Music | jonathancliff.com

Tag Archive - music

God’s Kids Worship Review and Giveaway

August 31, 2010 in Ministry with 17 Comments

I am always on the search for good music in our Children’s Ministry environments. If you take me to lunch sometime I’ll tell you about all the ones I love and hate! So when Bob Singleton from God’s Kids Worship asked me to review something new that is being put out for Children’s Ministry…I was all over it. Thanks Bob for sending along something so fun to look through.

God’s Kids Worship is available in both CD Audio format and in the very popular DVD Video format. I’ve looked through the Modern Worship Summer DVD and the Modern Worship CD Pack. There is so much here, and I only have a small portion of all that GKW offers to churches, schools, and families! Let’s talk about what we do have.

Here is what I liked:

These DVD’s have everything! Need service countdown videos? They got it! Need background images for when you’re teaching? They got it! Need high-energy songs complete with easy to read words to the worship songs? They got those too! I can’t think of anything they forgot to include.
The DVD’s are so easy to use. They load super fast, and the menus are totally dummy proof. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, then you have other issues. ;) These DVD’s would be great with any knowledge level of sound and video guy helping you. Trust me, this is so important when Sunday Morning rolls around.
The music is familiar. The music is all stuff we do in our Adult Worship Services, and many of the songs are heard on the local Christian radio stations. (And I know that I’ve only looked at a very small portion of what GKW has available on their main website and in stores now!)
It just looks cool! GKW has taken the extra step to make everything packaging and visually related is a home run. These are not your father’s Children’s Ministry songs! Don’t underestimate the cool-factor when programming for children.
There is a curriculum that follows along with everything. Anytime you can work your music around what you are teaching for the Bible it’s a win-win.

Here is the only thing I didn’t like:

I’m going to be guilty here of being nit-picky; but if I’m totally being honest I would say that I wish there were more adult vocals included on the audio. The children’s choir that is recorded on all the audio is stellar and it’s really done well, but my experience tells me that when there is one adult focal voice on the track it helps keep my kids attention better when I use it as a worship product. However, GKW has been designed to be kid-only and I totally undersand their position.

Summary:

What we have here is a fantastic resource that is new, cutting-edge, modern and yet they still make some classic church music for those of you working in a more traditional environment. I’m going to make it really easy for you to try out this new product, as God’s Kids Worship has graciously provided us with a giveaway.

I have one quarter of the Brand New Modern Worship DVD to giveaway. People, this is a $60 value and it’s completely going to be free to one lucky reader! This DVD has 3 easy-to-use Lyrics and Music DVD songs, countdowns, worship orders, and much more. It is seriously over 42 tracks of Children’s Ministry worship gold!

What do you have to do to win? Easy, easy, easy! There are two ways to win, and two ways to enter. Yes, I said it. You can enter twice.

Just leave a comment here for one easy entry for the give-away!
Tweet this: @jonathancliff is giving away one FREE Worship DVD from God’s Kids Worship over @ jonathancliff.com http://bit.ly/WorshipGiveaway #kidmin

I’m going to run this contest until Tuesday, September 7th and then throw all the entries into a random generator and pick our winner! Only 7 days to enter twice! Why not start today?

////////////////////////////////

I’m sorry to have to break it to you, but this contest has ended. Thank you for participating, and keep watching www.jonathancliff.com for our next giveaway!

Embrace Life

July 13, 2010 in Technology with 1 Comment

I saw this commercial from the Embrace Life campaign, and thought that I would share it with all my readers! Everything from the acting, the music, and the slow-motion video is fantastic. I bet it will even pull some emotions out of you!

HT: BON

I Have a Dream for my iPhone

April 20, 2010 in Links, Technology with 0 Comments

I have a dream for my iPhone. I dream of an app on my iPhone that listens in on my daily conversations and then automatically sets my alarm clock in the morning for what it determines is the best time for me to wake up. I dream of an app on my iPhone that would buzz in my pocket when it hears me committing to things I don’t have the time for. I dream of an app on my iPhone that would turn my $1 bills into $100 bills. I dream of an app on my iPhone that would be all the greatness of my church in iPhone mobile glory. I know that the church cannot be contained in an iPhone app, but wouldn’t it be great to find a church app that wasn’t just a duplication of their website? Wouldn’t it be awesome if there were a church app that took all that awesome content my pastor puts out every week and made it readily available? What if life group leaders could share discussion questions, parents could followup with what their kids learned, and attenders could signup for events all using the app on their iPhone? But the iPhone isn’t enough…I need this app for all my Blackberry, Android and Palm friends. I dream, I dream. Oh wait… that last one is possible!

Check out R04R. Haven’t heard of them yet? Probably not, their official company launch will happen at the Orange Conference. Trust me, after you see what R04R can do for you, you’ll want them to develop both your app and an app for your church. They’ll knock your socks off.

So, how will R04R help you build a quality app that’s worth keeping? I’m glad you asked.

First of all, R04R is not a web development company that’s dabbling in this new “app development market.” R04R is a company dedicated completely to mobile apps. Their mission is to get as much Christian content onto mobile platforms as possible. R04R will not develop a duplication of your website as an app, R04R will develop a quality application built on a solid platform. Actually, R04R’s platform is the same one that both Ashton Kutcher and and Taylor Swift’s apps are built on. It’s a reliable and quality platform that your users will like and feel comfortable with.

Second of all, R04R will build into your platform a clearinghouse of of your media content. Built into the app is a place to import your tweets as well as other people’s tweets or mentions of you, a place to import your videos, a place to play music, messages or other content directly from the app or a link to import music, videos or messages as podcasts through iTunes.

Thirdly, R04R takes advantage of the many features of your phone. The platform connects into location based services so you can find events, small groups or other local gatherings in relation to your current location. You also have the ability to enable push technology where you can message all your app users about updates or with key information they don’t want to miss. With push technology, you’ll get information to them even if they forget to open your app in a few days.

Fourth, R04R is versatile. Right now you R04R app will work on any iPhone and Android phone. That’s right, you upload your content once and you can have both apps updated at the same time. A few months later your app will also be available on Blackberry and the Palm. Why shoot yourself in the foot with trying to get an iPhone app when you can have your app on every major platform. Inclusivity is what you want, right?

Retail for an app this powerful can’t even be touched for less than $1,500. With R04R, you can get your first app up and running in a matter of weeks for a decent set up fee of less than $1000 and $35/month. Sure, you can get an app for less. But does it work on more than just the iPhone? Does it include push and location based technology? Does it offer support? Does Ashton Kutcher know it exists? I don’t think so . If you’re really serious about having your own app, this is the best deal you’ll find anywhere for the features you’ll get.. Click here to order your new app.

If interested, type “Jonathan Cliff” in the referral code blank and you’ll get the best price they offer!

Wanna see a R04R for yourself? Click here to download the app for Northstar church which is a great example of what you could have. Know that you can get an app that looks a lot like this, similar to this or R04R can custom build an app to suit your needs.

Disclaimer: Although R04R can build you a very impressive app based on their successful platform, that alone isn’t enough to make it a great app. The second part to that equation is content. It’s up to you to supply great content week after week, that part’s up to you.

The Friday Bag

November 6, 2009 in Links, Personal with 2 Comments

This is my recap of the past few weeks. It’s not a brain dump, since I don’t usually carry more than baseball statistics in my brain and there are no baseball statistics included in this Friday Bag.

I dedicate this video to my wife, who informed me after 11 years of marriage that she no longer liked Chicken Wings.

I’ve been in 3 different creative meetings this week at church. At some point they will figure out that I’m not nearly as creative as I am opinionated. And on that note, I want to say that I really love my church. I work with some real creative people, and can’t believe sometimes that I work in a place like this.

Every Sunday I post a twitter recap from the previous week. What say you about those postings? Do you hate them as much as me?

I’m 82 days into a 90 day project, and I can smell the end coming. I’ll recap what it is when I figure out an easy way to talk about it online.

Starr and I are 7 weeks into Financial Peace University, and so far so good. We have the obligatory student loan debt, and what we like to call “Graduate School Associated Debt” on a credit card. If we can stick to Dave’s plan, I’m thinking we could be debt free sometime before I die. Of course, I’m planning on living a long, long, long time.

I’ve got some friends coming to visit from Austin this afternoon. I haven’t seen them in years, but they have a kid running in a High School Cross Country regional meet here on the South Plains. It’ll be good to catch up.

Speaking of Austin, Starr saw a shirt yesterday here in town that said, “Keep Lubbock Normal.” I’m thinking I should make a shirt that says, “Keep Lubbock Flat!”

I’ve been asked to be a part of the Network Technology Manager interviews here at Trinity. (In a previous life, I was an IT Manager…) In the last month, I’ve been in 11 interviews. I did 6 on Wednesday and Thursday alone. I have so many things to say about this, but I’m going to let it go. I do have one thought…. Why would you apply to work at a church if you’re not a Christian? I know that being a Christian does not make a good IT Manager, but still it baffles me…

I hired a Part-Time Elementary Ministry Coordinator a few months back; and it has been a great move for Trinity and personally for me. Not having to be at every single church function as it relates to Children, has been a needed break for me and my family. However, she’s expecting a baby any day now; so I’ll be back to the grind until she returns from her Mommy break.

The Fall Festival was a huge success last Saturday Night. I’m estimating about 100+ volunteers showed up to help (many of them at the last minute) and about 1,500 people partook in the festivities. I’m still philosophically trying to make up my mind about why we do these events, but for what it’s worth the Fall Festival in Lubbock, TX is alive and well!

At some point in the past few weeks, I have become the Apple go-to-guy for everyone on staff at the church. How did this happen?

I’m the “Mystery Reader” at Ryan’s class this afternoon, and I’m so looking forward to visiting his classroom. He doesn’t know I’m coming, but has gotten clues all week about how it may or may not be. I got to do it a few weeks ago and it was a blast.

If you are disturbed by my frequent use of semicolons and commas; then, please read another blog. The same thing goes for my use of apostrophe’s. Thank You. (and yes I overused them in this sentence to make a point…)

I’ve been asked to lead a Christmas service for a Foster Care agency here in Lubbock. I’m not sure they asked for the right person. I tried to make them understand that I don’t juggle ornaments, nor will I be dressed as a Christmas tree.

New Favorite Website of the Week: I’m loving http://www.setlist.fm It’s a collection of concert setlist, with included Youtube Music videos and lyrics. It’s a super awesome way to relive past concerts, and catchup on currently touring concerts. (And BTW, Kenny. I can’t find any 1980′s-circa Carmen concerts listed, so when you have the time go ahead and submit those would ya?)

My U2 360 Concert Experience

October 14, 2009 in Personal with 2 Comments

About five years ago I was reintroducing myself to the music of U2. I knew there was some more meaning behind the music than I was getting, and needed the U2 101 class to really appreciate them more. I knew of a guy running a blog at www.bagofnothing.com who was a MAJOR U2 fan, so I emailed him asking for some song recommendations from U2. In about a weeks time I instead received a package in the mail full of U2 music, with a song list and reasons why each song meant something to him (and everyone else as well.) It was a powerful way to learn new music, and it began a love affair with the music of U2. Keith and I have become good friends since our first online conversations, and while I don’t live in the same town as him, work the same type of job, or have much in common besides being the same age; I’d consider him a good friend. He would be welcome at my house anytime.

Now fast forward to Sunday afternoon when I get a phone call from him asking if I’d like to attend the U2 concert with him on Monday night. His wife was under the weather and unable to attend. :(

Did I ask where the seats were? NO! Did I ask if he was serious? YES! I confirmed that I could leave town for a few days, and then made my plans to race to Dallas for the concert. I met Keith at his house, where he also let me sleep after the concert and drink one of his Cokes (such a nice guy, huh?) We hung out with his wife for an hour or so, then headed to the show.

We got there early enough for us to get the full Cowboys Stadium experience and to grab our seats. Our seats. Oh boy, our seats! They weren’t actually seats. Keith had gotten RedZone tickets, which enabled us to stand right next to the catwalk and stage area. I freaking stood 5 feet away from Bono and the Edge at a U2 concert! I watched the Edge play the guitar lick from “Where the Streets Have No Name” from 5 feet away! This stage was ginormous, and was a technological marvel. I can’t begin to describe this stage, so I won’t.

Thanks to Keith for making a dream I didn’t know I had come true. This easily makes one of my top 10 lifetime experiences, and I owe it to a buddy who thought to call me when his wife wasn’t able to make it to the show.

And yes. I’m posting the pictures and really lame videos to rub it in. I am not above that. Sorry.

Page 2 of 7«123 4 5 »...Last »