Devozine Announces SoulTunes Contest
NASHVILLE, Tenn., February 19, 2007 /GBOD/ --The Upper Room Ministries magazine for youth and young adults, devozine, has announced a SoulTunes Contest, a competition for youth bands and songwriters. The deadline for entries is March 31, 2007.
“Devozine knows that music is a huge part of youth culture today. And music is often the medium that young people use to express and to celebrate their faith,” says Editor Sandy Miller.
“Because devozine is “devoted to God + devoted to prayer + devoted to youth,” we are calling youth bands, vocalists, and songwriters to write and record an original song that expresses their devotion to God,” she said.
The winners will perform the winning song “live” at Youth 2007 in Greensboro, N.C.
Youth 2007 is a huge youth event sponsored by GBOD, an agency of The United Methodist Church.
Over 10,000 youth and youth workers are expected to attend the gathering July 11-15, 2007 at the Greensboro Convention Center.
Youth bands and performers ages 13-19 may enter the contest online (mp3 format only) at www.devozine.org or may send their song on a CD, along with entry info to: devozine SoulTunes Contest, 1908 Grand Ave., P.O. Box 340004, Nashville, TN 37212). Entries in either format must be received by midnight, Central Standard Time, March 31, 2007.
This contest is the first of many to follow devozine’s recent makeover. Still a bi-monthly magazine, devozine now has 80 pages packed with lots of new features to help young people dig deeper in faith.
Just as devozine gives youth a place to express their joys and struggles in print, the SoulTunes Contest will offer youth a voice of a different kind!
All entries submitted for the SoulTunes Contest should adhere to the following guidelines (also available at www.devozine.org.
BE DEVOTED. Songs should express personal devotion to God, spiritual experiences, and passion for living an authentic Christian life. Sponsors are looking for a song that is creative, connects to the theme, and expresses a real faith.
BE ORIGINAL. Music and lyrics must be original. Avoid an overuse of sampling, which can cause copyright and legal problems. Be sure all members of the band are willing to allow the song to be played on the devozine website.
BE CREATIVE. Submit your best work. You don’t have to spend money on a fancy recording session; just hitch a mic to your iPod. Include a copy of the lyrics along with your recording; and be sure to include with your submission the name of the song and the name of all the musicians performing the song, plus your name, phone number, and email address.
BE THERE. Songs must be received by March 31, 2007. You may submit your song online (mp3 format only) or send us a CD by snail mail (to devozine SoulTunes Contest, 1908 Grand Ave., P.O. Box 340004, Nashville, TN 37212); but either format must be received by midnight, Central Standard Time, March 31, 2007.
This is a contest for youth bands and performers ages 13-19. Multiple submissions from the same band are OK, but please submit each song only once. The winning song will remain under the copyright of the composer(s), but winners must sign a release allowing devozine and Upper Room Ministries to use the words, the music, and the name and likeness of the artist(s)/songwriter(s) in devozine, on Upper Room websites, and in other promotional materials. For more information go to www.devozine.org or contact devozine@gbod.org.
The General Board of Discipleship’s mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, The General Board of Discipleship is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at (877) 899-2780, Ext. 7017.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
White House United Methodist Church is hosting "The Light Kids Conference" on Saturday, April 28th, 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
"The Light Kids Conference" is designed for children in 1st-5th grades. Tim Price, worship pastor at Troy UMC in Troy, IL and Director of Harvest Ministry, designed this kids conference and has offered it to several churches in the Illinois area. Tim and his worship team, Harvest Ministry, led worship for several yearsat Warmth in Winter.
The "Light Kids Conference' website includes this information:
What is The Light? We've all seen events for Sr. & Jr. High students, but how often do you see an event geared for the younger kids? We all know that such programs and events need to be in place, but where are they? That is where The Light - Kids Conference comes in. It is a conference designed especially for kids in grades 1 - 5. It is a one-day event packed with fun activities, teaching sessions, and worship. The Light is a conference that was specifically designed to reach children! Using high energy praise and worship, relevant teaching, drama, video and interactive learning, students will come away inspirted to live for the Lord! In addition to the worship and teaching times, the registration fee covers lunch, special guests, and recreation (including inflatable games). There will be lots of prizes, fun, and energy during The Light, not to mention the presence of the living God who shines through us!
Tim Price and his worship team, Harvest Ministry will be leading the conference. This year's theme is "Dive" and will include teaching and worship sessions about diving into scripture, diving into prayer, and a life of faith. In addition, there will be plenty of games, snacks, lunch, and entertainment. There will also be a 40-minute children's ministry workshop.
Early registration (before April 17) is $18 per child and $15 per adult. For more information and to register for the conference go to www.kidsconference.org.
"The Light Kids Conference" is designed for children in 1st-5th grades. Tim Price, worship pastor at Troy UMC in Troy, IL and Director of Harvest Ministry, designed this kids conference and has offered it to several churches in the Illinois area. Tim and his worship team, Harvest Ministry, led worship for several yearsat Warmth in Winter.
The "Light Kids Conference' website includes this information:
What is The Light? We've all seen events for Sr. & Jr. High students, but how often do you see an event geared for the younger kids? We all know that such programs and events need to be in place, but where are they? That is where The Light - Kids Conference comes in. It is a conference designed especially for kids in grades 1 - 5. It is a one-day event packed with fun activities, teaching sessions, and worship. The Light is a conference that was specifically designed to reach children! Using high energy praise and worship, relevant teaching, drama, video and interactive learning, students will come away inspirted to live for the Lord! In addition to the worship and teaching times, the registration fee covers lunch, special guests, and recreation (including inflatable games). There will be lots of prizes, fun, and energy during The Light, not to mention the presence of the living God who shines through us!
Tim Price and his worship team, Harvest Ministry will be leading the conference. This year's theme is "Dive" and will include teaching and worship sessions about diving into scripture, diving into prayer, and a life of faith. In addition, there will be plenty of games, snacks, lunch, and entertainment. There will also be a 40-minute children's ministry workshop.
Early registration (before April 17) is $18 per child and $15 per adult. For more information and to register for the conference go to www.kidsconference.org.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Commentary: The trouble with teen drinking
A UMNS Commentary By the Rev. Andrew J. Weaver*
A new study says 45 percent of teens report drinking alcohol in the past month, and 64 percent of those students said they were binge drinking (defined as having five or more alcoholic drinks in a row).
The U.S. study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in January in Pediatrics, was based on a comprehensive survey of 15,240 students at public and private high schools. It also found that binge drinking is strongly associated with sexual activity, violence and other high-risk behaviors.
When compared to nondrinkers, teen binge drinkers were:
+ Four times more likely to be in a physical fight in the past year.
+ Almost four times more likely to have been raped or subjected to dating violence in the past year.
+ Four times more likely to have attempted suicide during the past 12 months.
+ More than five times more likely to have been sexually active with one or more persons during the past three months.
+ More likely to use marijuana, tobacco, cocaine and/or inhalants.
+ More likely to have a poorer academic performance.
Binge drinking also can lead to alcohol poisoning, a serious and sometimes fatal reaction to heavy episodic alcohol consumption in which the brain is deprived of oxygen. As the body attempts to deal with excess alcohol and the lack of oxygen to the brain, it eventually can shut down the respiratory and cardiac functions and result in death.
Underage alcohol use - not just binge drinking - is a significant public health issue. Alcohol is the drug of choice of children and youth, who use it at a higher rate than tobacco or illicit drugs. Forty percent of people who start drinking before age 15 develop alcohol dependence at some time in their lives. Each year approximately 5,000 youth under age 21 die from alcohol-related car accidents, injuries, homicides and suicides. For college students aged 18 to 24, drinking alcohol is a factor in an estimated 1,700 student deaths, 599,000 injuries and 97,000 cases of sexual abuse or date rape annually.
The economic costs of alcohol abuse in the United States are estimated to have increased from $148 billion in 1992 to $184.6 billion in 1998.
How the church can help
Research has shown that stable families lower the risk of alcohol and drug abuse, so church ministries that build up and support the family can be a preventive strategy. A strong youth program that promotes good communication and social skills is valuable as well. Teen alcohol and drug abusers tend to have poor assertiveness skills, high social anxiety and low self-worth. Social skills training can enhance coping, self-control, social problem solving, negotiation skills and assertiveness, as well as increasing the ability to resist peer pressure.
Encouraging teens and their families to be active in the life of the community of faith is in itself an important preventive strategy when addressing substance abuse. Churches are a powerful preventive and healing resource. Youth who practice their faith have more positive social values and caring behaviors and their families are more stable than those who do not practice their religion. Surveys say adolescents who regularly attend church are half as likely to use alcohol as teens who do not attend church regularly.
One U.S. study examined a sample of 13,250 students in grades 7 to 12 and found that, the greater the religious involvement, the less likely a teen will use alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines or depressants. Adolescents involved in faith-based activities are also less likely to have friends who use alcohol or illicit drugs. These findings add to the extensive research supporting the social benefit of nurturing, non-punitive religious observance in limiting and preventing alcohol and drug use.
The church can help people in recovery from alcohol or other addictions by providing space and support for 12-step, self-help groups that offer a spiritually based supportive fellowship. About 9 percent of the adult population reported attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in their lifetime, and 13 percent had attended a 12-step program of some type. These groups can function as caring environments in which members feel safe and secure, offering a natural bridge in the process of reconnecting with the community when alcoholics are tempted to withdraw and isolate themselves.
*Weaver is a United Methodist pastor and a research psychologist living in New York City. The commentary first appeared in Faith In Action, the weekly digest newsletter of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society.
A UMNS Commentary By the Rev. Andrew J. Weaver*
A new study says 45 percent of teens report drinking alcohol in the past month, and 64 percent of those students said they were binge drinking (defined as having five or more alcoholic drinks in a row).
The U.S. study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in January in Pediatrics, was based on a comprehensive survey of 15,240 students at public and private high schools. It also found that binge drinking is strongly associated with sexual activity, violence and other high-risk behaviors.
When compared to nondrinkers, teen binge drinkers were:
+ Four times more likely to be in a physical fight in the past year.
+ Almost four times more likely to have been raped or subjected to dating violence in the past year.
+ Four times more likely to have attempted suicide during the past 12 months.
+ More than five times more likely to have been sexually active with one or more persons during the past three months.
+ More likely to use marijuana, tobacco, cocaine and/or inhalants.
+ More likely to have a poorer academic performance.
Binge drinking also can lead to alcohol poisoning, a serious and sometimes fatal reaction to heavy episodic alcohol consumption in which the brain is deprived of oxygen. As the body attempts to deal with excess alcohol and the lack of oxygen to the brain, it eventually can shut down the respiratory and cardiac functions and result in death.
Underage alcohol use - not just binge drinking - is a significant public health issue. Alcohol is the drug of choice of children and youth, who use it at a higher rate than tobacco or illicit drugs. Forty percent of people who start drinking before age 15 develop alcohol dependence at some time in their lives. Each year approximately 5,000 youth under age 21 die from alcohol-related car accidents, injuries, homicides and suicides. For college students aged 18 to 24, drinking alcohol is a factor in an estimated 1,700 student deaths, 599,000 injuries and 97,000 cases of sexual abuse or date rape annually.
The economic costs of alcohol abuse in the United States are estimated to have increased from $148 billion in 1992 to $184.6 billion in 1998.
How the church can help
Research has shown that stable families lower the risk of alcohol and drug abuse, so church ministries that build up and support the family can be a preventive strategy. A strong youth program that promotes good communication and social skills is valuable as well. Teen alcohol and drug abusers tend to have poor assertiveness skills, high social anxiety and low self-worth. Social skills training can enhance coping, self-control, social problem solving, negotiation skills and assertiveness, as well as increasing the ability to resist peer pressure.
Encouraging teens and their families to be active in the life of the community of faith is in itself an important preventive strategy when addressing substance abuse. Churches are a powerful preventive and healing resource. Youth who practice their faith have more positive social values and caring behaviors and their families are more stable than those who do not practice their religion. Surveys say adolescents who regularly attend church are half as likely to use alcohol as teens who do not attend church regularly.
One U.S. study examined a sample of 13,250 students in grades 7 to 12 and found that, the greater the religious involvement, the less likely a teen will use alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines or depressants. Adolescents involved in faith-based activities are also less likely to have friends who use alcohol or illicit drugs. These findings add to the extensive research supporting the social benefit of nurturing, non-punitive religious observance in limiting and preventing alcohol and drug use.
The church can help people in recovery from alcohol or other addictions by providing space and support for 12-step, self-help groups that offer a spiritually based supportive fellowship. About 9 percent of the adult population reported attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in their lifetime, and 13 percent had attended a 12-step program of some type. These groups can function as caring environments in which members feel safe and secure, offering a natural bridge in the process of reconnecting with the community when alcoholics are tempted to withdraw and isolate themselves.
*Weaver is a United Methodist pastor and a research psychologist living in New York City. The commentary first appeared in Faith In Action, the weekly digest newsletter of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society.
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