free with the Methodist Recorder: PLease give this supplement to the teenage girls in your life - they will be encouraged by it!
No Compromise... Sonia’s Story
Journey from rejection to self-worth and identity in Christ
COLOUR ME YELLOW Guide to this season’s hot new colour
Introducing Artists who will Shine in 2009! Dealing with... REJECTION
Plus Music Reviews • Testimonies • Advice • Fashion SHINE, a supplement published in the Methodist Recorder - Produced by Stephanie Gutmann and Sinéad McEwen
Yellow
You are the light of the world, a city on a hill which cannot be hidden
Hey Girls! This issue is jam-packed with so much we don’t know where to start… We introduce you to some great up-coming artists to watch out for in 2009, including Philippa Hannah who was recently on tour with Graham Kendrick and who took some time out of her hectic diary to answer some questions we put to her. There’s also an interview with a young woman who opens up about the struggles she faced with her inner questions about her sexuality when guys seemed to constantly reject her, but girls were drawn to her, and the answers she eventually found... Plus, we show you how you can SHINE with “yellow fever” – this spring’s hot new colour!! So snuggle up with your mates and hot chocolate and enjoy the first SHINE of 09!
Your Big Sis Ed, Steph XxX
No compromise on... fashion
We hope you’ve had an enjoyable winter and are now ready for the new things God is doing in your lives 2009!
Splash a drop of sunshine into your winter wardrobe and SHINE for all the right reasons! This spring will see the black transform into lemons and mustards and rusty shades to brighten up those long dull days. But just HOW does a girl wear this awkward colour and look every bit a gorgeous as she feels???
For the not so brave:
Add big, bold accessories to any outfit and make your spring statement that you dare to SHINE! A yellow bag is a great touch to a long black coat!
For the all-out brave: SHINE indoors and out with yellow tops, jumpers, skirts or dresses, offset with black, brown, white, grey or blue pieces for balance.
Don’t worry! SHINE will show you how it’s done:
For the slightly brave: Investing in a yellow coat means you can add the colour when you’re out in the wind and rain, but to blend in a bit when I doors, the yellow can be removed and hung decoratively on the back of your chair!
No compromise on... lifestyle
De-Lites Psalm 126:5: 126:5:
of those around us! Try it. it.
Zechariah 4:10
Psalm 84:11:
Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy
and glory: No good thing
Being at school can be hard work… and there may be times of tears and frustration, but don’t worry, because when it is all over – there will be a huge reward for you in your future!
God wants to give you good gifts and for your days to be full of joy… walk in His ways and He will pour out His good things over you.
Joshua 1:9:
1 Peter 4:10
Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
You can’t hide from God, don’t even try! No-one can hide God from you, so don’t worry. He’s always with you – even through the toughest day. You are NOT on your own.
No compromise on... the Word
1 Peter 2:11-12:
Romans 2:11
salm 25:21: 25:21:
someone He loves more
Matthew 7:13-14: 7:13-14:
Psalm 138:8:
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because
Sometimes being a Christian can left out of friendship groups, but place, with the wrong
2...Shine
Do not hide your light but let it SHINE in front of all your mates
Fever! Believe it or not, for every colour, there is a shade that you can wear with flair! To find your yellow fever, take into consideration your skin tone, eye and hair colour:
If you have blonde or light brown-haired with blue or green eyes, you can easily carry off more lemony, golden tones. Warm yellows, but not too dark, will bring out the flecks of gold in hair.
If you have blonde hair, dark eyes, and tawny skin tones you want warm, dark golden yellows like honey or caramel which will lift your complexion as well as your mood.
If you have very dark or light skin tones you would suit sunny shades of daffodil or lemon as the dramatic shades appear elegant rather than geeky against your skin.
Interview with... PHILIPPA HANNA
Philippa Hannah is a new discovery for Kingsway Music, having support Graham Kendrick on his last Christmas tour, she is definitely someone to watch in 2009. Shine puts some questions to her: Hi Philippa, thanks for taking time out to answer our questions. So how did you become a Christian? I didn’t grow up in Church and I remember being really self-conscious, image obsessed and desperate to fit in. I did all of the things the ‘in’ crowd did such as partying, underage drinking, dating etc. I made up my own theories and was into lots of spiritual ‘fads’: reading tarot cards and books on horoscopes and angels – I was looking for answers! I felt stuck as to what life was all about, at the time I was living away from home, working in music. I remember thinking – “This is not my
life!” It was around then I met some Christians. I started to see there was something special about their lives. They told me about Jesus. At first I was sceptical and reluctant to think about it, but I was drawn to them. Finally, around Christmas 05 I went to a gig and heard someone singing about Jesus. I said a quick prayer in my head: ‘Jesus, if you are real, please prove it! Sort my life out, as I’m not doing a great job.’ From the next day I felt different, I knew something had changed! I moved back home to my parents and began to follow God - My whole life changed from there! In December 07, you wrote and recorded your first album: “Watching Me” (available to buy from: www. philippahanna. co.uk): Yes, my first album is a collection of songs written just after I gave my life to Jesus. I’d grown up in music and had been writing songs from an early age. But after I decided to give Jesus a go, my songs began to really change! I was working through lots of
Dealing with .... Dear Shine
Shine...3
Yes! I’m currently working on an album to release later in the year! I want to share the truth – God is real, powerful and very interested in all of us, no matter how we feel, what we’ve done, or where we’re at. He’s not boring and religious – He’s awesome, and He’s everything! The songs themselves relate to issues like falling short of ‘Christian’ stereotypes. So many people avoid church because they don’t feel “holy” enough. But Jesus wants us as we are! He then works on the tricky bits with us, so the last thing we should do is avoid spending time with Him. I’m praying this new album will really touch people’s hearts! Who inspires you now as a young Christian? My fiancé Joel is a great inspiration to me; he’s been a Christian since childhood and has always rebelled against the world. Whilst his friends were out partying, drinking
and dating, he remained true to his convictions. At school I probably would have thought he was just a ‘goodie two-shoes’, but I can see now the value of the way he chose to live: it showed more courage than just following the crowd!
What final word would you like to say to our teenage girls reading SHINE? God knows how you feel and at what stage you are in your faith. If you’re searching for something but aren’t sure what the truth is about life, give Jesus a try. You’ve got nothing to lose and so much to gain!! He is bigger and stronger than any problem or worry you have about life. Put your trust in Him and He’ll never fail you.
FACT:
Most girls find peace in their situation AFTER talking about it... so - find a listening ear, because there’s proof that it is always good to talk!
there’s no one to share your time with and from this perspective you fear you could end up spending the rest of your life on your own.
I’m in a very lonely place at the moment. My dad left when I was about five and doesn’t really want to contact me now he has a new family; my mum has been spending a lot of time with her new boyfriend, so they don’t want me hanging around. I do have an older brother, but he is always up to no good with his mates and has told me to stop bugging him, and most of the girls at school often meet up to go clubbing but won’t invite me because I refused to drink the only time I went. I hate the weekends and don’t want to spend the rest of my life on my own. What can I do? Kathleen, 16
It would seem to me as though you’re feeling a bit left out now your Mum has a new boyfriend - perhaps even a bit jealous? After all, you and your brother have been the only people in her life since your father left, which you say was when you were 5 years old. From your letter, I get the impression you’ve kept in contact with him. However, now that he has a new family, you’re beginning to feel more separated from his new family, which is possibly highlighting with the changes in your mum’s situation.
Do you have any plans for a new album?
“God has promised He will never leave you, never forsake you... Which means He’ll never reject you! Don’t allow your thoughts to just tumble around your mind.”
Rejection
Dear Kathleen
new emotions and wanted to share this revelation with others!
As for your concerns over older brother with his mates doing dubious things: you are right not to want to be involved with them – even if he had allowed you to be a part of the group, otherwise you may come to regret some of the behaviours and actions later in life. Stand firm on the principles that are evident in your life even though it seems hard at the moment. These “friends”, who are inviting you out and are encouraging you to drink when you don’t want to, are not really thinking about your feelings and again you’re right not to compromise your principles. Though I do understand your weekends can feel a bit of a drag when
I can understand how with all of the situations around you, you feel as though your future is bleak right now, however, there are steps you can take to make changes in what you are currently seeing: Perhaps build up new friendships with someone else at school? Or maybe consider joining a Church Youth Group or an After School Club and meet people who share your interests and principles. It may take a bit of time, but you will bear the fruit of great friendships and people you can spend time with. And regarding the isolation you feel at the changes in your home setting: speak to your mum and explain to her a little of how you feel, maybe suggest having a mother-daughter day every so often. Spend time with your dad and your other family. You will make a great older sister they will need as they grow up.
With all good wishes for your future!
No compromise on... the truth
Let the good things you do SHINE out for everyone to see, so they can see that God is real in you
Aaron Keyes If it’s worship you are after, then Aaron Keyes is the man for you! Currently the Worship Pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Georgia, Aaron leads worship and mentors younger worship leaders. His passion is for the body of Christ to come together in Biblical praise which is evident throughout the album. “Not Guilty Anymore” is his second album and is deeply powerful with many songs created to lead you to Jesus and broaden your understanding of who He is and what it means to be like Him. Aaron aims to take the worshipper beyond empty words “into a deeper understanding of biblical praise and
worship in response to the scandalous, saving love of God.” Songs like “Blessing and Honour” elaborate on the biblical names of Jesus and what we can draw from Him; and the rocky anthem “Never Cease to Amaze Me” shares Aaron’s profound sense of God’s awesomeness! The title track “Not guilty Anymore” reminds us that no matter what, the blood of Jesus has cleansed us from all our past mistakes. www.aaronkeyes.com
Jimmy Needham If you like the more funky soulful sound, then you will adore Jimmy Needham, whose fresh funky attitude to contemporary Christian music is a welcome breather for 2009! His debut album “Not without Love” is a creative response of Jimmy’s own journey as a Christian and the lessons he has learned for the challenges we all face in our individual walks. Talk is cheap and we need to go beyond words to help people “Come Around”, Jimmy’s opening track on the album is greatly upbeat with a serious message to remind us that it is love which will attract people to the greatest relationship they could ever be in - with Jesus!
SONIA’S STORY
Before I became a Christian I was living on my own and needed to find extra income to support myself, so I took on security work in the local area, working the clubs as a female bouncer. My role was basically do anything relating to the females including frisking them as they entered, as everyone had to be checked for drugs. At the same time I was in and out of relationships which just never seemed to work out for me and I started to question what was wrong with me, for men to not want to stay with me long-term.
I struggled with my selfconfidence and would often feel as if I did not live up to the standards set by society of how women should look. I felt overweight or had the wrong body shape – often comparing myself to others.
And for those who love romance, Jimmy proposed to his new bride Kelly through his beautiful song: “Unfailing Love” so grab your tissues girls! www.jimmyneedham. com
Helen Yousaf Tour! Gospel singer and songwriter Helen Yousaf has been singing and ministering at Youth Conferences and Concerts for many years. She is an anointed and gifted song writer. Now she presents her debut album ‘Child of Mine’: which shuns all the common stereotypes associated with Christian music, in a way that is remarkably honest, personal and refreshingly unpretentious successfully mixing acoustic R & B, worldmusic & blues.
You can catch Helen on tour around London: Sunday 8th March Ilford Sports Club Sunday 29th March Romford Salvation Army, The Café Saturday 18th April Dodd Road Community Church, Brentwood. And keep a look out for Helen’s other dates on her website: www. helenyousaf.co.uk where you can also sample one of her songs before deciding to purchase the ‘Child of Mine’ album from her online shop.
The vision of the ‘Child of Mine’ project is to see people set free to worship Christ in spirit and in truth; to bring people to a deeper understanding of who God is and how much He loves us. Jimmy Needman Review Supplied by Furious Records. www.fiercedistribution.com
Journey from rejection to self-worth and identity in Christ questioning why men were not interested in me, I started to wonder why more and more woman were taking an interest in me.
In a conversation with Shine Sonia Harris tells us of her journey of recognising who she is in Christ and some of the struggles she faced as a young woman trying to find herself.
Jimmy is not just a singer songwriter with a message, he is a man who lives out what he is singing about, going beyond music. The thought-provoking “Forgiven & Loved“ encourages people who are struggling to receive God’s love and forgiveness. Many try to work in order to earn this gift God freely gives.
I once heard someone say: “gay people recognise their own” and started wondering if these women were seeing something in me that I was not aware of. Was there something I didn’t know or hadn’t admitted to myself? Maybe that was why my relationships with men had never worked out in the past. I was confused!
One night I was out with a group of friends. Normally when we went out to clubs, women would eye each other up - basically checking out the competition, but on this occasion, a woman came up to me and out of the blue complimented me on how beautiful she thought I was.
I felt as though I needed to speak to someone to try to make sense of the thoughts flying around my mind, but being the tough black girl from the East End I didn’t know who I could turn to; and if any of my friends or family knew what was going on in my head, they would have turned on me – I would have to move away and start a new life somewhere else.
Because of the nature of my work, I was working with a lot of homosexual and bi-sexual people and as a result started to get more and more of these compliments from women. But because of the mentalplace I was at, in terms of
Over time, I became friends with one of the other bouncers, and it turns out that his brother was gay, so I plucked up the courage to speak to him about my confusion. He told me: “If you want to find out for definite
whether you are gay or not, you’re just going to have to sleep with a woman!” Shortly after that, God chose to step into my life and bring resolve to the confusion in all areas of my life. I realised I wasn’t content with my lifestyle, and thought there must be more to life than simply clubbing, looking for someone to be in a relationship with, or going through the motions of a job I hated etc…
The people I hung out with were cool – but I was starting to feel a pressure to do things and be places I just didn’t have a desire to be. I felt as though I needed to be a part of the crowd, which left me feeling unfulfilled and lost.
Through my introduction to God, I started to hear some truths about my life I needed to know, including the confusion I was feeling over my sexuality. From studying the Bible and from the discomfort I had felt within me, I learnt that God’s plan was for me to get married to a man, and have children. That’s not to say everything worked out for me straight away! There were times after becoming a Christian when I would continue to struggle with my sexuality. But through Christ, I continued to learn the truth about who I am and what was needed to improve my self-image and confidence as a woman of God. And now I am happily married with two beautiful sons. If anyone is going through anything like this, don’t keep it inside… find someone you trust to speak toabout the struggles you are having. Work out for yourself the truth about God’s plan for your life… then follow after Him.
Final Word: Be Still How easy it is to lose sight of ourselves or forget who we are. To put to one side our dreams, our desires, our purposes, our hopes, our heart. No wonder life can feel so cramped and we feel like screaming “STOP THE WORLD, I WANT TO GET OFF!”
A l l c o n t e n t a n d c o n c e p t s a r e c o p y r i g h t o w n e d b y S H I N E M a g a z i n e. Ac k n o w l e d g m e n t s : e d i t o r - s t e p h ; c r e a t i ve d i r e c t o r - s i n e a d ; m u s i c c o n t r i b u t i o n - Fu r i o u s R e c o r d s ; a d v i c e - r e g i s t e re d c o u n s e l l o r : a u n t y L i l i a n
Music News & Reviews Upcoming artists we guarantee will SHINE in 2009
When there is So much to do. So much to think about. So much to work out. So many questions demanding an answer. So many battles to be faced each day. It is time to be still. To be still and know God is God. To stop running To stop searching To stop hiding To stop screaming To stop crying To stop fighting To stop avoiding It is time To be still and know He is God.
Shine...4