re:create

Derek Webb

presents a new worship project to re:create 2012 called Feedback. An instrumental album based on the Lord’s Prayer and complemented by painting (Scott Erickson), photography (Jeremy Cowart) and video (Scott Brignac—see one of the videos below.)

Derek says this about Feedback: “Worship is a complicated idea. Arguably, it’s what we all do, 24 hours a day (regardless of what we’re worshipping). And I’m aware of a lot of “worship product” in the marketplace I sometimes occupy. So I was cautious when I first started receiving the coordinates that would lead me to make ‘Feedback’.

It was immediately conceptual and ambitious, so much so that I genuinely wasn’t sure I could do it. But this seemed to be the perfect posture in which to create something worthy of being called a “worshipful” piece of art. So I studied, meditated, struggled and prayed my way through this creative process, and it’s easily the most challenging thing I’ve done in my career. But I believe it’s been worth it, even just for the ways it’s stretched both my creative process and my faith as a follower of the Way.”

Feedback [2.1] from Scott Brignac on Vimeo.

Starfield

will debut their latest album at re:create Nashville 2012.

When brothers Tim and Jon Neufeld, along with their bandmates made their way to Music City in 2004 as Starfield, they were just four bachelors dying to live on a tour bus. With great expectations and an arsenal of catchy songs, the band was ready to hit the open road and dedicate every waking moment to ministry and the pursuit of a successful musical career. Before long, the group’s hard work and persistence certainly paid off. With a slew of radio hits, tour dates and accolades, the stuff that makes for great press release fodder, Starfield seemed well on its way.

But underneath the shiny surface of success was an ever-increasing tension. “For one in a million bands, the experience is exactly what they hoped for,” says Tim. “But for most artists, you’re forced to reconcile your dreams with reality. We were battling through the insecurities of this new level of influence and not feeling like we were always measuring up.” With a full tour schedule eating up Sunday mornings, the band found it increasingly difficult to find a church body they really connected with.  Starving for solid teaching, fellowship and a place where they weren’t required to be “on,” the group realized more than anything it needed to be planted. Simply playing music, no matter how encouraging, just wasn’t cutting it. The band knew it had been made for something more.

“We didn’t want to be a commodity that was bought and sold, we wanted to be sent,” Tim explains. “To be sent is to be commissioned, to be supported and held accountable by a group of people. To be sold is to be rogue agents following the largest paycheck and biggest opportunities.” While the band knew that Nashville was where it needed to be in the beginning of its career, the guys ultimately pined to return to Canada.

Sparrow Records award-winning modern worship band Starfield last studio release was The Saving One, Feb. 23, 2010. The album featured Starfield’s signature energetic worship songs, many reflecting a tone of personal confession. As with previous outings, including 2008’s critically acclaimed I Will Go, Starfield continues to write songs for the church community. The Saving One is no exception, showcasing the signature harmonies of brothers Tim and Jon Neufeld on 10 soaring worship anthems. “One of the many great things about working with Starfield is that because they have such a sizable and devoted following in the Church, they are laser-focused on writing songs that connect with that audience,” says Vice President of A&R for EMI CMG Brad O’Donnell. Starfield also reached new lyrical maturity and vulnerability with The Saving One, as it explores songs of a more personal nature including the confession of doubt on “Something to Say” and the plea for restoration in lead radio single “Rediscover You.”

“’Rediscover You’ is as accurate a description of my journey with Christ as anything I’ve ever written,” says Tim. “I desperately find myself needing to rediscover the things of God – I want real, and I want passionate. I want to relearn ‘walking by faith,’ and I found incredible freedom in speaking those desires out in the lyrics.”

Kim Hill

is a 23-year veteran of the CCM music world. She’s a Grammy nominated, Dove award-winning artist with 16 cds to her credit. The past 14 years, she’s primarily been leading worship at women’s conferences around the country and is a perennial favorite for The Billy Graham Training Center, Focus on the Family, Max Lucado and Angela Thomas.  Kim also continues to be a favorite guest worship leader at various churches around the country including Oak Hills Church (San Antonio), Hope Pres Church (Memphis) and Bent Tree Fellowship (Dallas).

Kim’s just released her second Christmas cd and will be doing a Christmas tour this holiday season.  Her 2010 release, “SING” includes new favorites “Sing Because I’m Happy”, “Bless the Lord” and her rendition of “All My Tears” as well as a new arrangement of her classic song, “In You Alone”.

Hill has also written a devotional for children who experience divorce called, Hope No Matter What and has recently added “speaker” to her list of offerings for women’s events nationwide.

Mark Roach

Having written his first hint of a song in the fifth grade, Mark Roach has seemingly always known he was born to write songs. It wasn’t until recently, however, that he recognized a calling to write worship music. At thirteen, Mark picked up his first guitar and finally put chords to the first melody he’d ever written three years earlier. By the time he graduated high school, he had officially adopted the title singer/songwriter. Four years later, Mark released his first full-length recording entitled The Road to Home–the culmination of his tenure at Millikin University in Decatur, IL.

After Graduating College, Mark headed to Nashville. Still writing primarily secular pop/rock music, the Christian industry in Nashville didn’t seem to be a fit, so he headed back to his hometown of St. Louis, MO in ’99. Ironically, only months later, Mark accepted what would prove to be a life-changing position at Morning Star Church, a new church start in O’Fallon, where he began writing worship songs as the Music Director and Worship Leader. Mark has written several worship songs now sung in churches across the country, and is currently in his seventh year as Worship Leader at MSC.

Six of Mark’s original worship songs have been featured on National compilations, including appearances on WOW Next 2007, Absolute Modern Worship 2 [Fervent Records - 2006], SongDISCovery [vol. 53] in November of 2005 and two appearances on Purpose Driven Ministries’ SongSeeker project (2004 and 2005.) He has been featured on www.songdiscovery.com, www.pdworshipcommunity.com, and www.myrrhworship.com and has led worship for churches, youth camps, conferences, and rallies from the Midwest all the way to California.

One Sonic Society

one sonic society is about unity, creativity, and community. led by jason ingram [vocals/guitar], stu garrard [guitar/vocals] and paul mabury [drums]; an international collective of respected artists, united in creating music to serve the Church. Read more HERE.

Mike Lewis (The Jesus Painter)

Mike Lewis has been painting at Christian events since mid 1998. He paints large portraits of Christ in under twenty minutes.

It began when his close friend, Christian songwriter Seth Haines, told him that he had written a song called “Intimate Portrait” and wanted Mike to paint a portrait of Christ on stage during the song. Although Mike was in art school, he had never really painted before. The request was actually rather unreasonable in terms of possibility. Seth wanted a portrait large enough for an entire audience to see and also a likeness to Christ painted in seven minutes. Artists will tell you that usually portraits are very time consuming and some spend years on a single piece. Intimidated by the request but challenged by God Mike decided to trust him and began planning for the painting. After several months of thought and preparation the night arrived. Mike did not have the available funds to do a practice painting so the first try was live on stage. After a short prayer with his friend Mark Herrera that whatever happened God would be glorified through the artwork he walked to the stage and began to paint. Mike says that immediately everything disappeared except the canvas. He has described it as his most peaceful personal time with Christ. He began to swirl colors from the entire spectrum into the face of Christ, then at the end of the painting when the face was recognizable he began to throw blood (red paint) right in Jesus’ face. This can be painful to watch but we need to realize that we are responsible for the blood that he shed.

Many people were in the crowd who wanted Mike to come paint for a youth group or church service, the rest as they say “was history”. Now there are four programs available for public performance. He now paints and speaks on a regular basis. A new ministry is born.

“The Dollhouse” Dance Theatre