Many of us that are reading this would consider ourselves Christians aka Christ-followers. True Christ-followers are on this grind to become more like Him and imitate Him. But, as we look at Christ’s life in the gospels we’ll quickly see that there are some things we all need to work on. We live in a culture that is about serving us. We love to be served. It’s constantly promoted to us that when we climb up the ladder of success we should have more and more people serving all of our needs. We take these ques from many sources; commercials, movies and celebs that travel with an entourage of personal assistants. But as we look in the scripture at how Christ got down it’s a much different system. As you climb up the ladder of leadership and becoming more like Him you have less and less rights and you’re expected to become even more of a servant. Sounds kinda opposite of the world’s system, right? It is... very! It’s tough for us to wrap our minds around this concept. It was also tough for Christ’s disciples. Several times He caught them arguing about who was the greatest in their crew. In one of these confrontations Christ said something really radical in Matthew 20:28 that he came to Serve and not be served! This was the son of God talking and it wasn’t just talk. He washed his disciples feet and when you look at His ministry he constantly gave and gave and poured out and denied Himself to serve others. He stayed humble. I often have people tell me that they feel stuck in their journey with God and that things feel stale. I quickly ask them if they are involved in regularly serving others - esp. at their home church. The answer is almost always No... sometimes there is a list of excuses why and other times they just admit they are slacking. I can’t quite put it into words, but when you begin serving others like Christ, there is something supernatural that starts happening. You draw closer to God, you grow, you watch Him use you and in turn you get blessed. Again and again I’ve heard countless people say that even though they were serving and blessing others, they felt like they were way more blessed to do it. Serving is also contagious. I’ve witnessed it over the years, but never like I have recently. When you have some people follow the example of Christ and give of themselves for His shine... not theirs - it sparks a revolution and it spreads as others want in on it! Our church became portable this past year as we moved from our former campus to a hotel. We had to raise up an army of people to set up and break down every Sunday and add more volunteers to each ministry as we were growing as the hotel provided more seating. Our weekly volunteer base grew from 75 to over 130. We did a series called “Servolution” this past summer with the name inspired from a book that Dino Rizzo wrote. We simply looked at the words and the life of Christ when it came to serving. Each week we had a challenge and highlighted a ministry that they could regularly serve in. At the end of the series we had a huge back to school outreach in our new parking lot. We served close to 1,000 people as we gave out free back packs, food, clothes, health screening and partnered with several organizations to meet needs in our community. It was our largest single day of serving ever... and now as we get ready to move into our new facility we have over 200 people regularly serving on Sundays and we know this is just the beginning. Lives are being changed on both sides of the serving! As you get ready to read the rest of this incredible magazine - realize that this wouldn’t be possible without a team of people that volunteered and served to make it happen! As a result, this issue will impact over 20,000 people! So, what are you doing to serve others? How does God want to use you? I pray that as you read this you’ll feel the heat of the SERVOLUTION happening in Tampa, Florida and that it will spark something in you! Faithfully Serving,
Tommy Kyllonen aka Urban D.
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About the Editor: Tommy Kyllonen aka Urban D. is sparking a Servolution in Tampa as his number of hats keep growing; husband, father, lead pastor, author, publisher, artist, coach, consultant... and his latest hardhat fitted from “Heaven Sent” Construction!
Welcome to Flavor Fest X Celebrating a decade of purpose 10/10/10
S.O.U.LMAG is the official magazine for the 10th annual Flavor Fest Conference. These next “10” pages are dedicated to all the events that are part of this amazing celebration. If you’re reading this and you’re at the Fest our Crossover Church Fam would like to give you a huge WELCOME to our brand new spot! It’s been a crazy journey getting into our new space and so much has happened since our last conference two years ago. We have a lot to share with you! It’s truly a miracle that we are here today! We were up against so many walls - but little by little God helped us get through each one. Check out the campus map below so you can see where everything is located. The building is not 100% finished yet as the Fest is our very first event here... so you’ll have to come back next year when we really have it customized! The following pages contain the general schedule, a detailed workshop schedule, presenters bios and the concert line up for each night. If you need more information stop by the information area in the lobby or stop anyone with a white Fest volunteer shirt and we’ll be happy to serve you. So put your party “fitted” on... and let’s celebrate!
10
CAMPUSMAP
9
11
1 Entrance into main lobby 2 Registration
13
3 Main Restrooms
8
4 Hip-Hop Shop 5 Kitchen/Food Serving Area
7 12
9 Kidz Church (UYWI Youth Ministry Track) 10 Classroom Two (Outreach Track)
5
11 Classroom One (Purpose Track)
6
14
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7 Main Auditorium (General Sessions & Urban Church Track) 8 Gym (Artist track - Vendors during concert)
2
4
6 Vending Machines
1
3
12 Kidz Wing 13 Video/Audio Studios 14 Crossover Office Complex
Thursday October 7th
6:00pm 7:00pm-8:30pm 8:30pm-9:30pm 10:00pm
Friday October 8th
8:00 am 9:00am-9:30am 9:30am-10:15am 10:15am-10:30am 10:30am-11:30am 11:30am-11:45am 11:45am-12:45pm 1:00pm-2:15pm 2:15pm 2:30pm 3:30pm 5:30pm 5:30pm 7:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:00am
Saturday OCTOBER 8th
8:00am 9:00am-9:30am 9:30am-10:15am 10:15am-10:30am 10:30am-11:30am 11:30am-11:45am 11:45am-12:45pm 1:00pm-2:15pm 2:30pm-3:30pm 3:30pm 5:30pm 5:30pm 7:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:00am
Registration Opens & Guided Tours Begin Crossover’s The Movement Teen Service Guided Tours Campus Closes Registration Opens - Doors Open Worship/Prayer Main Auditorium with Dominic Balli Opening General Session Welcome! Break Into Workshops That Are Split Into Five Different Tracks First Breakout Workshop Sessions Break Second Breakout Workshop Sessions Lunch (Conference Registrants ONLY) Welcome Music & Worship Alert General Session in Main Auditorium Campus Closes until Evening Concert Vendors Area Opens for Set up Tickets go on sale for Concert Doors Open for Evening Concert Concert Ends Vendors area closes Campus Closes Registration Opens - Doors Open Worship/Prayer Main Auditorium with Crossover’s REMIX Saturday AM General Session Break Into Workshops That Are Split Into Five Different Tracks First Breakout Workshop Sessions Break Second Breakout Workshop Sessions Lunch (Conference Registrants ONLY) General Session in Main Auditorium Campus Closes until evening Concert Vendors Area Opens for Set up Tickets go on sale for Concert Doors Open For Evening Concert Concert Ends Vendors area closes Campus Closes
Sunday November 9th 10:00am
1st Sunday Vibe Service - including Hip-Hop styled praise and worship with REMIX, special music and a message with Pastor Tommy.
11:45am
2nd Sunday Vibe Service - same format as first service.
7:00pm
3rd Sunday Night Vibe Service - same format as the other services, but there will be an added Open Mic, this is open for Fla.vor Fest participants. *Children’s programming is available in all three services.
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RickWarren
Has served as the pastor at Saddleback Church in California since he planted it back in 1980. He has a passion to train pastors and spread the gospel worldwide. His team has trained over 500,000 pastors. Rick is also the author of the Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life.
LarryAcosta
Serves as the founder and president of Urban Youth Workers Institute. Their goal is to identify emerging urban leaders and equip them with tools to make a long term impact in their city. UYWI holds “Reload” leadership training events in over 20 cities each year. In the past 7 years they have trained over 20,000 emerging urban leaders. Larry is a passionate leader, mentor and champion of urban leaders.
EfremSmith
Efrem Smith is the superintendent of the Pacific Southwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church. He was a church planter as he founded The Sanctuary Church in Minneapolis in 2003 and served there as senior pastor until June of 2010. He is the author of Raising up Young Heroes, The Hip Hop Church (with Phil Jackson), and Jump. He is currently a doctoral student at Bethel Seminary. he is married to Donecia and has two daughters, Jaeda and Mireya.
Tommy“Urban D.”Kyllonen
Tommy Kyllonen, also known as Urban D. (Disciple) to his music fans, founded the youth ministry at Tampa, Fla.-based Crossover Church in 1996. Starting with just four teens, he and his wife developed a first-of-its-kind Hip-Hop Youth Ministry which over the span of six years grew to 200, far outpacing attendance in the main Sunday worship. In January 2002, Tommy became the lead pastor at Crossover and a new vision was birthed specifically to reach those influenced by Hip-Hop Culture.
DonD.C.Curry
Despite growing up in the projects of Houston, TX, hard work and determination earned D.C. a football scholarship to the University of Notre Dame where he studied business and theology. He played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals before voluntarily retiring to pursue his ultimate dream of full-time student ministry. D.C. brings a tremendous background of experience, accomplishment and faith to bear on his influence at Granger Community Church as the Director of Student Ministry and member of the senior management team. He is consumed with motivating and coaching a generation of leadership-minded students who will own their faith, chase their dreams and play their part.
LecraeMoore
A graduate of University of North Texas, Lecrae now resides in Atlanta, GA. A movement is brewing around the country with hungry, unashamed believers popping up in inner city communities everywhere. Lecrae is humbled to be a part of leading others towards Christ so that lives can be changed forever just like his changed years ago. With new avenues and strategic partnerships Lecrae prays that the impact from Reach will spread far beyond simply the music and into the lives of believers across the world.
JonahSorrentinoakaKJ-52
Releasing his debut project in 2000, KJ-52 continued to do his “thing” for a total of seven projects released. Hip-hop extraordinaire, KJ-52 has become one of the most trusted names in music as a songwriter, producer, minister, and comic poet, in spite of many seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Let’s not forget: He is an unabashed follower of Christ, he is white, and he is a rapper. In 2009, KJ-52 was once again nominated for the fourth consecutive year as CCM Magazine’s Favorite Hip Hop Artist in the Reader’s Choice poll. He also released his newest adventure, “Five-Two Television,” on BEC Recordings.
EricMason
Eric Mason is the co-founder and lead pastor of Epiphany Fellowship in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Mason is known for articulating and proclaiming the gospel with clarity, passion, and, authority at churches and conferences nationally. Dr. Mason received his Master of Theology form Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM 2000) as well as a Doctorate degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (DMin, May 2007). Dr. Mason resides in Philly with His wife (Yvette) and two sons (Immanuel and Nehemiah).
AurelioF.BarretoIII
Aurelio F. Barreto III is the founder and CEO of C28 Christian Stores and Not of This World (NOTW) Christian Clothing. As an immigrant from Cuba, Aurelio knew the value of hard work at a very young age. By the time he was 20 years old he founded his first business and grew it to $3 million in revenues. Depressed and without any purpose, Aurelio had contemplated suicide. Through God’s grace, he heard the gospel and responded to Jesus’ invitation of salvation. C28 Christian Stores have expanded to 11 locations, an e-commerce site and its own brand of Christian apparel and accessories known as Not of This World Christian Clothing.
LeneitaFix
Leneita Fix is the Southeast Region Training Coordinator for the Urban Youth Worker’s Institute. With over 17 years of experience in youth ministry, the last 13 years have been spent ministering in the inner cities of New Jersey, Virginia, and Florida. Leneita develops bible-based programs for school-aged children, writes curriculum, trains and recruits staff, is active in discipleship, and speaks to national audiences. Her passion is to train up the next generation of urban workers in practical, relationship-driven methods for reaching the inner city with the hope of Christ. She serves in ministry along with her husband and three children simply living in the city among friends and loving being there.
JamesCole
Typically seen with a digital camera in hand most would think that James Cole’s life was always about photography However, with a degree in Journalism Media and Graphic design from Florida A&M University, James has managed National, Regional and Statewide media campaigns and served as media relations director for high profile athletes and entertainers. As a national trainer for 10 years, James traveled the country partnering with Universities and foundations to change the media environment relevant to Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs. Understanding the implications of media and its impact on culture and community, James has dedicated his life through the years to deconstructing myths about media, advertising and consumer behavior. Now convicted by the Lord, James uses his experiences to expose the truth about how media shapes the ministries of God rather than the ministries of God shaping media and our culture. S.O.U.L | Pg12
LucyKyllonen
Lucy was raised in Queens, NYC. She graduated from Southeastern University with a BA in psychology and a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling from USF. She worked with troubled teens at several organizations before coming on staff at Crossover Church in 2003. She now serves as Administrator and Women’s Ministry Director where she impacts hundreds of urban women. She leads small groups, mentors women and regularly speaks at conferences and workshops.
ScottFree
Scott Free is an evangelist, pastor, and hip-hop artist who emerged out of the Miami urban scene in the early 90’s as he fell in love with Jesus. Scott resides in Atlanta, GA where he pastors City Takers, a monthly urban and hip-hop service. He is also the founder of Freestyle Missions and The Heart of Hip-Hop where he and his family serve as full-time missionaries based in Atlanta, GA. His focus on ‘being the Church’ pushes him daily beyond the four walls of tradition to serve in prisons, jails, homeless shelters, schools and drug rehab centers. Scott ministers throughout the U.S. and the world through his music and speaking, impacting for Christ urban and hip-hop cultures everywhere.
VirginiaWard
Virginia Ward is the Youth Pastor at Abundant Life Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts where her husband, Lawrence, serves as pastor. She is also the Director of the New England Black Campus Ministries for Intervarsity. Her national involvement includes her membership in the Ministry Council of the National Network of Youth Ministries and as a trainer with the DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative. Virginia and her husband reside in Boston with their two sons.
TommyCarrington
Tommy Carrington served as Youth Evangelist and Director of Urban Ministry with Miami Youth for Christ for 12 years. In 2002, he established the “Urban Training Network,” a national ministry designed to train and equip student leaders and youth workers. Tommy earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in counseling psychology and biblical studies from Trinity International University and a doctor of ministry degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Currently, Tommy serves as an adjunct professor at Trinity International University and at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He travels extensively speaking at evangelistic rallies, churches, camps, retreats and seminars in fulfillment of his passion and call to raise up a generation of transformational leaders.
Tony“Tone”Bruno
Tony Bruno grew up in Philadelphia, and came to Christ at age 17 through the influence of another teen in his life. He went to Bible college at VFCC, graduated with a BS in Bible. This experience had a tremendous impact on his life, and since then his desire has been to see the gospel and healthy theology meet the streets. In 2000, he served full-time as one of the leaders at Cross Movement Ministries, and in 2005 he moved to Tampa and served as associate pastor at Crossover Church. He recently returned to Philadelphia where he serves at Rock Ministries through boxing training, mentoring, and preaching / teaching. He also serves on the board of their church -Church of the Rock.
MelodyLaLuzFabien
Melody La Luz Fabien, a humorous, animated, national speaker is known for creatively relating God’s truth to everyday life. Melody’s transparency in sharing her personal adventure with God has motivated thousands to believe God and experience Him as well. Melody also speaks to thousands of youth and young adults nationwide on the benefits of abstinence until marriage. She speaks to diverse audiences at school assemblies, youth groups, college campuses, conferences, and churches. She is also a Program Director for an abstinence-based program in Chicago. Today Melody is happily married to her husband Claudaniel and is ecstatic new mom to her baby girl Jael.
LilyPerlaza
Lily has been a part of the Flavor Fest planning team since 2000 and is now assisting Flavor Fest through administration; grant writing and conference planning in order to further fulfill the mission. Several years ago Lily hosted her first small group by the pool of her apartment complex with some friends. Her love for seeing people grow in the word and get connected in relationships led her to become Crossover’s small group director for several years. Today, Lily uses her business management degree as she runs all the finances at the church and makes sure everything is done with accountability and integrity.
EfrainAliceaakaBrotherE
Efrain Alicea planted Elements Church in 2008 and has helped plant two other churches in the Bronx, including Promised Land Church where he served as Associate Pastor. He has been a pioneer in gospel hip-hop music as an artist on 13 albums; as a writer for “The Hip Hop Zone,” “Illspot.net” and other online magazines; as a chief editor of “HolyCulture.net;” and as a writer and instructor for The Chaplains State of New York, Inc. and The Impact School of Ministry. Efrain is married to Erika and has two beautiful children, Jason Noel and Isabel Rose.
KennethGodbolt
Kenneth Godbolt, III (a.k.a. Broken) was born and raised in Orange Park, Florida in an urban community heavily influenced by the culture of drugs and crime. He has a bachelor’s degree in church leadership from Southeastern University and currently serves as Youth Pastor at Crossover Community Church where he (along with his team of over 20 volunteers) ministers every Thursday night to over 150 teens. Kenneth and his wife Nicole (who met at Crossover) are dedicated to reaching and building up the youth of Tampa and are committed to seeing this generation rise above cultural norms through their development of authentic relationships with Christ.
SyntaxRecordsTeam
Syntax Records is its own label that has housed some of the biggest names in underground hip-hop on its roster (including Kaboose, Braille, LA Symphony, and others). Based in San Diego, where it all began, Tim serves as president and manages a team of more than seven full-time employees. He also made a landmark deal with Koch Distribution that puts the albums of Syntax recording artists in stores across America. Many of those artists are touring full-time -hitting more than 150 cities. Their music is appearing in major motion pictures. All the while, Tim and his crew have never lost their focus. “We’re making music to change lives,” he describes.
CROSSOVERCHURCH - OUTREACHMINISTRIES
Gary Naegal and Travis Settineri are both members of Crossover Church. They both did not grow up in Christian homes, and lived rebellious lifestyles away from God. They both were later lead to the Lord and changed. They have a huge burden for the lost, and a love for relevantly preaching the Gospel through street evangelism and outreach. // Theo has been a member at Crossover for the last 7 years. He has had the opportunity to head up the drama ministry for several years, and later, the prayer ministry. He currently leads Crossover’s outreach to teenagers in the juvenile correction system. While in the U.S. Air Force he earned an Associate degree from the Community College of the Air Force. He also has a Bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University. S.O.U.L | Pg11
Opening Session 9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. SPEAKER NAME: Efrem Smith Emerging Church Track 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. SPEAKER NAME: Efrain Alicea aka Brother E WORKSHOP TITLE: The dynamics of Urban Church Planting WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: This track will examine the journey of an urban church plant and its mission to lead the urban culture to Christ by cultivating relationship. You will see how the Elements Church went from the living room to the block. Brother E will share how they cultivate relationships and build relevant environments as home-grown leaders to a culture that is craving both relationship and relevance. UYWI Youth Track 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. SPEAKER NAME: Leneita Fix WORKSHOP TITLE: Teaching Youth to Live Out Loud for Jesus WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: This workshop teaches practical methods in helping youth move to a place where Christ is truly the center of their lives. Often there is a disconnect after youth run forward in response to an invitation to ask Jesus into their hearts. The hurdle, often, is not in getting them to understand the need to put their hope in Christ. The hurdle is showing them how Christ can meet their desperate longing for someone who can take care of them. By showing youth, through action and deed, what it looks like to walk out life with Christ, our youth can be changed. The standard can be raised for youth who claim to have Christ living in them. The next time the invitation is made, they can be assured that they truly know who Jesus is in their lives, as they learn that walking it out daily takes a lifetime. Artist Track 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. SPEAKER NAME: Lecrae Moore WORKSHOP TITLE: Rebuild WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Unpacking why our worldview is important and how it shapes how we think and act every moment. This workshop will change how you see the world and yourself. The artist will be challenged in the areas of biblical community and accountability being given some practical applications on what this looks like fleshed out. Outreach Track 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. SPEAKER NAME: Scott Free WORKSHOP TITLE: We are the Church WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: This workshop provides practical information on what it means to “be the church” and have effective impact on the urban and hip-hop culture in your own backyard and throughout the world. Focus includes: NETWORKING (how to connect with those who have already established themselves in the community), OUTREACH EVENTS (the keys to creating effective outreach events in communities), and DISCIPLESHIP (the art of multiplication not addition). Purpose Track 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. SPEAKER NAME: Lucy Kyllonen WORKSHOP TITLE: Upgrading Your Service WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: In today’s times we have the ability to upgrade our phones, our internet bandwidth, our cable, etc. Many of us have been ministering for years and our service to God is getting outdated. We are serving, yet our fears and insecurities are preventing us from going to the next level. Have you thought about upgrading your service to God?
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Emerging Church Track 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. SPEAKER NAME: Efrem Smith WORKSHOP TITLE: Planting and growing churches in multi-ethnic/Hip-Hop culture WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: This workshop will provide a theology and strategy for planting and growing churches in an urban, multi-ethnic, & Hip-Hop context. Principles of healthy leadership will be explained as well. UYWI Youth Track 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. SPEAKER NAME: Tommy Carrington WORKSHOP TITLE: Teaching Teens about Love, Sex and Dating WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Whether from school peers, the media, or other sources, teenagers are continually bombarded with sexual messages and pressure. God’s standard for purity, however, remains the same. This workshop will explore what it means to live pure in today’s “sex-crazed” society and how youth can rise above the lure of premarital sex. Artist Track 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. SPEAKER NAMES: DJ Will (One Accord DJs), Aziz “Zee” Peregrino-Brimah (DaSouth.com), Anonymous & Trig (HolyCulture.net), Chad Horton (Rapzilla.com), Chris Chicago (Hype Radio). WORKSHOP TITLE: Effective Radio and Internet Marketing and Promotion WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: This panel of experts will share practical tools and details about how to get the word out about your music. As an indie artist or label you want to make sure you get the biggest bang for your buck. They’ll share how to effectively promote on the internet, the radio and with DJ’s. Bring your questions as there will be a segment of the time carved out for Q and A. Outreach Track 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. SPEAKER NAME: Virginia Ward WORKSHOP TITLE: Reach Out And Touch Your Community WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: The arm of the church should extend beyond the four walls of the building. This workshop will stir the creative juices and challenge the participants to reach out and touch their community. Purpose Track 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. SPEAKER NAME: Don “D.C.” Curry WORKSHOP TITLE: Building Strong Teams Aligned for One Purpose WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Looking for ways to inspire and build teams of great volunteers who are fully aligned with one vision? Through this workshop you will receive coaching on how to: (1) help volunteers truly find their purpose in serving the body as a whole (2) recruit with vision in every breath rather than begging or bribing, (3) train volunteers so they’re equipped and energized about their purpose and (4) keep great volunteers. Closing Session 2:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. SPEAKER NAME: Larry Acosta of UYWI
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Opening Session 9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. SPEAKER NAME: Rick Warren (via video) Emerging Church Track 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. SPEAKER NAME: Tommy “Urban D.” Kyllonen & Lily Perlaza WORKSHOP TITLE: Funding Your Urban Church and mManaging it Wisely WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Finances in the urban church are almost always a huge issue. You have to learn to be proactive and creative. Over the years Crossover has learned to be good stewards and teach giving in a Biblical context that created a culture of generosity even through the recession. They’ll share the journey of starting with nothing to how to put systems in place that had led them to raising over half a million dollars with a capital campaign. UYWI Youth Track 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. SPEAKER NAME: Pastor Kenneth Godbolt WORKSHOP TITLE: Youth Ministry “Out of the Box” WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Are you tired of doing youth ministry the same old way? Do you feel like you are boxed in? Check out this session which will encourage you to get out the box and be who God created you to be. Crossover Church in Tampa is known for its innovative, out of the box approach, so come chop it up with Crossover’s youth pastor and get some fresh perspectives and ideas. Artist Track 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. SPEAKER NAME: Syntax Records Team WORKSHOP TITLE: The ins and outs of Publishing and Royalties WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Most artists don’t understand publishing and royalties and many times they get taken advantage of. They can miss out on several opportunities and potentially thousands of dollars that is owed to them as the writer of their songs. Don’t miss this session that will walk you through the steps to start your own publishing company and wisely control your music. Outreach Track 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. SPEAKER NAME: Aurelio F. Barreto III WORKSHOP TITLE: EVERYDAY EVANGELISM WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Evangelism shouldn’t be a word that makes Christians uncomfortable. In this workshop, Aurelio will share practical ways to share the gospel in everyday situations; he will also discuss how he uses his Christian apparel brand, NOTW (Not of This World), to lead others into a conversation about Jesus. . Purpose Track 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. SPEAKER NAME: Tony “Tone” Bruno WORKSHOP TITLE: The Priority of Brokenness WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: When going into ministry we often become dependent on good qualities like gifting, experience, and skills training. While these qualities are important, we’ll discuss God’s higher priority of brokenness for those whom He’s called.
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Emerging Church Track 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. SPEAKER NAME: Eric Mason WORKSHOP TITLE: Exegeting the City WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: How do you use the gospel as God’s means to engage the city you live in? Most material is suburban in its flavor and when used by the urbanite, it is a deep frustration. This workshop will teach you how to study the word of God and how to practically flesh out God’s truth in your city. UYWI Youth Track 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. SPEAKER NAME: Melody La Luz Fabien WORKSHOP TITLE: Beautiful, Stunning, and Charming From the Inside Out WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: From Disney movies to Hollywood “chick flicks,” there seems to be a reoccurring theme of wanting to be BEAUTIFUL and STUNNING. Where does that desire come from? What holds us back from exuding true beauty from the inside out? Come hear a story of a young woman who went from being an abandoned orphan to a beautiful queen, and then from a beautiful queen to a prostitute. Hear how God forgave her and restored her brokenness. None of us are too far from His grace. You too can be made whole and absolutely beautiful. Artist Track 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. SPEAKER NAMES: Jonah Sorrentino aka KJ-52 WORKSHOP TITLE: How to Stay Balanced as an Artist (10 things I learned in 10 years) WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: God has been faithful to allow me to do what I do for 10 years, there are certain principles and promises that I’ve learned through that time that have guided me and shaped me. These are 10 things I’ve learned in 10 years that you can apply to your life/ministry to help you achieve what God has for you. Outreach Track 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. SPEAKER NAME: Travis Settineri, Gary Naegel & Theo Meade WORKSHOP TITLE: Outreach in the Community WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Our unique team spreads the Gospel through urban evangelism resources, music, art, dance, videos, and clothing. This workshop will detail exactly what goes on at a JCM event and a Don’t Conform event. Strategies for establishing and maintaining a ministry to incarcerated young men and women will be covered. Purpose Track 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. SPEAKER NAME: James Cole WORKSHOP TITLE: What Are You Selling? WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Are you an artist? Do you have a message or a ministry? Are you contributing to media clutter in the name of the Lord? This workshop looks at all the elements of hip hop as tools for ministry and worship. As a participant in this workshop you will be challenged to re-evaluate the bigger picture of being a success. You will also be challenged to ask yourself if your ministry will be just another component in big media. More importantly you will be able to answer the question as an artist, “What am I selling and who is buying it?” Closing Session 2:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. SPEAKER NAME: Tommy Kyllonen aka Urban D.
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LECRAE
MAHOGONYJONES
DOMINICBALLI
RSWIFT
TRIPLEE
ALERT
J’SON
JAI
RAWSRVNT
MIZZREALITY
BRINSON
KDRAMA
PRO
APPLEJAXX
DMAUB
JJOHNSON
WONDER
G86
DJWILL
CLOK
BROKEN
J.A.Z.
Commissary
YUNGRICK
JAYCabassa
BIGNICK
DERAJ
ZION
zerubbabel
KJ52
MICHELLEBONILLA
SHOBARAKA
URBAND
KDRAMA
BRINSON
KB
THIS’L
DJPROMOTE
HAZAKIM
BOBBYBISHOP
JEREMIAHBONDS
RAWSRVNT
KABOOSE
BROKEN
BIGNICK
ZION
SolomonStarr
HEESUNLEE
RSWIFT
JABO
JAI
CLOK
PRO
JERRELL
CONCER
116CLIQUE
TDETAIL • Doors o S pen @ 7p m (both n • Only $10 ights) .00 @ the door (both • Fest X R nights) egistrants get in FRE E with ba dg
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Back in the day there were about 5 or 6 Christian Hip-Hop Music videos coming out each year. Now with the advance of technology and the growth of our genre there are some weeks where there are 5 or 6 new music videos coming out! Back in the day you would be lucky to catch one of these videos on some late night TV show, but today you can click on youtube or several CHH websites and catch hundreds of videos. If you didn’t know... now you know. We featured some quality videos and artists of some new stuff below and even an old skool throwback!
In a era where multiple music videos and albums are released every day, how do you make yours stand out? South East London emcee(Emcee), E TIzz, has the perfect formula. Clever rhymes, catchy worship like hook, and clean quality video work. From start to finish E Tizz’s (thats a weird word to say) video, Never Leave Me, keeps your eyes and ears entertained. The song has great content, challenging us as Christians to really live out what the Word says and to know that no matter what happens in life, Jesus will never leave us. Another key to this song is the powerful yet worship like vocals on the hook, sung by his wife… a great picture of a Godly married couple worshipping together. So the hook and verses are ear candy but the lighting effects and special effects serve as eye candy. I will leave you with fair warning, this song will get stuck in your head all week, and you’ll catch yourself singing “He will never leave, He will never leave me, He will never leave me, This I know.” - Wonder
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As if the entire video had been run through a grunge filter, Back to Dust, featuring Sev and DJ Dust, steers clear of high budget sets and manicured communities. The methodical movement of a featured MC (Sev), as he flows through the streets, is a familiar theme for Dust Brand Films that never tires. But unlike other productions, this installment cameos DJ Dust, who shares the name of the title track, the hook and the production company. From tossing airplanes off city buildings to cruising the Ave on a linked -chain-draped dirt bike, the urban experience is celebrated to the fullest. With shifting video panels and freeze frame exchanges, the viewer’s journey Back to Dust will be just as rhythmic as the drum kicks throughout the track. - Semaj C.
How amazing of a journey is it to fall in love with Jesus? Joe Justiz portrays that journey in his video “Hey Love,” featuring G-Notes. The video opens with Joe Justiz in a reflective and peaceful state, very much like when you first realize that you’re in love. The song itself is full of lyrical content reminiscent of pure love; one that’s uplifting, encouraging, and energetic. Justiz unapologetically proclaims his love in this song while walking through his hometown Miami, Fl (3-0-5 stand up); while G-Notes jumps in with lyrics like, “more than a touch, more than a crush, your love is eternal.” With K-Drama on the beat and Miami set as the scene for this video, this is definitely not your typical mellow love song. Justiz brings justice to depicting the joy and fulfillment he has since Christ entered his life. - Shola
This classic music video, which was all filmed in Tampa, starts off with Macho calling a house cleaning service ran by Urban D, and KJ-52. After a house party at Macho’s crib, the video takes a hilarious turn when everyone gets informed that his mom is on the way home. Everyone panics and jumps out windows, runs out doors and jumps over fences. Suddenly when Macho’s mom and her friend (Urban D.’s mom) walk in the house everything is spotless. Throughout the song Urban D. and KJ deliver lyrics comparing things that go together, like we as believers go together with Christ. Urban D. spits, “ Like Philadelphia and Rocky, vinyl and a disc jockey, lifting weights and getting stocky, we go together like dirty diapers and kaki” - lol! This video has cameo appearances from Spec, Los 1, the vintage Crossover hooptie van, and the late Big Greek, who is being tossed around in a mosh pit at a concert at Crossover’s former North Orleans campus. This video is very creative, entertaining and captures moments from the beginning of Crossover’s movement. - Brovah Greg
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Donny “D-M.A.U.B.” Harper. Dedicated to Making All Underestimators Believers. It sounds like a mission statement. But what would you expect from a man of God that has been dubbed, “Mr Professional”? D-MAUB, aka, Young CUT-T (Courageously Upholding The Truth), is one MC, even outside of the Holy Hip Hop arena, that should not be underestimated. With a vocalist and drummer father who worked for James Brown in his teenage years, and a mom that was a poet who published her own work, it is no wonder that D-MAUB is able to present the Gospel in such a compelling and artistic way. D-MAUB was first led to Christ by his childhood friend, Robert “Lazarus” Smith, and fined tuned his skills on the mic to glorify God. Since that day, D-MAUB has been blessed to minister next to artists like K-Drama, Mars Ill, Da’ T.R.U.T.H., E. Cross and many other brothers and sisters of faith.
Purpose?
I believe my purpose is to first be dedicated to the Lord and honor Him and my family. When I can put Him first and have a heart to care for my wife (Ciara) and 4 children, only then can my music ministry reach its full potential. With a strong family ethic, and an honorable attitude for the love of God, God’s favor on D-MAUB’s life is being shown through numerous doors that have been opened for him to express the message of God.
How is it progressing?
My label is growing very strong. Being distributed through DMG/ Universal Christian Music Group has created a lot of ministry opportunities that is allowing me to take the gospel further. We are trusting God to continue to open up doors to other artists who are looking to take their ministry to the next level.
What’s new, what it do, and what are you envisioning with it?
Right now we are currently promoting my new album “Inside Out” which is doing very well. I shot my first video from the album for a special song, “People Crazy”. Shout out to Eshon Burgandy who directed it from top to bottom, and the AMAZING Space cherry film crew. I love yall! Also, we are promoting the ring tone album, “Crazy Tones” and “Crazy Text Tones”. We just released a compilation, “Your feature Presentation”, I am doing some features , all while working on my next project, “Death Before Dishonor”.
Acting/Stage-How will you progress as an actor?
I like acting a lot! But I am not focusing on it as much right now, but if the right opportunity comes up, I would love to take advantage of it.
Clothing line-ideas?
To make sure I focus on living a holy lifestyle so that my family and others I encounter are attracted to Him Through music. Also, to teach God’s Word outside of the music.
Oh Yea! Fashion is definitely something I want to dive into. When the foundation is set, we will do what it takes to make it very successful. Market strategy? We use the internet a lot. But i want to get back to doing footwork as well. Flooding the streets with flyers, going to radio stations and doing interviews, as well as making sure the product makes it easy for the fans to promote it word of mouth. Using social networks? Definitely!
How are you accomplishing it?
Last words and Thank-yous...
What did God put in your heart for you to do?
By making sure I study the word for myself so that God is able to use me at any moment. I recently started a bible study at my home and we get together once a week to talk and share God’s word. More and more, D-MAUB is continuously being blessed by God to express God’s love for us. He has appeared on Playstation 2 games (Gran Turismo 4, NBA Jam, ATV 3 and MB 2005), participated in the Queen City Fusion BET/Soundstage, as well as developed a label.
I would like to say I’m thankful for my beautiful wife, Ciara and children for their love and support, my One Route entertainment family, my manager, Amber, and my DJ, Klassy K, for their hard work, Urban D., SOULMag for this awesome opportunity, and everyone who supports my ministry. You can find my music online or in stores nationwide. I am also on Facebook and Twitter, @Dmaub. I love you all and God Bless
One Route Entertainment “...aims to use every opportunity to the fullest to represent Christ in our lifestyles and in the public eye. With hard-hitting hip hop music, we want to reclaim our youth, streets, community, nation and beyond from negative thinking and living. Our ministry is inclusive of positive music, alternative fashion statements, and sound business practices. ONE LOVE, ONE LIFE, ONE ROUTE” (One Route Entertainment, LLC)
Cop D-Maub’s new album “Inside Out” AVAILABLE Nationwide S.O.U.L | Pg23
I
t’s another sweltering summer night in Houston’s struggling 5th Ward neighborhood. In a scene no doubt replicated in dozens of homes just blocks away, the A/C unit inside an aging gym seems to be losing the fight to keep its owners cool. A few people have stepped outside to seek relief. The heat still prevails, but at least there’s an occasional breeze. Two men find refuge on the curb. With a black iron fence and Jensen Drive to their backs, they discuss rap music - what it used to be and where it stands today. But these are no ordinary bystanders. They are J. Prince and Willie D. Last night VH1’s Hip Hop Honors the Dirty South concert show paid tribute to the Rap-A-Lot founder while the former Geto Boy performed “My Mind’s Playing Tricks On Me” - the label’s signature hit. This evening they are at the Prince Complex to celebrate the one year anniversary of Hip-Hop Hope Tuesday - a weekly youth service designed to uplift, enlighten, and encourage young people entrenched in urban rap music culture. Much Luvv Records founder Bobby “Tre9” Herring launched the first Hip Hop Hope event in partnership with Rap-a-Lot Records on Easter weekend 2009. “A lot of rappers mention giving back to the neighborhoods they came from but very few actually do,” Herring said. “Talk is cheap, so with Hip Hop Hope Tuesdays, we want to show that the Houston rap community can make good on our word and bring positivity to the parts of our city that need it most.” The Prince Complex was founded by J. Prince. He is from the 5th Ward and developed the non-profit youth center over a decade ago to offer a “Pathway to Empowerment.” Prince’s son and Tre9’s nephew played organized basketball together and a relationship between the two men began to form over a shared love of music and faith. It eventually led to the Hip Hop Hope events that now define Tuesday
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nights. “I’m definitely excited about this new movement I see taking place where Christian rap is concerned,” J.Prince said. “I think it’s important for everybody to know that people like myself, Willie D, and other entertainers love God too. We’re not one-dimensional,” he continued. “There’s so many ways to show your love for God and be involved with Him and this is breaking down modern-day barriers of how that is done.” A typical Hip Hop Hope Tuesday begins with an introduction by the host (Tre9) and an “icebreaker” game for attendees. From there, a rotation of Christian hiphop artists usually perform a few songs and share their testimonies. Occasionally, a mainstream rap video will be shown on large projection screens and afterward its lyrics will be dissected and discussed. Monetary offerings for future mission efforts are collected by passing around a New Era baseball cap as DJ Primo or DJ Wiz performs a “Scripture Scratch” with an audio Bible recording over a hip hop beat. The nights always end with prayer, food, and freestyle rap sessions. Andre “007” Barnes is a 5th Ward native and frequent HHHT volunteer. His story is a perfect example of how positive opportunities and role models (like those found at Hip Hop Hope Tuesdays) can lead to dramatic life change. In the mid-90’s 007 gained fame and notoriety as a founding member of the hard core gangsta rap crew the 5th Ward Boyz. Unlike many of today’s street rappers, 007 was never a “studio gangsta.” His lyrics reflected his actual life. That included a murder case for shooting and killing a man trying to steal his car (later ruled a justifiable homicide) and armed robbery as well as selling and abusing drugs. Eventually greed consumed
007. After a European tour in the year 2000, he was caught robbing three banks and sentenced to more than four years in prison. Upon release he caught another case that earned him an additional 15 months behind bars. It was there, in jail once again, that Andre Barnes had his “Road to Damascus” experience. Finally encountering and understanding the true grace of God through the sacrifice of His one and only son, Barnes began to change. When he walked out of the yard this time around, it was with a renewed mind. Barnes pursued ministry, established Taking Back the Streets, and opened Blessings Christian
Bookstore with his wife and family. Now a new creature, 007 has returned to the mic with a much different message. “I’m just trying to show young people that you don’t have to let street life consume and define you,” Barnes said. “And Hip Hop Hope Tuesdays is the perfect place for me to share that with others.” One such individual is Derrick “Phurious Stylz” Chism. He knows 007 on many levels. Their first introduction was at Barbara Jordan High School. His Trinity Garden neighborhood borders the 5th Ward so when the Boyz blew up, Chism naturally became a fan. But the dark influence
of the streets and gangsta rap eventually took its toll. Like 007, Chism robbed banks and was captured. He was sentenced to nine years behind bars and actually ended up inside the same federal prison as Double O. Inside, the duo resumed their amity and even performed (secular) rap songs together. Chism also embraced Islam. “I had a lot of built up anger and negative energy. Being a Muslim taught me a lot of self discipline I needed then,” Chism said. Once released, he again found his friend 007 whose new life started to rub off on him. Chism started going to church with his wife and soon learned about Hip Hop Hope Tuesdays through Facebook. “I got on to 007. I said ‘You had a show around the way and you didn’t even tell me!’” he laughingly recalls. Now a HHHT regular, Chism says he’s a dedicated Christian and feels the events are a real blessing in his life. Through the gatherings he’s discovered Christian rap that “wasn’t corny” and built friendships around the music that strengthen his faith. “It’s definitely a good avenue for those who don’t know God to get closer to Him and get plugged in,” Chism said.
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Raw, hard-core, gutter, reminiscent of 90’s style hip-hop, take it or leave it, no-nonsense. Her message is hard-hitting and she takes no prisoners. She approaches the truth of Jesus Christ with bravado yet her flow is humble at the same time. In her single, “JESUS” we hear a story of a woman who was redeemed from a lifestyle of drugs and violence and brought into the light that is knowing God’s Son…meet Dice Gamble, no gamble in her message! She’s exuberant, confident and clever. Her dynamic skills allow her to speed up or slow down her flow and manage to keep her audience captivated at the same time. In one of her singles “That Body”, she uses colloquialism to aid her in a play on words and tells us to “move that body”, the body of Christ, that is! Her lyrics are filled with relevant truths and eye-opening declarations about God’s sovereignty and love for us…all the way from Portland Oregon, meet Octavia Harris. Her witty delivery and effortless swagger sneak up on you but pack a punch at the same time. She takes a modern approach at delivering the Word and her methodology could be likened to that of Sho Baraka from Reach Records. Her sound is catchy. In her single “Lose Control” she flows about how she’s caught glimpses of God’s love and is taken by surprise at how undone she’s become and in the process, causes her audience to want to “lose control” with her…meet Mahogany Jones.
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This is just a snapshot of the 60+ women that make up the platform that is the Christian Female Rap Network. The CFRN is a motivational support network for women in music ministry all over the world. Through this network women who
has a percentage of its proceeds donated to LIFETODAY. org to help their mission feeding/clean drinking program in various parts of Africa and around the world. People’s lives are being changed and we’re witnessing it through the many testimonies that pour in.
love God and love music can come together and support each other. This ministry models the lesson that is taught in Ecclesiastes 4:9. I got a chance to interview the visionary behind this dynamic network, Octavia Harris, and was able to pick her brain about all things CFRN.
1. What was the inspiration behind creating a CFRN? The desire has always been in my heart to unify women who had flow. After I became a disciple, the desire was still there but it had shifted to uniting God-fearing women who could rhyme. After talking with God about it, I began to reach out to a few sistas on Myspace in Feb 2007 and launched my vision for the network and we’ve been rollin ever since. John 13:34-35, is our foundational verse; very popular verse but not always easy to do in the body of Christ.
2. What were some of the challenges you faced early on in getting your voices heard? I don’t think anything can really prevent your voice from being heard if God has called you to do something for Him. On the flip side of that coin, you may run into people who aren’t filled with the spirit - who walk in their flesh - therefore causing a subliminal resistance to help assist in the vision God’s given. Not everyone’s going to understand the dream God’s put inside you, however I’m convinced that God is able to open doors no man can shut and He does it in His timing (just like the timing of this interview/article). Thank you again Kerlyn / Soul Mag :)
3. What are some of the goals that you have for the CFRN as a leader?
6. What advice do you have for other aspiring female MC’s wanting to serve the Lord through music? My initial reaction is to say “GO FOR IT!” but I’ll give you some wisdom I had to learn. Work from the inside out and don’t pattern yourself after this world. Not with their customs, their lingo, their sound, their attire or anything that they perceive as “HOT” for the moment. Allow God himself to give you the creativity to come up with something truly anointed and different. One practical way you can begin doing this is through your obedience to Him. God works from the inside out so deal with the sin in your life that’s holding you back from God’s best. Keep a humble heart and remember it’s not about YOU. It’s about using the wonderful gift God’s given you to help someone else. Lastly, get confirmation from wise counsel that you’re called to do what you’re doing. You don’t have to wonder what God wants to do with you and through you. It’s all in His word so begin to Ask, Seek and Knock. Then when you get the answer... “GO FOR IT!” Thanks again for the opportunity to share CFRN with your readers and supporters! I also want to give a quick shout out to my church LBE (Love by Example) www.lovebyexample. com LOVE YA’LL!! This phenomenal organization is seeking change for the glory of God’s kingdom and is a force to be reckoned with! Keep an eye out for what God will do through them and through their music!
If you would like more information on the CFRN please visit
www.thecfrn.com or visit www.octaviaharris.com -Kerlyn “NISTA” Joseph
Spiritually, I would say…that we would continue to walk in unity, love and support of one another. That all the members of CFRN would further develop rich relationships by reaching out, being transparent, encouraging each other, building each other in the word and keeping each other in prayer. On a more natural level, I have hopes to see CFRN conferences/ concerts in cities all over the nation (That is my big dream). Where we’d be able to have an entire weekend dedicated to building our women, sharing resources and unifying in Christ.
5. What does the CFRN hope to accomplish through its music? 1.) To help heal our world. 2.) To bring people to know God’s son and 3.) To help people understand and experience God’s unconditional love. In fact, our recent Ministry CD project we put together titled: “When Lightning Strikes”
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by M@RZ
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As we all notice when studying the Bible, God can take the most unlikely of people and make them great. God has a way of looking at individuals for whom He has destined them to be, whether they know it or not, and preparing them for their purpose. God does not wait for us to come to Him to prepare us, but rather prepares us to come to Him, based on our purpose. Here we have a faction of God’s people that understand the obligation and accountable duty they have towards one another, whether we believe or not, to present the gospel. The 116 Clique is a Christian artist circle based in Dallas, Texas. The artists are mostly Reach Records’ artists; nevertheless their understanding of fellowship with believers that are artists surpasses the record label. Their projects feature several artists from outside the label. The 116 Clique is named after the Bible verse Romans 1:16. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.” For them it means acknowledging the power of the Gospel and to proclaim it in every area of their life. Let us look at the founding members of Reach Records that are (R)eaching out.
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LECRAE
Lecrae Moore, born 1980 in Houston, Texas by a single mother, resides in Atlanta, Georgia. He became a Christian at age 19. Lecrae went on to attend the University of North Texas. After attending a christian conference given by Dr. James White, director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, Lecrae received a revelation of the Holy Spirit which echoed Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.”
Being steadfast in serving, Lecrae has been hosting hip-hop related events, volunteering at local JDC’s (Juvenile Detention Centers), Kid’s Across America Kamps in Branson, Missouri, and engaging with various campus and community venues. Lecrae began rapping about his faith and co-founded Reach Records, releasing his first album, Real Talk, through it in 2005. They partnered with Cross Movement Records to release this project which put him in front of a whole new audience. “Pouring out a genuine discussion of life issues and passionate, unashamed pursuit of Jesus Christ, Real Talk was released to the world where he quickly became noted as an emcee that would meet listeners where they were by delivering transparent, relatable, and impacting messages.”(Reach Records) The label has expounded on its reach to the people with Reach Life Ministries. This ministry, which exists to help bridge the gap between biblical truth and the urban context, provides tools and resources in these three areas: Evangelism, Discipleship, and Leadership Development. Check out some previous issues of S.O.U.LMAG as we featured and reviewed some of Reach Life’s incredible resources which were done in true excellence. Lecrae’s album, “After the Music Stops,” flooded the mainstream with the living water of Christ. The following album, “Rebel”, took the throne at No.1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel, and No. 3 on iTunes. Rebel broke the record as being the largest first Christian hip-hop album sales as they topped 10,000 copies. Rebel continued to remain on the charts for months and months as it continued to impact more and more people and create a counter-cultural movement of rebellion (in a good way!). Earlier this year a new single was released called “Far Away”, a tribute to those in Haiti and their struggles. Lecrae decided that all the proceeds from the single’s sales will go directly to the Haiti relief effort. A music video was released for the song on February 10th, and peaked at #32 on the iTunes Hip hop singles chart. Creezy’s new project “Rehab”, dropped on September 28th, 2010. This album created quite a buzz as everywhere you looked you saw the “Rehab” logo on people’s facebook and twitter and even on some pairs of custom Nikes! Usually when an album is released an artist has a huge release event and a tour as they celebrate their release date... not Lecrae. He was overseas in the Sudan gettin’ it in with Red Revolution Ministries and the pastors from the Village Church. They trained pastors and community leaders to be more effective in preaching the gospel and meeting needs in their communities. On August 5th, a new song, “Amp It Up”, was released via Rapzilla online. The song is not a Rehab single, but rather a theme song for camp Kanakuk which he writes theme songs for annually. Since August 31st, Rehab became available for preorder, and a promotional video for the album called “Idols” was released. Lecrae was initially concerned about releasing the album while calling it “Rehab” since Eminem had already recently released his “Recovery” album, but it had already been planned and concepted and he felt it was necessary. But you want to know what I think? In order to accomplish real recovery, you need “Rehab”.
SHO BARAKA
Sho Baraka is a Christian hip-hop artist who has recorded both independently and as a founding member of the 116 Clique. Born in Canada, raised in California, resided in Texas, and currently living in Atlanta, Sho is very much capable of expressing his perspective on life. Introduced to hip hop at a young age, Southern California was at the height of the gangster rap era, and in that era, Sho was influenced. Sho and some of his friends formed a group that began touring with major recording artists. But, Sho was being prepared for something else. His life took a different turn. His group fizzled, close friends killed and others incarcerated behind lifestyle choices. His father suggested he pursue education instead of the streets. In his pursuit of higher learning, he came in contact with Lecrae and Tedashii, and eventually, the 116 Clique and Reach Records were formed.
Sho has also went forward and helped co-found a production company, Lions and Liars, which also happens to be the name of his latest album, “Lions and Liars”. The production company gives individuals to express themselves and their spirituality through a wide range of media. the album expresses a view of God, personifying that he is both innocent lamb and conquering lion. In 2009 the Reach camp moved their headquarters from Memphis, Tn down to the ATL. This move took place as the crew was not only wanting to connect in a larger city, but be part of a new church plant in the city. Sho’s brother Dhati Lewis is the lead pastor at Blueprint Church which officially launched in early 2010. Amisho (Sho Baraka) Lewis actually serves at the church on staff as their creative director. The church is definitely a breathe of fresh air in Atlanta as they bring a new type of church to the scene that is young, urban and solidly centering around biblical truths.
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TEDASHII
Benjah Tedashii Anderson, aka “Tdot” grew up on Houston, Texas. Tedashii delivers his flow with a Southern drawl that is undeniably Dirty South. Even though the South can be perceived as dirty in ways that can make your life filthy, Tedashii is able to hold his experiences, clean them up, and present them to others to reveal how God can give any one of us purpose right there where He finds us. His debut album, Kingdom People, dropped in 2006, with Tdot proclaiming this album’s destiny: “Kingdom people to me is a look into the practical side of walking out our Christian faith. From a testimonial and very introspective view, I desire to encourage and challenge us, through my own experiences and struggles which a lot of believers also struggle with, to stand firm in our faith. I pray this album becomes more than another disc in your hip hop collection, but a tool that will be utilized fully by the Lord!”
Tedashii released his sophomore album, “Identity Crisis” on May 26, 2009.
TRIP LEE
William Lee Barefield III, better known as Trip Lee, born and raised in Dallas, TX, dreamed of being a professional athlete or famous rapper, and started developing his rhyme skills at the age of 12. He started out by trying to be impressive, and to see “how many girls I could pull,” says Trip. He gave his life to Christ, at age 14. “One day, I just decided, I’m only doing Christian hip hop. Rappers like Ambassador and Da Truth helped provide a model for how I would begin to do that,” He preached his first sermon at age 17.
Trip met Lecrae at a concert, began getting mentored by him, and eventually signed with Reach Records. He resides in Philadelphia, PA with his wife and is pursuing a degree in Biblical Studies at Philadelphia Biblical University. As the small groups leader at Epiphany Fellowship, he also preaches and teaches when deemed necessary. Trip ultimately hopes to someday pastor a church. Trip’s new album, “Between Two Worlds”, is his third and best album to date. He is growing rapidly in his faith and his creativity, and it all becomes very evident in this album. One of the singles, “Invasion(Hero)”, includes a video that really opens the doors for all to appreciate the message of God; showing that being involved leads to understanding, and understanding leads to being involved. This video even received some airplay on BET’s 106 and Park. After coming to the understanding of how these people come to understand and believe, what about us believers who do not happen to be artists but stand on the Romans 1:16? This excerpt from the Reach Records site says it best:
“So what is the 116 Clique? It’s the crew that ain’t afraid to rep His Name! If you want more than anything to represent Christ in every area of life, no matter the cost, then you are part of the 116 Clique! Be encouraged in your faith and know you’ve got the rest of the clique behind you all over the world. We are united as brothers and sisters in Christ, dedicated to seeing the Lord made famous everywhere we go and in everything we do. Our hope is not in our strength, but in the power of God to save a lost and dying world. ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation...’Romans 1:16” 116 is more than music, it’s a movement. Are you in? A movement with artists like these is a world changer. Artists like these are like the angels that you do not see in your life, but minister to you when it is necessary and when it is time. Christ helps us all to clique.
for album information, devos, blogs, videos, tour dates and booking; visit:
reachrecords.com
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Rawsrvnt is truly “raw”—his music is fresh, rare, and uncooked. His eclectic and diversified sound keeps it funky while keeping in mind to represent the Lord at all times! Born Eduardo (Eddy) Puyol, in
Miami,
Florida,
Rawsrvnt’s
life and music has impacted the Christian music industry in an incomparable way. Recognized as the pioneer of the Hip-Hop Worship movement because of the way he combines passionate, aggressive lyrics with reverent adoration, Rawsrvnt is ushering in a crusade that is quickly making its way worldwide.
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This unique artist has been recording music since the late 90’s. His recent album, No Ordinary Love, was released internationally on 3/16/2010—a date chosen intentionally as it was inspired by John 3:16. On this album, Rawsrvnt fused a mixture of genres from Hip-Hop to Rock to Reggae to R&B making this a compilation of 13 extraordinary love letters to the Lord. Also appearing on the album are gifted recording artists Bobby Tinsley, Lisa McClendon, Audrey Assad and Sean Slaughter. No Ordinary Love, produced by Chuck Hemann, was birthed from Rawsrvnt’s ministry mandate to share the radical and unconditional love of Christ with others. Using the widely recognizable lyrics of Sade’s award winning hit, “No Ordinary Love,” this title cut and remake includes soothing background vocals by gospel diva, Lisa McClendon. In “Here I Am to Worship,” Rawsrvnt flips a traditional worship number into an alternative rock record with incredible vocals by recently signed Sparrow Records artist Audrey Assad. And currently tearing up the radio charts, “On Fire,” capitalizes on Rawsrvnt’s aggressive, intense, and passionate worship style for the Lord with screaming guitars and a driving bass line. This one will have crowds at major sporting events “on fire” with enthusiasm. In 2009, Rawsrvnt was given the opportunity to write the theme song for Christian music’s largest annual musical tour, The Winter Jam 2009 Tour Spectacular. The title anthem “Winter Jam,” was used to kick off each night of the tour and featured some of the biggest names in Christian music, reaching over 300,000 people. You might notice on No Ordinary Love that the song “Jesus Jam” sounds familiar. That’s because he re-recorded the hook to be used beyond the tour since he recognized how much the song impacted people. Raw is impacting lives in and outside of the US music industry. As founder of Soul Deep Ministries, he has traveled all over the United States, Europe and Africa sowing seeds for God’s kingdom. The mission of Soul Deep Ministries is “to reach the masses by releasing relevant, life-changing music with a godly twist while impacting lives in the process.” On his Missions trips, he utilizes the word of God to empower audiences and to demonstrate the incredible value the Lord has placed on each of their lives. Recently Rawsrvnt brought his message to Hollywood via TV One’s new reality show Donald J. Trump presents The Ultimate Merger. He was chosen by Mr. Trump to be one of twelve bachelors vying for the no-nonsense heart of reality star and Apprentice alum Omarosa. The show aired in June and featured 90’s platinum R&B artist Al B. Sure!, Akon’s protégé Ray Lavender, and former NFL linebacker Isaac Keys, along with others from all walks of life. Rawsrvnt used his airtime to proclaim his love for Christ and to show how a godly man approaches life and dating. “I felt called to be a part of the show so I could show the world what a Christian man really looks like,” says Rawsrvnt. “Too often the media portrays us
as crazy, self righteous knuckle-heads. I wanted to go and set the record straight and simply show them a real man that’s about real things that really loves Jesus. I also wanted to show women how a man of God should treat them and give them hope that there are godly men in the world that desire to treat them right as they live their lives sold out to Christ.” Rawsrvnt sows seeds in the lives of people everyday and realizes the importance and the impact that his ministry has on people. Yet he’s careful to reserve enough time for his #1 ministry - his family. He shares a close relationship with his younger brother, Bobby, a starting kicker and backup quarterback for William T. Dwyer High School’s football team. The Dwyer Panthers are the 2009 Florida Class 4A State Champions. Rawsrvnt is excited to see his brother’s relationship with the Lord bloom. “I’m so proud of my brother and I love watching his relationship with Christ grow,” he says. “I feel honored that I can be on the sidelines with him mentoring him and spiritually coaching not only him, but the whole team. I’m a family man so I love spending time with my family. My family members are my best friends. My grandmother always says, ‘Family is the main thing.’” As Rawsrvnt continues to serve the Lord with a pure heart and righteous intentions, there is no limit to the opportunities the Lord will present to him. His passion to serve people through music will catapult him into unknown territory and allow for God’s love to be spread through him. As he continues to push the envelope with his flow and delivery, he will never cease to capture his audiences and draw them into a genuine worship experience every time. Rawsrvnt says his journey has been a faith walk. “I’ve learned to fully trust God no matter what. Since He loves me with a love that won’t go away and always wants the best for me, I don’t have to worry about tomorrow. I live on this motto, ‘If I can trust God for breath then I can trust Him for the rest.’ I’d encourage you to step out on faith and give His love a try. You won’t be disappointed and you’ll find that it’s truly no ordinary love.”
The Christian Hip-Hop movement continues to grow every day. Many of you checking out this magazine are just discovering it. If you’ve been around this genre for a minute, you know it’s come a long way! The artistry and production quality continues to expand. The passion to rep the message of Christ is more evident than ever! There is a lot of incredible talent out there – established and emerging. Space doesn’t allow us to review all that we would like to, but we picked some Hot projects for this issue that are definitely worthy of recognition… we suggest you check em’ out and enjoy!
Various Artists
“Humble Beginnings Vol. 1” humblebeast.com
- Humble Beast
What do you get when you put some of Christian hip hop’s best lyricists and producers onto one album? Humility! Humble Beast is a fairly new label, comprised of not so new to the game artists. Veterans such as Braille, Odd Thomas, Propaganda (of the Tunnel Rats), Theory Hazit (of Scribbling Idiots), Citizen Aim, Othello (of Lightheaded), Foreknown, and Xperminet make up the label’s roster. The first project to come from this camp is the compilation known as Humble Beginnings Vol. 1. It’s rare for me to find a project that I can enjoy from start to finish, but this album has 10 tracks all worthy of being blasted in your car, your home stereo, your ipod, and even your church. It’s hard to pick favorites on this album, it’s like having a bag of all the best candy. But I will shootout 4 songs that stay on repeat - The Dream That You Gave to Me, Humble Hungry, Gone with the Win, and On the Radar. Track 5 is an amazing track by guest artist, Sareem Poems of L.A. Symphony, who like the rest is both a beast on the mic and humble in his heart. Odd Thomas spits, “Respect the gift giver while delivering rhymes, to me its common sense that your confidence and compliments come only from Christ’s accomplishments, and stay humble.” - Wonder
Rhema Soul
“Fingerprints” rhemasoul.com
- Good City Music
Just out the lab is the new album by Juan Love, K Nuff and Butta P (who are husband and wife). This anointed trio from South Florida rocked the stage at Crossover a few months ago with songs off this album such as track 4, Champion, which encourage us to get up when we fall, and persevere like a champion. Also, track 9, Shorty’s Loss featuring G–Styles is a nice R&B song that speaks to the sisters out there that are still following the ways of this world. It challenges them and points them to a better way. This album includes hit singles Boombox and Blow your Whistle which will make you want to bang this in your whip. Be sure to check out their new music video “Fly Away”. It has a powerful message as each MC paints a different picture of pain. Butta P’s last verse almost had me lose it at one point... you have to watch it to see what I’m saying! Of course the crew doesn’t leave you just with the pain, but finishes off the masterpiece with the hope of redemption. The whole project definitely brings the heat like Miami! -Brovah Greg - Brovah Greg S.O.U.L | Pg42
Trip Lee
“Between Two Worlds” reachrecords.com
- Reach Records
Between Two Worlds, the newest release from Trip Lee, is bound to be a heavy hitter. Always the clever lyricist, Mr. Lee’s new album provides an in-depth look at the struggles many Christians face in their faith. The track “Prognosis” paints a picture of a young man whose spiritual sickness is only curable through the “One…Son who can save life”. “Limitations” asks for our humility and exposes the realization that “We not in control of the earth He’s the owner”. The entire album is like a lyrical user guide for modern Christians. Trip tops the album off with its first single, “The Invasion (Hero)”, which puts it plain and simple; Jesus wants to be our hero. He wants to invade our lives. The music video for this track even got played on BET’s 106 and Park! Between Two Worlds is a definite must listen. This album can encourage even the most seasoned Christian. And, with guest’s appearances from Lecrae, Tedashii, This’l, and Sho Baraka, you can’t go wrong. Lecrae’s line in “Twisted” said it best… “God did, done it, got it? GOOD!” - Phelicia
K-Drama “We Fit”
- Cross Movement Records
crossmovementrecords.com
Rarely in music do you see an album stick with a certain theme for each and every song, keep your attention, sound great and minister to you all at the same time. “We Fit” is that album! After listening to this project, not only did I want to get spiritually fit but I wanted to work out physically. As a matter of fact pop this in the next time you go into the gym. In the opening track “Body Builders”, you’ll see how the foundation is set for the album as K-Drama hits you with lines like, “I don’t like the way I look, I seem to lack self control I look like a pro gambler I got a lot of rolls”. Lines like this, is what will keep your attention from beginning to end. K-Drama isn’t just talking the talk, but this brother is walking the walk as he’s lost a lot of weight in real life and he’s continuing to grow in his walk with Christ. This is a well thought out project all the way down to the names of the songs and deserves a complete “Run” through. Thanks K-Drama for helping us Slim down and “Sin” down all at the same time! - Clok
Brinson “OMG”
- God Chaserz Ent.
godchaserz.com
Jacksonville, Fla has been a hot spot for Christian artists over the years (Pettidee, Shabach Ent., Lisa McClendon) and for the past few years the crew at Godchaserz have been making people continue to chant “Duval!” The ringleader of this label “Brinson” has emerged as quite a business man and with his new release he continues to grow as an artist. The new record has some guest features with D-Maub, Knine, Young Chosen and several of the Godchaserz fam. I recently saw him perform at Crossover Church and “Breaking Down” had the crowd dancing as he references the old school B-Boys Turbo and Ozone and how God breaks us down. One of my favorite tracks is when he teams up with C-Straight and his wife Rossi on “Over The World” as the infectious hook talks about choosing the things of Christ over the world. This CD has definitely been getting some regular repeat play in my ride! Be sure to check out the “Don’t Rap No More” music video, it’s real clean! - Cisco S.O.U.L | Pg43
CreativeMYK.com
The Death of Hip Hop, Marriage, and Morals
website resource
by Brady Goodwin aka Phantik of The Cross Movement
urbanremixproject.com
One of the number one problems for emerging young churches is the lack of professional and quality promotional materials. In many cases, not all churches
In The Death of Hip Hop, Marriage, and Morals, Brady
can afford to hire a full time graphics designer or
Goodwin lays out a well-thought, logical case that
creative director. The idea of using an outside design
authentic Christian rappers can and should be this
firm is way out of the question when most younger
generation’s leading charge of change. The academic-
churches struggle with finances.
like treatise clearly differentiates between the health of the market of hip hop and the health of its culture. He
Now these problems are solved. CreativeMYK.com is
also pulls from history and uses the contrasting ideas of
a place for anyone looking for free, quality Christian
Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois as well as the
graphics and photos!
rise of the “teenager” to bolster his arguments.
They can share them from
Christian artists and designers from around the world.
You’ll find tons of great photography, logos, vector
As one might expect from Phanatik, a founding member
art, sermon series artwork and bulletin templates for
of the pioneering Christian hip hop group The Cross
churches and ministries. For you aspiring designers
Movement, the prose sometimes sounds like song
and artists out there CreativeMYK.com also serves
lyrics.
as a place to network, discuss, and critique with other
Christian artists from professional to amateur. I myself
“Fueled only by the dizzying fumes of despair concerning
submit artwork from month to month to contribute to this
the American dream, plenty scores of professionally
movement and also have had the honor of connecting
scorned and poverty scarred blacks either turned to or
with fellow co-laborers in the faith from all around the
turned into quick-fix fiends and get-rich-quick-schemes
world.
to ‘get by’ or ‘get over.’” Although often difficult to look at (neither layout nor
Excuses are becoming slim to none now-a-days. One
proofreading seem to have been given much attention),
would have to work twice as hard to not look for the
this is still a tome that speaks to today’s social ills in
number of free resources the body of Christ offers.
relevant and respectable language that offers both
Introduce this website in your next staff meeting and
practical solutions and hope. - Sketch
truly make an impact not only theologically but also artistically. -Spec (Crossover Church, Creative Director) S.O.U.L | Pg44
NEXT
YouVersion Bible App
...steps on your spiritual journey
youversion.com
by Tommy “Urban D.” Kyllonen
urband.org This small book serves as a great resource for people
The generous people at Life Church are all about
that are new to the Christian faith. Tommy expressed,
sharing and building the kingdom. They have a website
“As our ministry reaches so many unchurched people
called “Open” where they literally open up their archives
we saw a need to create a resource with an urban flavor
of message series, curriculum, videos, artwork, etc.
to help new believers understand what their next steps
to other churches to use for free (Check it out!). This
in Christ should be.” The book is now used at Crossover
church has been a huge blessing and inspiration to
Church as a gift to everyone who indicates that they are
so many. They’ve also created the incredible popular
starting a relationship with Christ. The church also has
youversion app. - many of you already may know about
a 4 week new believers class called “NEXT” that is the
it... or maybe not as you’re just entering into the territory
next step after or as they are reading the book.
of smart phones or ipads.
The book comes in at just under 100 pages and is
This free application can easily be downloaded and
freshly designed by Spec. It’s chopped up into four
gives you the opportunity to open up God’s word
youtube type sections to keep the reader engaged. In
anywhere you go right there on your phone or digital
the first section the author briefly shares his story how
device.
he came to know Christ. The second section shares five
read the scriptures in 44 different translations and 21
important steps he took as he started this relationship
different languages...wow! You can read or search for
that helped him stay on track and continue to grow. The
a scripture, or get a daily reading, or even find a live
third section is all about issues. Urban culture has lots
event. You can read additional articles and content and
of issues and questions and they need to be talked
you can even share the app with a friend as it lets you
about. This section tackles sexual abuse, addiction,
email it to them! This can serve as a great reminder if
depression, legal issues and more.
you already have it - to email it over to someone you
It give biblical
answers and practical steps people can take.
The
fourth section is a FAQ section that looks at questions
Youversion also gives you the choice to
know that could use it. God could use you to help them app-ly truth to their life! - Cisco
like “Has the Bible been changed?”, “Did Christ really resurrect?”, and several more. After they’ve digested this first part in these four sections the last part of the book includes the gospel of John in the NIV version. This gives them an opportunity to really dig into the life of Christ and take their NEXT steps! - Casone
S.O.U.L | Pg45
I
how we perceive this world around us and influences our actions. It is n my best Don LaFontaine voice ***In a post-apocalyptic
that absolute truth that keeps us moving forward, and Eli carries a truth
world, where survival is your only hope, one man is on a mission for
with him that is like no other, and it is a truth that he will let no one take
mankind***Wait, let me try that again***In a world, where people are
away.
only concerned about their own lives, a survivor has his sights on going west***Uh, one more time***What do you do in a world...where
Crossover Church did a series called BELIEVE that kicked off on
reading material is scarce, and the book you have is the last one of its
Easter of 2010. They creatively weaved in some major themes from the
kind***Ok, I am done. These descriptions about a movie would seem
movie as they showed some clips. Week One was called “Everything
to be describing a hard-core action thriller, except for the last one, like
we need” ELI in the movie referred to our current culture as a time
Mad Max, Beyond Thunderdome (When Mel GIbson was cool...). I am
when people had more than enough and wasted things. Even in the
actually talking about the movie, Book of Eli. Although this movie is not
middle of this recession, God still has everything we need as he gives us
particularly about the book of Eli, one of the books of the Holy Bible...
forgiveness and salvation. Week Two was called “Hijack” as it played on
(psyche! Making sure you were paying attention), the movie’s biblical
the character Carneige who wanted the last Bible to use it for personal
connotation is very evident.
gain. Many people, churches and pastors unfortunately use scripture to manipulate and abuse people. It was a powerful message where people
Denzel Washington does an awesome role as Eli, a wandering
who had been hurt by Christians and bad church experiences prayed for
nomad who seems to be more than meets the eye. Despite survival
healing. The third week was called “Inside” as ELI had the word hidden
and watching out for yourself in such a hostile environment being of the
inside of him and as believers we’re supposed to be about that...I won’t
utmost importance, Eli lends himself, and his well being, to help others
say more as I don’t want to spoil the twist at the end! When you get a
throughout the movie. Although some want to help, there are others
chance, check out Book of Eli. It is a journey that you will not forget.
who want to control, by any means necessary. No matter where you are in life, there are decisions to be made whether to do the right or wrong thing. Our knowledge, wisdom, and understanding forms our view of
S.O.U.L | Pg46
-MARZ
A
m I dreaming ? Or is this a man-made teleportation into
someone else’s dream ? Where am I ? Adam where art thou ? Oh what a tangled web we weave when we first deceive? In the movie called Inception, a man and his wife altered GOD’s design for dreaming. They became so drunk with their engineered fantasy, the pretenders lost the very thing they most wanted; a joyful reality. Alone, the man tried to fix the mistake, but his solution spiraled into his disaster. Lest GOD build the house, those who build it labor in vain.
For the pretender, planting thoughts became like selling drugs. The
only way to get the dreamer to “buy it”, was to “whisper” new images into their mind disguised as natural thoughts; essentially, playing GOD. Of course, GOD will not be mocked, so using the truth to tell a lie creates the ultimate explosive devise; hell is where dreams became nightmares. When the man forgives himself, he finds the peace to let go of his virtual reality. INCEPTION, this movie has it all: planting seeds, leaps of faith, children seeing daddy’s face, soldiers casting down foreign images, life or death, trials of readiness for the task at hand, we can only serve one master, and to kill, steal, and destroy he must first bind up the man in a web of lies. Only the truth will untangle the web. Wake up and be free!
- Spyvey Giggles
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I
t is really sad that popular culture and the mass media have hijacked the authentic definition of beauty. There is a very intense focus on women (not so much men) to be beautiful. We are bombarded with images of “perceived” beauty on a daily basis and to be exact, we can be hit every minute. There are ads that proclaim, “use this cream for younger looking skin.” Or, some ads insinuate “he will find you irresistible if you wear this perfume. Need a change? Try a new hair color. Everyone will notice you then. Buy this for your blemishes. Get a new look. Basically giving the message that whatever we are born with is not good enough. We need to look like the movie star of the day, buy the right clothes, fit the right size mold, and then our lives will be fulfilled. Wikipedia’s definition of Beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction. So what exactly is beauty? The Dove Campaign For Real Beauty asked women and found that: 78% strongly agree that beauty can be achieved through attitude, spirit, and other attributes that have nothing to do with physical appearance. 89% strongly agree that a woman can be beautiful at any age. 85% state that every woman has something about her that is beautiful. Interestingly, the study found that two-thirds of women strongly agree that physical attractiveness is about how one looks, whereas beauty includes much more of who a person is. The women rated happiness, confidence, dignity, and humor as powerful components of beauty, along with the more traditional attributes of physical appearance, body weight and shape, and even a sense of style. Now, stop for a minute and think about it. When you hear (or say) the phrase, “She is beautiful,” is it made in reference to what is on the outside or the inside? We’ve been brainwashed and trained to think one way - beauty is expressed by your outward appearance. Media and culture send the troubling message that it’s possible to change any and every element of one’s looks and that in doing so it’s possible to overcome struggles and live happily ever after. “Are you satisfied with your body or appearance?” Only a handful of the women actually answered yes to that question. I admit, I would be one of the women who would answer no, I am not satisfied! And, as a matter of fact, I have asked God over and over, why did you make me this way? Why can’t I look like Tyra Banks? Was it really that hard to make those changes in my mommy’s womb? If you were to look at all the products that I have bought (and presently buy) it would add up to hundreds of dollars between perfume, flat iron, curling iron, shampoo and conditioner, styling products, make-up, accessories, etc. All these things have bought me temporary happiness and led me to believe I can be more attractive or acceptable in the presence
of others at one time or another. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not implying that we need to get rid of such things. Heaven forbid! I rely on some of these things to some extent. However, when life revolves around outward image, then what others think becomes more important than what God thinks. And, our culture supports a value system that places physical beauty and appearance at the top of the charts. Beauty is defined by God and God alone. He sets the standard for beauty and gives us clues throughout Scripture as to what defines a beautiful woman. Unfortunately, the secular definition of beauty given by women in the Dove survey failed to recognize the key component that determines a woman’s happiness, confidence, dignity, and humor. That key component, of course, is faith. Just as the Proverbs 31 passage concludes, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Prov. 31:30). Faith in a loving and forgiving God will be the root of any and all manifestations of beauty. Physical beauty will fade over time, but true beauty (virtue) is timeless. We are all born with so much potential and purpose; physically, as well as spiritually, but sometimes we spend more time on the physical than the spiritual. Some of us spend more time on make-up and fashion vs. not enough time serving God. We spend more time buying stuff than investing on what is eternal. Or, on the other extreme, some think it’s even more spiritual to ignore the physical and do very little to take care of the physical body God has given them. Their humility has them walking into church as though they just crawled out of bed. Ladies, we can be beautiful, Godly women in our modern world and please God with the thoughtful stewardship of all His gifts to us. Although beauty often seems to serve no purpose, as with the myriad beautiful designs of fish, it generally points to something more important. For instance, the earth is beautiful but it points to an infinitely more beautiful Creator. A magnificent painting might point to a social statement. A beautiful baby is a reflection of his or her parents. You have purpose and the beauty of your purpose is confidently knowing who you are in Christ. It is having that balance between your outward beauty and your inner beauty, with your inner qualities being at the top of your personal values chart! All of you, inside and outside should be a beautiful reflection of your Creator. True beauty is having integrity-the ability to value honesty in others even when given an unfavorable opinion. True beauty is humility - the balance between our outward appearance and letting God shine through us. True beauty is intelligence-understanding and accepting that God is in control of your life. True beauty is simplicity - the freedom from artificiality and being confident of the simple truth of who you are in Christ, His Chosen Treasure! True beauty is complexity-accepting the conflicts in life. God’s will vs. our own. This kind of beauty may literally stop us in our tracks and leave us in awe like when you visit a waterfall or mountain scene. When we come across it and experience a real life Proverb 31 Woman we want to tell others what we found. It invites us to appreciate and proclaim that something and someone is good and beautiful. The beauty of your life as a treasure from God should point to your heavenly father. Who does your beauty point to?
S.O.U.L | Pg49
The Don’t Conform Ministry is based off of Romans 12:2. “Don’t Conform to the ways of this world.” The unique team plans outreaches at events and places like movie theaters, malls, college campuses, ybor, etc. Don’t Conform uses different methods to get peoples’ attention while in these crowded places. The main way is through blending in with the crowd and starting a circle. Then evangelism through beatboxing, freestyling, and dancing is done. People get curious and stop to see what is going on, and that is when the conversations and faith sharing begins. Our team then gives out flyers for Crossover, CDs and Don’t Conform’s customized flyers that break down the gospel in a relevant way. Don’t conform’s flyers tackle topics like porn, evolution, materialism and more! The Don’t Conform team of artists regularly go out to do ministry at events all over the Tampa Bay area and beyond. Don’t Conform outreaches happen every month or so and they are open for people from Crossover to come out and pass out flyers and share their faith. These events are regularly promoted at Crossover’s Sunday services in the programs and announcements. Check out www.WillYouConform.com for relevant evangelism resources and more info.
S.O.U.L | Pg53
It was in April of 2008
Since then, my commitment to those kids has con-
when I had one of the most powerful spiritual ex-
tinually grown. Just about every week the Cross-
periences within the recent past. It was the first
over JDC team ministers to male or female teen-
time I had ever had any significant interaction with
agers in the Tampa Bay area. This might take the
inmates in a correctional facility. We had just fin-
form of testimony, teaching, preaching, song, rap
ished presenting the drama “Heaven’s Court of
or dance. I’m awed by the spiritual growth I see
Last Appeal” at a local Juvenile Detention Center
in these teens and the bond that we now share.
(JDC). I was speaking to an audience of 50 teen-
This has also been an opportunity to mentor those
age boys inviting them to begin a relationship with
desiring to develop their leadership skills as we
God. Right in the middle of my appeal, without
learn what being a disciple really means. Sharing
warning, I begin sobbing like a baby. Other than
Christ at the JDC has been one of the most fulfill-
the audience, I doubt anyone was more surprised
ing experiences of my life. We may not be chang-
and embarrassed than me. Somehow I man-
ing the world, but we’re changing it for someone.
aged to regain my composure and complete my
And while it is true that these young people have
speech. How amazed we all were when everyone
been arrested for their criminal activities, many
in the room stood up in response to the invitation,
of them have again been arrested, but this time,
desiring to know God personally.
by the love of God. Many have experienced True
Freedom even right there in lockdown! Several
Nevertheless, I still had no idea what the source
of these teens and young adults have made their
was for all my tears during my talk, at least not
way to Crossover since they’ve been released.
until later that night in my quiet time with the Lord.
We even have entire families now attending our
It was as if the Lord said He wanted me to know
church due to one of their teens finding that free-
how his heart aches for all those kids in the JDC.
dom Christ has to offer.
S.O.U.L | Pg52
S.O.U.L | Pg55
CrossoverChurch.org Stay wired in!
The all “New” Crossoverchurch.org
also has a link to watch previous services on demand
Everyday the internet continues to expand it’s influence
and also gives the option to download the audio from the
and reach. We know the net can be a huge outreach and
services if they want to listen to them on their ipod or
resource tool. The summer of 2010 brought our website
computer.
a brand new look. We figured if our physical location was going to be all new, our location online needed some new construction as well. Crossover continues to
We live in an internet driven age. Crossover has found
push forward to be on the cutting edge as we connect
that nearly half of it’s first time guests are now coming as
with people and point them to Christ. Since our humble
they heard about it through first checking out our website.
beginnings, our church website has grown to become a
Google is a beautiful thing! Many people from our church
big part of that. Over the past few years our site has
now give their tithes and offering through the giving link
averaged over 2 million annual views. In 2010 those
on the website each week. We encourage you to check
numbers continued to grow as the website averaged over
out crossoverchurch.org on a regular basis and look for
10,000 views per day.
new features to be added as we constantly keep you connected. This is also a great way to introduce your
Our site is updated each week with the theme of
friends, family and co-workers to Crossover as they can
the upcoming Sunday’s message/series. New video
check out the website before they come and visit... it
content is regularly added on our youtube page, and
may be the very thing that makes they feel comfortable
news, upcoming artists and events is changed weekly.
enough to come check it out in person. Pastor Tommy
Practically anything you may be looking for can be found
also regularly sends out a weekly email to our database
in the links. Our Lifegroups (small groups) have their own
to update them on what’s happening and what’s coming
link with a detailed list of groups available for the current
up.
semester.
Our new video player page has become one of the most
Crossover also regularly updates our Youtube, Facebook
popular destinations on our site as people can watch our
and Twitter – you can search for us @ crossover813
Sunday Night Service live @ 7pm EST. They can now interact and fill out a connection card, prayer requests and give their offering all on the same page. The page
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Magazine:
Purpose Driven Connection “God called us to reach the Hip-Hop Generation” Premiere Issue 2009 “Our worship services have many familiar elements – singing, prayer, announcements, teaching/preaching, offering and special music. Everything we believe and practice in our services is biblical. But, the way we do them is different. The Hip-Hop Culture wants realness. Because people are comfortable in our services, they authentically engage.”
Newspaper/Website:
Tampa Bay Times (TBT) and tampabay.com “Kurtis Blow: Still catching breaks, even on Sunday!” Story by: Dalia Colon July 24, 2009 “The legend comes to Crossover Church on Sunday @ the 10am and 11:45am services where he’ll share his story and perform some of his new music. At 7pm he’ll do a longer set. The first 700 people get a free Kurtis Blow CD.”
Internet:
Steamingfaith.com “On Location” Show featuring Tommy Kyllonen hosted by Eddie Velez August 29th, 2010 The Streaming Faith team came to Tampa, Florida and interviewed Pastor Tommy at the new facility on Fowler Ave. Although this was released in late August, it was filmed earlier in the summer just before the construction started. You can see how far Crossover came in such a short period of time. Recently featured on podcasts: (search on itunes) Jam The Hype Radio DJ Wade-O Rap Fest Radio Crossover has also been featured in: USA Today, The New York Times, Newsweek, CBS News, WFLA News Outreach Magazine has featured Crossover in their “America’s 25 Most Innovative Churches” issues over the past two years.
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We believe the urban community is in crisis due to the lack of real men. Because men are not taking their proper leadership positions, there is a lack of role models and healthy families. In the city, many women are having to step up and try to fill the gaps as many grown men act like boys. Ladies are the ones that fill most of the seats in your average urban church. Crossover Church is an anomaly as it is a church full of young urban men of color. The men are here... but that’s not enough. We want to build them up, equip them and send them out to be world changers. Warriors exists to help all men understand how important they are to God our Creator, giving themselves to something bigger than themselves. Warriors is about helping men understand what essential parts of their lives are missing. The Warriors are about growing a true Love for Christ and grasping the truth of Jesus Christ through: W. Worship A. Adoration we build a R.Real R.Relationship I.In O.Our R.Righteous S.Saviour! Warriors enables men to build a solid relationship with Christ that will produce change that brings out Effective Men of God, Fathers ,Husbands, and Leaders that will make a Real contribution, in their families, in our community, and in our church. We promise to give men what they need in the contrast of what they want, encouraging them to engage in the many different opportunities offered here at Crossover to move them forward with Christ! Everything we do is to help men grow as real, authentic disciples of Jesus Christ. We have gatherings in which we deal with different life issues, struggles and battles that men go through. Some events we offer are quarterly breakfasts and our annual Retreats 2 Advance. Each Life Group (Small Group) Semester we offer several groups that are specifically for men. Through regular studies of God’s Word, we build and maintain strong relationships with other men. As we reach out to more men, we bring them into the True Knowledge and Understanding of what it means to be a man following Christ. We are Leaders, Ambassadors, Workers together for God through Jesus Christ, Soldiers of Christ - W.A.R.R.I.O.R.S.!!! S.O.U.L | Pg61
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C hoosing to H ope O bey S erve and E ncourage N ow …For such a time as this. Esther 4:14 C.H.O.S.E.N. Women’s Ministry is available to all Crossover ladies who are college-age and up regardless of background, ethnicity and economic status. Our vision is to empower and embrace every woman as a Daughter of the King. Each one “chosen” and placed exactly where God wants them, to accomplish His will for such a time as this. C.H.O.S.E.N. exists to provide teaching, godly counsel, accountability and fellowship, not only for the women of Crossover, but for our community and beyond. In turn, we can expect better women, wives, mothers, daughters, leaders, workers, etc. - who understand their full potential and their purpose and choose to serve God and others through this ministry. Our heart is to create community and intimacy between the women. Our attempt to accomplish this is through Crossover’s Life Groups, which are home-based small groups, many which are specifically for women. C.H.O.S.E.N. also offers Treasures, a quarterly activity that incorporates a time of teaching, small groups and fellowship time. Other events or activities include Secret Sisters, ladies night out, conferences, retreats and much more. On a global level, we sponsor a young child through World Vision, Esther Dismas. Esther is from Tanzania and lives in an AIDS/HIV infested community. We ask our ladies to donate only a $1 a month to help support Esther and be a part of helping her receive an education, provide clean water, food & necessities. For additional information on this ministry or to receive our bi-monthly Email Newsletter please email Lucy Kyllonen: lucy@crossoverchurch.org
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The past couple years have been very interesting with lots of ups and downs and opportunities for growing and learning. I must have told this story literally hundreds and hundreds of times over the past number of months as it unfolded. A couple years is a long time and I have enough material to write another book... and I will soon, but in the meantime I can highlight some of the story and share some things we’ve learned along the journey. We’ve learned a lot about having huge faith, huge disappointments and even about contending with huge lies. We’ve become a well known ministry in many circles so the past few years everywhere I went the question of the hour has been, “When are you guys moving?” or “Have you moved yet?” Understandably, there has been much excitement and anticipation not only in our church, but also, with people who follow our ministry from all over the country and beyond. For years we have been planning to eventually move to a larger facility, and in 2008 we felt like God was giv-
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ing us the green light to begin the process. Little did we know how involved this “process” would be and how long it would actually take! I began to meet with some outside supporters and potential donors in the summer of 2008 and shared the vision and asked them to pray for us and pray about how they may participate. At first it was a slow process, but soon several people began to get on board. In August our church leadership council and members agreed to step out on faith and put our campus up for sale and do a capital campaign with our church to raise money for the new facility. On September 14, 2008 we combined our three services and had a vision service to kick off the “Growth Campaign” at the Veterans 24 AMC Movie Theaters. We filled up their largest auditorium and had people on the edge of their seats. We had already raised close to $140,000 from outside donors and challenged our people that we needed to raise at least $300,000. Two weeks later (The week the stock market collapsed) people in our church turned in their commitment cards and we took up our largest offering in our church history as over $40,000 was given to kick off the campaign. This was truly one of those God moments where we could see his hand on our future. Our campus was put on the market in November of 2008 and we got a contract on it in February of 2009. The buying church was very aggressive and pushy
and wanted us out as soon as possible. We tried to accommodate them, but most importantly we wanted our church to have enough time to get the word out, to pack and get ready for the transition. They even offered us $75,000 more…if we’d get out in a week. We refused as this wasn’t about money or business, it was about our people and we don’t take that lightly. We know it takes money to do things, but to us money should never trump our people. We agreed we would vacate the building and move on within a month. Crossover began to get ready and make plans to move to The Comfort Inn Conference Center the first Sunday of April of 2009. Everyone was excited, there was incredible momentum, and lives were being changed at every service as it was packed, but as I said at the beginning of the article it was a period of a lot of ups and downs. The closing was scheduled for mid-March, but things kept getting delayed as the “cash” they were paying for our campus with was suddenly frozen in some mysterious trust fund. As time passed we got more and more uneasy with them and the stories we were hearing. On that Thursday, just three days before we were to move to the hotel, we still hadn’t closed and we made a decision to stay at Crossover and not go through with the buyers, as they couldn’t come up the money to close. We had to call, email, text, facebook, ect… 600 families to let them know “We are NOT going to the hotel this Sunday.” It wasn’t fun. Honestly, it was embarrassing as we are not the type of church that says we’re going to do something and then we don’t… we don’t roll like that! So, this was very humbling and disheartening to us, but the situation had ultimately been out of our control. That Friday (2 days before the Sunday we didn’t move) a different church came and put and put an offer on the property! It was for more money and we felt a real peace as they were genuine people, which was such a different feeling compared to people from the first church that fell through. We knew God was in it and we needed the extra time and finances… so we were learning patience. Our people were very gracious and understanding and many were actually happy that we had a little more time to enjoy our North Orleans campus as it was a special place for so many of us. The new church was not paying “cash” for the full amount, so they had to find financing. We were told it would take a few months, so we sat back and waited… and waited. Months and months passed and
although they were trying to get financing they found it very difficult. During this recession banks have become very cautious to lend to anyone, but especially churches as so many have defaulted on their loans. We actually had to give them three official extensions on the contract for them to find financing. God continued to move through this process at the church and our people continued to pray and give to the growth campaign. On the other end… the deal on the former Toys R Us building we were trying to acquire still hadn’t been finished either. We were in limbo on both sides of the deal; leaving and then where we were ultimately going. It was a challenging place to be for what seemed like an eternity. Of course the question often came up during that time, “Why haven’t we moved yet?” I’m sure we don’t even have all the answers yet, but there were so many things that God showed us already; from practical things and procedures to leadership changes and personal spiritual growth. These are they type of things you don’t learn overnight. Waiting, testing and growing. Not always a fun place to be, but a necessary one. James 1:2-4 (NIV) says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” As we hit the fall of 2009 we did reach our goal in the Growth Campaign with over $300,000 given! The church buying our church had still not found financing, but we continued to pray and trust. In November the other church closed on the sale of their building, which then enabled them to finally get financing! Yes! On the other end… we finally made some real progress with our attorney’s and Toys R’ Us attorneys as all the issues seemed to be getting cleared up so we could sign and get ready to get the construction started. In December of 2009 I challenged our church to really step it up in their spiritual disciplines with praying and reading God’s word. For some reason God hadn’t sealed the deal yet on either end and there were still some things He needed to do in us. I challenged our church to fast an entire week from something (maybe TV, facebook, email, coffee, etc.) and for everyone to fast from food that Friday and come out to a prayer meeting that night. There was no agenda that Friday night - no worship, no special artist, no speaker... just come together and seek God’s
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face. In the past we had occasional prayer meetings and maybe 20 or 30 people would show up. I challenged the church to see how serious they really were for us to go to the next level. Friday came around and it was a nasty rainy day. For Florida it was pretty cold as it was only around 50 degrees outside. Not a great night for people to come out to a prayer meeting at 8pm. But, by 7pm the parking lot was filling up and shortly after 8pm it was standing room only as we seeked God face together and asked Him to move in our personal lives and in our church. It was an amazing night as God touched so many of us. For many it was the first time they ever fasted from anything. Late that night several large groups invaded area restaurants and broke the fast together as they hung out and shared what God was doing in their life that week. Just a few weeks later the day came that we had all been praying about for so long. It was surreal as we sat at the Allday Donaldson Title company’s boardroom with our leadership team and signed the closing papers along with the leaders from Christian Assembly Church. It was finally sold. The North Orleans campus was no longer ours anymore. It was somewhat emotional that day for us who had so many memories there. Several of our leaders even accepted Christ there. Okay, time to wipe the tears... now it’s time to grind and get ready. Just a few weeks to pack, promote and get ready to become a portable church! There was so much work to do, but our staff and volunteers pulled together and tackled the project that ended up being much bigger than we originally thought. On Sunday January 24th, 2010 we held our last services at our North Orleans Campus. It was bittersweet! The place was jam packed at all 3 of our services. We shared some miracle stories of what God had done in people’s lives at that place as we closed out our series on the book of Colossians. You know we had to go out with a bang... and God worked that out so lovely. Reach Records contacted us a few months before wanting us to host DJ Official’s CD Release Concert for his new Entermission project. We were honored and wanted to try to line it up with our very last day at the campus and God worked out all the details perfectly. That Sunday night after our 3rd service over 500 people packed out that little auditorium as many of the most respected artists in Christian Hip-Hop blessed that special place one last time. Our friends Lecrae, Tedashii, K- Drama, Sho Baraka, JR, Trip Lee, R-Swift, Mac The Doulous, J’Son, Benjah, and several others joined DJ Official to rock the mic. I can’t forget Crossover’s very own KB and H.G.A. who were also featured on
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the album and had a highlight performance! The following Sunday we held our first services at our new temporary location at the Comfort Inn Conference Center. We took over their three main ballrooms and had several rooms for our kids ministry. Our church experienced a new level of growth at the hotel on so many levels. We quickly gained over 50 new volunteers serving each Sunday as there was an urgency with set up and break down and each ministry’s growth. There was a new level of expectancy and momentum as God was continuing to change lives and grow each of us in new ways. All this was happening and the deal still wasn’t sealed with Toys R Us, but we kept praying and trusting. Finally on March 4th, 2010 we finalized the contract and got the keys to the building at 1235 East Fowler Ave. That next week we signed contracts with architects and engineers to get our blueprints drawn up as quickly as possible for permitting. On Sunday March 21st we had a signing celebration after our second service. We invited our entire church to go over and check out the new building as we prayed together, ate and signed the wall with our names and favorite scripture. It was a beautiful site as hundreds locked hands and made a huge circle around the entire building and prayed over it. We were now on a tight timeline to try to get the project done by October as we were hosting our 10th annual Flavor Fest conference and we wanted to hold it in our new facility and start having church there. This was another period of lots of ups and downs and learning. Apparently God was still working on our patience - lol. Our architects and engineers got a few weeks behind schedule and then on top of that the permits that were supposed to get approved in 30 days or less took over 2 months. We were quickly losing time and also finding out that the project was going to cost several hundred thousand dollars more than we had planned for. In June we started on demolition construction with a small crew and there was finally some progress happening as we waited for the final permit. Just as we thought things were moving it soon came to a grinding halt... we found out several unfavorable things about the contractor that we were using. His dishonesty and neglect to follow through with several things had now put the project several more weeks behind. We had to discontinue our relationship with him. Although it was frustrating and confusing at the moment, God was using all this for our good. We moved quickly and hired Francisco Diaz who is a general contractor from our church that had his own company that specialized in build-out construction
like this. His company has totally lived up to their name - “Heavensent Construction”. There is a huge story behind his story and there isn’t enough room to get into that here, so I’ll save that for the upcoming book! Heavensent had a lot to fix and catch up on as we were less than 90 days away from Flavor Fest by the time they took over. It was long days of new meetings, rebidding, value engineering and talking with potential subcontractors. Within days we signed contracts with several trades and the project was soon rocking day and night - 6 days a week, 24 hours a day! Because of Francisco’s relationships and his relentless business savy to save the church money he was able to cut the price down from 1.3 million to under a million! It was amazing to watch the project move so fast as many days the building looked different in just hours. We have a series of Growth Construction update videos on our youtube page (youtube.com/crossover813). Each Sunday we showed these videos to our church family as we celebrated the progress as we continued to pray and give towards the project. Even though things were now moving fast there were still several hurdles we had to jump over and several that almost brought the project once again to a halt. But, God kept it moving at record speed. Nearly every timeline was beat. As we moved into late August we finalized some of the last packages on lighting and doors and we were able to finally get an accurate price of what we still needed to raise. We discovered we were short around $300,000. Of course we knew we were short as we were continuing to raise money and have big faith, but we thought it was only about $200,000 left to raise. As we looked at the economy and the circumstances it would have been easy to get really worried in the natural. But, somehow God gave us peace and we kept trusting and being proactive in every way we could to creatively come up with more funds. Just about every day there were more miracles happening like us saving another $5,000 or $10,000 on something or another $1,000 check coming in along with a few in the $10,000 range. It was coming together piece by piece, but time was ticking away quickly. I think God loves to do it that way. It would have been too easy for one person to come through and write the $300,000 check. He wanted all of our church family, our outside supports and friends to all get involved to be part of the miracle and to be blessed and stretched through the process. As I finish this article to be turned in we’re in the middle of September and the story isn’t done yet. God has helped us chop off over $100,000 more towards finishing the project, but there is still a gap, but we’re trusting and pushing forward! If you’re reading this magazine right now I’m believing that the miracle has been completed... you got the magazine from us in the new building and you’ve seen this Growth materialize for God’s glory! Wow... look at God!
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Early 2008 Crossover’s leadership team began to pray about plans to finally move to a larger location.
July 30th, 2008
Pastor Tommy met with the church council and shared his heart about God wanting us to step out on faith and begin to make moves even though it was a rough economy and we didn’t have the resources.
August 10th, 2008
Crossover members gathered and unanimously agreed to put our North Orleans Campus on the market for sale.
Sept. 14th, 2008
All 3 services combined and went to AMC Veterans 24 to have a combined service as the details of the “Growth Campaign” were shared. Pastor Tommy chopped off his hair!
Sept. 28th, 2008
The week the stock market collapsed our congregation brought in the largest offering in history as over $40,000 was given towards the kick off of fundraising for our new facility.
November 5th, 2008 Our North Orleans Campus was officially put on the market for sale. November 25th, 2008
Debartolo Development helped us get Holland and Knight Law firm to represent us in negotiating a lease deal with the former Toys R Us building on Fowler Ave.
February 23rd, 2009
A contract was signed with another church to purchase our campus and plans were made to move to the hotel on the first Sunday of April.
April 2nd, 2009
The contract fell through and at the same time another church stepped to the plate and put a new even better contract on our property.
January 8th, 2010
The closing was finally finished and our North Orleans campus was sold!
January 24th, 2010
Crossover held it’s very last services at the North Orleans Campus. It was a historic day that was bittersweet. The day ended with a huge concert as Reach Records celebrated the CD release concert for DJ Official and the top names in Christian Hip-Hop performed to a packed out crowd.
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January 31st, 2010
The first services were held at the Comfort Inn Conference Center as Crossover became a portable church setting up and breaking down as they used the 3 main ballrooms for their 3 Sunday services. Growth continued!
March 4th, 2010
The final deal with Toys R’ Us was finally signed and the keys were handed over to our new facility at 1235 East Fowler Ave. in Tampa’s suitcase city community.
March 21st, 2010
We held our signing celebration as hundreds of people went over to the building to circle up and pray, eat, dance, celebrate and sign the wall! It’s official - it’s gonna be hard to shut us down!
April 4th, 2010
Crossover’s Easter Services reached the largest crowd ever as close to 900 people attended and over 70 built a relationship with Christ.
May 10th, 2010 The final architectural and engineering plans on the new facility were completed and turned into the city of Tampa’s permitting department. June 7th, 2010
Demolition construction began on the property as a small crew began getting the facility ready for new construction.
July 19th, 2010
Heavensent Construction officially began on the project and their crews put in some serious work day and night.
October 7th, 2010 Our 10th annual Flavor Fest Conference kicked off at our new facility - although everything wasn’t 100% finished everyone was excited to see the new spot and celebrate! ________________
The Official Grand Opening Day to the community... as we’re going to print with this magazine, this is still on the horizon!
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Within the past few years we have had tremendous
produced by the Crossover Media team, and so
growth and attention in the world of social media. In
much more! Thousands connect with us each week
the summer of 2008 we launched online streaming
through the Social Network Platforms.
to the Sunday Night Vibe Service. It was an exciting jumpoff which grew in number each week. Along
The future is really all in God’s timing. With long
with live streaming also came with VOD (video on-
relationships with JCTV, TBN, the Inspiration
demand) which viewers can log back in at anytime
Network, Steel Roots, and others... we have big
to catch the service they missed live or even catch
dreams for the future of the media department. Our
up on archived services.
new facility has an entire wing dedicated for audio and video recording including our green studio
“one of the most important ministries that Crossover has to offer
studio that is designated for filming and producing future TV Shows. Dedicated volunteers and new faces to the team is was keeps the ministry running strong! The team growth has been tremendous... through frequent meetings, emails, text, media team outings, the group has really gelled together as a team.
With the growing number of ‘i’ this and ‘i’ that (and
Our team consists of designers, photographers,
by ‘i’ I mean ipods and itunes users) we have re-
videographers, camera operators, video editors,
developed the way we present our podcast by
creative planning teams, set/breakdown teams &
updating every week packing our recent series all to
more.
an easy to download bundle. Pretty dope right? So dope even, the good fellers from Syntax Creative
With the amount of online viewers, and the crowd
of Syntax Records put together an intro for our
the comes every week, the media team continues to
podcast! Find us on itunes, subscribe and download
be a blessing to all. Now with our newly decked out
a couple!
booth in the main auditorium... you know The Boys in Da’ Booth don’t sleep! •••
We recognize the growing trend of social networking... so what better way to extend our ministry! Along side of live streaming which falls under the whole social media and networking umbrella. We regularly update official Facebook, Twitter and Youtube site. There we send out blasts, status updates, videos
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THE
CLASS When Christ enters the life of a new believer, real change occurs. But for most of us, we have no idea what that truly means; we are unsure of what we should do next? The NEXT class is designed to provide basic foundational truths and understanding on our new found Christian faith. It encourages us to grasp onto the assurance of our salvation and grow in our relationship with the Lord through grace and the power of the Holy Spirit.
The topics covered in the four week classes are: • Assurance of our Salvation • Forgiveness of the Believer • Filling of the Spirit • Walking in the Spirit towards Maturity
Crossover Church has been experiencing an explosion of new growth and most of our new people are coming from a background where they weren’t consistently raised around church, biblical teaching or Christian principles being lived out. This class provides a great NEXT step for them to learn about their new relationship with God. But, this class is geared not only towards people that are totally new in the faith, but also for those that want a refresher course to help strengthen their walk with Christ. The NEXT Class is ran by a team of teachers from Crossover. It is a four week class that takes place on Sundays during our services. We hold the classes in the back classroom wing behind the main auditorium. The NEXT Class always starts at the beginning of each month, so you can sign up for one of the upcoming ones on the back of your connection card at the next service you attend. Are ready for what God has NEXT? S.O.U.L | Pg73
These are a series of classes that help people grow in their personal spiritual commitments. Our goal at Crossover is to always help people take their next step of growth in their relationship with their creator. This series of classes is designed for adults and teens.
101 Membership Connection Class: In this workshop you’ll learn more about Crossover’s unique vision, strategy, structure, and goals. This class is all about connecting with Crossover (your family) as you also are connected with Christ (your leader). We’ll be sharing the story of our church’s beginning, our journey of growth and our incredible vision for the future. If you feel comfortable at Crossover and would like to get more involved, we encourage you to come out and officially join the family!
201 Maturity Connection Class: In this workshop you’ll learn more about maturing in your relationship with Christ. You’ll learn several practical and important ways that your connection with your Creator can be strengthened.
301 S.H.A.P.E. Connection Class: In this workshop you’ll discover and reaffirm what you were shaped for. Each of us was made with passions for certain things. In this class you’ll get connected to a ministry where you can grow and fulfill your purpose as you serve others.
401 Mission Connection Class: As Christians it’s our mission to share our faith with others around us. This workshop will better equip you to engage others in your community and around the world. Crossover has several local opportunities for you to fulfill you mission and several upcoming opportunities around the country and beyond.
*Connection Classes are offered monthly on Sundays during the services @ both 10am and 7pm in our classrooms in the back part of the building. Children can attend their regular classes. You can sign up on the back of your connection card or visit our website @ www.crossoverchurch.org/connect to get the dates and register for our next class.
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“Hip-Hop speaks with lyrics and hot beats / While teens act out what Hip-Hop speaks / The Movement is the place where teens get reached / With a message that is truly life changing / Amazing / We are not talking about change on the outside, but change within / This change is influence that teens can use to change a friend / The Movement gives teens a reason to live again.”
auditorium. The most beautiful part of this worship experience is seeing teenagers building an authentic connection with their Creator. After worship, Pastor Ken brings a real and relevant message using dramas, hip-hop, video clips, and real life testimonies to help illustrate the truth of Christ. Eyes are glued to the stage as hearts pound as the message dives deep into their souls. Teens then are given a chance to build a relationship with Christ or take the next step in their walk with God. The service ends before 9pm, teens have the opportunity to hang out on campus until 9:30pm. The lobby becomes the center of action as you will find the breakers on the floor showing off their latest moves, teens building with each other while emcees circle up to spit their rhymes for Christ. The Crossover Gym is full of teens playing basketball or dodge ball. Many teens request prayer after services and have a time to talk with leaders. At the end of the night, teens are able to go home with a sense of purpose. They are empowered to go out into their homes, schools and the streets making noise for CHRIST. Most Thursdays feature a guest Hip-Hop Artist to perform a miniconcert before the message is presented. This is something that definitely gets the crowed hyped! Many weeks also feature a Hip-Hop music video from a Christian artist.
Why the name The Movement? In our culture, teens are being affected by the wrong kind of movements. Drugs, Violence, Gangs, etc. We know there is a need for
What goes down on Thursday nights?
a real movement, one that points the to a relationship with Christ. No, It doesn’t Stop there! Once they Got it, they move it. On their grinds
Every Thursday night, Crossover holds its Hip-Hop teen service. At
living unashamed and boldly proclaiming Christ. It’s contagious... our
7:30pm, the doors open and hundreds of teens rush into the main
teens are pushing others around them to get with the movement! It’s
auditorium. The ushers are welcoming them at the doors, giving the
growing like wildfire!
teens high fives and saying their what’s ups. At 7:20pm, the 10-minute count down begins, while music is playing in the background setting the mood for the night. You can feel and see the excitement on all the
We have to multiply.
teens’ faces as they come through the doors. If their faces could speak,
Pastor Ken believes it is important to raise up student leaders who can
they would say that this is a place where they feel loved and are free
lead their peers by example. He has chosen 10 young men to poor
to be themselves.
into. They will be going through the 13 Letters curriculum from Reach
The clock gets down to the final 10 seconds and as soon as it finishes
Records and lectures from Pastor Ken and other mentors. These will
the teens go wild! Teen Remix hits the stage to kickoff the service with
be the leaders for the next school year. Several other leaders are
worship. A live DJ on the one’s and two’s, teens singing, emcees, a
constantly taking out time to pour into teens throughout the week and
drummer, a base player and a human beat boxer all come together
on Thursday and Sundays.
to lead us into worship with the Creator. They sing soulful songs, as the words are display on the Big Screens displayed all around the
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Remix Worship:
Brings together R&B and Hip-Hop elements within a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural expression of art and music that seeks to experience an authentically biblical encounter with our Creator. We use a live DJ, instruments, vocalists, MC’s, poets, dancers and painters to lead the people into God’s presence.
John 4:24 / Revelation 4:10-11 Philosophy:
We believe that God is the creator of art and music having its origin with him. Although we recognize the power and influence of Satan in music, we believe that God redeems culture and art through those he has transformed by grace. We use art and music to worship the living God, expressing His goodness and mercy to the world, and to uplift followers of Christ.
Our Values:
We accept the Bible as God’s Word to us, fully inspired and authoritative. It is our map and guide for worship. The book of Psalms was the main hymnal for the Hebrews and contains many songs full of theology, prayers, and desperate cries for help to God. They are a rich source of inspiration for the follower of Christ. Even though they do not contain a single note or measure or even any rhythm for that matter, each Psalm can be a well of worship insight today. While we are very orthodox in our view of Scripture, we see Jesus as one who would fully embrace those in culture and use those elements to communicate the good news of hope and reconciliation to God. Our musical form of worship takes place within the urban context, embracing multi-ethnic people groups and developing purpose and worship in their lives.
Our Mission:
“To Remix the worship experience in such a way as to lead our culture into a biblical, Christ-centered expression of love, thanks, and praise to God; as we encounter his presence, become transformed into his image, and fulfill our purposes on earth.”
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What is the condition of your heart - worshipper? Everyone is called to be a worshipper, not just the team that is on stage. Worship is a condition of the heart. John 4:23-24 in the Message bible reads… “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” I have come to the conclusion that we will forever be learning how to worship God in these mortal bodies. Our flesh will never be able to handle His holiness, it is only when we step into His kingdom that we will truly be uninhibited and free to express ourselves. This is why I believe that we are always searching for creative ways to express our worship to him. We limit our worship to singing, playing an instrument, emceeing or dancing (or any other creative art form). But worship includes: paying your tithes, evangelism, working in the church, showing Godly character at your place of business, loving your neighbor. There are so many other ways to worship God. So here’s my question to you today, “What condition is your heart in”?
- Delia
(Worship Director)
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First impressions mean a lot! Statistics show that most people that visit a church will already decide if they are ever coming back before they even hear the pastor speak. Pastor and church planter Nelson Searcy is an expert in this field. In his book Fusion he said, “In the first seven minutes of contact with your church, your first-time guests will know whether or not they are coming back. That’s before a single worship song is sung and before a single word of the message is uttered!� In the past few years Crossover has made great strides in trying to make a better first impression with our first time guests. Our team is helpful, welcoming and friendly, but not overly friendly or artificial. This group of servants are the first ones that hold the door or shake a hand or smile and say hello as they hand out a program to people entering a worship experience. They also run our guest information kiosk in the center of the lobby where you may have received this magazine or a gift bag. With hundreds of people attending each of our services our first impressions team assists people in finding seats and getting families with children checked into our kids wing. They also assist in passing out additional material, keeping order and taking up the offering in services. This team also keeps things looking clean and fresh. We want people to come in and have a good experience and a good first impression so when it comes time for worship and the teaching they can enter in and listen without being distracted. If you are around @ Crossover and you want to help us continue to make a good first impression, then see someone at the guest information Kiosk in the center of the lobby or simply mark the back of your connection card in the SERVE area and one of the team will get you plugged in.
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Can’t Walk on Water?
life·sav·er: one that is at once timely and effective in time of distress or need. Do you ever feel like you’re drowning in all that life is throwing at you? You long to connect more in your community and grow deeper in your relationship with God? The Sunday Vibe services are great, but they are a time of celebration and growth with the whole church community. Life Groups, Sunday Vibe Services and serving in a ministry are all critical components to spiritual growth. Small group settings are a place where real relationships, real fellowship and real connections happen. Crossover “Life Groups” are groups of 12-15 people that meet in various places and homes throughout the Tampa Bay area on various days or evenings, in (3) Semesters: Spring, Summer and Fall. Life Groups impact believers in their knowledge of the word, building authentic relationships, and the desire to build community. They offer an intimate time of learning together in a smaller atmosphere where we can personally get to know one another in a group setting and how to apply the lessons we are learning to our everyday lives. Life Groups offer a variety of study topics from books of the Bible, to relevant issues to Christian books. Many of these groups are offered each semester, so if you see several things you’d like to learn about, you could choose it in an upcoming semester. There is a diverse range of groups to provide a place where participants experience authentic community and spiritual growth. You can choose from a Co-Op Singles group to an all Women’s group or Men’s group, as well as Couples groups. Speciality groups are also often offered - ex: groups for artists, moms, etc.
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Our 2011 Semester Schedule January 2nd-30th Life Group Sign Ups Life Groups Winter Semester Week of February 6th- Week of April 24th (12 weeks)
May 1st-May 29th Life Groups Sign Ups Life Groups Summer Semester Week of June 5th-August 12th (12 weeks)
September 4th-25th Groups Sign Ups Life Groups Fall Semester Week of October 2nd - December 11th (10 weeks no groups the week of Thanksgiving)
Each Semester our Life Group Team puts together a catalog that lists all the groups offered including the details of days, times, study topics, teachers, locations and the demographics of the groups. You can choose which group is best for you and sign up after services at the Life Groups table during the sign up season, which is the weeks proceeding each semester. Groups close the second week of each semester. You can also sign up online at www.crossoverchurch.org/lifegroups
Let’s walk the journey together.
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What can your child expect in a Crossover Kidz classroom? Live skits, music, puppets, worship, videos and much more. Each class is created to appeal to children in an age appropriate manner. The ministry includes several classrooms according to each age group. Our teachers are trained and skilled individuals who have a love for children and a desire to see them grow in the Lord. The purpose of the Kidz ministry is to make sure our children are taught the word of God in a way that is not only fun but relevant and understandable for them. Children can learn a great deal from the classroom that will help them in their home, school and everyday life. The goal here is to make sure that God is made real to them as they are given tools on how to begin and maintain a true relationship with God at a young age.
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0-6 Months // Nursery
Little ones up to 6 months enjoy sing-alongs, having books read to them and interacting with their teachers. Modeling God’s love to each child and introducing them to Him through mini activities and songs helps children begin the path to understanding who God is and His love for them. The teachers in this classroom have a special way of connecting and comforting each child while in their care. Parents can relax and enjoy the service knowing that their child is well taken care of.
Nursing Mom’s Room
The room is for nursing mom’s only. The quiet room will have a changing table and comfortable seating. The service can be privately viewed on a large flat screen in this room.
7 months -17 months
Children experience a caring and nurturing environment where they can experience God’s love. Our goal is to provide an active, age-appropriate worship experiences that will promote development within the individual child emotionally, spiritually, and socially.
18 months - 2 years olds
Toddleers are taught using age appropriate curriculum which uses hands on activities, songs, bible stories along with arts and crafts to teach the lesson. Children are also taught mini prayers and scriptures each month.
3 - 4 year olds
In our 3-4 year olds classroom we provide an opportunity for kids to explore God in a way they can truly understand. Objective lessons, crafts, games, and songs are used simultaneously with biblical stories to teach God’s word on their level.
5 - 6 year olds
Children in this age group experience a unique learning time. The classroom uses curriculum that is designed to teach about God’s word using biblically inspired lessons that are formatted to reach preschoolers on their level. Music, puppets and group activities along with arts and crafts are just some of the different ways the lessons are taught.
7 - 11 year olds Kidz Church
Children in this age group have their own live praise and worship experience that has some of the flavor of the adult service, but remixed for the shorties! Kidz Church uses curriculum inspired by Kidmo with a Crossover twist to make it relevant for our kids. There are a number of tools used to deliver the message such as live skits, videos, and interactive games and activities. Our goal is to give kids the tools necessary to be leaders and not followers in their classroom and communities by following God’s will for their life. Crossover Kidz Classes take place in Crossover’s Kidz Wing and are offered during our three Sunday services at 10:00am, 11:45am and 7:00pm. Parents check their kids in at our check in area connected to the main lobby when they arrive at church. They then pick them up when the service is over. We encourage parents not to bring children into the main auditorium as the content is geared only towards teenagers and adults. Crossover is not afraid to address real issues in our adult services, so some of the content isn’t appropriate for children. Our staff and team of volunteers go through extensive training and background checks before they are approved to work with our children. Every Sunday hundreds of children are part of Crossover’s Kidz ministry.
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O
ur Sunday services give off a refreshing vibe as they reach a multi-cultural, multigenerational urban crowd with people from many different backgrounds. Crossover has experienced incredible growth over the past several years. Although the church is much larger and has multiple services, it has even more of a friendly family atmosphere now than ever before. It has become an exciting place where everyone is accepted in Love no matter how they look. Our church services are geared to be different and cutting edge because the crowd we reach is not into “tradition.” Although we attract people of all ages, the majority of our crowd is younger than your average congregation, [most people here are in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s]. Suits and ties are not required …most people come dressed casually, and come to worship God in a comfortable atmosphere. Our First Impressions Team welcomes you with smiling faces. Each person also receives a program, which contains all of our up coming events, ministry opportunities, and additional information. Our praise and worship is done with an R&B/Hip-Hop style with a live DJ, worship team, and a mix of artists, poets, rappers, and live musicians. God’s presence is always evident as people genuinely seek Him.
...the crowd we
reach is not into
“tradition.”
The message is always brought in a creative, practical way where everyone can learn something that is applicable to their everyday lives. Pastor Tommy and the speaking team use message series that include various visual elements like original short films, drama, testimonies, object lessons and music to help illustrate the scripture and the topic. Printed handouts are often times distributed and the audience is encouraged to follow along and take notes with the teaching and “fill-in the blanks”. Many services end with a great prayer time or a strong challenge to make life changes, start a relationship with Christ, or to make a stronger commitment to Him. Our prayer area is open after each service with leaders available to pray for those who felt challenged from the message and need to share and get prayed for. After the service the lobby turns into a great place of community where people hangout, build relationships, and eat together.
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Our Sunday night vibe service is the same worship and message as the morning with some added extra flavor for those that can’t make it out to the earlier services. We realize many people in our culture now have to work Sundays during the day, and we want to provide a time they can come out to a worship service. Crossover also desires to reach that crowd that just can’t roll out of bed Sunday mornings, and this service creates that time slot that attracts a lot of college students. This also gives people options if they want to do something during the day with their family and then catch the night service instead. The first Sunday Night of each month features an open mic where MC’s spit their verses and their freestyles and Break-dancers hit the stage with their moves. The freestyle session changes each month from topics on the screens, to objects picked out of box, even to reverse battles. We always have some creative MC’s wow the crowd with a fun time of rhyming that represents Christ. The break-dancers have amazing talent. Each of the other weeks always features a set by a guest artist after the message. This varies from local acts to nationally known groups. You can check the website each week to see the upcoming artists for that SNV. The urban crowd especially likes to hang out at night so after service the large lobby becomes the place to be as break dancers hit the floor and people talk, eat and pray together.
watch SNV live Sunday Night @ 7pm EST
@ crossoverchurch.org/video
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Subject: You Represent Us!
This is very exciting - our prayers are with you guys. Right now Crossover Church represents a part of all the small Urban Churches that are up and coming around the country. Because of you guys the dreams of small Urban Churches going to the next level becomes a reality. Crossover is a true inspiration to all of us watching what is developing there in Tampa. Manny Tommy Badillo Elements Church - Bronx, NY - via facebook
Subject: Fellowship
Subject:cPumped for you guys!
Tommy - it is happening! God is good and so pumped that you guys are continuing to make God known in your own way. Praying for you guys! Danny Shaffner - via facebook Pastor @ Common Ground Church, Tampa
Subject: HURRAY!
HURRAY URBAN D. AND THE MEMBERS OF CROSSOVER CHURCH TAMPA! I LOVE LISTENING TO YOUR HIP HOP MUSIKS! THANK YOU FOR THE UPLIFTING SONGS YOU ARE PRESENTING TO THE WORLD. MAY THE LORD INCREASE YOUR MINISTRY. KEEP ON THE GOOD WORK. THANK YOU Kurusi from Auja, Nigeria. - via website
Great fellowship with our guests @urband813 and @iamspec of @ crossover813 & @thesoulmag tonite. @syntaxrecords via twitter
Subject: Flavor Fest X!
Our friend @urband813 of @crossover813 @thesoulmag will be on the show this weekend talking about Flavor Fest X!
Subject: I Don’t believe yet...
@JamTheHype - via twitter
“U know your church .. its madd cool .. i don’t really believe yet and i have been coming the past two Sundays whit some friends ... i really enjoyed myself .. i want to bring my younger brother some time :] ... thank you for the awesome experience !! Ciara via website / e-mail
Hit us up via email, twitter (@thesoulmag), facebook/thesoulmag or good old fashion snail mail! soulmag@crossoverchurch.org • S.O.U.LMAG - 1235 E. Fowler Ave. Tampa, Fl 33612
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Tommy Kyllonen aka Urban D. – Lead Pastor
Tommy founded the youth ministry at Crossover in 1996 after graduating from Southeastern University with a BA in pastoral studies and a concentration in youth ministry. He recently went back to Southeastern University and completed a master’s level Church Leadership Cohort. Starting in 1996, with just four teens, he and his wife developed a first-of-its-kind Hip-Hop Youth Ministry that over the span of six years grew to hundreds, far outpacing attendance in the main Sunday worship. In January 2002, Tommy became the lead pastor at Crossover and a new vision was birthed to specifically reach those influenced by Urban/Hip-Hop Culture. Urban D. has recorded seven Hip-Hop albums since 1996 and has traveled across the U.S., Africa, Germany, Japan and England performing and speaking at conferences. He has ministered at close to 1,000 venues with his music. His project “Un.orthdox – church.hip-hop.culture” spans three spectrums of media; music, film, and print. The CD/DVD received major distribution through EMI, and Zondervan published his book with the same title. Tommy is also a frequent writer as he is the publisher/general editor for S.O.U.LMAG. He also has authored articles for Relevant, Dasouth.com, Holyculture.net, Pastors.com, Rapzilla.com, and The American Bible Society. He has contributed to several books including the Relevant Church Book, Relevant Nation, and penning chapter introductions and articles for the popular REAL Biblezine. His latest book “Next” serves as a great tool for new believers. Check him out at www.urband.org - search for him on twitter, facebook, youtube and myspace under “urband813”
Ken Godbolt aka Broken– Youth Pastor
Kenneth was born and raised in Orange Park, Florida. He grew up in an urban community, which was heavily influenced by the culture of drugs and crime. Both of his parents were not involved in his life. His mother was addicted to drugs and his father was addicted to alcohol. Most of his childhood was spent in and out of the homes of relatives and friends. This left him confused and hurt. He turned to what seemed to work: drugs, drinking, and violence. In 2000, his uncle saw Kenneth’s incredible basketball talent and helped pay for him to go to Private Christian school. This led to him building a relationship with Christ and continuing his education at Southeastern University where he helped lead the team to their team to a national championship in 2005. After his mother passed away in 2005, Kenneth took some time off from school to heal and re-group. In 2006, God burdened his heart for the inner-city culture through hip-hop music. He partnered with others and ministered to the culture through local concerts. Kenneth first came to Crossover as an intern. While interning he served in Kidz Church, worship team, youth ministry and partnered with Pastor Tommy for Sunday services. Upon coming to Crossover, Kenneth met his wife, Nicole. She shares his same passion for the urban culture and young people. Nicole served with the Tampa Bay Dream Center for six years prior to joining Crossover in 2006. She holds a BA of Biblical Theology from Faith Theological Seminary and Christian College in Tampa, Florida. Kenneth serves as Crossover’s youth pastor where he ministers to hundreds of teens through the Thursday night service along with his team of over 25 volunteers. Together, Kenneth and Nicole focus their efforts on reaching and building up the youth of Tampa. They have a desire to see this generation rise above the cultural norms and authentically build a relationship with Christ. Ken also recently released his first hip-hop CD “True Freedom” as he frequently travels and speaks and does music. - Brokenmuzic.com
Tiffany Languedoc – Children’s Director
Originally from the windy city of Chicago, Tiffany moved to Tampa in the early 90’s with her family. In 2005 she moved back to Chicago to get her life focused and spend time with her older sister. During that time she began to build a relationship with Christ. Growing up and attending church your entire life does not always mean you really know who God is. In that time she found her true identity through her fellowship with God and she has not looked back ever since. In the midst of many life transitions and working in the corporate industry full time she managed to finish her AA degree in Business Administration in 2006 and is currently a senior at USF working on a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Previous church experience includes serving in the kid’s ministry and as a volunteer office administrator. Since joining Crossover with her husband Charles (aka C.L.O.K) in the fall of 2007 she has served with the kids’ ministry and the Angel Food ministries. Tiffany has always had a passion and a heart for working with kids. She currently serves as the Children’s Director overseeing a team of volunteers that minister to all of Crossover’s hundreds of children from infants to 5th grade. Tiffany shared “ I know I am doing God’s will for my life.” Tiffany and her husband recently had their first little boy.
Lucy Kyllonen – Administration & Women’s Ministry
Lucy came to Florida by way of Queens, NY where she was raised. She attended Southeastern University and graduated with a BA in Psychology and went on to complete her Master’s in Mental Health counseling at USF. Before joining the church staff in 2003, she worked with teens in various professional settings since 1994. Not only is Lucy the Lead Pastor’s wife, but also currently she works in the Administrative Department assisting with the day to day operations of managing a church. She is also involved in the planning of church events and activities. Her life has become the church, but more importantly the people in it- in specific, the women of the church. Lucy leads C.H.O.S.E.N. Women’s Ministry and is dedicated to equipping women in leadership roles and reminding all women of their worth and identity in Christ. Lucy is actively involved in teaching membership classes, small groups and mentoring women. She has also served in ministry as a speaker, alongside her husband and contributes articles to the S.O.U.Lmag you are holding. She is humbled that these accomplishments have been the work of God in her life and her willingness to be His vessel. As much as she loves being in ministry and fulfilling her purpose, using her gifts and talents, her favorite thing and what she enjoys most is spending time with her best friend (her husband) and being a mother, teacher and role-model to her two growing and curiousdaughters, Deyana and Sophia. S.O.U.L | Pg91
Lily Lorenzo – Small Group Director/Finances
Lily has been attending Crossover since she moved to Tampa in 2000, after graduating high school. Lily has worked in business settings and sales in Tampa. Prior to being on staff Lily worked for an international mortgage company and had a specialty of working with clients in their finances, home loan needs and foreclosure proceedings. Lily was born in Brooklyn New York and moved to Orlando when she was 8 years old. Growing up around hip-hop she was accustomed to the culture. She grew up in Orlando with both parents in the home. Growing up was tough in a family of six where income was never enough to catch up with the bills. Her parents always made sure to try and give her the best life; however through alcoholism in the home things were not always easy. Through high school Lily worked two jobs to try and help with the household expenses. After her father accepted Christ and gave up alcohol, Lily was inspired to build her own relationship with Christ in order to battle her own struggles. After accepting Christ Lily moved to Tampa to go to school and become part of the Crossover family. She went to The University of Phoenix where she recently graduated with Bachelors in Business Management. Lily has been a part of the Flavor Fest planning team since 2000 and is now assisting Flavor Fest through administration; grant writing and conference planning in order to further fulfill the mission. Several years ago Lily hosted her first small group by the pool of her apartment complex with some friends. Her love for seeing people grow in the word and get connected in relationships has led her to become Crossover’s small group director where she oversees all the groups. Lily uses her business management degree as she runs all the finances at the church and makes sure everything is done with accountability and integrity. Lily recently married Martin Perlaza in Orlando, Fl. They now both attend Crossover together as Martin can be found on the drums while Lily on the patio cooking some good food for fundraisers.
Edward Bayonet aka Spec – Creative Director
Spec is no stranger to the hip-hop culture. His influences are close to home; uncle’s that were b-boys and cousins that were graffiti artists around NYC. Growing up in a single parent household, Spec was pushed to fend for himself on many occasions through out his life as he always looked out for himself instead of the well being of others. Now, Spec spends his days giving of his time, talent, and more. After obtaining an AA degree in Graphic Design & Advertising in 2000; he has been the Creative Director here @ Crossover since. His graphic skills range from flyers, videos, DVD’s, CD’s, music, MAGAZINES, etc.; Spec has a hand in much of what you see produced out of Crossover. He has stood behind the vision/mission of Crossover since 1998 when he first accepted Christ here at a concert. Spec also works as a teacher in graphic design at Tampa Bay Tech High School where he trains the next generation and lets his light shine. Spec occasionally travels along side with Pastor Tommy around the country and overseas, speaking, teaching and performing at several venues and conferences. For more on SPE© visit: www.iamspec.com
Gordon Meetze – Head Elder/General Contractor
Gordon has been in Tampa since 1957, and started his relationship with Christ on July 3rd, 1960 at Crossover’s former North Orleans campus. Gordon and his wife Carolyn have been a vital part of the several different congregations that have met here throughout the years. They celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary this past year! In the late 1980’s Gordon and his family were one of the last few people left at the church. Many people told him to let the church go as he was actually filling in as the pastor. But, Gordon followed God and held on. Although Gordon is one of our older members he is excited to see what God is doing as the church is now fulfilling a prophecy that was given many years ago. Gordon has always been willing to change and support the vision of the church as he provides priceless wisdom for the team. We always say he’s the coolest old guy we know! He had served as the church treasurer for several years, and helped maintain the church property, as he’s an incredible handyman. Gordon has run his own remodeling company for several decades. He currently serves on the Church Council and did all the overseeing on the construction for Crossover’s new facility.
Delia Harris – Worship Director
Delia was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area (California). She grew up in a home that loved God and had a long history of serving the local church. At a very young age she was on the road every weekend, in her family group called “The Born Again Singers”. They ministered to churches and major prisons in the U.S. such as San Quentin, Chino, and Carson City Nevada and at state wide correctional institutions. She attended Patten University in Oakland, CA, were she obtained most of her musical training in Voice and Symphonic percussion. In 1988 she graduated from the Universidad Cristiana Latino Americana in Cali, Colombia South America with a B.M. in Sacred Music and a minor in Theology. While in Cali, Colombia as a missionary (1996) with the Julio C. Ruibal Ministries, she became a licensed minister. She has worked with several churches nationally in the U.S. and internationally (Cuba, throughout South America and Canada) Some of her experiences include: speaking in conferences, directing mass choirs, leading in worship, touring with Hosanna Integrity Music leader Bob Fitts and leading worship with YMAM at the Atlanta Olympics. She has played for several symphonic orchestras and sung with many choral groups. For the last 20 years she has played Latin percussion music. Through the years Delia has created and directed Hip-Hop dance troupes, Mime troupes and singing groups as she has the strong conviction that God wants to use every facet of the arts for His honor and glory. “I appreciate all forms of the Arts such as dance, painting, poetry, rap, theatre, music and much more. God created all music and every style can be used as long as its focus is on Him.” For the past several years, though always involved heavily in the local church, Delia has worked in the corporate world as a seasoned professional to senior executives of Fortune 500 companies. In 2008 Delia married the love of her life John Harris, a minister and an amazing man of God. Together they desire to see people’s lives radically changed by their relationship with Jesus Christ. Delia serves as the worship director at Crossover and oversees worship in the 3 Sunday services as she works with singers, musicians, DJ’s, rappers, poets, artists and dancers to experience God’s presence in a fresh way each week.
Phil Porto aka Wonder – Video Director
Phil “Wonder” Porto was born and raised in the big apple, New York. He fell in love with the hip-hop culture at an early age and it began to shape his personality. At the age of 2, he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma cancer behind his left eye. Doctors told his mother to make funeral plans but God had a bigger plan and the cancer had no victory. Phil and his brother were raised by a single mother, Terry Avalos, who was their example of strength and determination. At the age of 12 they relocated to Ft. Lauderdale Florida where he came to know the Lord and started using his passion for hip-hop to glorify the king. Though the road has had its ups and downs Wonder has continued to follow Christ. In 2009, he got married to his amazing wife, Christa. They both felt called to relocate to Tampa and be apart of the Crossover family. They relocated from Columbus, Ohio in the spring of 2010. Today, using his passion for the arts, Wonder strives to make quality videos for the church to enjoy, while still pressing on with his music on the side. Far from perfect, yet with a heart to serve. *These are our staff members as of October 2010. Check out the website for a current listing as we continue to grow.
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C
rossover started with a small community of people that wanted something different. They were burned out with “organized religion” – tired of the politics, the tradition, and the masks people hid behind at many churches. They saw the needs of people on the streets that weren’t being met, and they wanted to do something about it. Pastor Joe McCutchen founded Crossover with a few other people in the early 1990’s. They moved into a facility that was basically abandoned and very run down on N. Orleans Avenue near Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. Al Palmquist was a member of the church who met Tommy Kyllonen on some basketball courts in Clearwater. Tommy was running an urban b-ball league while completing his college internship. Joe and Al challenged Tommy to start an urban youth ministry at Crossover from scratch. In December 1995, Tommy graduated from college with a B.A. in Pastoral Theology, with a concentration in Youth Ministry. He married Lucy in February of 1996 and together they founded Crossover’s Youth Ministry with only 4 teens. Over the next six years, they developed a first of its kind Hip-Hop Youth Ministry, which grew to 200 youth weekly. During this time, the Adult Ministry at Crossover maintained about 40 regular attendees as there were three different pastors (changing every two years), each of which were bi-vocational. In January of 2002, Tommy Kyllonen became the lead pastor of Crossover; a new vision and structure was birthed for the church. The church was basically re-launched as Crossover became “Purpose Driven” as the leadership team developed and implemented the mission statement: “To relevantly introduce the truth of Christ to those influenced by Urban/Hip-Hop Culture as we develop worship, purpose, unity, and leadership in their lives.” Crossover carefully and prayerfully began to make several changes to better reach the community. The services quickly grew as several new people visited and built new relationships with Christ. Many soon embraced the vision and began getting discipled and involved in serving others. God has called Crossover to be a pioneer church to reach those influenced by Urban/Hip-Hop. The church has become internationally known through all of the favorable media articles, as well as the numerous CD’s, books, magazines and resources produced by Urban D. and other innovators at the church. Millions have visited Crossover’s website and thousands have attended the church services, looking to Crossover as a model. The once “run down” facility on N. Orleans Avenue was completely transformed into a unique thriving church focusing on outreach. The church grew from 40 to over 500 that attended 3 Sunday Services. In addition, the Thursday night Youth services reached hundreds more each week. In January of 2010 the campus was sold to a Haitian Church (Christian Assembly) and Crossover began temporarily meeting in the ballrooms at the Comfort Inn Conference Center on Busch Blvd. The church actually grew and reached many new people during their time at the hotel. In the fall of 2010 they moved into their newly remodeled 43,000 square foot facility on Fowler Ave. With the new location and the huge amount of space, Crossover is now positioned to make Christ famous in a way they only dreamed about! Stay tuned... it’s going to get real interesting!
”
H OF CHRIST TRODUCE THE TRUT IN LY NT VA LE RE LOP TO LTURE, AS WE DEVE CU P HO PHI / N EIR LIVES TO THE URBA D LEADERSHIP IN TH Statement AN Y, IT UN , SE PO WORSHIP,PUR -Crossover’s Mission
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”
In the essential beliefs, we have unity.
“There is one body and one spirit... there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all...” // Ephesians
4:4-6
In the non-essential beliefs, we have liberty.
“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls... so then each of us will give an account of himself to God... so whatever you believe about these things, keep them between yourself and God.” //
Romans 14:1,4,12,22 In the essential beliefs, we have unity.
“...If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the very secrets of God, and if I have faith that can move mountains - but have no love, I amount to nothing at all.” //
1 Corinthians 13:2
Many people describe us as a “Hip-Hop Church”, and that’s understandable as we target people influenced by urban culture and use certain elements in our worship experiences. We actually prefer not to use that title as it sometimes can take off the focus of what we’re really about and it can definitely bring up a lot of questions and even stereotypes. If you are reading this magazine, many of you have probably attended a service here and had a great time where you saw that church could be relevant, engaging, and real. At the same time, you may still have some questions about the details of what we believe. You may think it’s all too good to be true. You may also be a parent reading this whose child or teenager recently attended Crossover and brought this magazine home. You’re probably wondering what this Hip-Hop styled Church is all about. Not much at Crossover is typical or traditional. We’re intentionally out of the box. However, everything we believe and practice in our services is Biblical. There is a big difference. The “church” [as a whole] has gotten the two a little mixed up. Jesus was not a traditional guy! As a matter of fact, he was constantly in conflict with the religious leaders of His day because He kept challenging them. They tried to look “all good” on the outside, but on the inside they were “rotten”(Matthew 23). Jesus is not so concerned with how we look on the outside, or how we dress when we come to His house, (they didn’t have suits and ties in His day), as long as it’s modest. He’s not concerned about the music we play, or the style we choose to worship Him with, as long as the lyrics are clean and glorify Him. Jesus wants our hearts to be pure! At Crossover, we will consistently change our presentation to engage culture, but our message and what we believe will never change.
THE ESSENTIALS WE BELIEVE
1. About God: God is the creator and ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. // Genesis 1:1, 26-27, 3:22 / Psalm 90:2 / Matthew 28:19 / Corinthians 13:14 2. About Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for all people by dying on the cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to heaven’s glory and will return again someday to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. // Matthew 1:22-23 / Isaiah 9:6 / John 1:1-5, 14:10-30 / Hebrews 4:14-15 / 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 / Acts 1:9-11 / 1 Timothy 6:14-15 / Titus 2:13 3. About the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and Son. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under his control daily. // 2 Corinthians 3:17 / John 16:7-13, 14:16-17 / Acts 1:8 / 1 Corinthians 2:12,3:16 / Ephesians 1:13 / Acts 2:4
4. About the Bible: The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of all truth for all Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error. // 2 Timothy 1:13, 3:16 / 2 Peter 1:20,21 / Psalm 119:105 5. About Human Beings: People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme objects of God’s creation. Although every person has a great potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin”. This sin nature (attitude) separates people from God and is the root cause of many of the problems of life. // Genesis 1:27 / Psalm 8:3-6 / Isaiah 53:6 / Romans 3:23 6. About Salvation: “Salvation” is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sins through self - improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer for forgiveness can any one be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our selfwilled lives and turn to Christ in faith, we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into their life by faith. // Romans 6:23 / Ephesians 3:8,9 / John 14:6, 1:12 / Titus 3:5 / Galatians 3:26 / Romans 5:1 7. About Eternity: The soul of every human being was created to live forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through salvation and forgiveness. Hell is eternal separation from God. Heaven is eternal union with God. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. // John 3:16, 2:25, 5:11-13 / Romans 6:23 / Revelation 20:15 / Matthew 1:8, 2:44-46
OUR AFFILIATIONS:
Crossover Community Church is a non-denominational church. We have people from all different backgrounds, ethnic groups, and races. You can see from our statements of faith on this page that we are a Christian Church that fully believes the Bible and teaches it in context. Our Pastors have degrees from Universities where they spent many years carefully studying the Scriptures. The Pastors are ordained Ministers under the laws of the State of Florida. Crossover is affiliated with the Purpose Driven Church Network led by Pastor Rick Warren who is the pastor of Saddleback Church in Orange County, Ca. He is also the author of the Purpose Driven Life book, which has sold over 40 Million copies. The Purpose Driven Church principles (from the New Testament Churches) focus on the five main reasons that the church exists: worship, fellowship, discipleship, serving, and evangelism (Acts 2:42-47). Each one of these purposes is incorporated into Crossover’s mission statement. There are several other pastors of larger churches in this network that mentor, train, and support our leadership team. Crossover also partners with The American Bible Society, Urban Youth Workers Institute (Reload), and Southeastern University as they develop resources, provide training, and equip student interns. S.O.U.L | Pg92
Table of Contents:
Pg.06 – Editorial w/ Urban D. – Servolution Pg.08 – Flavor Fest Welcome Pg.09 – Flavor Fest Schedule Pg.10 – Speakers Bios Pg.12 – Friday Workshops Pg.14 – Saturday Workshops Pg.16 – Concert Line Up Pg.18 – Music Video Reviews Pg.22 – Mr. Professional with D-Maub Pg.24 – Houston’s Hip Hop Hope Tuesdays Pg.28 – Christian Female Rap Network Pg.32 – 116 Clique (Fest Cover Story) Pg.38 – In Raw Form w/ Rawsrvnt Pg.42 – Music Reviews Pg.44 – Resources To Cop! Pg.46 – Movies That Teach Pg.49 – S.O.U.LSignifiance (For The Ladies) Magazine flips upside down @ Page 50 Pg.52 – True Freedom in Lockdown Pg.53 – Don’t Conform Pg.54 – Crossoverchurch.org Pg.59 – They Said What? Pg.60 – W.A.R.R.I.O.R.S. Men’s Ministry Pg.62 – C.H.O.S.E.N. Women’s Ministry Pg.69 – Growth (Crossover Cover Story) Pg.70 – Video/Media Team Pg.72 – Connection Classes Pg.73 – Next Class Pg.75 – The Movement Teen Ministry Pg.77 – Remix Worship Team Pg.79 – First Impressions Pg.81 – Life Groups Pg.85 – Crossover Kidz Pg.87 – Sunday Vibe/SNV Pg.89 – New Mail Pg.91 – Meet The Staff Pg.93 – History & Beliefts Pg.96 – Welcome
The S.O.U.L. Team:
Publisher: Tommy Kyllonen aka Urban D. Creative Director: Edward Bayonet aka Spec Contributing Editors: Lucy Kyllonen, Rawsrvnt Contributing Writers: Mario Marz Armstrong, Sketch The Journalist, Kerlyn Nista Joseph,Tiffany Langudoc, Kenneth Godbolt, Lucy Kyllonen, Lily Perlaza, Theo Meade, Tito Rodriguez Review Team: Brovah Greg, Clok, Cisco, Phelicia, Marz, Casone, Sketch the Journalist, Spyvey Giggles, Semaj C., Shola, Wonder Photography: Carlos Espinel, James Cole & Spec Contributing Designers: Ameen Hudson & Wonder Design Department: IAMspec.com * Printed by Adcoprinting.com in Tampa, Florida
For information on advertising visit:
thesoulmag.com and download the current press kit for detailed demographics, ad rates and specs. S.O.U.LMAG is published two times annually by Crossover Church. Crossover is a non-profit 501 ( c ) 3. Crossover’s mission is “To relevantly introduce the Truth of Christ to those influenced by urban/hip-hop culture as we develop worship, purpose, unity, and leadership in their lives.” S.O.U.LMAG exists to build on this mission as we take it to a global platform through print.
S.O.U.LMAGazine / Crossover Church
1235 East Fowler Ave. Tampa, Florida 33612 www.thesoulmag.com / www.crossoverchurch.org
Weekly Service Times:
Sunday’s Sunday Vibe: 10:00am & 11:45am Sunday Night Vibe: 7:00pm children’s programs available for ages... Infants-11yrs, during all 3 service times.
Thursday’s The Movement Hip.Hop Teen Service •• 7:30pm-9:00pm Junior High & High School students
Life Group Bible Studies
*Life Groups meet in homes at different times throughout the week. check out our website for details!.
]Hola! What’s good! Welcome to Crossover! We’re glad you’re checking out our latest issue of S.O.U.L. magazine. If you have recently attended one of our services or events, we thank you for coming to be with us. If we haven’t already personally met you, we look forward to that opportunity in the near future. You can usually catch us hanging out after services in the lobby. Maybe you are reading this and you haven’t actually been to Crossover yet. We hope you’ll have the chance to come out and see us real soon. Either way, this magazine was designed so you could better get to know who we are and what we are about. As you are holding this you may be thinking, “Wow, a church that publishes their own magazine…and it actually looks really professional.” If you have visited us there were probably several other things in our worship service that smashed some of your typical stereotypes about church. We love to do that! If you really get to know Christ you’ll see there was nothing typical about Him either! He’s real, He’s relevant, and He’s relational! That’s what we’re about here at Crossover. That’s why we have planned our music, our prayers, and our messages and basically everything we do to be real, relevant, and relational as we point you to Christ. Our presentation is definitely different than most, but what we’re presenting is real truth that you can apply to your life now. It’s not watered down as some may assume because of our appearance or style. Instead, you’ll find a solid leadership team that teaches the Word of God in context. We believe that when you come to church you should feel comfortable so you can be real. We believe that coming to church should be a fun and exciting experience, not a boring one. We’re here to celebrate what God as done for us, and learn how we can develop a closer relationship with Him and make the right choices in our every day lives. There’s definitely going to be some challenges to stretch us to grow, but we’re here to push each other and help support each other. More than half of the people that now attend our church previously did not go to church or have a personal relationship with Christ. For some, it had been several years since they walked into a church because they had some bad experiences or just thought it wasn’t relevant. Others had never been to church at all. There are also some that already knew Christ, but were looking for a place they could feel more comfortable and get involved in a ministry truly reaching the culture. At Crossover Church we believe we are supposed to be a family…we are a growing multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-generational faith community with people from all different backgrounds. Our family is on a journey together. Our goal is to continue to invite others to join us on this journey as we get to know our creator and fulfill the purposes he has for our lives. God has an incredible vision for our church, and we hope with this magazine you can get to know us a little bit better, and if it’s God’s plan… even become part of our family. It’s an exciting time at Crossover as our new location has positioned us to impact this city like never before! As we follow God’s direction we know our greatest days of impact are ahead! If you have any questions please feel free to email us or call the church office. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Peace and God Bless,
Pastor Tommy Lucy Kyllonen
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