Mark.

This is Mark.
I met Mark when he was playing drums for a Chicago rock band called, Endless Never.
I had booked his band to play at our youth center twice within a couple years to play for 100 teens.
This week at camp, Mark is playing drums for the worship team in front of a 700 teens.

Weird Al in Springfield next month

Next month I'm going to see Weird Al's Straight Outta Lynwood tour at the Illinois State Fair.
I actually got to see it last September in Champaign.
I blogged it here.

My Top Five Weird Al Songs
Smells Like Nirvana
One More Minute
Amish Paradise
Fat
Gotta Boogie

What's your favorite Weird Al song?

Viva La Vida

ok.
im not a big cold play fan.
it seems like its the thing to listen to if you want to be a "progressive pastor".
whatever that means.

i got the album and have listened to it six times.
its ok.

viva la vida is good for listening while

• working
• sitting and chilling
• napping

viva la vida is not good for listening while

• riding a roller coaster
• road trips in the car
• head banging
  

do you like the new coldplay album?

Create Your Own Radio Station

I just discovered Pandora Radio.
Pandora is a free web streaming radio program.
But here is the cool part.
You tell it what artist or song you like and it will create a radio station with that artist and artist similar to it.

So, I typed in "Pearl Jam", and here are some tracks it has played recently for me in my so called playlist called "Pearl Jam Radio."

Alive - Pearl Jam
About a Girl - Nirvana
Plush - Stone Temple Pilots
Otherside - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Severed Hand - Pearl Jam
Heartbreaker - Led Zeppelin
Best of You - Foo Figthers
Fell on Black Days - Soundgarden



What would be your custom radio station?

My Ringtone.

I change mine maybe every couple of months.
My current ring tone.
Hard Sun by Eddie Vetter off of the Into the Wild soundtrack.



What is yours?

Mac Desktop Movie Video

Why can't I be this creative.

Who is King in Your iTunes Library?

MxPx
719.8 MB
246 Tracks
19 Albums
10.3 Hours

These guys aren't my favorite band, but some how they have a ton of property on my iBook.

What band has the most tracks in your iTunes library? How many tracks?

I've got my copy of Pop Goes The Church

Where's yours?

Pop Goes The Church on Amazon
Leading Smart - Tim's blog
Pop Goes The Church - website
My review

My Muxtape

Upload and stream your own mix tape with mp3s.


Here is My Muxtape.
Create your Muxtape? And post it here.
I have spent a couple days of listening to others Muxtapes. I'd love to listen to yours.

80s Night was a Blast

Last night was our 80s night. I have blogged about us doing it here.

Here's what the night looked like.

• Costume contest
• NES games on a video projector
  
• Ms. Pacman and Dig Dug on tvs
• 80s music pumping.

We also, setup Rock Band and had a band play the Bon Jovi song "Dead or Alive", on stage.


I played the music video for U2's Pride (In the Name of Love).
Here are some of the lyrics from the song.

One man come in the name of love
One man come and go
One man come, he to justify
One man to overthrow

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love

And then I talked about God's unconditional love for them.

This was an incredible night.
In the future we are going to be doing 70s, 60s and even "the future".

What's your favorite 80s song

This sunday is our 80s theme night.
I'm needing an hour of 80s music.

What is the must have track that needs to be played?

Help, I Need Somebody - Easter Artwork

The other day I posted some artwork that Travis and I were working on for our Easter service at First Assembly. I gave no background information on the art for a reason. I just wanted your gut reaction.

So...
First off, thanks for all the criticisms, encouragements, and ideas that were posted here, twitter, xanga and myspace.

Background
Our Easter service is going to be based off of The Beatles' song Help.
A live band will cover The Beatles song.
Multiple stories from people.
Creative elements from children and student ministries.
All centered around one center. Help.

Inspiration


rough draft


final draft


Any thoughts the on revisions?

The Beatles Help {embed video}

My Grandma in Concert - Church Sign

Saw this church sign today and lol.


My Grandma
My Grandma's Mypace

I laughed. I cried. I hurled.

What an incredible read!

I just finished Pop Goes the Church: Should the Church Engage in Pop Culture authored by Tim Stevens. Tim is an executive pastor at one of the most innovative churches in the states, Granger.

When I first saw this title, I immediately thought it would be all about putting on a rock show, and firing up the HD projector for a blockbuster movie and popcorn in a state-of-the-art auditorium. But the truth is Tim Stevens so wonderfully challenged me to take a look at the needs of the people in my community, and for me to meet them.

I took an emotional rollercoaster while reading this, from being inspired, to being frustrated. I laughed. I cried. I hurled.

Talk about research. Tim has studied pop culture and how to minister to a pop culture saturated people. He also takes a look at how some of the most incredible speakers of time used pop culture. Speakers you might be familiar with. Jesus. Paul. Tim just didn’t go to the local used record store and pull from a cd from the hottest hits, or the grab a movie from the Blockbuster Video's Employees favorites. He has researched his thoughts both with society and biblically.

Tim is so in your face, in a good way. He inspires the Christian community & churches from pulling out of the culture, and challenges them to instead engage in it.

Pop Goes the Church…
Challenges the boring church.
Addresses the problem with evangelism.
Connects the gospel to the community.
Gives practical help of how to avoid the art of being boring.

I can’t wait to get this book into the hands of our staff and leadership team.

I'm Reviewing a New Book

Tim Stevens, the executive pastor at Granger Community Church, has written a new book titled Pop Goes the Church: Should the Church Engage Pop Culture? Tim posted on his blog, asking for 10 leaders willing to read his book, and review it. I applied and I was selected.

I'm super pumped.
I will be posting more about the book as I'm reading it, but I can't quote any parts of it.

Also my name will be mentioned in the book.



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Walkin' in the Winter Wonderland

Thats right. The free iTunes single of the week is Michael Bolton's "Walkin' in the Winter Wonderland".
Get it here

The Glorious Unseen

I just purchased their debut album on Tooth and Nail Records called, Tonight the Stars Speak. Its only $7.99 on itunes.



The Glorious Unseen - Tonight the Stars Speak

Straight Outta Lynwood Tour

Wake the dead show

Wake the dead show, originally uploaded by mufan96.

its nice going to a show with friends.

233

is the number of mxpx songs i have in itunes.