matt corby - Salvation Army

M AY 2008
MATT CORBY
BUILDING SOMETHING REAL
\\May 2008 Volume 9 Issue 2
*this issue
8 Nathan Tasker
While on a trip Down Under, venue caught up with
pop musician, Nathan Tasker.
10 Ramsay Street’s new neighbour
Musician and now actor, Dean Geyer chats to
venue about his new television role.
11 Gossip?
MATT GLUYAS sheds light on one of the most
accepted and brushed-off sin’s in society.
12 Something that’s real
It seems singer Matt Corby has it made, but
NATHAN BROWN finds out that this young star is
striving to build something real in his life.
14 Transforming lives
Transformation is a powerful thing, for young
salvo DANIEL COPEMAN it was his life-line.
*every issue
4 News
7 Faith spot
16 What’s on
16 Walking in the Spotlight
17-18 Reviews
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The Salvation Army
WILLIAM BOOTH, Founder
International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria Street London, EC4P 4EP
SHAW CLIFTON, General
Australia Eastern Territory 140 Elizabeth Street, Sydney
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joanne brain, Editorial Coordinator Andrew Tan, Graphic Designer
venue is a publication of the Communications Team
Published for The Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territory by Commissioner Les Strong
Printed by National Capital Printing, 22 Pirie Street Fyshwick ACT 2609
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible,
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cannot be reproduced without permission.
3
@news
@news
Fire in the Greater West MATTHEW GLUYAS, Divisional Youth Mission Development Coordina
tor
The past few months in the Greater West has seen some pretty
exciting stuff! God is continuing to move in new and exciting ways.
ID Sydney weekend saw about 20 young people from Sydney
join together to intentionally seek out how they can play their part
in winning the world for Jesus.
With the weekend being based around fire (representing the
Holy Spirit), we looked at how we reignite our flame so we are ready
to go out there and face the new year ahead. The other area of
focus was discipleship — we looked at ways in which we can better
disciple ourselves as well as others around us.
The weekend was a time of challenge for all who attended,
sending them back to their church, passionate about seeing their
world saved.
The weekend following, “LAOS” was held, a time of unity
amongst the youth in the division. This night saw around 80 young
people united in worship and looking at how we all play a different
part in the body of Christ, noting that we all have a valuable part to play.
Young people were yet again challenged and inspired to live
their lives to the full and make every effort to “keep the unity of the
Spirit“ (Ephesians 4.3).
The last weekend in March was the “I’ll Fight Youth Night”,
where young people from across the territory engaged in the
fact that behind every glamorous city, there is pain, torture and
suffering. This also gave us the opportunity of looking at how we
can be locally involved.
On Friday night, 7 March, 15 young people met together at
Cardiff Corps for the launch of ID in Newcastle and Central NSW
Division.
ID is an equipping program and
empowering network of Salvation
Army youth — connected by heart
and passion — with the mission of
winning the world for Jesus.
ID, or identity, is about
knowing who we are and what
we are called to be. It is about
realising our value and our purpose
within the mission. An ID member
is “passionate and purposefully
engaged to make a difference in
their community”.
Teaching, continued on Saturday and focused on social justice
issues and intentional evangelism. The launch finished with a time
of worship and prayer.
Since the launch, one of the young people has worn her
Salvation Army uniform to university and had the opportunity to
speak to three people about Jesus.
Young performers at the ID launch
Young people gather around the fire at ID Sydney
I truly believe that this night saw the beginning of a fresh
passion to serve the lost, the last and the least, in each of our local
communities.
Exciting days are ahead for the youth of the West. We are seeing
young people saved and growing deeper in their faith daily — it’s
great to be a part of this place.
Sydney Youth are Thinking-it-Through CASEY O’BRIEN, Sydney
Think-it-Through started in July last year, when I took the Youth
Group on. I noticed that we were seriously lacking knowlege on
many issues that should have been everyday occurences for us. I
want these nights to open up the eyes of the youth. We’ve had visits
to Streetlevel, a cleaning day at the Waterloo Community Centre
and covered topics on Why The Salvation Army doesn’t drink,
reading the bible for all it’s worth and personalising poverty.
The Youth often email through ideas of what we could hear
about on these nights. They’re very keen to learn, and this is
something for which I’m really grateful. Hopefully, what they gain
from these nights is a new perspective on issues that they face every
day - as Salvationists, and as those wanting to find out more about
The Army and how it works. I hope these nights will mobilise our
Youth to fulfil the Army’s mission — to Save Souls, Grow Saints
and Serve Suffering Humanity. These nights are designed to give
practical advice on how to do those three things.
In the long run, we will hopefully have Sydney Congress Hall’s
Chinese Youth Group join with us. They’ve joined us on a number of
occasions for social events, and it’s been a great success.
Sydney Congress Hall youth
4
ID Launch CATHRYN FORD, Newcastle & Central NSW
Congress Hall youth leader
Act ivate Your Faith (AcTv8) CATHYRYN FORD, Newcastle & Central NSW
Over 120 young people and their leaders, enjoyed a social event
held at Eastlakes, for Youth Councils 2008.
Young people were put into teams according to their birth
month, allowing interaction between corps. They then had to
complete a number of challenges as a team, including drinking
two litres of milk (between three people), eating eight Weet-Bix,
winning a game of tug-of-war and wrapping someone up using
one roll of toilet paper.
The night finished with Adrian Kistan (Sports Ministry
Consultant, guest speaker for the weekend) bringing a word. The
word was “significance”. He reminded the young people that the
following day could be an ordinary day or it could be something
significant if they were open to what God had to say to them.
On Sunday, Newcastle City Hall was buzzing with excitement
as about 140 gathered for worship, led by Rusty Hodges (Tuggerah
Lakes) and musicians from a number of corps around the division.
Two of the young people who had been at ID prayed for those
corps who don’t have any young people.
Interactive games were led by Brad and Kirsty Nelson. Cadet
Brendon Robinson shared some of his journey which led him to
Training College and the Newcastle drama group presented an
item. Adrian spoke of being resurrected from the dead and that
we react like those in the story of Lazarus. He then went on to
say that to be all we can be, Jesus says, ‘Unwrap him and let him
loose’ (John 11:44 The Message).
A number of electives were then held. Among the topics
covered were: ‘I’m the only Christian at the party!’, ‘Choosing a
partner’, “What next? Choosing a future’, ‘What is a Christian, and
what makes them different?’
In the afternoon, Adrian continued with the theme of ‘Activate
your Faith’, and spoke about standing in the gap for people that
don’t yet know Christ. He encouraged young people to do all they
could to do just that.
During the meeting the Gosford dance group presented
‘Where is the Love?’ and Tealyn Lonergan (Tuggerah Lakes) spoke
of her recent three months in India and how she realised you can
make a difference in the lives of others just by loving them.
It was a fantastic weekend with a number of people asking for
more Youth Councils.
5
@news
@faith
614:edify Sydney NATHAN MOULDS, Sydney Coordinator
In March this year, 614:edify Sydney was launched in Surry Hills
Sydney. 614:edify is providing participants with up to 9 months of
incarnational living, serving and working in The Salvation Army’s
Streetlevel community. 614:edify currently has 10 volunteers
enrolled, 5 of whom “live in” at Streetlevel. The program is aimed
at 18 - 28 year olds who through hands on experience are being
taught the essentials of spiritual development, worship, discipleship,
mission and social action to effectively be Jesus to the lost in Surry
Hills.
The name of the mission was birthed from Isaiah 61:4, “They
will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated:
they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for
generations.”
Some of the 614:edify participants have come through
Streetlevel themselves and are now giving back into the community.
614 Sydney Coordinator, (is this meant to be repeated?) Nathan
Moulds says a few of the participants have come through Streetlevel
and are now giving back into the program. “The Salvation Army
grew from the homeless and disadvantaged - what can God do with
the people who have come from that into this?”
614:edify is also looking at providing youth groups and Corps
the opportunity to visit Streetlevel and be a part of the community
for a short time, serving and training in what is a mission field right
within our reach.
To get involved or find out more about 614:edify in Sydney,
contact Nathan at: [email protected] or
checkout: edify.salvos.org.au
All the time while you’re looking away
There are things you can do
There’s things you can say
Undo the ones you regret
With whom you’re spending today
Get your gaze out of tomorrow
And come what may, because
You can be better than that
Don’t let it get the better of you
What could be better than that?
Life’s not about what’s better than
Oh I know sometimes
Things can be hard
But you should know by now
They come and they go ...
Just look around
You’ll see the magic
Better than
Grand National 2006
John Butler Trio
6
7
Nathan
Tasker Q&A
Nathan Tasker has made
a name for himself in
Christian pop music.
venue recently caught up
with him while he was in
Sydney, on his home turf.
V: Where does the inspiration for
your songs come from?
NT: A whole range of places. I might meet
someone, say after a gig, and they’ll tell me
about how they are feeling about life, how
they are feeling with this world. It’s amazing
how much needs to be sung about, needs
to spoken about.
I also read a lot. I read a lot of theology
books. I read a lot of Christian books in an
attempt to try and take big ideas and make
them digestible, to put them into a threeand-a half-minute pop song. It’s quite a
challenge but one that I really love doing. If
you can listen to a song and then at the end
of it not only be entertained, but I guess be
encouraged to change or think about things
differently, then I think music’s done its job,
I’ve done my job.
V: What’s your main aim with
your music? What do you strive
for?
NT: My main goal is to be able to look at
this world, to see the best of it, to see the
worst of it and then to try and show what
the world could look like if God’s intentions
were honoured in this world. And I mean
that in my own life as well, to be honest
about my own Christian walk. I’m not
perfect in any way, shape or form and I
want to be honest about that, I don’t want
to pretend that I’m doing better than I really
am. And I guess at the end of the day that
brings glory to Jesus more than it brings it
to me, because I’m under no illusion as to
who I really am. Then people that listen to
my music will be under no illusion as well.
So I think that’s kind of the main goal that
people would be able to look at this world
and be encouraged to see what it looks like
if Jesus was a part of it, a part of their lives.
So they’re the main goals.
Hemisphere. So life is interesting, being an
Australian in America. We [my wife and
I] are getting used to weird food and bad
coffee. But all in all we think it’s a great
place to be for now, in order to grow.
V: Are you always on the road
touring?
NT: We would normally be on the road, in
a month, probably 24 days out of 30. And I
guess it’s a matter of we have opportunity
and we take that opportunity. Other
months it might be slower or we might
head over to the UK and play and tour over
there. But most months we are out on the
road, we’re in our giant touring van you
know, seeing America.
V: Sounds like a good life.
What do you enjoy most about
it, touring, playing to live
audiences, recording?
NT: I think for myself it’s
always been the playing to live
audiences; there’s something
that happens when you are
singing to a group of people
and you see them engage with
that song. If you’re listening
to my CD in the car and you
engage with it, I don’t see that.
I’m pleased that it happens,
but I don’t see it. Whereas in
a live audience you get that
immediate connection and I
thrive on that, I really enjoy
that. Most of my concerts
that I do I never know what’s
really going to happen. I have a
general idea of where I want it
to go but most of the time it’s
very dependent on the people
listening, they’re an important
part of any event, not just me.
V: Tell me about life in America?
NT: It’s a great place to tour, it’s a great
place to, I guess, be involved in bigger
things. In Australia the Christian music
industry is very small I guess by nature,
by virtue of the fact that there is only 25
million people in Australia; there’s 300
million in America. So we just have more
opportunity to learn to be creative and
to meet with older Christian artists, to be
able to be mentored and tour the Northern
8
9
I
t’s been little over two years since
Dean Geyer first came into the
Australian public’s eye on the talent
show, Australian Idol. With his model
looks and honest and passionate
performances, Dean quickly developed
a fan club. Little did the fresh young
singer know that his time on Idol was
only the beginning of a career that was
set to skyrocket.
Dean recently landed himself an
acting role on the iconic Network Ten
show, Neighbours, as the young Ty
Harper — a musician who comes to
Ramsay Street after dropping out of
law school.
Dean’s first show aired in late
March. Despite having no previous
acting experience, Dean says he’s
enjoying the challenge.
“I’m loving it at the moment. The
first day [on set] I had a performance
with a band so it was something that
was fairly close to home for me.”
Being musicians, there are obvious
similarities between Dean and his
character but he says there are just as
many differences.
“I can see similarities but his family
past is kind of different to mine.
Whereas I’m a very family orientated
guy, he doesn’t even try and mention
Ramsay
Street’’ s
new neighbour
e
He recently joined the cast of of th
urs
long-running Aussie soap Neighbo
his
and is planning a new album later
year. Musician — and now actor —
Dean Geyer took some time out to
ing
chat with venue about his blossom
showbiz career.
10
anything about his family.” Dean
moved to Australia from South Africa
with his family when he was 15 and
now, just five years on, he is almost
a household name in Australia. This
however doesn’t seem to phase the
humble young star.
“For me it’s just about doing
something that I love and that [fame]
kind of comes with it, I guess, which is
a bonus.”
Being in an industry that’s often
focused around parties and hanging
out at the latest hot spots, Dean says
it’s his faith in God that has kept him
grounded.
“It’s almost like a contradictory sort
of lifestyle I guess, some of the ways
that some people live in the industry.
“But having my family so grounded
in church and their faith had helped
me to kind of keep a good head on
myself and distinguish right from
wrong and it’s also given me a good
perspective of where I’m meant to be
going and if I’m going along the right
path.”
You can catch Dean on Neighbours
every weeknight, but that doesn’t
mean he’s given up on his music
career. Listen out for Dean’s new
album later this year.
rumour, or
talk of a personal,
sensational or
intimate nature.
OK, so I think it’s fair to say we all
gossip, or at least have in the past.
It can be fun and exciting finding out
things about other people, catching up
on the “goss” with your friends. But have
you ever stopped to think about how
your words are affecting others?
G
The tongue is a powerful weapon. In
the bible it says, “reckless words pierce
like a sword but the tongue of the wise
brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18).
MATT GLUYAS says to gossip or not,
it’s our choice.
ossip is one of those things that does nothing but tear
people down.
I see gossip as something all of us at some point catch ourselves
doing. It could be when you are in the middle of a conversation
with someone and all of a sudden you say, “oh, not sure if I should
say that about that person ...” Or, you’re in a group with some
mates and everyone’s picking out the faults in someone, bagging
them out.
In both these examples, we’re given a choice. A choice to
continue on gossipping or to stand firm in God and say, “I’m above that!”
What would you do?
I believe that as Christians, we are called to be life givers, and
that God is raising up a generation of encouraging, life giving
people. That instead of gossiping and bagging out one another,
they pick out the good things in people and help one another out.
Ephesians 4.29 says: ‘Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let
everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be
an encouragement to those who hear them.
We are left with a choice, to be an encourager or a gossip.
What will you choose?
11
SOMETHING
THAT’S
REAL
great guy to talk to about it.
“It’s a whole other thing when people
are suddenly watching you all the time. It’s
kind of hard. You’ll walk down the street
and you’ll have guys who want to give you
a piece of their mind. You haven’t done
anything wrong but for some reason they
don’t like you. Guy was great with dealing
with stuff like that because he’s done it
for five years and he’s had a lot more stuff
thrown at him than I have.”
Listening to Matt speak of his
experience, the obvious question is, would
he do it again if he knew beforehand what
it would mean and what it would be like?
“That’s a tough one,” he says. “In all
fairness to Idol, it got me here. I’ve met
some great people and had the chance
to sing at some really great places and
showcase what I’ve got.
“But it was a very strange experience.
It was very challenging most of the time,
so I would probably lean toward thinking I
wouldn’t do it if I knew what I know now.
Just because it is kind of tough and your
normalcy gets taken from you. It’s weird to
deal with and it’s changed my life. I don’t
know if it’s a good or a bad way yet, but
positives and negatives have come from it
— just like anything.”
One aspect of the TV show emphasised
by the media during the 2007 season of
Australian Idol was the number of Christian
musicians among the finalists, even to the
point of suggesting that Christians were
“stacking” the voting to keep “their” artists
on the show. Matt rejects such suggestions.
“Obviously that theory was proven
wrong [by the way the show turned out],”
he reflects. “I’m not even part of a massive
church and I wasn’t trying to promote
myself as a Christian through the show. I
hardly said anything about it and the media
blew it all out of proportion.”
Apart from this misrepresentation, Matt
is happy to be described as a Christian
musician and was in his element as a
headlining artist at Easterfest (formerly
the Australian Gospel Music Festival) in
Toowoomba, Queensland, in March.
“There are a few people in this nation
who think [Christianity is] a bit weird or
whatever but I love it,” he says. “And it’s
great coming to places like this and you
get a great, warm reception. So I am not
ashamed [of my faith] at all. I used to sing
in church for many years, so it’s nothing
different.”
Matt’s parents became Christians when
he was two years old, so he says he grew
up in church. Heading into the Australia Idol
competition, he says he wondered how his
faith would fit with the TV show.
“But [the experience] actually made
me more self-reliant,” he reports, “as in I
had to push myself to get into’ God more.
What I thought could push me away,
actually brought me closer to God because
I was myself getting into the Bible and
not being encouraged by anybody else. I
was self-motivated, so it strengthened my
relationship [with God], which was great.
“Since Idol, I’ve been back in church and
everything’s been going sweet. Knowing
what I know now, it has made church so
much sweeter. You know, when you’ve
been starved from something you love,
when you come back there, it’s so much
better.”
So where next for Matt Corby? He is
interested in travelling, but at this stage
more for expanding his personal horizons
and experience than for pursuing his
musical dreams. He speaks enthusiastically
about a couple of beaches south of Sydney
with “lots of waves with not many people
around”. And, of course, his faith and music
continue to be important parts of who he is.
Matt says he is thinking about working
on an album.
“I know that sounds weird,” he says.
“Most people would probably jump right
in. But I’m still considering the prospects of
creating an album. I’m writing pretty full-on
for something — I’m just not sure what. But
I’m a bit directionless at the moment so I
am just singing and having a bit of fun.”
It’s an unexpected lull, but perhaps
necessary if he is to begin again, “trying to
build something that’s real”.
Photos: Ben Beadon
From a distance, it appears Matt Corby has it
made. But this young star says he wants to
“build something that’s real” in his life. By
NATHAN BROWN.
t seems a dream come true — the
hype, the attention, the success and the
opportunities that follow. But for Matt
Corby, runner-up in the 2007 edition
of Australian Idol, the fifth season of the
popular reality TV show, the aftermath of
his Idol experience has seen him trying to
step back, reassess and perhaps start over.
“I’ve just been cruising,” Matt says of
the few months following Idol, “just been
writing music and just sort of taking myself
out of everything.
“I had some pretty sweet opportunities
come my way but I wasn’t keen on them so
I have returned to being a normal kid. I’m
still a musician but just doing it in a normal
way, instead of a way that consists of hype
and is pretty shallow. So I’m just taking a
I
12
step back and trying to build something
that’s real.”
As a high-profile finalist, Matt attracted
the interest of a couple of major record
companies but he says the offers just didn’t
feel right.
“I didn’t want to be part of a big
machine like that,” he says.
“I sort of realised halfway through Idol
that it was a bit harder than I thought it
was, with the commercial side of things,
and that I wasn’t really ready for it. So I just
wanted to go back to my roots and play
what I wanted to play. A lot of the songs
I did on Idol were manipulated by certain
people within the show.”
So while Matt has been playing and
writing music, it has not been in the way
that might be expected from an Idol star.
“I haven’t even advertised,” he explains.
“I’ve mostly been supporting people. It’s a
lot of fun and just playing for the sake of it.
“I never really enjoyed all that hype, but
[these past few months] have been really
enjoyable because I’m starting to feel more
normal. I’m just a kid really—I’m only 17
and just love music. So I’m taking it back to
what I used to do.”
Matt credits a fellow Idol alumnus with
helping him through this process.
“I’m really good mates with Guy
Sebastian,” he says, referring to the first
winner of Australian Idol. “I met him
halfway through the show and that night
we went fishing. He’s just a top bloke.
Because he’s been through it all, he’s a
13

Transforming Lives
Transformation is a powerful thing.
And when, like 22-year-old Daniel
Copeman of Ryde Corps, you come
from an adolescence filled with drugs
and alcohol, to then reach a point of
totally surrendering your life to Jesus,
transformation becomes a life-line.
DANIEL COPEMAN tells his story.
W
hen I was three years old
my dad left. At the time I
didn’t understand what had
happened and would often
sit at the front door in our house waiting for
him to come home.
A few months later Mum sent my
brother and I to Sunday school at Ryde
Salvation Army and when I was a bit older,
to Boys Legion at Parramatta Salvation
Army, but I never paid attention to what
they were teaching me. I was always getting
in trouble at school and my Mum would
often be called in by the principal. I would
get into trouble but I never really cared
about what I was doing.
By age nine I had taken up smoking.
When I was 11, I went to the Red Shield
Camp at Collaroy, where I became a
Christian, but this commitment didn’t last
very long. By the time I was 12, I had joined
the local gang. We often hung out and
caused trouble at our local shopping centre.
I started binge drinking and smoking pot.
By this stage my Mum’s faith was
deepening and she became a Salvation
Army soldier. I had no faith.
I would drink and take drugs after
14
school and every weekend and I often came
home off my face and started arguments
with my family. I was getting into trouble
with the police and not long after I joined
the gang, I was arrested for the first time,
for offensive behaviour, drinking in a
public place, under-age
drinking, possession
of pot, resisting arrest
and assaulting a police
officer. On the way to
the police station all I
was thinking was how
upset my Mum would
be. So I called my Dad
from the station and
chose not to tell my
Mum. Whenever I had to
attend court, Dad would
let me stay with him so
my Mum wouldn’t find
out.
By 15, I had been
arrested 17 times and
had about 40 charges to
my name — everything
from drug possession to
break and enters.
The worst came when I was 16 —
among other things, I was arrested for the
possession of an illegal weapon.
When I was taken to the station, I was
refused bail. I was locked up for four days
and after my court hearing I was let out on
a good behaviour bond for 12 months.
I transferred to a school that accepted
“bad-behaviour students” and even with
everything that was going on, I completed
my school certificate.
I left school and got a job as an
apprentice chef. I managed to stay out of
trouble with the police, but I didn’t keep the
job for long.
I was out of work for a long time and
started drinking and smoking pot everyday.
I started dealing drugs so I could afford to
keep up my habit, often costing me up to
$400 a week.
This was causing a lot of trouble
at home for my family. To protect my
brother and sister my Mum took out an
Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) against
me. At the time, I hated her for this and I let
her know.
I was put on a good behaviour bond for
another six months, but I managed to stay
out of trouble after this.
Breaking point
In 2003 my good friend was shot and killed.
I didn’t take this very well. My drinking and
smoking was out of control and in 2006
I was committed to hospital several times
with heart problems.
On one occasion, some friends came to
the hospital and I was so scared of dying,
I asked them to pray for me. My heart rate
came down immediately; the emergency
staff were amazed. It was a miracle and a
turning point in my life. I gave up alcohol
and drugs there and then.
When I got out of hospital I started
going to a Salvation Army youth church. I
went a few times but my girlfriend at the
time would make excuses for me not to go.
I got casual work in a warehouse for
six weeks and it turned into a full-time
permanent position.
Eventually my girlfriend and I grew
dramatically apart. She had continued to
stay around the drug scene and I was sick of
being around drugs and alcohol.
My life was heading in a new direction. I
left that relationship, moved back home and
I wanted to go back to church.
Starting again
I got talking to the Salvation Army worker
near where I live and he asked me to come
to church and told me Jesus had a great
plan for my life.
The next youth service I went to the
speaker said that no matter what I have
done in the past, God would forgive me
and they welcomed me back into the
church family. I gave my life to Jesus and I
felt a feeling I have never felt before.
I’ve been at Ryde Salvation Army
ever since. I attended the “Love That”
conference in Sydney last year and that had
a massive impact on my life. I have never
been happier.
I am totally committed to living out
the plan God has for my life and making a
difference in the world. I lost a few friends
because of this decision to follow Jesus
but I hope to bring them to know Christ as
well. I am now very involved with my church
ministry and I’m heavily involved with SAX
(Salvation Army Extreme Youth) at Ryde,
and I’m currently being trained as a youth
leader.
A few weeks ago God spoke to me and
told me that he wants me to start a youth
drop-in centre in a government housing
area. I spoke with the Salvation Army
worker about this, who has been thinking
the same thing, and we are starting this in
May.
I am also about to start the soldiership
course in The Salvation Army. I never
imagined myself in Salvation Army uniform
but that’s God’s plan for my life. My dream
is to see thousands of people saved by
Jesus. And I would like to help people with
addictions and just show them that even
in the lowest point in their life, Jesus loves
them.
People need to know that there are
always people to care about them. I don’t
want to see people go down the path I
chose, it’s not a good way of living. I want
to see the world changed and serve Jesus
each and everyday of my life.
15
book reviews
ig
l
t
o
p
s
e
h
t
n
i
g
n
i
wa l k
ht
WHO IS HE?: Kanye West, American Rap Artist and Hip Hop producer
THE FACTS: Born 18 June, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia, US.
WHERE HAVE YOU SEEN HIM?: Kanye West first hit the music charts with his album, College Dropout, in 2004.
He has since followed with Late Registration, in 2005 and Graduation, in 2007.
WHAT’S HIS HISTORY?: From the time he was three years old, Kanye West lived in Chicago, Illinois, in the United
States with his mother. While still attending high school, Kanye produced local artists and later came into fame after producing hit singles
for leading R&B artists such as Janet Jackson, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.
In 2002, Kanye was involved in a fatal car accident, and since then his faith has become apparent and provided inspiration for many of his
songs.
QUOTED: “God show me the way because the devil’s trying to break me down. The only thing I pray is that my feet don’t fail me now.
And I don’t think there is nothing I can do right now to right my wrongs. I want to talk to God but I’m afraid because we ain’t spoke in so
long ... Jesus walks with me.” Jesus Walks, College Dropout, 2004.
cd reviews
what’s on
ts
lvo yout h ev en
Your gu ide to Sa
a
li
ra
st
Au
across Ea st er n
Territorial
8-10 August: Children & Youth Matter
Conference
Central & North QLD
2-5 May: Youth Councils, Yeppoon
13-14 June: ID weekend, Bundaberg
20 June-9 July: Divisional PNG Mission
Trip
Greater West
10 May: Laos
15 June: SAGALA Church Parade
19 June: DYS Consultative Day
6-12 July: Basketball/Netball Carnival
2 August: Laos
15-17 August: Love That
Newcastle & Central NSW
14-18 July: Children’s Mission, Dubbo
19 July: Unified — Youth Rally, Dubbo
North NSW
11 May: DYSs visit Casino Corps
6-9 June: “LIFE 08” Youth Councils,
Yarrahapinni
15 June: DYSs visit Grafton Corps
22 June: DYSs visit Inverell Corps
5-12 July: QPAS, Brisbane
8-10 August: Children/Youth Matter
Conference, Maroochydore
16-17 August: Unlimited/Love That,
Sydney
August TBC: Levitical Weekend Mission
23-24 August: Unlimited/ Love That,
Brisbane
6-7 September: ID weekend, Darlington
Resort, Coffs Harbour
17-19 October: “PIONEERS” Kids’ Camp,
Echidna Gully
15-16 Nov: DYSs visit to Byron Bay
Mission
November TBC: Levitical Weekend
Mission
23 November: DYSs visit to Grafton
Corps
28-30 November: Adventurer &
Sunbeam Camp
South QLD
10 May: FUEL
6-8 June: Kids Camp
20-22 June: Design for Life
5-12 July: QPAS
26 July: FUEL
22-24 August: Love That &
Unlimited Kids
Sydney East & Illawarra
3-4 May: Youth Councils (includes a
Saturday night harbour cruise)
17 May: Youth Networking meeting,
North
31 May: Youth Networking meeting,
Central
31 May: Flayva, Rockdale
2 June: Children’s Networking meeting,
Central
6-8 June: Officer Kids’ camp
14 June: Youth Networking meeting,
Illawarra
15 June: Youth Discipleship Sunday
16 June: Children’s Network Meeting,
Illawarra
19 June: Youth and Children’s
Consultation
28 June: Regional Youth Meeting
3-7 July: Sydney Youth Band Tour
6-12 July: Interstate Basketball
Carnival, Brisbane
17 August: Junior Soldier Renewal
23-24 August: Guard and Ranger Camp
30 August: Flayva, Wollongong
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The Swim Club
Anne De Lisle
You know that feeling of being picked up and
dumped by a big wave? It’s not a nice feeling but
it’s only a split second before you surface again
and continue enjoying the ocean. But what if the
impact was so huge that the sheer force of the
wave drove you straight into the sand, holding
you there for longer than your body could
handle?
Drowning Man is David McDowell’s story of
staring death in the face. David’s been surfing all his life — dipping
under waves as he rides his board out past the break. Until one day,
something went wrong. A wave dropped heavy on the front of his
board and then on his shoulders, knocking him unconscious on the
ocean floor.
David writes that as he lay there, he was taken to heaven. He tells
his story of learning to trust God to keep him alive.
Author David McDowell is an Aussie and Drowning Man is set on
the Victorian coastline. While it’s not an award winner, Drowning
Man is an uplifting real-life story of one man cheating death and the
lessons he learns along the way are a good reminder that everything
happens for a reason. JB
When Karen’s husband drowns off the pictureperfect coast of Queensland, five women
realise they are no longer happy living life in
the shallow waters.
Karen needs a distraction from the grief
of losing her husband. Charlie, through whose
eyes the story is told, is a divorced mother of
two who needs to get fit and back into the
dating game. Then there’s Cate, the goddess
of the pool, newly married to an older man.
Laura’s the local GP who everyone turns to for
advice and Wendy is the prim and proper but dissatisfied housewife.
So every morning the ladies meet at the local swimming pool.
They conquer everything from aqua-aerobics to triathlons and
midnight swims in a dam. But more than increasing their fitness,
swimming for these five ladies is about conquering their fears and
overcoming challenges.
Side by side these ladies share tears, laughter and changingroom confidences.
The more I read, the more engaged I found myself becoming in
these ladies lives. The Swim Club is definitely one for the girls; it’s a
witty, intimate read and one which I think most women will be able
to relate. JB
Expect the Impossible
Stella Kart
Cadia
Cadia
Love out Loud
Jaci Valesquez
Free
Planetshakers

They could be defined as pop
punk, with a hint of rock. But
in their new album, Expect the
Impossible, Stella Kart doesn’t
want to be defined. And there
is something different about
Stella Kart’s music — their lyrics
are uplifting and encouraging.
Expect the Impossible is the
band’s third album. Their last
release was in 2006, so having
two years between albums,
the maturity in their music is
notable, especially in tracks like
Eyes and Letters.
But it’s their lyrics that
stand out most — their belief
and love for God oozes out of
their music and it’s refreshing
to hear punk music that isn’t
down and depressing.
Stella Kart’s style won’t suit
everyone’s taste, but if you’re
a fan or are into light-hearted
punk, I’d recommend it. JB
Best friends Courtney Myers
and Tori Smith are not long
out of high school but their
music resonates a maturity far
beyond their years. Whether
it’s singing about temptation in
relationships or where to turn
in hard times, their anthems
are catchy and easy to sing
along to. Cadia actually means
“a place of peace” and the duo
says it wants to encourage
people to delve deeper and
to find their identity in Christ.
Most of their songs are about
finding refuge in God’s love,
even when the world around us
appears out of control.
The lyrics are uplifting and
the music style will connect
with all age brackets. LM
She’s been singing and touring
since she was nine years old,
she’s been in ad campaigns for
the likes of Pepsi and Target
and has even got a Hollywood
movie credit to her name.
Jaci Velasquez, pop star from
Houston, Texas has recently
released her 13th album Love
out Loud.
Despite the opening of the
album sounding a lot like a
Hillsong album that I own, Love
out Loud is impressive. It’s pop
with a whole lot of punch, as
the opening track Nothing But
Sky demonstrates.
She follows this up with the
in-your-face song It’s not you,
it’s me — written about her
relationship with her father in
the aftermath of her parents’
divorce.
Jaci has co-written most
of the songs on this album,
showing that she’s grown a lot
as a singer-songwriter since her
first album hit the charts when
she was in her teens. The album
has a fresh, up-beat sound.
The stand-out track for me is
the title track, which I think
captures the current passion
that many people have to
change our world for the better.
If you’re a fan of Jaci
Velasquez you won’t be
disappointed with her latest
release. LM
You better take some Red Bull
or no-doze pills, because this
high-energy, floor-thumping
album requires caffeineinduced endurance to outlast it.
Planetshakers bring a
raw passion to worship, with
their music carrying an aura
of yesterday’s sound. The
nostalgic effect is created by
heavy beats, intricate rifts and
powerful chants. A perfect
prototype of this is the song
Free, which shares the album
name. Strong vocals stand out
from first instances and belt
out lyrics such as: ‘You’re my
saviour, you have set me free
forever, it is by your grace and
power, that you have set me
free.’
While some prefer to
worship through producing
as much sweat as humanly
possible as they mosh along to
songs like Saved the Day and
For Everything, there are more
chilled out alternatives. An
example is the powerful song In
the Highest and the simple yet
beautiful lyrics that accompany
it. Whatever your choice, they
all express the same explicit
message of how we are made
free through Christ and how
amazing this liberty is. JH

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*vegnivuee ahwasay2! cAollpieyosu haver to
so
to
s in 25 word
do is tell u ts you free.
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less what s
with
sponse along
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:
nd address to
your name a al@ aue.
ri
eastern.edito org
y.
rm
a
n
salvatio

17
film reviews
Then She Found Me
Release Date: 15 May, Rating: M

Sharkwater
Release Date: 15 May, Rating: PG

Smart People
Release Date: 24 April, Rating: M

Helen Hunt combines melodrama with
comedy in this story of a woman whose
biological clock is ticking.
Helen plays April Ephner, a middleaged woman who grew up in an
adopted family. She’s a school teacher
but all she wants is a child of her own.
After the death of her mother and
troubles in her marriage, April’s life
takes an unexpected turn.
For the first time in her life, April is
reunited with her birth mother - a sassy
morning-show TV host played by Bette
Midler. While coming to terms with
this, April falls in love with the father
of one of her students.
At 39 years old, April is learning to
be a mother, a daughter and a girlfriend
all at the same time. Her journey proves
to be a slightly predictable one but with
some very witty mother — daughter
exchanges. Then She Found Me is an
interesting take on our need to love and be loved. JB
Film-maker Rob Stewart’s underwater
adventures started from his obsession
with the most feared creature in
the ocean - sharks. In Sharkwater,
Rob Stewart confronts what is many
people’s worst fear and goes face to
face with sharks in a bid to change
people’s perceptions and break the
stereotype that they are blood-thirsty,
man-eating monsters.
Sharkwater is a visually stunning
exploration of the underworld. The film
takes us into some of the most pristine
and richly shark-populated waters places like Costa Rica, Cocos Islands and
the Galapagos Islands.
In an effort to protect sharks, Rob
joins the renegade that is Paul Watson,
head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation
Society. Their adventure is thrilling
as they battle in the open waters
against shark poachers, fight corrupt
authorities and have to flee for their
lives.
The exploitation and corruption
surrounding shark poaching is exposed
and the reality is shocking. Sharks are
being finned in masses and then in
many cases thrown back into the ocean
and left to die.
Sharkwater shows how in many
parts of the world these incredible
creatures have gone from predators to
prey.
Filmed in documentary style,
Sharkwater will you give a fresh
perspective on the ocean and the
importance of respecting all of the
world’s creatures. JB
Smart People is a dark comic story
of a widowed literature professor
who has alienated his son and turned
his daughter into an over-achieving,
unfriendly teenager.
Dennis Quaid plays Lawrence, the
professor, who falls in love with Janet
(Sarah Jessica Parker), a former student
of his. It’s been years since Lawrence
has dated and his conversational skills
involve little more than talking about
himself and his own problems.
Just as he starts to think his life
is picking up, his always-in-need,
unreliable younger brother shows up
at his door needing money and a place
to stay. His brother brings life into the
professor’s home, but at the same time
causes havoc in Lawrence’s carefully
planned life.
The film is humorous as we see that
all the intelligence in the world can’t fix
this acerbic professor. Before Lawrence
realises it, his unstable younger brother
has done more for his family and
Lawrence’s relationship with Janet than
he could have ever done himself.
The character development is strong
throughout the film and the comedic
undertone in the script is very amusing.
The original ideas and strong cast in
Smart People make it very enjoyable. JB