Jody Davis (right) facial hair specialist

Newsboys have a new song ready from their forthcoming album.
The new song is “Live With Abandon” , and you can listen to it at the band website. It’s about giving your all for God and His kingdom.
It will have to go a ways to top the success of their previous album’s song, “God’s Not Dead (Like A Lion).”
The new album is called “Restart” and will release in September.
The new look for the band? – Guitarist Jody Davis has a big, full, bushy beard (looks like a “Duck Dynasty” dude!)

Ryan Stevenson

TobyMac says he loves being an artist, but he loves just as much to introduce new artists.
His latest find? Ryan Stevenson, who has a new song (“Hold Nothing Back”) and new album on the way.
Stevenson has been a full time touring artist for the last two years and shows up on the CD credits of several other artists. He co-wrote Toby’s latest single, “Speak Life” from the album “Eye On It.”
Meanwhile, Toby co-wrote Stevenson’s new song.
“Ryan is an impressive songwriter who understands the delicate balance of writing songs about his faith and walking it out in a cold, cold world,” said Toby.
Toby introduces Ryan on this video clip: http://youtu.be/GkAVNeBd6CE

ZOEgirl: Alisa, Chrissy and Kristen

Remember the female dance-pop trio ZoeGirl that took Christian music by storm in the early 2000s? Some of their hits – “I Believe” “You Get Me” and their signature “With All of My Heart.” They broke up in 2006.
They were together on stage again this month as part of a body image/eating disorders conference called Hungry for Hope.
Two of the three are on a musical hiatus – Chrissy is married to James Katina of The Katinas. Kristen Swinford is married and has two children. Alisa Childers is in a music group with her sisters and nieces, and recently co-wrote a song for the forthcoming Tammy Trent album.

Chris Tomlin at Red Rocks

Chris Tomlin’s just-completed “Burning Lights” tour with Kari Jobe had 25 sell-outs in large venues in cities such as New York, L.A. and Chicago. In all, a more than 50 percent increase in attendance over his last tour.
The tour will re-boot in the fall with another 21 cities.
By the way, the final show of the spring tour was in the famed Red Rocks Ampitheater near Denver, and that concert was videoed to be released as a live DVD this fall.

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.