Chris will be on the road with Passion in 2014

Officials planning the next Passion Conference have learned they cannot use the Georgia Dome for their normal right-after-New Year’s Day schedule because of the venue’s NFL game commitments the weekend following the holiday.
So they have put together a condensed, two-day version of Passion in Atlanta on Jan. 17-18, 2014. And they’ve planned another 2-day Passion Feb. 14-15 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Tex.
The conference founded by author-speaker Louie Giglio is expected to host its usual line-up of Christian music artists; including Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Kristian Stanfill, Charlie Hall, Christy Nockels, and others.
Check their website for details www.268generation.com

A Grant flashback

Did you ever go back to your parent’s home and they showed you something of yours they ran across while looking through old closet or in the attic?
Many times it’s something you had completely forgotten about.
That happened recently to Natalie Grant. What came out of the back of her old closet at the family home in Seattle, Washington?  Her old high school cheerleader uniform!
“I’m just glad it still fits,” she tweeted about the reminder of her days cheering for the Meadowdale High School Chiefs.
She tweeted a photo she took of herself wearing the old uniform.

TobyMac on his video for "Eye On It."

Singer-songwriter TobyMac won two of the three Christian music categories Sunday (5/19) at the annual Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nev.
Toby won for top Christian music artist and top album (“Eye On It”), while Matt Redman won Christian Song of the Year for his worship anthem, “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord).”
None of the Christian artists made it on the airwaves of the nationally telecast awards show, but Toby was grateful.
“I was honored tonight to receive to Billboard Music Awards,” he tweeted later in the evening. “‘Steal My Show’ (one of his songs)  is not just something I wanna sing, it’s something I want to live.”

Josh Wilson

Here is the schedule for the Sunday night W.O.W. (Worship on the Waterfront) series at Waterfront Stadium in Grand Haven, Mich. That schedule has been finalized and is now up at www.worshiponthewaterfront.org
The free-will-offering series kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Sunday June 23 with the husband-wife duo FFH.
Other highlights – Josh Wilson (June 30), Point of Grace (July 28) and Jason Gray (Aug. 4). Phil Stacey is coming back for the 3^rd year in a row (July 7).
The series is hosted by First Reformed Church in Grand Haven.

Kirk Franklin performs at a recent Gospel Brunch

How did Kirk Franklin celebrate his Mother’s Day? He performed two sold out concert sets at the inaugural Kirk Franklin Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, Calif.
Franklin has been with working officials at the House of Blues chain to re-work their Sunday brunch format.
“Gospel Brunch” also debuted on Mother’s Day in 10 other House of Blues location across the country.
A spokesman said Franklin may be popping in to them from time to time.
One of the new menu items? “Kirk Franklin’s Chicken and Waffles.”

Jimmy Needham

Singer-songwriter Jimmy Needham has some extra time this summer to offer songwriting lessons via Skype. It’s a series of five sessions, covering song concept and co-writing, lyric, melody and live performance. First session is a discounted $50. Offered on Tuesdays only. Check it out at http://fb.me/2qESDoDbo and click the “good to great” tab. Direct questions to songwriter@jimmyneedham.com

Bart Millard (center) and MercyMe

MercyMe lead singer Bart Millard is asking their fans to support the latest release by singer Amy Grant.
“Years ago we gave (I Can Only) “Imagine” to @amygrant. She gave it back, telling us it’s our career song. Buy her new album! PLEASE,” Bart tweeted.
Later Grant did record her own version of the tender ballad.
Grant’s new album – “How Mercy Looks From Here” – was released May 14.

Actor Michael Koch (left) on the set of "Ragamuffin" during filming last year.

Producers of the new movie “Ragamuffin” (Color Green Films) on the life of the late singer Rich Mullins are thanking fans for their patience, love and support, and have finally released the official “trailer” for the film at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF7qbCTFja0
Within three days of being posted on Youtube, the trailer had more than 64,000 views.
Actor Michael Koch portrays Mullins, who died in a car crash in 1997. The film should be released later this year.
By the way – initially there was some talk that the role of singer Amy Grant (she recorded several Mullins’ songs early in her career) was to be played by Rebecca St. James – but they ended up with a lesser known name (Amy Schultz) – someone without an Australian accent!

Matt Redman

Meanwhile, Matt Redman’s “10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)” was named ASCAP Christian music song of the year. The song had already won two Grammy Awards, and was dominant on Christian radio charts last year.
By the way, Redman is recording a new live CD later this month at the LIFT worship conference in Atlanta. The album will be released in September.