A non-profit organization is exploring the potential to develop a multi-day family music festival with a Christian focus here in the Maritimes. The proposed event would be held at a picturesque, pristine and spacious park setting. A component of this event would be youth-focused.

To determine the level of interest for such a festival and to collect feedback on the concept, they are surveying members of the Christian community. They would greatly appreciate 5-10 minutes of your time to help them by answering a few questions.

As a reward, all people who fill in the survey before midnight Tuesday May 6th are eligible to win an iPod Shuffle. They will be drawing the winner of one 1 Gig Shuffle on Wednesday May 7th.

Take the survey here:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=CMqYyyl3YX_2f2KgwWlydB2w_3d_3d

How can smaller churches get quality media resources to use in their services? There are numerous businesses and even churches who sell such resources, but that doesn’t help churches who can’t afford to pay $15-$20 dollars for a 2 minute clip they will use only once.

Muddy River Media is a new mission organization, launched in Atlantic Canada whose purpose is to consistently provide free, quality media resources for churches using the Internet as the primary delivery tool. They offer illustrative videos, motion backgrounds, countdown timers, stock photography and more for free!

“It’s been a long 18 months as we worked towards this website launch” said Muddy River Media’s Mark Fogarty, the organization’s first video missionary, “we’re excited to offer these resources to churches around the world.” Muddy River Media hopes other churches and independent producers will assist by donating media to the website. “We’ve invested plenty of time and money to get this site up and running, and we’d love to see other media producers take advantage of the infrastructure we have in place” says Mr. Fogarty.

Rob Feature, co-host of the popular Geeks and God podcast (www.GeeksandGod.com) says this about Muddy River Media:

"On our podcast, we get questions from thousands of church and ministry leaders, big and small, all over the planet. One of our most asked questions is: "If we can't afford to produce or purchase high quality media for our church or ministry, we're seen as irrelevant in this media-driven age...where can we turn?” Until I heard about Muddy River Media, I never had a good answer for them. With the launch of the Muddy River website these small churches are able to get high quality media at no cost. They now have the opportunity to use Gospel-spreading tools that previously only Mega Churches had access to. Hooray for Muddy River Media...they are making a big impact on The Kingdom!"

The ministry is now live and they invite you to check out their website at www.MuddyRiverMedia.org.


Contact:
Mark Fogarty

www.MuddyRiverMedia.org

Faith was prominently represented at the Juno Awards April 6. Worship singer-songwriter Brian Doerksen's Holy God won for Contemporary Christian / Gospel Album of the Year. Several of the winners in other categories have also been public about their Christian beliefs: Paul Brandt, whose Risk was recognized as Country Recording of the Year; Measha Brueggergosman, whose debut solo CD Surprise won in the Vocal or Choral Classical Album of the Year; and Christos Hatzis, whose Constanipole won Classical Composition of the Year.

As orinally posted on Canadian Christianity:
http://www.canadianchristianity.com/nationalupdates/080410briefs.html

Lighthouse Community Church is coming to Lantz, NS in summer 08. This will be a Church of God (Pentecostal) church plant. If you live in this area and want to be part of reaching this community for Christ please contact Scott Carroll at 902-240-8726,

ignition
Moncton Coliseum June 22nd at 7:00pm
Featuring Barlow Girl, Kutless, Outcast BMX and Will Graham

We need Counselors! If you live in NB and you’re a youth, young adult or adult and you want to be involved in this amazing night, as a Counselor then we need you!

Counselor Training Sessions will be held in Saint John & Moncton and you are invited:

Saint John: Saturday April 26th at 10:00am-11:30am at Forest Hills Baptist Church
Moncton: Saturday May 3rd at 10:00am-11:30am at Hillside Baptist Church


Contact:

Mark Miller
Youth Ministries Project Manager
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association of Canada

Cell: 403-617-6065

www.epicnb.com

City Heights Church in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia has an active missions project in the Dominican Republic. As part of that missions emphasis, the church supports a local doctor who services several Haitian communities in that area.

The church is prayerfully seeking to connect with an individual, individuals, or an organization that would help facilitate acquisition of an ambulance that could be shipped to their doctor’s medical centre for use in serving the emergencies that arise in that area. If you or someone in your church or organization could assist in fulfilling this vision, please contact Jason Cole at City Heights Church, 902.462.6099, or connect with the church online at http://www.cityheightschurch.com/email.shtml

Matt Whitman, networker extraordinaire is co-hosting the HFXlunch at the Halifax Club on Friday, February 29th, 3-6pm. This will be the 5th time this rapidly growing "Do Good NETWORKING crowd" meets. The last 2 events were held at the Westin with over 500 attendees!

HFXlunch is about doing good while doing good business. The group's motto is "Shaking Hands - Shaping Futures". Proceeds of the $20.00 entrance fee go to ARK OUTREACH. This networking gathering has received coverage in The Daily News and on CTV's Live at Five.

Whitman says "Be sure to bring an extra stack of business cards to leave on the business card table, because there is no way to possibly get and give a business card to everyone in the room".

This is a great opportunity for Christian business people to network with other Christians, but to also network and share their faith-walk with non-believers. Whitman says “it is a great way to be salt and light in Halifax’s business community”. Bring a friend who needs to make some great connections and support a great cause. More information on the event is available at http://www.HFXlunch.com/

This past weekend, the launch of the epicenter New Brunswick youth outreach initiative took place in Moncton and Saint John featuring concerts by the Nashville-based Christian band Building 429.

The events gathered over 600 youth in Moncton at Moncton Wesleyan Church on Friday night, and another 540 youth in Saint John on Saturday night at the Full Gospel Assembly church. The events were designed to rally Christian youth in preparation to reach out to their non-Christian friends. The evenings began with worship by the band and then took an intermission for an inspirational message by epicenter leader Mark Miller. The youth were then powerfully moved to pray for their friends, their cities, and their province. Building 429 then returned to lead the teens in an interactive set of contemporary Christian songs from their latest albums.

Over the next few months, youth will be trained to reach out to their friends and they will be encouraged to invite as many as possible to the epicenter climax event called “ignition” at the 6000 seat Moncton Coliseum on Sunday, June 22nd. Organizers hope to fill the venue. That event will feature a contemporary concert by the bands Kutless and Barlow Girl as well as an evangelistic message and call to spiritual commitment.

The epicenter program is an outreach of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association of Canada and you can find out more information online at http://www.epicnb.ca

An exciting new worship music ministry has been formed in the city of Fredericton bringing a fresh new sound to the realm of Christian music. Newly formed “Here and Now” is made up of members Joanne Williams and David McLaughlin. Both Joanne and David work and live in Fredericton with their families. The group was formed out of the desire of Joanne and David to use their God-given talents in a singing ministry that changes the hearts and lives of the listener. The goal of “Here and Now” is to worship the Lord in song with their audiences and encourage them to draw closer to the Lord.

“We want our audiences to know that they are important to us and that there is nothing more important to us than worshipping the Lord with them at that given time,” said David McLaughlin.

Joanne and David bring to this music ministry a vast array of experience which is drawn from both their backgrounds in music. Both members have sung in groups, trios, choirs and as soloists. They have performed at conferences, concerts and many churches across Atlantic Canada. They are excited and looking forward with anticipation to the ways in which God will use and direct the ministry of “Here and Now”.

Should you be interested in booking “Here and Now” for a community event, concert, fundraiser or church service please use the contact information provided at the top of this release. Even if you just want to find out more about their ministry and music, please feel free to contact them at any time as they would love to hear from you.


Contact: David McLaughlin
Phone: 506-444-5972 (Day)
Alternate Phone Number: 506-472-9603 (Night)
Email:

Southern Gospel music great Lynda Randle will team with the international relief organization Compassion Canada, and Pinnacle Gospel to present a live concert tour from March 23 to 30 with stops in Moncton, St. John, Fredericton, Halifax, and Truro.

This multi-talented Gospel recording artist has spent nearly two decades singing in sold-out churches, theatres and arenas winning the hearts of audiences around the world, while sharing her testimony and rich vocal talents. With a voice as powerful as the gospel story, she is regularly featured on the highly successful ‘Bill Gaither Homecoming Video and Concert Series’. She has more than a dozen video and audio recordings to her credit, as seen on PBS TV Channel and Vision T.V. every week. Now on her first, solo Canadian tour, you can witness her live and in concert.

Blessed with a powerful voice and a passionate message, Lynda is building bridges across cultural, generational, and denominational divides. Joining Randle will be Canadian fiddler, Trevor Dick as well as maritime award winning Christian vocalist Evangeline Inman, and will introduce Bridget Blucher Queen of Caribbean Gospel.

As the world’s leading Christian child development sponsorship ministry, Compassion International is committed to eliminating the root causes of poverty for children around the globe. For more than 50 years, Compassion’s ministry has successfully released children from spiritual, physical, economic and social poverty in Jesus’ name. The essential key to this achievement lies in their focus on the holistic development of a child, cultivation of a one-to-one relationship between that child and a Christian sponsor, and engagement of the local church to nurture this alliance.

“Pinnacle Gospel, celebrating its 10th anniversary, is honoured to bring this one of a kind concert tour to the Maritimes, offering a joyous Gospel experience”, says Orlando Newton of Pinnacle Gospel."You won’t want to miss out on an evening full of laughter, great southern gospel music and the inspiration behind these songs.”

Tickets are $20 general admission, $30 for VIP tickets; they include reserved seating and reception at 5pm. Tickets are available through www.ticketatlantic.com and www.pinnaclegospelonline.com.

For more information on Lynda Randle, visit: www.lyndarandle.com

Note: First 100 tickets on sale for $10.00 until midnight, February 3, 2008, available at www.pinnaclegospelonline.com or at Pamela Kennedy Salon, 6589 Chebucto Rd., Halifax, NS (902) 404 - 4240