If you’re in the area…we’re hosting this event tomorrow
November 22, 2008
Peoria, IL
November 14, 2008
Tomorrow we head to Peoria, IL for a weekend gig. I’ve never been to Peoria before but my old pal Brine Webb grew up there I think. And Sufjan sang of this place a bit on his last record. But that’s about all I know of it. I found it on the map today. This is where it is. A three hour drive from Chicago.
thoughts on “christian” art from derek webb
November 6, 2008
I’m excited that we’re bringing Derek Webb in to share songs and stories with our community on December 7th. If you live in the Chicago area you should definitely come out. Here’s a little taste of why, with Derek, what happens in between songs is often as interesting as the songs themselves.
a thousand questions
November 4, 2008
Our church programming and production crew at Willow made this video…they played it at the end of our service this past weekend. Very creative. Very inspiring.
I encourage you to prayerfully watch this video when you have an uninterrupted ten minutes.
What I’m listening to these days…
October 29, 2008
“Cardinology” by Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
“Only By the Night” by Kings of Leon
Q101 Axis Commercial
October 16, 2008
If you live in the Chicagoland area be sure to listen for the Axis radio spot on Q101. For those who don’t know, Axis is our faith community here in Chicago. My buddy Todd Katter and I just finished the script…seems like a simple little task…but it’s HARD to figure out what you want to say in just fifteen seconds.
Here’s what we came up with:
Are you a twenty-something or college student looking for new ways to experience community and purpose in life? Axis is a new expression of Church for Chicagoland. Visit us at generationaxis.com. Axis: Daring to Live and Love Like Jesus. That’s generationaxis.com.
Two New Books
October 15, 2008
Two of my friends have recently published books. Jen Howver has just finished her project entitled Secret Survivors: Real-Life Stories to Give You Hope for Healing…
Written for teens, but also incredibly helpful to anyone working with students, Secret Survivors tells the compelling, true stories of people who have lived through painful secrets. As teens read stories about rape, addiction, cutting, abuse, abortion, and more, they’ll identify with the universal pain in each story and find the strength to share their own story and start healing.
Michael Novelli’s new book is entitled Shaped by the Story: Helping Students Encounter God in a New Way. I’ve encountered Michael’s content through a few of his events in which the band and I served. Good stuff. If you’re a student pastor or youth worker you should check in to both of these resources. Here’s a video insight into Michael’s new book.
Sunday
October 14, 2008
Record Review
October 10, 2008
Neue Ministry, one of my favorite webzines, posted a great review of our record, The Brighter EP. Check it out!
There are some seriously horrible worship albums out there. I want let you in on a secret. A diamond in the rough. His name is Brandon Grissom … and he’s the the real deal.
Living in the Chicago area, I get to meet some very creative and talented people. Living in the back yard of Willow Creek Community Church–I am friends with many young, shiny faces that come to Willow from around the world because of their gifting. Often these folks, while talented, seem to be on the fast track to become minor “Christian celebrities” and, to be brutally honest, lack a collaborative heart. The bright lights of the mega church (and the notoriety and salary that come with it) have drawn them like moths to a flame … and some hearts just get burnt up.
Grissom seems to have escaped all this nonsense. Why is all this important for a music review? It’s really simple, if you are going to make real worship music what’s in your heart is 99% of the battle.
Out of a man’s heart flows his music. Out of a man’s heart flows his lyrics. You should investigate Brandon Grissom’s heart.
The Brighter EP is the first independent release of worship songs for Grissom. He has several other great worship albums through Willow Creek that are worth buying , but the Brighter EP is a slight departure from those past efforts– the whole EP (5 songs) is a nice little adventure.
The title track, “Brighter,” is a catchy anthem song. It has a snazzy hook that has you humming it for the rest of the day. It also has theological punch. This song is straight forward so it won’t be hard for your team to perform it live.
There are two other tracks that will play really well from the front of your stage on a Sunday morning or evening. “Liberty,” is a track that can hold its own in a set full of Crowder or Tomlin. The more I listen to Liberty (I’ve been listening to it the whole hour it has taken me to write this review … man I write slow?) the more I think it might be my other favorite. “Arms of Mercy” is another track that is great for live performance–a bit more reflective, original and fresh. I have seen this one on the Willow main stage and it was warmly received.
The rest of the songs each find a natural and authentic place on the album. “I Have Decided” is a half track and it sounds like he’s just hanging in the studio. The engineer secretly recorded something gentle, unexpected and genuine. “God Most High” is a heart felt conversation with God
I wholly recommend going out and investigating the Brighter EP. Grissom is a welcomed and fresh voice in a world gone stale. He has the chops to carve his own place among the worship gypsies of modern Christian music. He seems to have the heart not to get too caught up in himself and I think God will continue to use him. Essentially, He’s a real nice guy making really great worship music for people. No rock star wannabe stuff going on here. The more I listen to him–the more I want to find a way to share him with others. We need more people like him on stages across the world
So, whether you need a few new creative songs for your service, or you’re like me and you just need something to blast on your iPod on a sunny day, Brandon Grissom’s music makes your heart feel brighter.
Axis: Chicago
October 9, 2008
We kicked off Axis: Chicago this past Saturday night. So much to say, don’t have much time right now, but here are a couple pictures. Thanks for the pics Darren!
