Newsboys Put It In Writing
by CA Staff for Christian Activities
7/11/2002
Nashville, TN - Like a song written in private, then played over a public address system, this book carries personal thoughts, secret hopes, maybe even a little wishful thinking, and sends them blaring out for everyone to hear. Or as Frederick Buechner put it, "Think of these pages as graffiti maybe, and where I have scratched up in a public place my longings and loves, my grievances and indecencies, be reminded in private of your own. In that way, at least, we can hold a kind of converse." . . . These are thoughts written down mainly so that we, the band, don't forget them. Maybe for us they are a little gathering of what has been our daily bread on the path to the kingdom that, the closer you get to it, the more you shine. -- Peter Furler, Newsboys
The Newsboys have long been innovative in their approach to sharing their faith. Their stellar performances are showcased on platforms as diverse as the Airdome – inflatable concert venue - to last years launch of the Festival Con Dios traveling festival that incorporates extreme sports and motor cross with solid rock and roll – featured on the cover of Newsweek, in USA Today, and Wall Street Journal. Now they are on the leading edge of the book world, with Shine: Make Them Wonder What You’ve Got debuting at the CBA convention both in an innovative book with ink that glows in the dark as well as through an eBook format on the Godspeed eBible that has a backlight feature that mimics the ink with the words lit in the dark.
Whitaker House has developed a reputation in the book industry for their creative covers, often pushing the envelope. Jim Rill, director of marketing, made the call to First Company when he found ink that glows in the dark., which generated the original idea – a book that shines. For him, the obvious choice was Newsboys and Shine. When Whitaker House approached First Company Management with an idea for a Newsboys book, manager Wes Campbell knew something – the band that is dynamic on stage with driving music was also deeply rooted in their faith and had a lot to say about life and living as Christians, something they can communicate well when afforded the opportunity. What the publisher did not expect was the depth of content they received.
“What began as a creative idea, symbolic of what the Newsboys would share and what Christians are supposed to do in life – which is shine - developed into a very solid piece of writing. The band spent hours writing, rewriting, and working with our editors to write what has become the book. Our staff is deeply impressed and moved by what the book says. This is underscored by the fact that from the time we had the idea to the writing of the book, it is clear God had a bigger plan with a deeper impact than just a book that shines in the dark,” says Rill. “We are already getting better response from vendors that for any other project we’ve done, never having such a backorder list before release.”
Shine: Make Them Wonder What You've Got reveals the Newsboys in a way you have never seen them before-not just as performers but as Christians. Rather than a road book, or a book driven by personalities, this book is clearly written to challenge Christians to let the light of Christ “shine” through them all the time. Follow them as they travel through seasons of personal and spiritual growth, undergoing struggles that are common to all believers, experiencing faith-stretching circumstances, and seeking to live for Christ in an authentic way. Their spiritual journeys reflect a deep and growing faith that permeates their music while also transcending it. This new path challenges the limitations we've put on Christianity in our postmodern culture and seeks the essence of the Gospel. Shine will challenge and stretch your own spiritual expectations as you rediscover the dynamics of a living faith.
This new and all original book is a unique glimpse into the lives and faith of one of the world's top Christian bands-and a call for believers of all ages to enter into a deeper spiritual life of surrender, service, and joy in Christ. With great personal feeling and conviction, the Newsboys share openly about their spiritual journey to greater intimacy with God-seeking God and coming to know Him in a deeper way, meeting the needs of others and encountering new joy, losing themselves in Christ and experiencing a renewed faith.
Shine challenges believers to rediscover the dynamics of a living faith. The Newsboys' personal journeys and spiritual growth are signposts showing the truth and power of a life transformed in Christ.
We naturally radiate the love of God when we give ourselves fully to him. In Shine, we see the Newsboys not just as performers but as Christians who live with challenges and struggles, who have discovered that emptying themselves-setting aside their own plans, goals, and desires-is the only way to be filled with the Spirit of Christ, and the only way to be the light of the world.
Many a conversation has been had among the members of the band over the years, from pubs in London, to a favorite restaurant in Greektown, Detroit (lamb chops-well done, thanks), to the dirt bike trails of Baja, Mexico. These were not discussions (I guess) like those of the intelligencia or even the "super-spiritual," but instead were maybe like those of nomads or "ragamuffins" finding land with a buried treasure and dealing together with the process of selling everything they had to buy that land. Having been with the band since its beginnings, sleeping in an old Dodge van; freezing in a harsh New York winter; sweating buckets in a Death Valley, California, summer; playing shows until my fingers bled a little bit; meeting my beautiful wife in Atlanta, Georgia; seeing the end of the days (I hope) of asking rowdy punters to step outside to deal with it Aussie style; standing in a foot of snow in Louisville, Kentucky, numb at the funeral of our friend and former bass player, K.M.-God's grace is sufficient; celebrating my tenth wedding anniversary when, suddenly, in what seemed like the twinkling of an eye, we were all standing in the foyer of Vanderbilt Hospital-band, wives, suits and ties, waiting for the doctors to tell us if Jody and Erica's baby girl was going to make it through the night; and watching the grace of God restore marriages that seemed irreparable to our human understanding; I've often thought how odd it is that life's strange happenings and times of adversity, which normally might tear a group of people apart, when offered upward, can have the reverse effect.
The truth is, we're not where we need to be, but many are witnesses that we're not (by His grace) where we used to be, either. I pray for God's favor, because the Good Lord knows that's what it's going to take! Even more, I pray that His Spirit breathes upon each word, lest we be wasting His beautiful trees.
True love and peace, only through Christ,
Peter
In the same way let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (NLT) Make a difference. "Be the change you want to see".
About Newsboys
With national media attention (Newsweek, ESPN II, USA Today and CNN), sales exceeding 3 million units spanning multiple gold-certified recordings, and 19 No. 1 hits Newsboys continue to make their mark. Known for their groundbreaking and innovative live shows, Newsboys will be headlining the Thrive Tour this fall in support of Newsboys critically acclaimed project, Thrive. Produced by Steve Taylor, Peter Furler and Joe Baldridge, the band garnered unprecedented radio attention with their first single "It Is You" claiming the No. 1 position for 12 consecutive weeks on Christian radio (POP/CHR). Never before in the history of Christian music has a single dominated the No. 1 position for such an extended amount of time.
Continuing to drive the momentum behind Thrive, Newsboys released the Thrive At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame DVD on June 18th. The performance was directed and produced by Michael Drumm (Sting, Jewel, Nelly Furtado, Ringo Starr) and aired in April to over 60 million homes via PAX TV, produced in partnership with Jerry Rose and the team at Total Living Network. This performance was the first Prime Time concert special for a Christian rock band on a national network of this size.
http://www.christianactivities.com/articles/story_bookbeat.asp?ID=2402
