JESUS.
MUSIC.
FASHION.
ANGELIC O C T O B E R
2 0 1 5
OUR STORY MAGAZINE IS A MONTHLY PRINT AND DIGITAL PUBLICATION THAT BLENDS MUSIC, FASHION AND THE STORIES OF REAL PEOPLE SEEKING TO LIVE FOR JESUS. WE BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER OF 2013 FEATURING CONTENT SOLEY FROM THE SOUTHWEST OF THE UNITED STATES AND IN 2 YEARS WE'VE SPREAD TO NOW FEATURE EDITORIAL CONTENT FROM EVERYWHERE AND HAVE READERS COMING FROM 6 CONTINENTS. ANGELIC HAS A MAGAZINE NAME BUT WE ARE A MINISTRY FOCUSED ON FEARLESSLY PROCLAIMING JESUS. EVERYONE HAS A STORY FOR WHY THEY BELIEVE. WE SHARE THOSE STORIES. WE FEATURE MUSICIANS AND BANDS WHO HEARTS BELONG TO JESUS. WE DO FASHION PHOTO-SHOOTS WITH PHOTOGRAPHER'S, STYLISTS AND MODELS WHO DESIRE TO MAKE JESUS KNOWN. OUR ARTICLES OF FAITH ARE GUIDED BY THE BIBLE. WE SPOTLIGHT ORGANIZATIONS AND MINISTRIES WHO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH. THE TESTIMONIES WRITTEN ARE FILLED WITH WORDS OF REDEMPTION. WE ARE NOT A RELIGIOUS MAGAZINE. WE STAND FOR JESUS.
A
NGELIC
WWW.ANGELICMAG.COM
JESUS. MUSIC. FASHION.
2 SAMUEL 22:33 "IT IS GOD WHO ARMS ME WITH STRENGTH AND MAKES MY WAY PERFECT."
PRAYER REQUESTS
we want to pray for you
submit your prayer requests
MATTHEW 18:20"where 2 or 3
u.
s to angelicmag.com/prayer
gather in my name, there i am with them."
we want to gather in his name for you.
ANGELIC
SHOW THE WORLD WHO YOU ARE.ADVERTISEADVERTISE YOUR BRAND, YOUR BUSINESS BRAND, BUSINESS & ORGANIZATION & ORGANIZATION IN OUR NEXT IN OUR ISSUE. NEXT ISSUE. ANGELIC WWW.ANGELICMAG. WWW COM .ANGELICMAG. /ADVERTISE COM/ADVERTISE
ANGELIC COM
THIS FALL ANGELIC MAGAZ SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES: SAN DIEG
OUTSIDE OF OUR MONTHLY
WE ARE RELEASING BI-MONTHLY COMM
MUSIC AND FASHION IN THESE 3 CITIE
COMMUNITY ISSUE OF ANGELIC MAGAZ
COMMUNITY ISSUE LAU
WWW.ANGELICMA
MMUNITY ISSUES
ZINE IS STEPPING INTO 3 GO, PHOENIX AND LEXINGTON, KY.
Y COAST TO COAST ISSUE
MUNITY ISSUES OF ALL THINGS JESUS,
ES. EACH CITY WILL HAVE THEIR OWN
ZINE, UNIFYING THEIR CITY FOR JESUS.
AUNCH: NOVEMBER 1ST
AG.COM/COMMUNITY
ANGELICOCTOBER 2첫15 CONTENT 20 30 40 41 42 44 58 70 80 81 84 92
MUSIC: THE INCANDESCENT BAND INTERVIEW FASHION: CALIFORNIA STYLE JESUS: LIFE OF A SERVANT JESUS: JUST BE STILL JESUS: DEAR FUTURE WIFE FASHION: ROBIN SEITZ PHOTOGRAPHER FEATURE FASHION: HOPE IN THE DESERT FASHION: HOLLY GLASSER MODEL INTERVIEW JESUS: SEEING GOD IN THE FALL JESUS: DAVID DOCKERY TESTIMONY FASHION: LOGAN HENDRIX PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT FASHION: THEANTHROPOS BAND INTERVIEW
JESUS. MUSIC. FASHION.
CONNECT WITH US
@angelicmagazine #angelicmagazine
EDITOR T
his is the day the LORD has made. I wan God has blessed me not because I’m filthy ric one could ask for. He’s blessed me by giving and the future. This is the day He has made, so I’m going t me how I was doing recently and in my tongu “Good.” “I’m always good because a day with Jesus always there.” As I said it, it wasn’t said out o it’s so true to me. A day with Jesus is a day I’ My letter this month is just that, a reminder Who knows what the future holds for us? Wh we’ll experience a season of drought or a harv step of the way. Enjoy today. Count your bles everyone else He’s put in your life. Happy fall. I hope you enjoy the sweater we Psalm 118:24 “This is the day that the LOR it.”
LETTER
nt to enjoy every day for the beauty that it is. ch or because I have all the material items me hope. I have hope for today, tomorrow
to enjoy it. I hope you do too. A friend asked ue-tied response what came out was,
s is better than a day without Him, and He’s of anything other than it just rolled out but ll always want and I want more of Him. r to just enjoy spending time with Jesus. ho knows what blessings will find us or if vest, but I know that He’ll be with us every ssings. Feel His love. And love Him and
eather and everything else October brings. RD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in
The Incandescent
THE INCAN
BAND SPOTLIGHT: theinc ANGELIC: How would you define your sound/style of music? Our music is a mixture of classic rock & roll influence, mixed with a modern pop rock delivery. There is definitely some Tom Petty mixed with NEEDTOBREATHE, Switchfoot, & Chris Tomlin! ANGELIC: Why make music about Jesus and not other things? As a group, we have always known that the band is a ministry, first and foremost. Our desire is to use any platform that we've been given to spread the message of the Gospel. When we first started, we were almost exclusively a worship band, so singing about Jesus was foundational to our existence. As we’ve grown, our approach has changed a little, but the foundation and mission has stayed the same—simply, to be the light to the world. We don’t want to shy away from any of the issues that we face in our culture but rather point people to Jesus as we work through these issues together. ANGELIC: What does worship mean to you? We believe that worship is the natural response to God for His greatness and faithfulness. In regards to music, one of our favorite authors Bob Kaughlin, in his book Worship Matters, says, “[Worship] magnifies the greatness of God, through Christ Jesus, through the power ofThe Holy Spirit, by skillfully combining God’s word with music, thereby motivating the gathered church to proclaim the gospel, to cherish God’s presence, and to live for God’s glory.” We’ve really adopted this definition of worship and use it in ministry in and outside ofThe Incandescent. ANGELIC: What do you hope to achieve through music? We would love to be able to take the band full-time to meet and reach as many people as possible! It would be amazing to be able to travel, build relationships, and do ministry on a national or international scale! But that being said, we are very much okay with where the Lord has us now and want to be faithful in all things. ANGELIC: Best part about living in the northwest? I think, collectively, we would say the coffee and Seattle! But in all seriousness, having four seasons, mountains, and amazing coffee are the best parts about living in the northwest!
NDESCENT
candescent‐spokane,wa "WE DON’T WANT TO SHY AWAY FROM ANY OF
THE ISSUES THAT WE FACE IN OUR CULTURE BUT RATHER POINT PEOPLE TO JESUS AS WE WORK THROUGH THESE ISSUES TOGETHER. "
ZACH WRIGHT - DRUMS SHANE COLLINS - BASS RYAN ARMSTRONG - GUITAR/BGV'S COLLIN JOHNSON - GUITAR/BGV'S ANDREW MCARDLE - GUITAR/LEAD VOCALS
California Style
Proverbs 28:1
"the righteous are as bold as a lion."
MODEL
:
JASMINE M
PHOTOGRAPHER LOCATION
:
:
.
ELOQUENT
SAN LUIS OBISPO
,
CA
Just Be Still R
B Y KELSEY ACH - COUTURE 31
ight now a daughter waits. I’m in this season and I’m wanting, wanting, wanting everything that seems to not be breaking Heaven’s threshold. And I plan this whole life thing like it’s my high school agenda: Everything will fall into place when
I want. Everything will be crossed off the list in my perfect timing.
And I hardly give God space to input His opinion. So I want and I wait and I sit at His feet like the child I am asking the whys and the hows as I look at the Who. The Who of the Father that sent an only Son to save a sin stained me. The Who of the King leaving Heaven to change into flesh-skin. The Who of the Spirit that sweeps around each mortal like the wind. The Who of the One that looks at this daughter each morning and savors the seconds with her. But even in the reality of the Who, I still find myself wanting and waiting. And my skin literally crawls and itches with the pains to move forward rather than sit still. It’s so hard to wait when the world is rotating and others are moving like they know where they’re going.
I was at a revival recently and Jesus just spoke right to this weary soul. Covered in pseudo-confidence, I’m just like any other follower of Christ. I’m still trying to get the hang of following, when I so desperately want to lead. So there I sat in a field with the crisp fall air swirling around me like a reminder that something, or rather, Someone was just a breath away. His voice caught in my heart as the speaker asked the crowd, “Is Jesus speaking something to you now?” My body even stilled at the desire to hear. I leaned in. “Is He saying anything to you in this moment? Quiet yourselves now to listen. He wants to say something to you.” And it was as if I had to mentally walk through my body to turn off switches of busyness and anxiety, worry and restlessness. I sat. I listened. I waited. I wanted direction with every fiber of my being. Stars stretching out above, crickets chirping nearby, heart pounding in my chest as if asking for the word, I
"A LOT CAN BE SAID ABOUT SEASONS OF WAITING, BUT EVEN MORE CAN BE
SAID ABOUT SEASONS OF WAITING ON THE L ORD" waited. And then, out of nowhere, but very much from Somewhere He whispered: Be still and know. . . My heart slowed, pulse tapped gently, air exhaled from lungs. The voice of my God had spoken. My lips formed a smile because of course He would speak the exact words I needed to hear. Of course He would tell a running-mad daughter to cease. Of course He would tell a confused daughter to know. Of course He would speak into the very areas of my life I am stretched over. Because it’s just time to remember now, sis, that I’m the One in charge. It’s just time to remember, with confidence, that you don’t have to have this whole life thing figured out. It’s just time to remember Who your Father is.
And this daughter just needed that, you know? The straight up talk from a Dad Who loves. The deep words from a God Who hears. I needed to fall back in rhythm with Him. So this jumble of Mondays and Tuesdays, holidays and work days, every days and somedays will just have to wait for now. Like me, the rest of the world can hold on another minute, another day, another year. Because, yet again, I have been reminded to Be still and know. How often I wished I didn’t struggle with the waiting. How often I’ve wished I got it all right the first time. How often I’ve held my face in my hands with tears seeping through begging myself to pull it all together. But if I had it right all the time, if I stood tall and never stumbled, my Father wouldn’t have to hold me. And a jumbled life where my Dad stoops down to get me? It’s just the life I desperately want more than anything. A lot can be said about seasons of waiting, but even more can be said about seasons of waiting on The Lord; not waiting on the career or the relationship, not the finances or the healing. Just Him. Just Jesus. Just being still and knowing. . . Him .
LIFE OF A SERVANT J
B Y CLARE TUCKER - PRODIGAL DAUGHTER
esus knew the time had come for Him to leave this world and return to God. The Son of Man was sent from Heaven to save sinners and then return when the work was done. Jesus was aware that there was no other way to save mankind from their bondage to sin, and He willfully chose to take the Crucifixion and pay all debts of man’s past, present, and future sins. He did this because He loved us and for no other reason—while we were still sinning, He died for us. As the great teacher, He extended that love even further in giving His chosen ones, His children, born again followers of His a very important lesson on how to live out their days to share what He was doing for all the generations to come. Jesus got up before the disciples, knowing He was soon to endure torture and death and that one of His own would certainly betray Him. He gathered a towel and water and began washing their feet, not for hygienic reasons but to make them holy, to lay out the pattern He wished for them and still wishes for us to do for others after His death, resurrection, and return to His seat in the Heavens. The Savior of the world was the only one to pick up the towel and serve the men. After this act of service, Jesus plainly stated to His followers that in knowing this pattern He set forth, doing these things will lead to a blessed life! “If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life” {John 13:17} As I observed the reenactment of the washing of the feet story from the book of John the other night, tears filled my eyes. I could envision all the times the Savior of the world bent down to wash my feet. Totally undeserving, He has served me time and time again until I returned Home and grasped the true meaning of grace. Now, I desire in every way to serve Him. Although I could never repay what He did for me (and I’m so grateful He does not require such), the fact that I get to serve Him excites my spirit and makes me feel purposed and fulfilled, something the world never did for me and never will.
"SERVING OTHERS LITERALLY OPENS PEOPLE’S HEARTS AND PRODUCES KINGDOM INFLUENCE SO GOD CAN HAVE HIS WAY. " The definition of a servant is to be enslaved. I was born into slavery. All humans are born as slaves to sin. Through Christ, we were freed from that life and adopted into a new way of living where we are now enslaved to true love and grace. God wants us to be blessed through serving others like Jesus did when He was here on Earth. This is what makes Him happy, thus doing it as He commands makes me happy. Focusing less on myself and more on others brings me peace and fulfillment that is absolutely contradictory to the way I feel when I focus on myself. I lose the light of Jesus and gain the darkness of the enemy when I stop putting others first. All my life, even before I had a relationship with Jesus, I would wonder why I could give such great advice to others, but, when it came to myself, I felt so incapable of solving my issues—now, it just makes sense with Jesus at first place. Dying to myself was the start of my abundant life, a life of joy amidst the problems of the world. A life lived for others showcases the sweet salvation that was freely given to us and highlights our transformation through the Holy Spirit. Seeing this in us will help others begin to emerge out of the trap of the devil. “You never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth, enabling them to escape the Devil’s trap where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his errands” {2 Timothy 2:26} Serving others literally opens people’s hearts and produces Kingdom influence so God can have His way. A healthy use of influence will lead to harvest, and isn’t that what God and His children so desire? “Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in Heaven” {Matthew 5:16} This is the good life—the life of a servant.
DEAR FUTURE WIFE MY LETTER FOR HER. B Y JESSE ANAYA
Dear future wife, I don’t want to rehearse what I’m trying to tell you because to be honest, I don’t have fancy words to say. I don’t want to stage my affection for you in this letter because to be honest, how I feel for you I’ve never yet felt. I’ve never given my heart away to another because I’m saving it for you. In the field of many, I desire to only have eyes for you. I only have eyes for you. We haven’t yet met yet because I’m not ready to meet you. God is working on me so that when we meet I can love you the way you deserve to be loved. Or maybe we’ve met already, I really don’t know, but He hasn’t revealed who you are yet. I know His word says to love you like He does, and give myself up for you. Am I willing to do that? When I was younger I never thought about love that way. I never thought about when I meet you am I prepared to sacrifice. Because I always viewed falling in love and marrying you to be an addition, not a giving up of something. But I now understand, love is sacrifice. Love is putting someone else first and allowing yourself to put away your independent dreams to create dreams with someone else. I’ve only cared for myself and I’ve only thought about me, but now I have to think about us. Am I prepared to put you first? Am I ready to wipe away the vision of my dreams for you? I want to. Because the vision of my dreams is better with you in them. Am I willing to sacrifice my life for you? If I am not, then what kind of love will we have? A selfish, self-seeking love. Lust takes from each other but love gives. I want to give to you and for you. If I had to move across the country for you and leave everything I know behind, am I willing? The romance of love tells me yes, but the reality of life tries to sprinkle me with fear. But in the sacrifice of love I will travel countries for you because when something is done out of love, you don’t count the cost. I will travel nations for you. I will swim oceans for you. I will become the man God needs me to be for you. I will wait and listen. Allow God to prepare me for you and be patient as I trust in His time. When I meet you and when we say I do, know that I’ve saved my heart for you. EPHESIANS 5:25 “HUSBANDS, THIS MEANS LOVE YOUR WIVES, JUST AS CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH. HE GAVE UP HIS LIFE FOR HER”
P H O T O G R A P H Y
:
R O B I N
S E I T Z
M
robin seitz // birmingham, al photographer
y story, like many others, is a story of freedom. By nature, I’ve always been cautious and reserved, maybe even timid at times. I was always terrified to make a mistake, to disappoint someone, or that I wouldn’t live up to the expectations of others. My relationship with Jesus was no different. I was led by expectations and acted out of obligation. For years, my relationship with God was heavy and burdensome, filled with shame or rigid out of the fear of getting things wrong. I think for a long time I lived above the grace Jesus was so freely trying to give me. I wanted to get by on my own. I’d always known that there was something more, but I always thought it would come at the end of my own striving. I would be content when I achieved this, or completed that, or got that right, or when I stopped messing up this one part of my life. I couldn’t have been more wrong. In order for me to find what I had been so desperately searching for, I had to come to a place of brokenness where I really faced my insecurities and fears head on. But when I did, something incredible happened. Instead of just seeing the ugliness of my sin, for the first time, I really began to see the beauty of His grace. I started understanding that Jesus came to free me from the weight of my sins and shortcomings, not so that I could fall back into them by placing them back on myself—but that He did, so that I could truly live in freedom. It’s a beautiful thing, watching people’s stories unfold, especially when they
unexpectedly and beautifully collide with your own. I think that’s where my passion for photography began. When you are behind a camera, you get to watch the process of the unfolding, but you also get to walk alongside people and help them tell those stories in a powerful way. The more and more I connect with people in this way, the more I realize we all have a story of freedom, and I believe it’s a journey we will be on for the rest of our lives. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my short twenty-one years of life, it’s that life is all about the becoming. We will never arrive. We are all just people. None of us have this life figured out. So when we learn to embrace our imperfections, our doubts, and the things that make us human—that’s what allows us to start building our faith on everything that is right about Jesus, instead of focusing on everything that is wrong about us. All those years ago, Jesus spoke to those places in my heart I tried to hide, to the things in my life I was less than proud of. He was bringing light to the lies of inferiority that I still, sometimes, so easily fall into. Day after day, He gently reminds me to come as I am, that I don’t have to do, be, or have it all together to be deserving of His love. Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and rest in what He has already done, in what He has won and remember that Jesus has come to lighten our heavy burdens and breathe life into our weary lungs—if only we let Him. For His grace, and His grace alone, is so much more than enough for you, for me, for us.
Hope B Y
K R I S T E N
M O D E L
:
F L O R A L M A K E U P
K E N D R A
:
O P A L
&
H A I R
P H O T O G R A P H Y L O C A T I O N
:
:
J O Y
D A V I S
M I L L E R F L O R A L
:
L A S
M A K E U P K R I S T E N V E G A S
I N J O Y
T H E
7 0 2
D A V I S
M O D E L
:
H O L L Y
L O C A T I O N
:
N Y C
P H O T O G R A P H E R W E S
A R C A
&
G L A S S E R
'
S
:
M O R G A N
P H I L L I P S
HOLLY GLASSER NYC MODEL INTERVIEW
"BE ARMED AND READY FOR BATTLE. YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO FACE TEMPTATION. GREAT TEMPTATION."
ANGELIC: Why do you choose Jesus? I choose Jesus because his story is the only one that provides an explanation for the human dilemma. You mean to tell me that a perfect God became like us and died for us and defeated death so we can don’t have to die for our imperfections? And we get to be with this God for eternity in heaven when we believe in him and follow him? That’s a radical love. That’s beautiful. I’m in!! I choose Jesus because I believe by faith without seeing that he is who he says he is. ANGELIC: How do you try to be a light in the modeling/fashion industry? Being a light on set happens under two conditions. When I’ve prayed devoutly, and when I’ve taken adequate naps. Sometimes if I have an early call-time at 6am, I don’t want anyone to talk to me for at least 15 minutes. But then, I slowly juice up and begin to ask God who he wants me to speak with that day on set, and how I can be intentional with new and old friendships alike. ANGELIC: As a Christian model, what are some of the challenges you face in the industry? As a Christian model and actress, I have turned down multiple roles that offered a hefty paycheck and more industry exposure because the roles required me to bare more skin than I was personally comfortable with. We each have our own convictions and personal boundaries in this area. I do not judge others for their personal decisions. It is between them and God. The only time I will speak out is if I see another person hurting themselves. ANGELIC: What advice would you give to an aspiring Christian model or actress? Be armed and ready for battle. You must be prepared to face temptation. Great temptation. You will meet people who constantly ask you to give more, and they will want to take from you. You will be pushed beyond your boundaries if you are not firmly planted in God’s word. You must have a strong support system and team of prayer warriors around you. Really. You MUST have accountability partners! Find a mentor and be transparent with them! It is so easy to slip. If you make a mistake, get right with God and do not delay! And always remember, when you stand firm in God and say no to temptation, God honors your obedience and he loves a pure heart! What are 3 fun facts about you? 1. When I come home after a lonnng day on set, I love to wear my mother’s old knit sweaters and her socks, since she's far away. 2. I can hula hoop like nobody’s business! 3. I like eating peppercini’s!
SEEING GOD IN THE FALL
T
"IT’S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO SEE GOD IN THE EVERYDAY THINGS. SOMETIMES THE WORLD GETS IN THE WAY AND WE MISS HIS APPEARANCES. "
B Y MAEGAN DOCKERY here is something magical about fall. I love the new colors, the cooler temperatures, and the anticipation of the holidays in the air. Fall is my absolute favorite time of year, and that’s not just because I love pumpkin-flavored everything (though that doesn’t hurt). Fall is a time of newness and fun. Leaves are changing colors from deep greens to bright reds and rustic oranges and sunshiney yellows. Families start making plans for the holidays to see each other and to catch up and to figure out who’s making the turkey and dressing this year. For me, fall is mostly about tradition. I love knowing that when fall rolls around, there are lots of things I’m going to get to do each year. I don’t get to do all the fun, fall-related things I’d like to every year, but I find comfort in the fact that I have next fall to try again. I love going to fairs and hay rides and corn mazes and dressing up for Halloween. I love going on haunted hikes and drinking hot chocolate around a bonfire. This year, my husband and I are in a new place. The fun, fall things we’ve done in the past might not make our list this year, but that’s okay. Fall is a time of newness, and what better way to explore our new town than to get on board with some of its fun, fall-themed activities? God teaches me lessons in some random ways sometimes. I appreciate that because it keeps me on my toes, and life never gets boring. Right now, God is teaching me to trust Him in the moment. He is teaching me that it’s okay that I don’t have it all figured out because He does. He is teaching me to find Him in the little things in life that make me happy, like fall and pumpkin muffins and Kraft macaroni and cheese. Fall makes me extremely happy. I see God in those color-changing leaves and that cool breeze. I see God gathered around a bonfire with my friends. I see God helping the little children dress up on Halloween. God is all around us all year long. He is doing amazing works, and, maybe for you, it’s easier to see Him in the spring, when new flowers are growing out of the earth and everything seems to be coming alive again. Maybe you see Him in the winter, when everything is covered in a fresh, white, undisturbed snow blanket, like a peaceful Christmas card. Or maybe, you see Him in the summertime, when there are less responsibilities and everyone plays outside and is carefree. It’s not always easy to see God in the everyday things. Sometimes the world gets in the way and we miss His appearances. That’s what I love about fall, though; for me, it’s magic. He’s visible all around. He’s there, volunteering at the church’s harvest festival. He’s over there, working long hours now so he can take vacation time during the holidays. He’s there, taking care of three kids and the house. He’s everywhere all the time—can you see Him? Just stop, take a moment, and look for yourself.
David Dockery B IRMINGHAM, AL
I
"I PRAYED,
GOD TO FORGIVE ME OF ALL MY SINS AND TOLD HIM I WOULD FOLLOW HIM AS MY L ORD. " SIMPLY ASKING
entered a relationship with Jesus at the age of eight. My father pastored a small rural church, and it was Christmas Sunday. At home, we had celebrated Christ’s birth and read the Christmas story. Later, during the church service, I began thinking about what God had done. I thought about the wrong I had done and the sins I had committed. I remembered the lies I told my mom and dad, innocent little lies of which I was totally guilty. I considered how poorly I treated my brother. My grandfather had recently died, and I was asking questions about death. My parents had explained, but, on this day, it started to make sense, and I started to understand that I needed Jesus. It was as though the dots were finally connected. I began to realize why Jesus came to Earth to die for humanity, and I realized that I could never be perfect and that I could never be friends with God on my own. Conviction was on my heart—I needed Jesus to save me. While Dad was preaching, I prayed, simply asking God to forgive me of all my sins and told Him I would follow Him as my Lord. I had begun my journey with Christ. While in high school, God placed a burden on my heart for the homeless and the impoverished. That burden led me to serve as Community Missions Coordinator for the Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) in college and later to go on a mission trip to Covington, KY, to work with an impoverished inner-city community. God has since shown me that I can help young people grow as disciples. He has given me a passion to mentor students as they come to know and grow in Christ, to help them reach their community, nation, and world for Christ, and to discover how God has uniquely made them for that task. I believe God has called me to collegiate ministry where my focus can be on making disciples of students, helping to equip them to fulfill the purpose God has for them, plugging them into the local body for growth, and training them to be active for Christ both locally and globally.
The year after I completed my undergraduate degree was spent working at the University of West Georgia as a Campus Minister Intern with their BCM. For two semesters I was steeped in the daily task of ministry to students—leading Bible studies, planning mission trips, developing strategy, working with student teams, counseling students, and even building relationships by playing ping pong or video games with students. I never realized how much ministry can occur over a meal or on a drive to Walmart; I began to see the power of sharing life with people and simply ministering as you go. When my time at UWG was over, I felt more convinced than ever that God was calling me to ministry. God didn’t lead me to a ministry job or even to seminary immediately, however. Instead, He called me to a job in Financial Aid at my alma mater, Shorter University. I got married a few months later and joined the church I had attended in college. For about a year after returning to Shorter, I struggled with the fact that I did not feel any closer to the goal and calling of being a campus minister. I was not taking classes; I was just working a job that I didn’t love. But God had me there for a reason. It took a while, but, eventually, my wife and I saw that we could work with college students and young adults with our church, and we started a small group for young adults in January 2014. I cannot say that we saw huge growth in numbers, but we have been faithful to the call on our lives. We have learned that we are called wherever God sends us and that we are uniquely gifted and placed to share His love with others, wherever we may be. When we realized He had placed us in Rome for a reason, it changed our lives.
L O G A N P H O T O G R A P H E R AGE: 20 HOMETOWN: MOORE, OKLAHOMA COLLEGE: UNIVERSITY
OF
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
FAVORITE SCRIPTURE: "THIS IS LORD HAS MADE; LET US REJOICE IT." PSALM 118:24
THE DAY THE AND BE GLAD IN
EQUIPMENT/ CAMERA: CANON REBEL T3. I HAVE BEEN SHOOTING WITH A 40 MM LENS LATELY, BUT SOMETIMES USE A 50MM. 3 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT YOU: 1. I HAVE A WEIRD OBSESSION 2. MY OLDER SISTER, JESSICA
WITH SLOTHS. IS MY BEST
FRIEND AND MY PARENTS ARE LOVING AND SUPPORTIVE OF EVERYTHING
3. I
I
DO.
FIND SO MUCH JOY AND COMFORT IN BEING
BLESSED WITH THE ABILITY TO CAPTURE
GOD'S
BEAUTIFUL CREATIONS IN PEOPLE AND NATURE.
H
S P O T L I G H T
E N D R I X M O D E L
:
P H O T O G R A P H E R P H O T O
-
S H O O T
L O C A T I O N
M A D I S O N
: :
L O G A N
B O L T O N H E N D R I X
O K L A H O M A
C I T Y
theanthropos worship RYAN, MCKENNA, LUKE & KYRSTEN JOHNS
p
THEANTHROPOS Band Spotlight: SoCal
"WE FEEL THAT WE HAVE SPECIFICALLY BEEN CALLED TO LEAD OTHERS IN WORSHIP, AND TO WORSHIP GOD IN EVERYTHING WE DO."
ANGELIC: Your a worship band of 2 brothers and 2 sisters -- Family, what does it mean to you? We are so blessed for the opportunity to do ministry together as brothers and sisters. As a family, we have always believed in worshiping together, and it's amazing how God has allowed us to do exactly that with our worship band. We truly are each other’s best friends. We love hanging out, writing music, and especially leading worship together! ANGELIC: Why do you sing worship music as opposed to other music? We're all individually inspired by different genres of music, but we sing worship music because it is the most meaningful form of music. Worship is the atmosphere of eternity. It’s a glimpse of what heaven will be like when believers surround the throne of the Creator and sing His praises. We feel that we have specifically been called to lead others in worship, and to worship God in everything we do. ANGELIC: What do you hope to achieve through music? Our main goal is to glorify Jesus, the THEANTHROPOS, through our music. We hope to re-imagine cross-generational praise by making music for not only for our generation, but for all generations. For example, this past week, we led worship at a retreat for the students and staff of Pacifica Christian High School. Two days later, we led Sunday morning worship for an amazing church that had a few believers who were in their 80s and 90s! We love it when God “tunes” our music and message to everyone--no matter what their age. ANGELIC: If you could go on tour with 2 bands, who would they be? Well, that depends on which band member you ask! Collectively, we would say Hillsong and for KING & COUNTRY. Individually, Luke dreams of someday touring with Family Force 5 and Andy Mineo, Kyrsten would love to tour with Rend Collective and All Sons And Daughters, McKenna would love to tour with Hillsong Young and Free and Jon Foreman, Ryan would choose Switchfoot and TobyMac. ANGELIC: What are some things no one would know about you as a group, that only you 4 would know? Something that only the older three of us know is that our twelve-year old “brother” Luke (our drummer), was adopted...he will finally learn the truth, after all these years, once he reads this article. In all seriousness, this is a tough question. We’ve been homeschooled for almost our entire lives, and we have loved every minute of it. We used to have an RV, and the trips we took in that RV are some of the best memories we have together as a family. We’ve always been big fans of C.S. Lewis, and growing up we would always put on our own Narnia plays (embarrassing). We kinda feel like we’re the American version of Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy (haha). As young kids, we tried to build Disneyland in our backyard. Oh, and by the way Luke wasn’t really adopted!
ROMANS 8:31 "IF GOD IS FOR US,
WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?"