“I had to sing ‘Bones’ for L.A. twice, because the first time I was so nervous about the gravity of the moment that I choked.” Ginny Blackmore
issue one | april | twenty-fourteen soulpurposemag.com
what’s your crazy, out-there dream? parachute tribute photo essay inside attitude of gratitude living a thankful life
GINNY BLACKMORE
and her Epic journey
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contents... issue one | april | twenty-fourteen
06
What’s your crazy out there dream?
10
How the doors closing on Parachute Festival affect your christianity
13
A tribute to Parachute
18
6 Keys to achieving success
20
COVER STORY: Ginny Blackmore
25
Two wrongs don’t make a right
26
The Church’s diminishing young adults
29
Berni Dymet
Matt Danswan
Photo essay
Dennis McCaskill
Exclusive interview
Christina Zilkow
Dennis McCaskill
Attitude of gratitude
20
30 Experience
pure power at Transition
Tracey Adamson
“Transition is always a highlight. It really strengthened my spirit and helped me in my struggles.” Nicholas
Event for young men 11- 17 years
Christchurch – 23 August Wellington – 13 September Auckland – 4 October
13 4 SP: issue one • april twenty-fourteen
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publishers details... 19
Publisher Matthew Danswan Art Director Nicole Danswan Accounts Elizabeth Yeo Advertising Manager Ray Curle P 09 281 4896 E ray.curle@initiatemedia.net Correspondence PO Box 318 334, West Harbour, Auckland 0661
No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part, without prior written permission. Opinions
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10 months designed to disciple young people in Christ and train them in God’s mission.
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www.soulpurposemag.com 5
vision
what’s your crazy, out-there dream? words: berni dymet Have you ever had a crazy ridiculous dream? So way out? So weird? On the one hand in your heart of hearts you believe it’s from God. On the other, it’s so ... out there ... that you’re afraid to tell anyone, in case they think you’re smoking dope. Well – here’s mine. I’d love to hear yours ... I’d been a Christian for, ooh about ... 6 months. I was already at Bible College, studying ministry. A huge turnaround from the tough, hardnosed businessman I’d been. My personal life had pretty much fallen in a heap. It was a very ordinary Saturday arvo, and I’d been ironing when, well the best way I can describe 6 SP: issue one • april twenty-fourteen
it, is that it was like the Presence of God fell on me in the stairwell of my townhouse. So I sat down on the top stair and the Lord showed me how for years while I (full of myself) had been prancing around stages speaking at large IT conferences around the world – He’d been getting me ready, training me, teaching me ... to go out there and tell people about Jesus. To preach the Gospel. It was so humbling and compelling at the same time ... I didn’t know how, or when (it would in fact be another 8 years till it started happening). A year or two later, I was at a Joyce Meyer rally in the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Okay, Joyce isn’t everyone’s cup of tea – but
the Lord spoke to me so powerfully through her in those early days as He was laying the foundations of my faith. (Thanks Joyce!) I looked around – there were several thousand people in that auditorium – and me, being wired and called to preach the Gospel – thinks to myself: If only one day I could tell this many people about Jesus! Crazy I know. I couldn’t tell anyone. I mean... what would they have thought?! And just as I was having that thought – I heard a voice. it was quick, it was fleeting but what it said was totally unmistakable: Berni ... this is nothing! Just wait and see what I will do with you... Nah! Couldn’t be ... get out of
“BUT, HOW? I DIDN’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT RADIO AND I CERTAINLY DIDN’T KNOW ANY STATIONS. BUT A CALL FROM GOD IS A CALL FROM GOD.”
here! And yet in my heart of hearts, I dreamed about telling stadiums full of people ... millions of people about Jesus. Was I going nuts? One thing led to another and I became involved in this tiny, almost defunct ministry called “Christianityworks”. It was a media ministry that had been going for just over 50 years in Australia whose ‘core business’ it was to teach the bible in the media – principally through radio programs. Only ... it was almost broke. It wasn’t producing any radio programs. And it was pretty much a case of last one out, turn out the lights! It was at that point that I felt called to leave my safe, secure and very comfortable IT consulting job, to take over that ministry and start preaching the Gospel. But, how? I didn’t know anything about radio and
I certainly didn’t know any stations. But a call from God is a call from God. So crazy as I was back then ... off I went. We spent the last few thousand dollars we had in the bank producing about 12 half hour Christianityworks radio messages (when I listen to them now, I want to crawl in a hole and die! Did I really sound like that?!). On the 21st of February 2005 the first of those programs went to air on a handful of stations in Australia. Today, we’re still producing radio Bible teaching programs, and they’re heard through over 1,000 radio outlets in 160 countries around the world, by a weekly audience somewhere in excess of 15 million people. And we are now also on air on a government-owned radio network across India, in a time slot that currently has 30 million listeners each week!
The most common question I get asked is ... Berni how did all that happen? And my honest to God answer is ... I really don’t know! Really! Sure we worked hard, our small team. But God ... God has time and time and time again done the most amazing things. So I’m here to tell you – don’t ever right off your crazy dreams. That strange voice all those years ago at the Joyce Meyer rally, had it absolutely right! It’s all about Him. We in the tiny Christianityworks team feel pretty much like bystanders. What a God we serve! Well, there you have it. That’s my crazy dream. It’s out there. Now, what’s yours? sp
Berni Dymet is the CEO of christianityworks.com. You can learn more at www.christianityworks.com
INTERSERVE hard place people ENCOURAGEMENT
INFORMATION
PRAYER
FELLOWSHIP
www.soulpurposemag.com 7
be the change
choose life: ribbon campaign launched words: bob mccoskrie A pink and blue ribbon campaign has been launched to bring attention to the issue of abortion. The pink and blue ribbon campaign is a simple but powerful way for New Zealanders to display their support for the health and wellbeing of mothers (and fathers as well!), and the protection and rights of the unborn child. “I believe we should respect both the woman and the unborn child, We can love them both,” says Marina Young, spokesperson for the campaign and the founder of the Buttons Project. “We already have the yellow ribbon, white ribbon, pink ribbon, and blue ribbon campaigns. This is the perfect opportunity to stand in unison and speak up on behalf 8 SP: issue one • april twenty-fourteen
of children who don’t yet have a voice, and for the right of women to know the full facts when considering their options. There is also an accompanying website chooselife.org.nz which will carry the latest news, media releases, and information and research concerning this area. Supporters can also sign the petition calling for the protection of the rights of the unborn child and the protection of the health and wellbeing of the mother. “Some political parties and lobby groups are already hinting that there will be attempts to introduce extreme abortion laws in NZ, which will potentially pave the way for late term abortions, ‘gendercide’, eugenics, and possibly even partial-birth abortions. This will further build a pro-
death culture which is harmful to the health of women and conveniently ignores the rights of the unborn child. It’s time we gave women real choice and information,” says Mrs Young. Significantly, NZ is a signatory to the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child which specifically protects the rights of an unborn child. “New Zealanders don’t want an extreme abortion law. They want a law that works best for women’s health and wellbeing, and which considers all human beings involved in a pregnancy.” sp For more information visit the Buttons Project www.buttonsproject.org
“ ...set to make a mark similar to that of the Sarkies brothers’ first collaboration, Scarfies” Southland Times
live your calling words: phil irons LIFE Conference 2014 is almost here, an opportunity for you to strengthen the call on your life. Ps Paul de Jong, Conference host, explains the theme, saying: “The heart of LIFE Conference this year is captured in our theme ‘Strengthen’. For each one of us, our full Kingdom potential lies within the unique call of God on our life, and we are excited to present a conference designed to help you walk out your call with increasing effectiveness.” This year LIFE Conference is excited to welcome two new friends to the speaking line up; Dr Samuel Chand, leadership expert and mentor, and Ps Ed Young, Senior Pastor of Fellowship Church in the United States and United Kingdom. Rounding out the line-up is Ps Steve Kelly, a long-time friend of the conference and Senior Pastor of Wave Church in Virginia Beach, USA The Conference comprises combined sessions with all delegates, as well as focused Master Class sessions crafted to strengthen you for your specific calling. Taking place over four nights and three days in May, LIFE Conference will leave you refreshed and resourced to effectively live out your calling. Visit www.lifeconference.co.nz for more details.
“Will astonish, inspire audiences” Christian Post
“Brings the life of Jesus to the big screen like never before” Christian Cinema
“The best I’ve ever seen” Pastor, Rick Warren
/SONOFGODMOVIE
@sonofgodmovie #SonofGodMovie #spreadtheword
In Cinemas May 15 www.soulpurposemag.com 9
how the doors closing on parachute festival affect your christianity words: matt danswan Parachute Festival’s recent announcement that it is no more has been well documented over the last couple of weeks. There is not much more we can add to it. But the issues facing Parachute are issues that we all face in our personal life: the cloud moves, the world changes, and the niche we may have filled no longer exists. Matt Danswan takes you on his journey of a similar experience, and how God had a plan for a brand new season. The demise of Parachute Festival is a sad one. There won’t be too many Christians in New Zealand – of any age – who won’t see this as a disappointing announcement. It’s the end of a really special era. Personally, when I think of Christianity in Australia, I immediately think of Hillsong. (OK, don’t get too spiritual on me; I naturally think of God himself first!). But when I think of New Zealand, I personally felt like Parachute Festival and Christianity fit like hand and glove. It was big. It was bold. It was brassy. And it showed the mainstream world just what Christians could do. And you didn’t even need to go anywhere near a church to see God’s hand at work. Parachute Festival has gone down through the generations. It’s been around long enough that grandparents took their grandchildren along for the show. OK, maybe not 90 year-old grandparents, but, you know those hip, 50s and 60s something grandparents. And ‘old’ rockers, now into their 40s, still saw it as an event they could connect with. But the music industry is one of the most fickle, and I don’t need to waste anyone’s time here in explaining how challenged the whole music industry is at present. As music has moved to the cloud, and streaming
10 SP: issue one • april twenty-fourteen
services like Spotify become the new norm, for the artists and most in the music industry, the income streams haven’t necessarily followed it. And whether we like it or not, the Christian world doesn’t live in a bubble. Most of the forces that affect the rest of the world affect us too. Think changes to book reading, the challenges this is placing in book retailers, and you’ll naturally see that Christian retailers are feeling the same pain. Think the rise in streaming technology so you can watch preaching on your TV, ipad or iphone, and you’ll see the church has a challenge of getting people to understand the importance of regular attendance. So the announcement Parachute made, while it might have been a major shock to many – and most, was probably not too surprising to those who understand the above-mentioned challenges. Look at The Big Day Out. Sure, it’s still a ‘big day out’, but it used to be an even bigger day out. Music events are coming and going, and festivals are not immune to the music industry changes. And this change in music brings me to God, and how he deals with it. Remember, events like Parachute glorify His name, so God also potentially stands to lose when an event like this closes its doors. But God will still do His thing – in a different way. He’d be disappointed for the organisers that the event won’t be around, as He cares about His people. But I can tell you, He is not only up on technology, but also many steps ahead as to what is coming in the future. He already has the next thing birthed. From a personal perspective, I can share a very similar story to the Parachute guys. I am a publisher, and in the years
gone by our income streams were solid, our business was static, and this allowed to build a good base, a decent size team of staff, and a very successful business. I remember our 2008 staff Christmas party. We held it at our house, flew some staff in from other states, had it well catered for, and really celebrated what had been a great year. Prior to the party, we had a vision morning at our offices, where I took the staff through the year to come. We were all in high spirits, as Christmas was just a week away, we were all about to take some well-earned time off to do more of the things we don’t normally have time to do. And so life was good. We had also just acquired DayStar Magazine in New Zealand, with our first issue under our ownership out in February 2009. I remember coming back to work in early/mid January of 2009. It’s not normally a busy time, but it was dead. The orders weren’t coming through, and we started to eat our cash to pay our staff. Week after week this was occurring, and I remember holding tight, thinking all would be OK, and we just had to ride this out. Besides, there was no way I could lay off anyone after the great Christmas party, added with it my stirring speech as to how good the year – and years – ahead were going to be... The global financial crisis had finally reached our doorstep, the Internet was starting to wreak havoc, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. The slowdown in spending, combined with readers’ changing habits and moves toward digital all crashed in on us at once, and we were exposed. It hit us like the perfect storm, threatening to take us out of business if I didn’t swallow my pride, announce to our staff that things had taken a turn for the worse, and we
life lessons
would need to make changes. And to make matters worse, the DayStar acquisition meant we also had a couple of their staff joining our payroll at the start of February, so we were committed to spend even more money each week. I remember walking and talking to God, feeling like I had been abandoned and forsaken. The pain was immense. Our payroll was large, but our income had dropped, and letting wonderful staff go, then mopping up the financial mess afterwards, was the hardest thing I have ever done. Period. I vividly recall one evening out praying, and I literally cried out to God with the words: “God, why have you forsaken me”? But he hadn’t, and I just couldn’t see what he was doing. He knew our business needed to change to be able to adapt to the Internet age, and while the pain was bad, it was necessary. However the thing that was hardest to take, and while I felt abandoned, was that I had run the business wisely. We had no debt, no overdrafts or bank involvement in funding, and all of our risk and effort was to help build God’s kingdom (as we were Christian publishers, publishing into the Christian market). How could this happen when we were doing it for God’s – not our own – glory? Anyway, let me not bore you with the rest of the story, suffice to say it was a six month period waiting on God to really get that fresh new vision for where He wanted us to be. But worse, it was a five year journey of cleaning up the financial mess this mini tornado had torn through our business. By far that was the hardest five years of my life. Fast forward five years and we have the perfect mix of print and digital, we have
refined every area of our organisation, and we have the brightest of futures. And God also had a sense of humour in the middle of all of this. While we are going through our toughest of times, we were pregnant with our third child. The stress was unbearable as the baby was due, and yet, to add to the stress, our new baby couldn’t wait until we got to the hospital to enter the world. He was born in the front seat of the car, finally going by ambulance to get to his place in hospital. My wife and I just look back and laugh at the fact that, in the middle of the pain (not including her birth pains) we had this extra stress on us. But it now adds to the testimony, and we regularly drive past the petrol station where he was born. To this day, whenever I drive past that place, I get a sense of joy as to his birth, while at the same time a chill right down my spine as to just how much pain I was in. So where is all this heading? That’s a great question. The point of sharing my story with you is to show you that, like Parachute, things change. Challenges happen to good Christian people and organizations. It isn’t a punishment; it’s just life. Things change; the cloud moves, and today’s great opportunity isn’t necessarily there tomorrow. So my challenge to you, in what is a vastly changing world, is don’t give up hope. The world is going through major changes, but we still serve the God who owns the sheep on a thousand hills, and He has a plan for your life. Jobs may be scarce, house prices may be high, and you may not see an amazing future if you look at what is directly in front of you. But now is not the age and stage of life to give up hope. Now is the time to keep the dream alive; to keep dreaming big, praying big
IT ISN’T A PUNISHMENT; IT’S JUST LIFE. THINGS CHANGE; THE CLOUD MOVES, AND TODAY’S GREAT OPPORTUNITY ISN’T NECESSARILY THERE TOMORROW.
and expecting big things. And be aware that if you have carved out a niche today, it may not be there tomorrow. So always keep your open for what is around the corner, what is up ahead. It will be something different, it will be something new, and God can still get the glory. Don’t pine for what once was, but rather be ready to look forward. Keep your head up, your eyes forward, as there will always be new doors and potential up ahead. So I say, long live Parachute Music. I know that Mark De Jong, as the CEO of Parachute Music, may be feeling perhaps slightly ‘abandoned’, but God has not only done an amazing work through Mark and his ministry, but will ensure that there is a bright future for them. In its new look, I am praying that they will enter a brand new day, with a new vision and passion for developing NZ artists. The Lord knows, if they do half as good a job with this area as they did with the festival, they will be ridiculously successful. sp
Matt Danswan is the CEO of Initiate Media www.initiatemedia.net
www.soulpurposemag.com 11
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a tribute to parachute... highlights from over two decades of parachute music festival
ďƒ
parachute tribute
“We have nothing but fond memories of so many festivals, and we are deeply grateful for the thousands of supporters, volunteers, artists and punters who have been on this journey with us. We look forward to continuing this journey together as we move into a new season.� Mark de Jong
14 SP: issue one • april twenty-fourteen
parachute tribute
16 SP: issue one • april twenty-fourteen
parachute tribute
“While we realise that this will be a disappointing blow to our loyal supporters, punters and volunteers, we’re excited about the opportunity to focus our energies on the other core activities of Parachute Music, including the development of emerging musicians, artist mentoring, management and training, as well as our community recording studios. We are also exploring some ideas for new events, watch this space.� Mark de Jong
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18 SP: issue one • april twenty-fourteen
success
6 keys to achieving success... compiled by: dennis mccaskill You’re young, hungry, and eager to get your teeth into whatever it is you feel God has called you to do. When you’re young, you’re bulletproof. You know what you want; you have a dream and a vision. And you’re ready to get moving as quick as possible. Nothing much can go wrong, right? Well… The world is full of 30, 40, 50, 60, 70… something year-old people who once had a great big dream for their life. Just like you they were going to do something great. But somehow, the challenges of life swallowed them up, and their life in later years looks nothing like the life they had planned. God has called us all to something awesome, but it’s not a pre-requisite, or guarantee, that you’ll go on to live up to your full potential. There are many steps we must take if we are to fulfill our potential, but a great starter is committing your plans to God, walking with Him daily, staying in church, being accountable, and getting good people around you who are older, wiser, and can help direct your path. When you’re young, you think old people are out-dated, and out of touch. But the reality is that it is hard to appreciate just how much they have been through, good and bad, As you get older, you actually realise that there is a lot you don’t know. What are some of the keys you can consider in order to see success in your life? While I have not “made it” yet, I am well on my way. There are some simple keys that I want to share with you that have helped me get where I am today. These are foundations to my life and ministry. I hope you find them helpful.
1
. Be teachable and a quick learner The moment you stop learning is the moment you stop living. I have made a lot of mistakes; some of them have been very embarrassing mistakes! However I have never let them defeat me. We all make mistakes. The person who quickly learns the lesson from their mistakes will have great
success in this life. . Have vision for your Life A visionless life will amount to nothing. Recently, I asked my friend, a very successful US publisher, this question: “What would you say is the most important key to success in ministry?” His answer was “Clear Vision”. Mike Francen showed me that vision alone is not enough. We must write the vision down for it to come to pass, check out Habakkuk 2:2-3 NKJV. If you write the vision, it shall come to pass.
2
3
. Passion breeds followers What are you passionate about? People
Passion and enthusiasm is sadly very hard to find in this world, so people are always wiling to help those who possess these unique qualities. Become infectious about your vision. Talk, live, breath, it. don’t always follow a vision, but they will follow a person that is passionate about their vision. Passionate people are infectious. Their passion rubs off onto others and has a ripple effect. You need people to partner with you. Those that catch your vision will help you fulfill it. And these ‘people’ don’t need to be staff, church members, and the like’. They can be the people who mentor you. Passion and enthusiasm is sadly very hard to find in this world, so people are always wiling to help those who possess these unique qualities. Become infectious about your vision. Talk, live, breath, it.
4
. Action and boldness I know many people who are more gifted than me. However because they lack boldness, their gift will never see the light
of day. Some of the things I have done only happened because I have acted in boldness and refused to be complacent about things. You can have the greatest vision in the world, but if you’re not willing to act on that vision, it will just remain an unfulfilled dream. So go the bold. Have a big dream, but don’t forget to actually act on it. You’ll never get anywhere if it just stays in your head.
5
. Hang out with people who are bigger than you Over the last 5 years, I have deliberately set out to hang out with people I want to become like. Not to steal their gift, or copy it. But learn the way they think, what makes them tick, what is different about them, and then take the good stuff and add it to my life and ministry. This has been crucial to my personal and spiritual development. You should do the same.
6
. Results matter I am from a horse racing background and one thing I noticed is that people like to back horses with good form (results) next to their name. This is true for life and ministry. If you have some good results in your business or ministry make sure you tell everyone. Put it on your newsletter, website and social networks. People will back those that get results. It is just human nature; no one wants to waste their time and money. So there you go. None of the above is rocket science, but if you can just follow these six basic steps, you’ll already be ahead of 90% of the world’s population. sp
www.soulpurposemag.com 19
OVER THE MOON
GINNY BLACKMORE
20 SP: issue one • april twenty-fourteen
www.soulpurposemag.com 21
E
very now and then a song comes along that is so intriguing, it captures the heart of everyone who hears it. “Bones,” the debut single from Ginny Blackmore, is one of those songs. It’s a heartwrenching story of unrequited love, uniquely told by Blackmore’s vulnerable yet powerful vocals and producer Step Manahan’s minimalist electronic beats. Written in a painful moment of her love life, “Bones” has drastically altered Blackmore’s life, transforming a struggling singer and songwriter from Auckland, New Zealand, into one of Epic Records’ most captivating pop newcomers. With “Bones” and another deeply personal ballad “Sing For Me” as her calling cards, Blackmore impressed veteran music manager Mark Sudack (Mariah Carey) who signed her on the spot. Sudack brought her in to songwriter-producer and A&R executive Tricky Stewart (Beyoncé, Rihanna) and Epic Records Chairman & CEO L.A. Reid in November 2011. “That was the most magical day of my life,” says Blackmore, a green-eyed, fair skinned, brunette who speaks about her obstacleridden path to becoming an artist with palpable excitement and intensity. “I had to sing ‘Bones’ for L.A. twice, because the first time I was so nervous about the gravity of the moment that I choked. He said, ‘You have one of the best voices I’ve ever 22 SP: issue one • april twenty-fourteen
cover story
I CHOSE MUSIC THAT DAY.’ MY DAD BOUGHT ME THE FUGEES ALBUM, BUT IT GOT QUOTE “LOST” AFTER HE REALISED IT HAD CUSSING IN IT...
heard, and that’s one of the best songs I’ve ever heard, so why are you shy? I need you to come out of yourself and sing it again. I never give anyone a second chance, but clearly you’re a star.’” Reid then stuck his head out into the hall and called his staff in to listen to Blackmore sing. She nailed it the second time, reducing everyone in the room to tears and landing herself a deal with Epic, which released her debut album in 2013. The album is an emotional, statementmaking pop affair that combines the ultramodern feel of down-tempo R&B which Blackmore loves so much, with her painstaking approach to pop songwriting. It is also a showcase for her powerhouse voice, which she pushes to its limits as Blackmore confides her hopes and heartbreaks with a vulnerability that’s unmatched. Signing with Epic and finally stepping into the recording artist shoes is a perfect outcome for Blackmore, who has wanted to be a performer ever since her 9-year-old mind was blown by Lauryn Hill in Sister Act 2. Raised by a singer-musician father who ran her childhood church’s worship services, Blackmore wasn’t often exposed to secular music, “so watching Lauryn Hill was the first time I heard hip-hop, R&B, and soul. I remember so clearly how excited I was. I came out of the theater and was like, ‘Dad, what was that?’ I was so impacted by it, I said to him, ‘That’s what I want to do”, “I chose music that day.’ My dad bought me the Fugees album, but it got quote “lost” after he realized it had cussing in it,” Blackmore says with a laugh. By age 15, Blackmore had fallen deeply in love with pop and R&B artists like Destiny’s Child, Usher, Pink, Mariah Carey, and Michael Jackson. She began to write her own songs and made beats on equipment her parents bought her.
She left school at age 16 at the principal’s suggestion. “The teachers complained about me singing in class, and I missed so much school for my musical theatre and dance crew. He literally told me to just go and follow my dreams!” I was allowed to leave school provided I treated songwriting like a job,” Blackmore says. “I had to work from nine to five, five days a week. My parents were kinda strict about it. Dad worked at home so he was able to keep an eye on me. If there wasn’t music coming out of the room for longer than half an hour, he’d knock on the door. I remember one time I was watching Dr. Phil, having my lunch break, and as soon as I took my last bite he came and turned the TV off. In hindsight, I’m like....wow, what amazing parents.” At 20, Blackmore moved to London armed with a self-produced demo she had recorded using equipment purchased for her generously by her friend, artist and songwriter Daniel Bedingfield. Within six months, she had signed with Bedingfield’s management, which led to a publishing deal with Sony/ATV. The plan was to earn a living writing songs for other people while plotting her own path to becoming an artist. “The problem was that I found it really hard to write for other people. Because I wanted to sing my own songs so badly, my heart wasn’t really in it. And I was struggling to get record labels to believe in me. So my time in London was really tough. My songwriting wasn’t taking off, my personal life was painful, nothing was as planned so my bubble literally burst. Something in me cracked, and my songwriting dramatically changed. Blackmore stopped taking writing sessions with other people. “I stayed at home all day on my own and wrote and sang whatever I wanted, it was my therapy,” she says. “And out of that came songs like ‘Bones’ and ‘Sing for Me.’ Then
I was invited to America to meet Christina Aguilera who wanted to record ‘Sing For Me.’” (A version of the song with altered lyrics appeared on Aguilera’s upcoming album Lotus, as well as on Blackmore’s debut.) “And that’s when I met Tricky. He kind of saved me. I was definitely feeling tired and worn out, so to have a creative executive like him, believe in me enough to walk me into L.A. Reid’s office proudly, was amazing. It brought me back to life.” From New Zealand to London, and now London to Los Angeles, Blackmore is finally where she wants to be: in the studio recording her debut album, with the same process that she wrote it in. In a small room, engineering her own vocals on her laptop, with British producer Step who has also worked with Adam Lambert and Pixie Lott, as well as Alan Nglish, Rob Wells, and Tricky Stewart to craft songs including the otherworldly love song “Over The Moon,” and the Stewart-produced “Louder Than The Rain,” which Blackmore says is about leaving the selfish drama behind in a relationship and just enjoying the other person. “The music is as honest as I could make it,” she says. “It’s my perspective on life. I really hope people can hear themselves in it somewhere. That’s what I care about. It’s an album for humans.” SP recently spoke with Ginny to ask her some one-on-one questions. SP: When did you realise that you had the ability to make this a career? GB: I never really knew, just hoped. It’s all about what other people hear and feel, whether or not they love it. All I knew is that I would keep going and going until what I was making, connected with people. And I think when I wrote ‘Bones’, that happened. So I kept doing that, which was basically making Music from my own heart, and indulging my personal preferences stylistically. If it puts a roof over my head, www.soulpurposemag.com 23
cover story
that’s a total privilege. SP: Did your family support your decision? GB: In every way possible. I can’t thank them enough. It can’t be easy when your 16 year old asks to drop out of college to pursue music, and though they gave me strict guidelines, to make sure I worked hard, they let me do it, bought me recording gear, listened to what I wrote every day after work. I have the best parents ever. And I know that.
moments on stage? GB: Worst moment I can think of is completely forgetting the words to a song in front of 10 thousand people in San Francisco. I made them up, Freestyled. It sounded like I was speaking in tongues. SP: Who are your mentors? Who do you look up to for inspiration? GB: I take tid bits. I admire Lauryn Hill’s voice, John Mayers lyrics, Rihanna’s
really big, but don’t share your dreams too much, let them come to pass when the time is right, because you put in the work, you acquired the skills and the world around you stood up and took notice. SP: How do you manage your faith in the music industry? GB: It’s truer than the blood in my veins. So,easily. The industry isn’t harder than life itself. But my faith is my intimacy with
SP: What sort of stumbling blocks did you face? GB: Ummm, wanting to be an international R&B super star from Auckland? Haha. There’s a big one. It was a long long road traveling and grinding and making connections. Having music that connected with the American music Industry, but being a person that didn’t, so much, because of my culture, caused me to have to learn how to express myself in a way that meant something to the rest of the world, not just New Zealand. That’s so hard. I’m still trying. You gotta BE yourself but SELL yourself, and be authentic the whole time. Which is what I value most. SP: How tough has it been cracking the music industry? GB: I have felt like an overweight squirrel that no one believed was strong enough to break the acorn, and also shouldn’t.... but just eat lettuce instead. I’m gonna say, very hard. Because I wanted to be myself the whole time. But it worth every second. It only made me a better squirrel. SP: Is it tough being based in NZ, when the rest of the music world is further afield? GB: I am based in Los Angeles. Which is where I got my big break. It’s actually hard being away from home when I have so much amazing stuff going on there. But I’m super excited to share with NZ what I’ve been working on in the States for the past few years. SP: Have you had any cringe-worthy 24 SP: issue one • april twenty-fourteen
style, Beyonce’s work ethic, Lorde’s uniqueness, Katy Perry’s joy, Stevie Wonder’s songwriting, Michael Jackson’s everything... etc. But I do hope to love what I do, one day. SP: What advice would you give to others wanting to make it in their chosen field? GB: Make sure you love it!! Make sure no one has to convince you to work all day everyday on it. Dream really really
God, And so it’s something I naturally want to treasure. And has been since the moment I first felt Him when I was 6 years old. SP: So what’s next for Ginny Blackmore? GB: My first album! I’m so excited. I’ve been working on it for two years and it’s right around the corner. And I hope to travel all over the world, performing and spreading the love. sp
prayer
two wrongs don’t make a right words: christina zilkow Two wrongs don’t make a right, but three rights make a left. Maybe you’ve heard this saying, maybe you haven’t. I stumbled upon it on a day when I really needed to hear it. When I first read it, I chuckled and brushed it off. But it stayed in my head and I was forced to ponder it more deeply as I worked through a knotted mess of feelings after being hurt by someone important to me. I was feeling hurt, a little angry, and misunderstood. The worst was assumed of me instead of giving me the benefit of the doubt. I didn’t react. I didn’t try to explain or defend myself. All I could do was say, “sorry.” I was sorry that my action was interpreted the way it was. I was sorry for letting my friend down. I was sorry my actions sent the unintended message they did. I was also sorry for the way I was treated. And I was sorry for those who walked through the wake of the conflict. Sorry that they might view my friend differently, distantly, because of what they witnessed. I sat in silence for a while as I prayed for the right response. I did not want a confrontation because I felt the accusation was unfounded. That discussion probably wouldn’t end up being very productive. I didn’t want to retaliate, but I didn’t want to forgive either. “Two wrongs don’t make a right, but three rights make a left,” repeated in my head. As a follower of Jesus I know that “Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right.” But what about that next part? What did that mean? Was it just a quip? Or was there really some truth to it? As I walked it out, I knew what it meant... at least for me in that moment. When I am strolling along in life and collide with another person, often my first reaction is to payback with something similar. That would be the two wrongs, theirs and mine, that don’t make a right. But what if I took three rights? What if I chose to do three things that I knew were right in God’s eyes in this situation? Instead of turning the direction my old man naturally wants to turn, what if I took a right and prayed? Really prayed, a lingering prayer that the Holy Spirit would control me? What if I chose to take another right and seek refuge at the feet of Jesus. Lounging there to behold his beauty and all that he has done for me. Meditating on his incomprehensible love, and mercy, and grace. What if I made that second right? What if, for my final right, I prayed for the person I collided with? Sincerely prayed. Being mindful of all that is going on in their life. Remembering that just as God isn’t finished with me, my friend is still in progress as well.
After walking out “three rights make a left” you will find yourself going a different direction. In fact, you will be going a completely different direction than when you started. By choosing three rights, I was headed in a different direction. I was able to look at the circumstances and stresses in my friend’s life and feel the heaviness of my friend’s burdens. That freed my heart to let go. I was free to forgive and truly put it behind me. Now I would be able to extend grace and love to my friend during this extremely difficult season. I’ve known for a long time that “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” Now I have discovered that “three rights make a left.” I’ve learned that after choosing these three rights it’s virtually impossible for there to be any anger left. Now I know that there is a way to do right when I’ve been wronged. The secret lies in this quippy saying, “Two wrongs don’t make a right, but three rights make a left.” sp
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exodus
the church’s diminishing young adults words: dennis mccaskill Why young adults leave the church is one of the most vexing questions facing the church today. A LifeWay Christian Resources survey from 2007 indicated that 70 percent of 18–22-year-olds stop attending church for at least one year. Surveys by The Barna Group repeatedly have shown that a majority of 20-year-olds leave church, often never to return. Citing a recent study by the Brookings Institution, author Rachel Held Evans recently suggested, in essence, that millennials are leaving evangelical churches in search of more progressive fellowships because of dissonance with the more conservative doctrinal stances and cultural convictions of their former congregations. Yet it seems to reason that if compromising biblical convictions attracted millennials, then mainline denominations would be teeming with young adults. On the contrary, mainline churches are proof positive that liberal theology does not magnetically draw young adults to church. Causation for young adults exiting the church has been studied for decades, yet little has been accomplished in the way of reversing it. As a Gospel preacher, seminary president and father of five young children, to me this is more than a theoretical concern. At the risk of being overly simplistic, I want to suggest three factors that often are overlooked in this discussion. 1. They Never Joined the Church Spiritually Many young adults leave the church because they were never truly converted to Christ in the first place. John the Apostle warned us, “They went out from us because they were never of us; for if they had been of us, they would have no doubt continued with us.” In His sermon on the mount, Jesus soberly warns, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my father in heaven.” In fact, this is a troubling but recurring theme throughout the New Testament. Jesus frequently warned of pseudoconverts, most memorably in His parables of the four soils, the wheat and the tares and the sheep and the goats. This grievous occurrence is why Paul exhorted the Corinthian church to “examine yourselves to determine whether you be in the faith.” This predicament is as old as the church itself, and it is no respecter of age. Young adults have not cornered the market on unregenerate church membership, but with so many other pressures and opportunities associated with 26 SP: issue one • april twenty-fourteen
their life stage, their exit ramp is more predictable and more pronounced. In other words, young adults are just one bloated demographic slice of an ever-present challenge within the church today: unregenerate church membership. 2. They Never Experienced the Church Corporately To their own detriment, too many churches function like a confederation of parachurch ministries meeting under the same roof. For instance, many young adults traveled from children’s church to children’s ministry to the youth group and then to college ministry. Amazingly, many young adults spend 20-plus years in a local church with the congregation as a whole always being an ancillary group and with their predominant religious attention focused from one of the church’s subgroups to the next. Age-graded and targeted ministries can be healthy inasmuch as they undergird the life of the church and facilitate strategic discipleship and family ministry. But when they displace the central and formative place of congregational worship and corporate gatherings as a whole, they prove detrimental to both the individual and the local church. In fact, the beauty of the New Testament church is its homogeneous diversity: Jew and Gentile, young and old, rich and poor, all united by the Gospel and gathered around the common ministry of the Word, the Lord’s table, prayer and fellowship, together as the body of Christ. There is a sweetness in God’s people, and we rob our children of experiences of God’s grace when we neglect to incorporate them into the corporate body. It is for this reason I want my children to know the saintly widow seated behind them and the contemporary adult couple seated in front of them as well as they know the children in their own classes. When they are disconnected from the congregation, it should not surprise us that young adults, who have never known the church as a whole, are disinclined to embrace it when their age-graded group has run its course. Do you want your children to participate in the church when they become adults? Then cultivate their participation as they travel life toward adulthood. When they are disconnected from the congregation, it should not surprise us that young adults, who have never known the church as a whole, are disinclined to embrace it when their age-graded group has run its course.
3. They Never Came to Love the Church Personally Though the church is not perfect, it ought to be cherished, warts and all, by every member of the congregation, including our children. As parents, we cultivate this by esteeming the church — and the individuals who comprise it — before our children. As a parent, my wife and I have long since www.soulpurposemag.com 27
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covenanted together to guard our tongues, especially before our children, about the ministers and members of the churches we have joined. Granted, no church is perfect, and if you ever find the perfect church, don’t join it, or you’ll likely ruin it. At the same time, a spirit of criticism and sarcasm about the pastor and other members of the congregation mark the homes of too many church members. In so doing, children are hearing reason after reason why they should doubt the Word of God, not value fellowship of the saints, and be indifferent toward gathering with God’s people. When this occurs, why should young adults commit their lives, time and resources to a pastor and group of people they have overheard their parents repeatedly denigrate? Why do young adults leave the church? This is a pressing concern but an often misplaced question. Instead of focusing so much on why young adults leave the
church, let’s focus more on how they enter the church and how they engage it along the way. And when you show me young adults who are truly converted, have ministered and worshiped with the church as a whole and have grown to love the people of God, I’ll show you young adults who are a lot less likely to depart the church anytime soon. Dennis McCaskill, Senior Pastor of Authentic Church, believes that it is still possible to tre-connect the church with the next generation. He stated: “It’s all about speaking to the current culture. My friend Winkie Pratney once told me, “If you want revival you must understand and speak to the current culture.” Often our church’s culture is based on the generation of the pastor who is leading the church. So it seems many churches could be out of touch with the current cultural norms. Everything
is changing so quickly and this includes the way we connect with people. With the advent of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Snap Chat, YouTube and others our culture is totally different to what it was even two years ago. If we want to connect and engage with the next generation we must be willing to connect with their communication culture. That does not mean just having a church facebook page and posting about your service details etc. It means creating content that speaks to the culture through their media. “If we can do this well we will connect and our message, and it will go viral among the next generation. If you want to know what the next generation care about listen (and watch) their music, listen to the up and coming artists, get a hold of their magazines and start a conversation about subjects they care about.” sp
The Choose Life Pink and Blue Ribbon Campaign A simple but powerful way to display your support for the health and wellbeing of mothers (and fathers as well) and the protection and rights of the unborn child. Go to chooselife.org.nz for further information and to order your ribbons. Choose Life!
28 SP: issue one • april twenty-fourteen
thankful
attitude of gratitude words: tracey adamson Have you had one of those days where you just feel beaten by life? We all have those days so you can rest assured. Relax. Put your feet up and make yourself comfortable. You are in the right place at the right time. This has been created for you, for today and now, to get you through. After all, everything happens for a reason and finding yourself on this page was no accident. There is beauty in all situations, it’s just hard for us to see sometimes especially when emotions are involved. Remember when you gave advice to your friend recently and you sounded so wise and confident. Of course things were going to work out for your friend, they just couldn’t see the bigger picture because they couldn’t think clearly but you could definitely see it. Sound familiar doesn’t it? I can hear you chuckling to yourself, because I just did the same. We need to turn our thoughts around and reframe them into a positive picture. Our thoughts are similar to an onion. They have multiple layers and are quite complex, you have to peel off all the outer layers to get to the center of the onion – much like our thoughts. Our real emotion is often buried beneath layers and layers of fears, doubts and negative self-talk and we become accustom to this. We give up trying because it’s too hard when really we don’t even begin to try. So, I am here to challenge you. I challenge you to try next time you feel like this, to really get to the roots of the emotion that is causing you to feel this way. Yes, I am not going to lie, it will be hard at the beginning. But if we start working on our thought patterns over time it will become a habit and after much patience, practice and virtue we will all be free to choose our thoughts and emotions. Who wants to be a victim to their emotions? I certainly don’t! And I know you don’t want to either. We weren’t born with a spirit of fear, doubt or negativity. We were born to be experience freedom, happiness and peace. Did you know all of your negative beliefs are just that: beliefs and not actual facts, so we can change them! Kind of like a light switch, so you flick it on and off. We need to use
this simple but effective technique when it comes to negativity, don’t let it rob any more of your precious time. Afterall, we are creatures of habit! “First we make our habits, then our habits make us.” Breaking Habits: It’s not easy to break old habits, but it is possible. We cannot control the future or control other people’s actions but you can choose how you feel and react to situations like bad habits. It will take some practice to break bad habits but you will thank yourself when you are no longer confined to your old habits. Freedom is what you will experience. New beginnings can be a little daunting but they should truly be embraced and celebrated. New beginnings bring hope, and hope is what sustains us on a day-to-day basis. What is comes down to though is choice. The choice to be happy, we should embrace change and break old habits. What we need to do is open our heart to accept change, so over time our hearts will be filled with wisdom and a sense of accomplishment.
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thankful
“One is happy as a result of one’s own efforts, once one knows the necessary ingredients of happiness–simple tastes, a certain degree of courage, self-denial to a point, love of work, and above all, a clear conscience. Happiness is no vague dream; of that I now feel certain.” -George Sand George Sand’s quote is very encouraging, its great to see that when we break old habits that have bound us for so long we truly experience freedom. One of the best pieces of advice I have come across lately is a simple but effective phrase: Being yourself is really important. I have wasted years and years of mopping around wishing I was somebody else. Do you know what, I look back and think why did I torture myself? It can never happen because it’s not meant to happen. We are all born into this world for a purpose, and no two people were born for exactly the same purpose. Imagine how boring the world would be if everybody tried to be somebody else, the world would be a complete and utter mess! From one person to another – please JUST be YOURSELF. You may not be happy with what you’ve been given in life but we all have THINGS
to offer this world that nobody else can. The world is not meant to be black and white – its meant to be a colourful playground for all of us to explore who we are. STOP comparing yourself to others, it only makes the situation worse. OPEN your EYES and start loving yourself from the inside out, you will be amazed at what you discover. A great friend of mine gave me a great piece of advice the other day that I would love to share with you. Grab yourself a journal new journal to symbolise new beginnings – we all know how important that are (reread above if you need to). On the inside of the journal write “Attitude for Gratitude” to remind yourself what the journals purpose is. Set aside 10 minutes each day and write down everything you like, yes like about yourself. You can do this during your lunch break, on the train ride home, first thing in the morning or the last thing before bed. You set the rules. It might be hard at first but it will get better after a little while – remember there is always hope. Hope is the biggest anchor for me. Every time I find myself in a hopeless situation, I turn to HOPE and believe it will prevail – it always does. If I had to just give you one piece of advice it would be to never give up HOPE! HOPE stands for: Humble yourself and never give up Out of the darkness and into light Passion will pull you through Everlasting love – believe An attitude of gratitude is a really important foundation that needs to be based on a solid ground. Otherwise every time a storm hits the foundation will crumble under the pressure. Little steps help, so remember to start small and manageable. I don’t recommend going out there and sprinting a marathon so to speak before you can crawl. Take it nice and slow. Baby steps. Actions to take starting NOW: Be kind to yourself Never give up HOPE Remember what hope stands for Break old habits Always be yourself Stop comparing yourself to others Keep an Attitude of Gratitude journal and write all the things you like about yourself daily There is no better time than NOW! sp Tracey Adamson is a kiwi blogger and freelance writer. Visit her site at www.traceyadamson.wordpress.com
30 SP: issue one • april twenty-fourteen
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