RELEVANT

File:RelevantMagazine.jpg Relevant #7, March/April 2004
Editor	Cameron Strang
Categories	Lifestyle, Christian magazines
Circulation	70,000 bimonthly
First issue	March/April 2003
Company	RELEVANT Media Group
Country	United States
Language	English
Website	relevantmagazine.com
ISSN	1543-317X

RELEVANT is a bimonthly Christian lifestyle magazine exploring the intersection of faith and pop culture. Its tagline is “God, life, and progressive culture." The magazine is published by RELEVANT Media Group with an average distributed circulation of 70,000 copies. According to a demographic study in 2012, 86% of Relevant's subscribers are between the ages 18 and 39 (the average subscriber's age is 27). ^[1] The magazine's companion web presence, RELEVANTmagazine.com, launched in 2002 with the email newsletter, "850 Words of RELEVANT" (now called "RELEVANT This Week"). The website consists of daily news, reviews, and original and exclusive content from contributors, and in 2012 averaged more than 500,000 visitors a month. Relevant launched its interactive iPad edition in September, 2011.

History[link]

Both the magazine and the website are products of the RELEVANT Media Group, founded by Cameron Strang, son of Charisma Magazine publisher and Strang Communications CEO Stephen Strang in June, 2000.^[2] Prior to forming his own company, Strang held the managing editor position at Voxcorp, which produced 7ball magazine and others.^[3] Relevant Media Group published Relevant Books from 2001-2006 and released 85 titles. Its third book, released in October 2001, was "Walk On," a book examining the faith and spiritual journey of the band U2. This book made the top 100 list at Amazon.com.^[4]

RELEVANT magazine was first published in March, 2003. The magazine explores the intersection of faith and pop culture with the tagline "God. Life. Progressive Culture." From a sociological perspective, one critic has called the publication "the mass media equivalent of outreach in the skate park."^[4] It is distributed nationally at Barnes & Noble and other retailers, and is a top seller at the Family Christian bookstore chain.^[4]

In its early years, contributors to the print magazine included John Fischer, Dan Haseltine (Jars of Clay), Don Chaffer (Waterdeep), and Dan Buck. RELEVANT runs articles about faith, life in your 20s and 30s, social justice, and interviews with musicians and authors such as Donald Miller, The Avett Brothers, Rob Bell, and the The Civil Wars.

In 2005, Relevant Media Group created a women's magazine, Radiant, which published 12 issues from 2005-2007.

In 2008, Relevant Media Group launched a magazine for church leaders, Neue.

In 2011, Relevant launched a free semi-annual social justice magazine, Reject Apathy. It is included with Relevant subscriptions, and has a total distribution of 150,000 copies.

RELEVANT launched its interactive iPad edition in September, 2011.

RelevantMagazine.com[link]

The website is updated daily and is a counterpart to the magazine. It includes daily features, news ("slices"), columns, reviews and features such as "The Drop" ^[5] and "RELEVANT.tv".^[6]

Relevant podcast[link]

Relevant magazine posts a podcast on iTunes every Friday. Its weekly listenership topped 100,000 in 2012.

References[link]

• It's young, it's hip and it's Christian. The Orlando Sentinel, March 25, 2003

External links[link]

• Official site
• USA Today article from 2004
• Transcript of a CNN interview with Cameron Strang
• Relevant Media Group website

Derek Walsh Webb (born May 27, 1974 in Memphis, Tennessee) is an American singer-songwriter who first entered the music industry as a member of the band Caedmon's Call, and later embarked on a successful solo career. Webb graduated from Klein High School in Klein, Texas in 1992. He was active in Young Life and spent a month working at Young Life's Frontier Ranch in 1999. As a member of the Houston, Texas-based Caedmon’s Call, Webb has seen career sales approaching 1 million records, along with 10 GMA Dove Award nominations and three Dove Award wins^[1] and six #1 Christian radio hits.^[2]

In 2003, Webb left Caedmon's Call to pursue a solo career. Since his departure, he has released six studio albums (his latest being instrumental), a live album, two compilation albums, a covers project, two DVDs and an EP (with his wife, Sandra McCracken). While these have been less commercially successful than his work with Caedmon's Call, Webb has had more of a free hand to shape his work to be exactly how he wants it.^[3]

On May 22, 2007, it was announced that Webb had re-joined Caedmon's Call, writing and recording for their album, entitled Overdressed, and would be joining the band on their subsequent tour.^[4]

Webb currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife, fellow singer-songwriter Sandra McCracken.

Caedmon's Call[link]

Caedmon's Call was formed in 1993 with four original members (three of whom still remain), Cliff Young, Danielle Glenn, Todd Bragg, and Aaron Tate. Aaron Tate, however, never intended to tour with the band, and was included in a songwriting capacity only, sharing those duties with Derek Webb who also played lead guitar.

In June 1994, the band released their first album, My Calm // Your Storm, originally a cassette-only demo recording. It was re-printed twice the same year with different cover art each time. In 1996 the band signed with now-defunct Christian label Warner Alliance, producing their self-titled release. Peaking at 110 on the Billboard 200,^[5] the album went on to win the GMA 1998 Modern Rock Album of the Year.^[1]

After the collapse of Warner Alliance in 1998, Caedmon's Call signed to Essential Records, where they released 40 Acres (1999), Long Line of Leavers (2000), In the Company of Angels: A Call to Worship (2001), Back Home (2003). All of these albums were moderately successful, peaking at 61, 58, 72, and 66 respectively on the Billboard 200.^[5] Notably, Webb did not provide any songwriting for In the Company of Angels or Back Home, despite having been a primary songwriter for the band prior to their release.^[6][7] During this time period, Webb also contributed to City on a Hill: Songs of Worship and Praise (2000) and City on a Hill: Sing Alleluia (2002), both as a member of Caedmon's Call and as a solo artist, which respectively garnered the GMA 2001 & 2003 Special Event Album of the Year awards.^[1]

In 2003, after the successful release of Back Home, Webb left the band to pursue his solo career. The following year, Caedmon's Call released Chronicles 1992-2004 (2004), a best-of collection of the band's work, which included work by Webb.^[8] Most recently, Caedmon's Call has signed onto INO Records, and Webb to rejoined the band for their album, Overdressed.

Solo career[link]

His first solo album, She Must and Shall Go Free (2003) is notable for causing controversy in Contemporary Christian Music circles; some Christian retailers refused to stock the album for its use of "strong" language.^[9]

One of the songs that was the basis for controversy was Wedding Dress where Webb compares Christians who seek fulfillment in things outside of Christ to a person committing adultery.^[9] An introspective tune, Webb writes that "I am a whore I do confess / I put you on just like a wedding dress".

Another song that generated controversy was Saint and Sinner where Webb wrote "I used to be a damned mess but now I look just fine, 'Cause you dressed me up and we drank the finest wine". The word 'damned' was removed from the final version of the album, at the request of two major Christian retailers.^[9]

Following the release of She Must and Shall Go Free, Webb embarked on a national tour in which he played his concerts in the living rooms of fans. This provided the opportunity to have greater interaction with his listeners. He went on to release a live album from his "House Tour", entitled The House Show (2004).^[10]

His second solo studio record, I See Things Upside Down (2004), generated mixed reviews. All marketing to the typical Christian music stations used by his first solo album and his albums with Caedmon's Call was stopped, though the album still has explicitly Christian lyrics. In comparison to Webb's previous work, this album has what's been referred to as an "experimental" style to it, and has been compared to the music of Wilco in that respect. Webb has stated that the album "was doing away with people's expectations in order to free me up to do what I wanted."^[3] Following the release of I See Things Upside Down, Webb released a live concert DVD, How to Kill and Be Killed (2005).

His third studio album, titled Mockingbird (2005), was released on December 26, 2005. The album touches on subjects such as politics, social justice, and war. Webb has stated that he tackled these subjects to stimulate discussion and engage people to bring about changes in what he sees as some of the greatest problems the world is facing today.^[3][11] In order to broaden this discussion to people less inclined to purchase his album, beginning September 1, 2006, Webb offered Mockingbird for free on the website Free Derek Webb (no longer exists), where it was available for download until December 8, 2006.^[12][13] Over 80,000 free copies of the album were downloaded during this time.^[14]

On January 30, 2007, Webb released two EPs, each containing the same ten songs from earlier in his solo career, including pieces from each of his three solo studio albums. One Zero (Acoustic), contains acoustic reinterpretations of the songs, and is available in stores only. One Zero (Remix) makes use of the original recording sessions for each of the songs, but has been remixed by engineer Will Hunt. This more experimental record is available only online.^[15]

Webb's next project, The Ringing Bell was released on May 1, 2007. Before the release date, it was available for pre-order at TheRingingBell.com in a deluxe edition which included a 96-page graphic novel inspired by the album. Those who pre-ordered the deluxe edition of the album were also able to immediately download it in its entirety.^[16]

On 12 May 2009, Webb sent a message to his email mailing list stating that his next album Stockholm Syndrome was deemed too controversial for his record label to release. "It seems I've finally found the line beyond which my label can support me, and apparently I've crossed it," Webb writes. "[A]t this point we're not sure when the record will come out and in what form. The majority of the controversy is surrounding one song, which I consider to be among the most important songs on the record …. [B]ecause of various legal/publishing issues we're having to be rather careful with how we do what we're going to do next.".^[17]

Derek's solo release Stockholm Syndrome was released on his website, derekwebb.com, on July 7, 2009 as a digital release. He has also made physical copies of both the edited and unedited versions of the CD available by September 1, 2009.

Business ventures[link]

While on tour supporting Mockingbird, Webb noticed that attendance at his shows had increased dramatically after he had made Mockingbird available for free online. He explains that for a niche artist, the value of word-of-mouth recommendations greatly exceeds that of the money earned from online music sales, even noting that he sold more albums after it had been made available for free. Therefore, in May 2007, in response to the success of the free distribution of Mockingbird, Webb teamed up with music industry veterans Mark Nicholas, David McCollum, and Brannon McAllister to form NoiseTrade. The site allows users to download music for free from independent artists who use the service.^[18]

The site will provide a market for an ostensibly mutually agreeable "trade": the consumer will get music for free, in exchange for making "noise" about the artist by sending emails to friends to let them know about the music. (Alternatively, the consumer may pay the price s/he deems fair.) The consumers may also use the site to find new and different kinds of music at no cost, utilizing user recommendations and forums to learn of new artists. The artists will also be able to use the ZIP code information collected to help book shows in areas with larger numbers of fans and potential fans.^[19]

Other projects[link]

During the 2008 Republican primaries, Webb officially endorsed Ron Paul's candidacy for United States president.^[20] He later caused some controversy during the 2008 presidential election when he, in Patrol Magazine, encouraged his readers not to vote if they felt like they were choosing between the lesser of two evils. He also released the article as an audio track in a free redistribution of his Mockingbird album.^[21]

Discography[link]

Notes and references[link]

1. ^ ^{a b c} www.doveawards.com/history/ Gospel Music Awards: Awards History. Retrieved 2006-11-06.^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "Christian Music Series Features Concert by Caedmon’s Call" (2003-12-24). Press Release. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
3. ^ ^{a b c} Farias, Andree (2006-01-16). "An Unfiltered Webb." Christianity Today. Retrieved 2006-11-06.
4. ^ "The State of Caedmon's Call, May 2007." caedmonscall.net. Retrieved 2007-05-22.
5. ^ ^{a b} Artist Chart History. Billboard.com. Retrieved 2006-11-10.
6. ^ Breimeier, Russ (2001). "In the Company of Angels: A Call to Worship." Christianity Today. Retrieved 2006-11-06.
7. ^ Breimeier, Russ (2003). "Back Home." Christianity Today. Retrieved 2006-11-06.
8. ^ Breimeier, Russ (2004). "Chronicles." Christianity Today. Retrieved 2006-11-06.
9. ^ ^{a b c} Janke, Michael (2003-04-20). "A Wedding Dress Story." CMCentral.com. Retrieved 2006-11-06.
10. ^ Heikoop, Jessica (2003). "Derek Webb (2003) Interview." Renown Magazine. Retrieved 2006-11-06.
11. ^ "Derek Webb: Mockingbird" (PDF). Press Release. 2005-10. The Media Collective. Retrieved 2006-11-06.
12. ^ Underwood, Ryan (2006-09-14). www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006609140378 "Can You Make Money Giving Away CDs?" Tennessean.com. Retrieved 2006-11-06.^{[dead link]}
13. ^ Boucher, Geoff (2006-10-10). www.calendarlive.com/music/cl-et-christian10oct10,0,1519920.story?coll=cl-music "Pirating Songs of Praise." LATimes.com. Retrieved 2006-11-06.^{[dead link]}
14. ^ "‘FREE DEREK WEBB’ CAMPAIGN CLOSES WITH OVER 80,000 DOWNLOADS OF MOCKINGBIRD CD." Press Release. Retrieved 2006-12-31.
15. ^ TWO New Derek Webb Projects Coming January 30 Press Release. Retrieved 2006-12-31.
16. ^ The Ringing Bell Available for Pre-Order Press Release. Retrieved 2007-04-03
17. ^ Webb, Derek. "new album update from derek webb" E-mail to Website Mailing List via Emma (E2MA). 12 May 2009
18. ^ Thompson, John J.. "The New Music Revolution". Crosswalk. http://www.crosswalk.com/culture/music/the-new-music-revolution-11530091.html?p=4. Retrieved 29 April 2012. 
19. ^ Come on, trade the noise Video. Retrieved 2007-05-29
20. ^ Ron Paul EndorsementsBlog. Retrieved 2008-02-07
21. ^ Webb, Derek (2008). How Shall We Then Vote? Patrol Magazine. Retrieved 2008-11-13.

External links[link]

• Derekwebb.com, official site.
• Derekwebb.net, popular fan site.
• SquarePegAlliance.com, official site.
• SquarePegAlliance.net, popular fan site.
• Thought Quotient - Derek Webb Ino Records Press Conference
• NoiseTrade, forthcoming music distribution site.
• 2007 Audio Interview.
• Interview with Patrol Magazine, Part I

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (August 2011)

Michael Gungor (born September 11, 1980)^{[citation needed]} is a singer/song writer living in Denver, Colorado United States. He leads a musical collective called Gungor that tours around the world performing and leading worship music in both mainstream and religious venues. Aside from his work with the band, he has written and produced music for other artists as well as help start a church in Denver called "Bloom".

Background[link]

Michael Gungor grew up in Wisconsin as the son of Pastor Ed Gungor. He began leading the music in his children’s church. Gungor studied jazz at both Western Michigan University and the University of North Texas, while working as a worship leader in local churches.

The Michael Gungor Band[link]

In 2002, he recorded an album for his local church, and the project was picked up by Integrity Music. They released the album "Bigger Than My Imagination" in 2003. As he began to travel, the "Michael Gungor Band" began to evolve and he produced "All I Need is Here" with Michael Rossback in 2005. In 2007, he was signed to Brash Music, and the Michael Gungor Band came out with their first album, "Ancient Skies", which was simply "All I Need is Here" with the addition of a few newer songs to the album as well. Michael also contributed in the composition of songs for other artists such as "Friend of God" and the Dove Award-winning "Say So" alongside Israel Houghton.

Bloom[link]

Michael Gungor and his wife, Lisa, moved to Denver and eventually founded a community of believers called Bloom. ^[1]

Gungor[link]

After moving, the group's name changed from "The Michael Gungor Band" to simply "Gungor". The first album to be released after the name change was "Beautiful Things" in 2010. In 2011, the song and the album "Beautiful Things" were nominated for the Grammy categories Best Gospel Song and Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album, respectively.

Discography[link]

• Bigger Than My Imagination (November 11, 2003)
• Battle Cry: Worship from the Frontlines (October 4, 2005)
• Ancient Skies (March 24, 2006)
• All I Need Is Here (2007)
• Ancient Skies (2008)
• Beautiful Things (February 16, 2010)
• Ghosts Upon the Earth (September 20, 2011)

Awards[link]

• GMA Dove Awards 2008: "Say So" – Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year ^[2]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Gungor - official website
• Gungor's Vertical Music web page
• Bloom Church - Denver
• Interview with Michael Gungor

John Mark McMillan (born November 27, 1979 in Charlotte, North Carolina) is a singer/songwriter within the Christian music industry.

Background[link]

McMillan parents are Robert Agnew McMillan and Donna Boggs Wilson McMillan, and he is the eldest of four siblings two younger brothers Christopher Robert and Andrew Wilson, which the youngest is his only sister Mary Kathryn.^[1]

In 2002, he released his debut album "Hope Anthology, Volume 1". In 2005 he released "The Song Inside the Sounds of Breaking Down", which included the track How He Loves. The song was successful despite the album's independent release, and has been covered by several well-known artists within the Christian music industry (David Crowder Band, Kim Walker, Jared Anderson, Todd Agnew, New Breed, Flyleaf, The Glorious Unseen, Hillsong Music Australia, Kari Jobe). The song has sentimental meaning for McMillan, who wrote it following the death of a dear friend who, during a church staff meeting, prayed out loud "If it would shake the youth of a nation, I will give my life today." McMillan was awakened in the middle of the same night by a phone call; the friend had been killed in a car crash. He wrote How He Loves the next morning as, "a celebration of a God who would want to hang with us...despite who we are".^[2] The song took more than a year to surface in the Christian mainstream, but has gone on to become a commonly played worship song on Christian radio and throughout church organizations.

Discography[link]

Studio Albums

• 2002: Hope Anthology, Volume 1
• 2005: The Song Inside the Sounds of Breaking Down
• 2008: The Medicine (independent)
• 2010: The Medicine (Integrity Media)
• 2011: Economy (Integrity Media)

Live Albums

• 2002: Awake (Various Artists)

Singles

• 5/26/09: I Dreamed There Was a Fountain
• 4/13/10: Skeleton Bones
• 5/11/10: How He Loves: A Story (Single Version)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• How He Loves: A Song Story (John Mark McMillan's Vimeo)

Frans Hals' depiction of Mark the Evangelist, usually regarded as the same person as John Mark.

John Mark is a character in the New Testament. According to William Lane, an "unbroken tradition" identifies him with Mark the Evangelist.^[1] John Mark is mentioned several times in the Acts of the Apostles. The first mention is in Acts 12:12, when Peter is coming to his mother's house:

When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.

John Mark himself appears a bit later in the same chapter, in Acts 12:25, as the travel companion of Saul (Apostle Paul) and Barnabas:

When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.

John Mark is mentioned soon after the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15:37-41. Paul (Saul) does not have a too flattering impression of his former associate, arguing over him with Barnabas in Antioch:

Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

This is apparently the same occurrence that was earlier mentioned in Acts 13:13, this time referring to John Mark simply as "John":

From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.

This John had joined their mission in Antioch. Acts 13:4-5 says:

The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.

Ultimately John Mark returned to the ministry. This is evidenced by the instruction to Timothy that he should "Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry." 2 Timothy 4:11

John Mark is also usually identified with Mark the cousin of Barnabas.

References[link]

• Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897