As we head towards Christmas, I’ve found myself reflecting upon the last year and dreaming up ideas for 2012. The last 12 months have flown by since fully launching PJM as a music ministry. At the time the plan was just to take “music on the road” and to create more time to worship and song write, alongside my role as worship director at Philly (St Thomas’ Philadelphia). So, in January 2011, Nicky and I launched into the new venture to see whether PJM could become self sufficient, and to see what God would do with it.
Much has happened since then, and God has proved himself faithful. Early in 2011 I joined forces with Elevation, who produced Standing At The Cross, the Philly live album. Sales went so well over the summer that in September we sat together around the table in the Hilton Hotel in Paddington station, and talked through the possibility of working
together more. I want to thank Phil Loose, Sue Rinaldi and all the team at Elevation for their hard work over the past year!
Other great memories from the year are playing at events such as New Wine, Spring Harvest and CLAN Gathering festivals, an amazing time in the USA with the band playing a charity gig for Kids Against Hunger and teaming up with Compassion on a trip to Peru. Some great new friendships have been forged this year, and it has been a privilege to have met and worked with some amazing people doing amazing things. The journey has taken us to Ireland, the Isle Of Man, up and down the length of the UK playing at churches, and into a young offenders institute to sing and speak about the love of God. All of this feels like the start of something! First and foremost there is the birth of our first baby due in early January 2012, and I can’t wait! 
I’m also excited to announce Elevation and I are working on a studio album that we hope to release at Easter 2012, and it’s going to be good! There is a plan for a tour that is going to bring new songs, and we hope to rock out loads more youth events like The Upper Room gig we played recently at Broadway Baptist Church, that is fused in my mind as a key night setting the next generation on fire. I also can’t wait to play at Spring Harvest Minehead, iscape week 3 for the teenagers there, and also in the Big Top week 1 in Minehead. There is a worship gathering at Philly (more details to follow) that I know will be a significant event in the calendar, along with leading worship there every month. There are many gigs lined up and more in the pipeline. I want to see God take hold of hearts and transform them, and see lives led into the kingdom, while mobilising people to love the poor.
Finally, thanks for your support. All the emails, blog comments, Facebook messages are much appreciated. To keep in touch with all the news to do with our baby, gigs, albums, new songs and where God takes this, head to sign up to the PJM mailing list or find us on Facebook and pass it on.
Happy Christmas!
