I turned 40 yesterday, and to celebrate the season – to put a line in the sand – I’ve written six chapters of history. Part memoir, part advice column, teaching tool, and ministry resource…here’s my take, from nearly 20 years of touring, on MISSION, CALLING, SONGWRITING, MUSIC BUSINESS, BOOKING, STAGE PRESENCE, BALANCE, and WORSHIP LEADING. It’s $10, comes in PDF format on CD, includes an audiobook, wallpaper, and 10 rare MP3s, and right now, there’s only one way to get it: justinfox.com/purchase Thanks for your...
read moreOur youngest child, Holland, was baptized this Easter. Enjoy the pics. Thanks for celebrating with us! and on the...
read moreTHERE ARE STILL OPEN SPOTS AVAILABLE for the Songwriter’s Intensive – Saturday, May 1st Don’t miss this rare opportunity to focus and refine your creativity and art. Sit down with Justin and some new friends on a Saturday morning for an unforgettable experience. ALL SKILL LEVELS, EXPERIENCE, AND AGES ARE WELCOME ____________________________________________________ <<< THE 2ND ANNUAL SONGWRITER’S INTENSIVE >>> “I really enjoyed the intensive! It gave me so much encouragement as well as a ton of suggestions for my song!” “I found it great that songwriters struggle with some of the same things and it was very useful to be able to get feedback and give input at the same time.” “I was able to get a different view of songwriting that I was never able to get before.” Last year’s was very enjoyable, well attended, and helpful in many ways. We’re excited about our next event this MAY 1ST, 2010. Songwriter’s Intensive Saturday, May 1 9:00 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. Halecrest Community Center // Costa Mesa, CA $100 per person. Limited to 10 people. * 4 hours of song critique and discussion of lyric writing, melody, co-writing, publishing, demos, encouragement, theology of songwriting, nurturing creativity, and more. * Includes Starbucks coffee, Heidi’s famous scones, and LUNCH! * For song critique: bring 2 songs on CD (or your instrument to play) plus 10 copies of lyrics. First come, first served. Payment in advance required to secure a spot. Use PayPal at our website, on the right margin… All major credit cards accepted. To use your card by mail, fill out the form below and send it in, or simply call me with your card info at (949) 294-7039 Checks can be made out to “Justin Fox Ministries” <<< POSTAL MAIL ADDRESS >>> 3007 Donnybrook Ln. Costa Mesa, CA...
read moreTonight we ponder Good Friday and then celebrate Christ’s victory on Easter Sunday. These are some of the biggest gatherings our churches will ever have this year. Many of us worship leaders will be in front of our largest audiences, and quite frankly, we’re feeling a bit of the buzz. With all the excitement, services planned, productions being set up, big and small (Jonas Brothers at Saddleback?), I’m praying we all move beyond the staging and lights this weekend toward the deeper purposes at play. And just as a reminder, here’s a cutting-edge take on the whole thing: (Of course, the British lead the way once again…) [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbtkhB3cFGs[/youtube] Now, will I still be putting on my skinny jeans, my tight, vintage, black button down with the perfect thrift-store suit vest (Good Friday, you know), tucking my ear-bud deftly behind some bed-head highlights, strapping on the Hummingbird, and walking up to the microphone a few times this weekend? Yes. Will this video be nagging my every move? Yes. And I think that’s a good...
read moreBack in the studio again this week – pretty nice weather in the Northwest. The record is ALMOST DONE! Here’s a few pics of the previous adventures and updates will soon follow… Thanks for your patience, encouragement, and...
read more<<< THE 2ND ANNUAL SONGWRITER’S INTENSIVE >>> “I really enjoyed the intensive! It gave me so much encouragement as well as a ton of suggestions for my song!” “I found it great that songwriters struggle with some of the same things and it was very useful to be able to get feedback and give input at the same time.” “I was able to get a different view of songwriting that I was never able to get before.” Last year’s was very enjoyable, well attended, and helpful in many ways. We’re excited about our next event this MAY 1ST, 2010. Justin Fox Songwriter’s Intensive Saturday, May 1 9:00 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. Halecrest Community Center // Costa Mesa, CA $100 per person. Limited to 10 people. * 4 hours of song critique and discussion of lyric writing, melody, co-writing, publishing, demos, encouragement, theology of songwriting, nurturing creativity, and more. * Includes Starbucks coffee, Heidi’s famous scones, and LUNCH! * For song critique: bring 2 songs on CD (or your instrument to play) plus 10 copies of lyrics. First come, first served. Payment in advance required to secure a spot. Use PayPal at our website, on the right margin… All major credit cards accepted. To use your card by mail, fill out the form below and send it in, or simply call me with your card info at (949) 294-7039 Checks can be made out to “Justin Fox Ministries” <<< POSTAL MAIL ADDRESS >>> 3007 Donnybrook Ln. Costa Mesa, CA...
read moreAs two dozen teenagers and I hefted a monstrously heavy wooden bench and prepared to slog it through the snow to the other side of the camp, I knew this was a different type of worship for most of us. Some people wouldn’t even call it worship – but God does. I’ve often wondered what God’s favorite type of worship is. Have you ever wondered if God has a favorite style? What does He like best? R&B? Passion? Soul Survivor? Bluegrass? Hillsong? Hymns? What do you think, really? We all say that He appreciates and receives our praise no matter the style, as long as it comes from the heart, but secretly…if it was just you and He, having a Macchiato at Peete’s (His coffee preference for sure), and you asked Him…Do you think He might have a favorite? Well, guess what? He does. God says this through the prophet Amos: “I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.” (Amos 5 – The Message) As a songwriter and contemporary worship leader, this passage is a tough one to wrestle with. His comment about music stings and challenges. He also offers no redemptive instruction regarding music at all. Now, I realize there are many other references throughout the Bible where music is encouraged as a true expression of worship. I know God loves music, but there seems to be two things He loves even more; Justice and Fairness. These are words with a sense of action embedded into them, action that awakens other virtues, as well; Compassion, Generosity, Service, Kindness. The questions we have to ask are; What would it look like for us to worship God the way He wants? What could this look like for our congregations during a “contemporary worship service” in which we seek to please God with our praise? And the toughest one of all; Are we really pleasing Him now? As I’ve been wrestling with these thoughts, I’ve had the opportunity to facilitate some unique worship expressions in a variety of ways, and I wanted to share the latest experience. Last week, I was the “speaker” and “worship leader” (use of quotes, because I’m still trying to figure out those titles) for a group of high school students in the mountains of Washington . I focused our times together around various postures; Praise, Thanksgiving, Petition, Obedience, and Celebration. During the “worship through obedience” gathering, we explored the ideas of justice and fairness – how those play out in generosity and service, and what it would like for us to put some muscle into or worship, to back up our words and prayers with action. I had the idea of attempting some kind of service project for the camp. It turned out that they needed a 30 foot long, 1,500 pound workbench moved from one shop to another…300 yards…through the snow. If we could help with this, it’d be a huge blessing they said. We agreed to make it a part of our worship, and instead of singing a few songs in a nice, warm auditorium, we put on our...
read moreHappy New Year, everyone!!!! I pray your holidays were restful (somehow!) and renewing. We’re just getting back into the swing here, but I’m excited for the year ahead… >> It’s been really fun doing these “God Parties” with youth groups lately, and a fantastic student photographer captured a rather wild one a couple months back. Paul Bulger www.myspace.com/the_emo_kid77 took the pics and did an awesome job. If you’re unfamiliar with the party concept, check out my blog on the subject here; www.justinfox.com/2009/06/18/lets-party/. And now…here’s the party IN ACTION! >> Some of the students hanging out before… I take the stage with some tunes and interaction…worshiping through Adoration and Thanksgiving! some more directing, teaching, engaging… Oh yah, it’s time to break out the Uke! After a time of worship through Petition and prayer with each other, challenging the students with real worship through OBEDIENCE, and an invitation to the REAL PARTY found in a life with Christ, it’s time again to celebrate God! Instruments are being passed around… …not sure about the tamborine? someone must be doing something really funny out there… I finally get into the crowd and the dancing is in full swing! …always get to throw out a few free CDs! students always make up the best dances… …like I said…. and now the stage is getting over-run! Pure, unbridled, joyful chaos ensues… the craziest dancers are taking over… …and leading the way! ah, yes; the fist pump! …now I’ve got the “band” assembled …and they always really rock the cowbell! SHAKER SOLO! someone else needed some cowbell time… …and MORE cowbell! How all great concerts are ended: (thankful he didn’t actually smash that Uke!) We hit “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang, and the party rolls into the streets! >> So there’s a snapshot of a little bit of my life on the road these days – just a small part of what God is up to with us, but definitely fun to share. I love that God would use me like this! Thanks for being a part. We couldn’t do this without your support and encouragement. SEE YOU OUT ON THE...
read moreCan you believe I got my familiy to take this crazy picture??? I had to talk them into it a bit, but they actually had fun once we all got set up. Farrah, our oldest is 13! She’s leading her Junior High worship team at ROCKHARBOR and made her national stage debut at Fishfest this summer with a 30 minute set on the “Family Stage”. There’s a snippet of her performance on Youtube here. Brennan is rockin’ the drums with three years of lessons under his belt and several concerts with dad…all these new adventures this year inspired the pic. Our famous photographer friend Jules Bianchi (julesbianchi.com) graciously donated her time and fit us in right after family portaits for Chris O’Donnell. Crazy. It was a blast! This season and time of year reminds us of how grateful we are for friends like you. Thanks so much for joining us on this adventure of faith, service, and leadership. Read the book of LUKE with me these next few days, if you get a chance! Let’s dive again into the drama unfolding all around us. May we be CAPTURED by the story…again…of God’s great love, His generosity, and His reckless pursuit of us…how crazy is this??? The recording sessions in Seattle this month went great! We are getting closer and closer to the long-awaited 10th album… We’ll keep you posted, for sure! 2010 concert dates are filling up. We’d love to see you out on the road! ************************************** If you’d like to make one last year-end, tax deductible donation to a great cause, this is your opportunity! We’d be blown away and grateful beyond words for your financial support. Every penny goes right into sending us out and pushing us forward. To contribute, hit the Pay Pal button on our website, call with your credit card number, or write a check to: Justin Fox Ministries 3007 Donnybrook Ln. Costa Mesa, CA 92626 949-294-7039 Thanks again for allowing us to be an extension of your ministry to the...
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