It’s almost a month since Pentecost Sunday when we launched Dreams, Reality and Everything In Between and the response has been really encouraging.
The gig was amazing and the positive feedback we’ve received about the night and the album keeps on coming. Thank you to all who attended and bought CDs, T-shirts and DVDs. BMS World Mission were extremely grateful for both the offering we took and the DVD sales.
Since the album launch I have been busy writing letters and emails to thank those involved and explore how we can take things forward from here. We’re looking at taking on more bookings as a band and even putting together a short UK tour. We’ll keep you posted!
The album is now also available on iTunes, so please let any international friends know!
Who knows where God will take this set of songs, but I’m praying they change lives.
This Dark World is a new & innovative DVD from BMS World Mission.
Filmed during my visit to Bangkok with BMS in 2009, the documentary explores mission on the front line of spiritual warfare in the context of the international sex industry.
Both of the songs written in response to what I encountered, God Are you there? and Mr Free Man feature on this DVD and will be performed at the album launch gig on May 23rd.
You can order your copy by visiting the BMS World Mission website and it will also be on sale at the launch gig where we will be joined by representatives from BMS World Mission.
Click here for more on the album launch on May 23rd.
The last month has been a busy one and it has reminded me how much I enjoy travelling.
Leading worship at LEFC, Vancouver
I was invited to visit a church in Langley, Vancouver and spend some time working with their worship team. It was great to meet so many fantastic people. I’m really looking forward to building great friendships there and working more with the team.
I was home for a week before flying out to Greece with some of the team from St Thomas Church, Philadelphia (Philly) for a European Church Planting Network conference. NJC (Nicola James Communications) were event managing the learning community and I led the worship as well as overseeing the technical side of things. The time out there was a great opportunity to refine songs and arrangements for the album as well as writing a song. I decided that inspirational views of the sea and mount Olympus were good for creativity…what a beautiful world God has made.
And now as I write this, I am sat on a plane flying back from Greece, counting down the days until we begin making the album. The team at NJC are working hard on all the preparation for the album launchand it’s crazy to think in just over a Month it will all be recorded.Alongside all this we have some big events coming up at Philly such as the annual church gathering which is going to be a great night.
Please pray for the recording process; for creativity, inspiration and that everything will find its place musically in the songs. Will keep you posted. Thank you!
Accept your invitation to the album launch on Sunday 23rd May 2010 by clicking here.
This song is planned to feature on Pete’s new recording in 2010.
********
This is what Pete wrote about the story behind the song:
“During the run up to Advent in 2008, I wanted to write a song suitable for Christmas. I’d had a simple idea for a line during a service and so I recorded a quick sound bite capturing the lyric and a basic melody. At my next song writing session I began work on it and decided I wanted to write something in 3/4 rather than straight 4/4.
I was invited to lead some worship and play a charity concert in Omaha, USA early in 2009. Ceeds (Chris Davies) who plays guitar in the band came too. We ended up being asked if we wanted to go to an open mic night that someone from the church was running. It wasn’t long before Chris and I were asked to do something. Ceeds tore up a great solo on “Knocking On Heaven’s Door” and then we ended up jamming “Stand By Me”. People shouted for us to do one more as an encore and so it felt appropriate to play an all time great American tune before exiting. What better than the Fresh Prince Of Bell Air theme tune?!
Tuesday night’s rehearsal was really good! It feels like the songs I wrote for BMS World Mission (during my visit to Bangkok earlier this year) are coming together. The arrangements are falling into place and dates to be in the studio look set for early November. I’m really excited to be recording these songs with Dan Bowater at DB Studios in Lincoln.
God Are You There? is gritty and edgy and in contrast Mr Free Man is musically very uplifting but awkwardly challenging in its lyric content.
I’m praying that these songs will make a difference in some way, not sure how, but am aware of God smiling on this project…will keep you posted.
Below are a few pictures from Tuesday night’s rehearsal…
The band...
Jamie Parker adding up how many effects his Nord has...
Ceeds (Chris) disecting his guitar parts...awesome!
Steve and Wadey - the rhythm section hard at work...
Here’s a video that BMS World Mission made to a song I wrote a few years ago. The video was presented at the 2009 Baptist Annual Assembly in Bournemouth International Arena while I performed the song live over the top of it. The song is called Messin’ With The System and looks at the way we have taken God’s advice for living and looking after His world and diluted it.
Here’s more chat from the radio interview I did while in the States this February, with a live performance of Standing at the Cross (another track from The Blue EP).
I played at some events in Omaha, USA in February this year. While I was there I did a radio interview with September Turner on a show called Embracing the Heartland on KCRO – Omaha’s Christian Talk radio station.
Here’s a short video of the song “I Built My House Upon This Rock”, a song about Christ the rock through difficult times. Feel free to learn it and use it.
This Dark World is a new & innovative DVD from BMS World Mission.
