to care for my mother-in-law," he said. "I've not been able to find work, and I've felt bad about that. I saw an opportunity to help with a great need. Why waste my time feeling sorry for myself when I could do this?"

He applied in November and soon did a phone interview with event organizer Venture Expeditions. A week later, he found out he was chosen to go.

Since then, he's been training by riding 25 miles a day, either on a stationary bike or on the road.

"I'm comfortable on the road," he said. "I like main roads and wide open spaces, nothing too curvy. I'll be cycling with others, so I'll be safe. I'm ready."

Source