Gungor @ simpy youth ministry conference 2011 - Chicago
grateful to a new student ministry ally - rj grunewald – for reminding me of this. now that life is settling back into some normalcy (whatever that is…) i’m reminded of the incredible beauty of this newest work, Ghosts upon the Earth from Gungor.
i had only just heard of them when they performed at symc 2011….here’s my take on them then…and with the whirlwind of prepping for the Present:Hope Tour i had missed much of the buzz on the new album since it release 3 days before i left for Joplin.
Love that in this video on this newest work…that michael gungor says….this work is intentional. love where they start in the Story and where they end up. there is much beauty and talent in what they are doing. if you’ve not downloaded it yet…i’d heartily suggest it.
symc was filled with so many good things…and the OC Supertones were one more. For more than ten years and with seven albums and millions of fans the O.C. Supertones were renowned as the premiere rock – ska band in the land. so in the company of 3,000 of those fans (some established from almost a decade ago…to others by the end of the night.) it was a great closing to the last night of the conference. Love that throughout their performance their heart was and still is…”to glorify God and to edify His people.”
symc is always about new and creative stuff. one new element was dj promote. (check out his website for some amazing free downloads..friend him onfacebook and follow him on twitter.) DJ Promote‘s amazing talent was utilized to engage the audience before the general conference sessions. they gave DJ a sweet spot above the convention hall floor to do his thing. he’s been touring with greg stier and the dare 2 share crowd the past couple of years and has leveraged their connection with students…and i’d say adults from this video….
one the highlights at symc was the performance by the band GUNGOR. i’m not sure how to describe the whole experience. the music was amazing and moving. mark riddle posted on twitter:
This evening at #SYMC w Gungor is both a singular, one of a kind experience & the glimpse into the future of church/conferences.
i think mark is dead on. there was something…not sure what…quite yet. there was an opportunity the next morning to hear michael gungor share his thoughts on the theology of creativity. michael walked back through his story and journey from a successful ministry in a local church to leaving that all behind and pushing into what he called leaning into love and not fear. the reality that God is making all things new drives michael and what the gungor band is now doing. he reminded that at one time the cathedrals in europe were “cutting edge” and that all art has been driven by the Church over the years.
one interesting observation was how after leaving a local church, michael moved to denver and there started doing life with others in a new way. this newest work of the gungor band is the result of “doing life together” as a community. out of he and his friend’s sharing each others lives comes a sound and a voice that is truly going to change things. he encouraged that we shouldn’t let fear bottle us up. fear is the biggest enemy of creativity for the Kingdom. we must risk – making all things new. the world needs the beauty of the Church to usher in the Kingdom to impact the broken-hearted. one of the last questions michael made was: what has God placed in your hand to be creative with…as a mom doing Kingdom work or a pastor in the church?
back in may i posted (which has landed more searches on my blog than anything else i’ve posted since i started blogging a few years ago) about some mystery around derek webb’s new ablum. here’s the single (ht mike todd) that appears to be creating part of the uneasiness. you can gain some more insight here from bryan allain. all very interesting. i’m thinking there’s a theme developing here today…let’s all…as Christ followers wrestle with what does matter more?
Update://stephen lamb was at a gathering saturday july 4th (an appropriate date), at The Rutledge in nashville where Derek Webb played a one hour documentary on the making of this new album…you can read about the evening here. i’m wondering if we really are at a new place in the Story? stay tuned. btw you can pre-order derek webb’s new work -the stockholm syndrome on tuesday 7/7. watch his website for more info.
welcome to the blog of tom roepke. follower of Jesus. husband to melinda. father to sarah, jedidiah and emmah. pastor of student ministries at new hope community church. much like my friend, samwise, i am just trying to find my place in the Story.
