The Virtual, Holiday-Themed Concert Doubles as a Fundraiser to Benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities® and the Families and Communities it Serves
On Sunday, December 12 at 8 p.m. ET, McDonald’s USA will deliver the gift of music to McDonald’s fans through its Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour Holiday Experience. In partnership with BET, award-winning and emerging gospel artists including Yolanda Adams, Kurt Carr, James Fortune, The Walls Group, and Brian Courtney Wilson, and BET’s Sunday Best winner Stephanie Summers, will grace the virtual stage to ring in the season with some of their chart-topping hits and holiday carols and gospel music many love.
Show performers will come together to premiere “Christmas Spirit,” a feel-good song written and produced by chart-topping gospel artist, Sir the Baptist. Written exclusively for this Holiday Experience, the tune merges traditional gospel music with contemporary hip-hop sounds.
This special holiday concert continues the long-standing Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour tradition of supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC®) and its mission to improve the health and well-being of children and their families. Because ‘tis the season, virtual concert-goers can donate to RHMC live at RMHC.org/ICGT2021. Since 2012, the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour has raised more than $1M to help families with ill or injured children stay close when they need it most.
“The holidays are such a special time. But as much as it’s a time for celebration, it’s a time to reflect and give back to others around us. I am proud to join this talented group of artists to usher in the holiday spirit for gospel fans nationwide while supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities families.”
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, Yolanda Adams
Fans can stream the show on BET’s YouTube Channel. Ahead of the show, they can also experience a virtual red carpet hosted by social media comedian @NotKarltonBanks who will perform lively skits, host spirited interviews with tour artists, and give viewers a peek behind the scenes of the holiday show. Multi-award-winning musician and syndicated radio personality Lonnie Hunter will host the show.
“We are thrilled to bring back our holiday show as a celebration of this joyous season and what it means to the communities we serve. While McDonald’s and its Owner/Operators are committed to helping communities throughout the year, we are especially honored to help RMHC families through this special show that is a treat for all who love gospel music and holiday cheer.”
Harry Smith, Indiana McDonald’s Owner/Operator and Chair of the Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour
The McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour Holiday Experience is the fifth and final stop of the annual tour that is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. Launched in September during Gospel Music Heritage Month, this longstanding event feeds and fosters community through the deeply rooted tradition of gospel music. The 2021 virtual tour and concert series featured talented gospel performers representing the Gulf Coast, West Coast, Carolinas, the DMV, and Houston.
Visit www.blackandpositivelygolden.com for streaming information and additional holiday show details, and follow @WeAreGolden on Instagram for future tour updates.
The Chosen Vessel Cathedral and Tarrant Area Food Bank are partnering to feed 200 families tomorrow, September 18th, from 4 – 6 p.m. The organizations aim to provide relief to families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is Bishop Marvin Sapp’s mission to continue to be a source of spiritual and physical refreshing in Fort Worth, as The Chosen Vessel Cathedral celebrates its 100 year anniversary. Fresh fruit, vegetables and more will be given away while supplies last.
Government issue ID will be required, and there is a limit of one pre-packed food gift per household.
Event Details
Friday, September 18th, 4;00 PM in The Chosen Vessel Cathedral Parking Lot 4650 Campus Drive Fort Worth, Texas 76119
Mrs. Gwen Carr is ready to tell much more of her story in support of “boy: Defending Our Black Sons Identity in America” which shares stories of mothers whose sons have been impacted by police brutality and systemic racism. She has recently signed on to serve as foreword contributor and is ready to share the purpose discovered in her pain after losing her beloved son, Eric Garner. On what would have been her son’s 50th birthday, Gwen Carr sat down with Good Morning America and other mothers to talk about life after their children’s deaths at the hands of police officers. Describing the aftermath of the murder and life without her son, Carr told ABC News’ Lesley Messer , “the nightmare was never over. It’s worse than a nightmare because at least with a nightmare, you wake up.”
“We have to go from demonstration to legislation,” she said.
Though somewhat removed from the national spotlight, Carr remains visible as an agent of change saying, “we have to go from demonstration (protests) to legislation.” She took her demands for justice straight to lawmakers who were forced to deal with the grieving, yet determined mother. She is currently fighting for recognition of her son in the form of “Eric Garner Day” on Staten Island and hopes to honor her son in that way.
In June of this year, Mrs. Carr attended the signing of the bill named in honor of her late son. The police-reform bill punishes any officer applying a chokehold to apprehend a citizen who is not directly protecting their own life. This is in direct action to the death of her son, because it would have protected his life during the altercation that ended Eric Garner’s life.
Though Gwen Carr is part of the sorority of sisters whose children were robbed of the gift of life by policemen and police allies, she is lending support to another assemblage of women…mothers of survivors. After watching the harrowing video of George Floyd’s final minutes, Sherilyn Bennett had seen enough. Floyd’s death and his cries for his “mama” inspired Bennett’s forthcoming book “boy: Defending Our Black Sons Identity in America” which releases next month and features a collection of stories of mothers nationwide who share the harrowing encounters with law enforcement and systemic racism.
“Mom, police cars are everywhere. I have no idea what’s going on.”
Bennett a mother of two adult sons recounts the helpless moments campus officers unlawfully detained her son because they didn’t believe he was a student at the university. Her son was detained and released only after a coach confirmed that he wasn’t only a student but a member of the football team. This book tells previously unheard stories of mothers whose sons have experienced the cruel depravity of racism and police brutality as children and adults. Many men have similar experiences of internalizing painful experiences because sharing them would cause emotional harm to their loved ones.
A parent’s job is never done and the bond between mothers and children never ends. The Mothers of the Movement are well known activists but Following tragedies that took their loved ones lives, the Sisters of the Movement was born. The women work to not only preserve the memory of their brothers and sisters, they continue the fight for justice in their name. On his birthday, the Terence Crutcher Foundation will honor life with a day of service. The Botham Jean Foundation did the same earlier this month and his birthday, September 29th has been proclaimed “Be Like Bo” day in Dallas.
Mr. Garner’s daughter Erica took up the cause following his death and the Reverend Al Sharpton poignantly praised her work in a New York Times interview saying, “when her father died, an activist was born. You don’t just accept injustice, you fight.” Reverend Sharpton also alluded to the stress and duress of activism as contributing causes to her untimely demise.
The shared trauma of black men, black boys and their families is quantified in this book in hopes of providing community and creating resolve among readers and most importantly, mothers. Women have confessed to carrying the burden of trying to protect their sons, husbands, fathers, brothers and friends in what appears to be open season on black men.
“boy: Defending Our Black Sons Identity in America” releases next month and though formed as literature is a safe space to read about the shared experiences of black families in America, hopes to give its readers the strength necessary to persevere and keep striving to see a brighter future for black men in America!
A Special Time For Teachers Outpouring 120 Teachers Project Experience the Outpour of Appreciation & Encouragement!
Pastor Sonjia Dickerson and the Outpouring Inc.Team will appreciate 120 DFW area teachers and give classroom supplies and special gifts in thanks for the role they play every day in the lives of our children. They will pray for teachers, the upcoming school year and students at the very beginning of the event taking place on August 1 at 2 PM at Dayspring Family Church.
Join Outpouring INC. for a special time of encouragement and empowerment for teachers and administrators. The 1st 120 teachers to register via Eventbrite will receive a teacher gift box (there will be contactless placement).
Register for the day of encouragement and appreciation, here.
Teachers, you are special and you are Front-line workers and we appreciate you. We know this is a challenging time and we support you. To show our appreciation we will be giving a special back to school care package to 120 teachers. Classroom supplies, masks, hand sanitizer, copy paper will be included in the boxes and much more. Sign up for this awesome gift box as well as the opportunity to be in a drawing for a gift card of $120 and a laptop. Plus there will drawings for other special prizes!
****Please note only 1 set per teacher will be given away and you must be present to receive the supply set****
New Computer Animated Version of the Beloved Story to be Translated into Dozens of Languages to Support Missions Worldwide Tickets on Sale Now for Easter Screenings
In recent years, faith-based films have proven to be one of the most effective tools for sharing the essential truths of Christianity worldwide. Classic stories that stand the test of time have the unique power to break down barriers of age, race, nationality, and language. Revelation Media and Cat in the Mill Studios understands this fact, and are preparing to bring one of the most popular Christian novels of all time – THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS – to U.S. cinemas Easter 2019.
The film will be shown on April 18 and April 20, distributed through Fathom Events. THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS has been translated into over 200 languages, has never been out of print and has sold over 200 million copies – more copies than any Christian book, next to the Bible. Written in 1678 by John Bunyan while in prison for holding religious services, THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS is often cited as the greatest allegory ever written. The 2019 film will be the story’s feature-length theatrical debut, as well as the first computer-animated telling of the timeless tale. Media-driven families can be assured that this centuries-old story can still connect with viewers of all ages.
“More than any other story (outside the Bible), THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS has been used to inspire and challenge Christians to set their eyes on God, all around the world,” explains Executive Producer Steve Cleary. “We are thrilled to offer this tale to a new generation through CGI animation, and are confident that the timeless themes of faith – such as hope, persecution, persistence, doubt, hardships – will resonate in a whole new way.” Revelation Media is unique in its commitment to creating projects that can first and foremost serve as an asset to missionaries around the globe. Several early scenes from the project were paid for specifically through the film’s Kickstarter campaign, where over 1,600 backers gave nearly $150,000 for the completion of the project. This crowdfunding, as well as the support of generous ministry partners including American Family Association, allows Revelation Media to fund the distribution of the film to those working on the mission field.
The Revelation Media team has already targeted the first 20 languages for the film to be re-cut with voices from native speakers. This opens the door for the film to impact restricted nations where the preaching of the Gospel is prohibited and Christians often find persecution. These translations of the film will be donated to missionaries and pastors at no cost and will find a potential audience of over 3 billion people. After the English-language version of the film is complete, the next target is for the film to be aired on the second largest TV network in Iran. Paralleling the US theatrical events on Easter weekend, over 6 million Iranian citizens will experience THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS in their native Farsi. The team has also already begun the film’s translation into Mandarin and Spanish. Ultimately, the vision is for THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS film to be available to viewers speaking over 100 different languages.
Cleary continues, “I have had the honor to visit with persecuted Christians in nearly 40 nations. In each of these countries, THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS was known and was an inspiration to Believers. I personally connect with this story on many levels. It is an honor to be producing the first version of this classic masterpiece in CGI animation, and to share its truths in theaters in the USA and around the world.” THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS will be in movie theaters around the country on April 18 at 7:00 pm and April 20 at 12:55 pm.
Tickets for THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS are already for sale through Fathom Events or at http://pilgrims.movie. To receive more information, join the mailing list, and receive a free THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS e-book featuring stills from the movie, please see https://www.revelationmedia.com/pilgrims/pmovie/
With a passion to encourage congregational worship, create resources for churches and draw listeners closer to God, Highlands Worship releases its third, full-length album Jesus You Alone, today (March 1) with global distribution for the first time through The Fuel Music. The 15-song album with over 70-minutes of music features Highlands Worship’s diverse group of talented songwriters and vocalists from the Birmingham, AL-based Church of the Highlands, one of America’s largest churches.
Recorded at the church, produced by Highlands Worship’s Chris Griffin, and mixed by Sam Gibson(Hillsong, Jesus Culture, Chris Tomlin), Jesus You Alone is available now at iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon.com, Spotify and more digital retail and streaming outlets everywhere through. The album features six new, full band recordings of songs first featured on Highlands Worship’s acoustic EPS, Vol 1: Wonderful Things and Vol 2: Jesus You Alone, along with nine more songs of worship “about Him only, not about us.”
“When we wrote these songs, we hoped they would be encouraging and refreshing to people that listen to them. The best way we know to accomplish that is to put all the focus on Jesus and who He is,” shares Worship Pastor John Larson, who leads Highlands Worship’s 900+ active worship team members and 70 full or part-time musicians on staff.
“In this me-centered world, these songs are very vertical, glorifying Jesus in a fresh way, yet with ancient themes gathered from Scripture,” adds worship leader Nicole McLean. “The Word of God is living and active.”
Highlighted tracks on the album include “Song In My Heart,” “Who Is Like The Lord” and the title track that was co-written by Highlands Worship’s Larson, McLean and Jesse Abram Reeves. “Jesus You Alone” also became the first video released from the album. Produced by Dan Atchison, whose credits include the 2018 ACM Video of the Year (Thomas Rhett’s “Marry Me”) and multiple CMT and Dove Awards-winning releases, the video was premiered by Worship Musician last month.
The worship team has been featured recently on the Beyond Sunday Worship podcast, and the upcoming RELEVANT Podcast, in Worship Musician and many more Christian media outlets. Add “Jesus You Alone” to your worship music collection, today!
The full Jesus You Alone track listing follows: 01. Shepherd 02. Joy 03. Expression 04. Wonderful Things 05. Song In My Heart 06. How I Need You 07. I Will Sing Jesus 08. Who Is Like the Lord 09. Your Love Is Enough 10. One Moment 11. You Are My God 12. Jesus You Alone 13.The Name of Jesus 14. All or Nothing 15. Greater
About Highlands Worship: Based in Birmingham, AL and leading at various conferences and events throughout the year, Highlands Worship is the worship ministry of Church of the Highlands. In 2012, the ministry released its first full-length, live album, Place of Freedom, followed by the acclaimed debut studio album, Here I Surrender (2016), which introduced worship anthems embraced by churches internationally.
Founded in 2001, Church of the Highlands, under the leadership of Pastor Chris Hodges, has expanded to 19 multisite campuses that collectively have over 50,000 people attending weekly. With the accredited Highlands College as well as student, kids, marriage and family and more ministry outreaches, the church purposes “to reach people with the life-giving message of Jesus that they might become fully devoted followers of Christ.”
About The Fuel Music: Established in 2008, The Fuel Music & Management, LLC, is a leading artist management and artist solutions company that independently distributes music internationally. Based in Nashville, TN, the Fuel team brings nearly 70 years of combined music industry experience in record label operations, major label distribution and marketing, and artist management for artists ranging from upstart bands to GRAMMY Award-winning, multi-Platinum artists. More information on the company can be found at www.thefuelmusic.com.
