Dream In Soul

Pursuing A Life Mapped By the Maker

His music and ministry spans generations. From producer, to musician, speaker and host, Kirk Franklin’s ability to be both light-hearted with humor and raw with realness and honesty draws in people of all ages and backgrounds. Adding a new level of transparency and spiritual insight, Kirk Franklin launches his first book The Blueprint: A Plan for Living Above Life’s Storms on May 18. In the book he charts a guide of personable wisdom speaking on everything from faith and marriage to race and life in the black community. “The Blueprint” aims to inspire anyone to view and plan his or her life from an unearthly perspective.

Kirk Franklin spoke to Dream in Soul about the vision of the book, his ministry expanding into the Twitterverse, his definition of success, and creating a bridge between contemporary Christian and gospel music. Tune into the conversation below:

Dream in Soul: Hi, thank you so much for talking to me today, it’s such an honor. I wanted to start out by asking you what inspired you to write this book at this point in your life and what was your vision in writing it?

KF: The book came about because I’ve been doing a lot of public speaking, and speaking at colleges, churches, and conferences, and so people thought that it would be good that I did a book. So a couple of publishers became interested in the idea, and now here we are with “The Blueprint.”

DS: What was your vision, did you have a specific age group in mind when writing the book or is it for everyone?

KF: Not a particular age, I was just really trying to write a book that really could resonate with you whether you are young, old, single, married… I just wanted to talk about all of these different areas of life from a godly perspective, and so that was my attempt.

DS: Did the writing process bring out any new revelations in yourself and your own life?

KF: Well you know for me I was so busy trying to put it out that it’s been very interesting for me to go back and read the book, because after reading the book it’s like “Oh wow, that was good,” you know. It’s kind of hard to explain, you can be so consumed with putting out and just dumping everything that’s inside of you that a lot of it is not always resonating. It’s only when you finish it you’re looking back at it.

DS: Definitely, one of the chapters that spoke to me was Chapter 4 “What is Purpose.” One of the important points you made in the book is that what people do does not define who they are. Was there a point in your life where you realized that?

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Marvin Sapp’s latest album “Here I Am” has reached No.2 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the highest debuting Gospel release ever.*

“Here I Am”

Within the resounding success of his latest album “Here I Am,” and the breakthrough his previous project “Thirsty,” Marvin Sapp is still down-to-earth, thankful and even surprised at how his music has been embraced. Among the accomplishments he stays continually grounded in the purpose of his mission to reach the masses. As the senior pastor of Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Michigan he stands firm in his creed “I am a preacher who happens to sing,” and presents both his messages and music with powerful, life-changing Word and truth.

“Here I Am” his eighth album, recorded live last October, is filled with heartfelt encouragement and a mix of musical arrangements from more traditional gospel to the more contemporary. The project and messages within are sure to be enjoyed by a range of people, clearly shown by the album’s surge to the No.1 position on Billboard’s Gospel and Christian charts and No.2 on the Billboard 200.

Marvin Sapp chatted with Dream in Soul about the vision behind the album, and also shared some Soul Dreamer Inspiration about ministry, industry, talent and calling. Read and listen in to the conversation below:

Dream in Soul: Hi Pastor Sapp, thank you for taking the time to speak to me today. Can you talk about where you are now since your last project “Thirsty” and what inspired you to create this new project “Here I Am”?

Marvin Sapp: Well this record “Here I Am” is just a tad bit different than “Thirsty.” “Thirsty” is a little more worshipful than this record. There’s worship on it, but this one is not only worship but is also a record that really strives to encourage and enrich, and to talk about personal identity, as pertaining to personal identity in Christ.

So many times we feel as if we are inadequate and that we don’t possess any abilities and skills to be able to accomplish the goals that God has set for us to accomplish and go after. “Here I Am” just speaks to that whole concept of people really understanding that man looks at the outward appearance but it’s God who looks at the heart, and how we don’t need people to define us.

DS: Definitely, the song “Never Would Have Made It,” touched a lot of lives and had great success. Did you come into this new project with any type of expectations, fears or hopes?

MS: Without question, I had tons of fears and apprehensions. I don’t know if it was fears as much as it was just nervousness because “Never Would Have Made It” and the “Thirsty” album were huge. Never in my wildest dreams or imagination would I have thought that record would have done what it has done.

So definitely coming behind something like that you’re just shocked. So now three years later, I just finally said well I’ll never possibly be able to reach that plateau again. So there’s no need for me to try to compete with myself, as much as it is for me to put out music that ministers to my heart and hopefully it ministers to the hearts of people as well.

DS: Definitely, I know the song “The Best in Me” was very also popular when it came out. Were you surprised at how successful it is right now?

The music is blaring, the lights are low and hundreds of young people are on the move, filling their nights – and cups - with crazy, “harmless” fun. It’s a typical night in the life of a college student… right?

Not for everyone. Stephanie Rodnez saw scenes like these when she entered college six years ago and felt a stirring in her heart when witnessing many of her friends falling away from their relationships with God. So many students who had been committed to Him gradually took their hearts back to engage in “college life”- consisting of everything from getting drunk and partying hard to being promiscuous – and anything else movies and TV deem is normal.

Nearing graduation Stephanie felt God telling her to change her career plans and use her talents to glorify Him. Despite initial hesitation she heeded the call, and her independent film company Christ Effect Entertainment was born. The company presents Christian media for young adults that encourages them to stay firm in their faith no matter what the culture and media throws at them. There are two films already in distribution and plans to expand into television, books, and even a nightclub.

Now finishing up her graduate degree in business at Nova South Eastern University in Miami, FL, Stephanie is rallying up other young people with a passion for God to battle the messages and lifestyles bombarding young adults today. With her warm, joyful personality and creative, youthful productions Stephanie draws others in to see the truth of God’s love, and she’s striving to make a mark for “Godlywood” one young audience at a time.

In Take 1 of the interview Stephanie chatted with Dream in Soul about how and why she got started with Christ Effect Entertainment, the growth of the Christian film industry, and about the work she hopes has a powerful effect for Christ in this generation:

Dream in Soul: Hi Stephanie, thanks for speaking with me today. I wanted to first ask you when did you feel the calling to make films?

SR: Ah, well it’s actually really cool. I was 14 or 15 and was in love with journalism, in love, in love, in love… I didn’t want to do anything else. I did this internship at the Sun Sentinel (a local Florida newspaper) for six weeks, and I fell even more in love with it. So I’m like alright Lord, this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life, I’m going to write stories for newspapers.

One day I’m sitting in front of my TV screen at home in the summer, and I was just flipping through the channels and I was like wow, there’s not a lot of stuff here for young adult Christians. I heard the Holy Sprit telling me – that’s what I want you to do.

I was like, I am not doing movies. I already have a job lined up at the Sun Sentinel and I don’t even like making movies that much. I was like no way, Lord if you want me to do this, you have to make me love it. So when I got back to school in the fall I started working on my own film and I fell in love with the whole process. And the rest is history (laughs)! He put me on the path, He taught me what I needed to know, and now, praise God it’s everything I’m passionate about, and I love doing it.

Watch Stephanie in action as she’s planning her upcoming movie “Youth of Christ,” in this webisode from her day-in-the-life of an indie filmmaker series:

DS: So how did it go from making the film to starting your own business? Tell me about Christ Effect Entertainment.

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On SOAR, we want to represent the voices of not only people who are older, who can give wisdom to youth, but also young people whom are experiencing the world each day and can share their testimonies. Samuel Glass is a 14-year-old student who decided a few years ago to begin using his passion for rapping to be a role model to other kids, and to glorify God. He goes by the stage name God’s Prodigy, and in this interview he tells us how he addresses the hardships young people are facing today, especially in the inner-city:

SOAR: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and where you’re from.

Samuel (God’s Prodigy): I would describe myself as a humble down to earth type of guy. I am outgoing and like to have fun. This year I am entering into the ninth grade. Where I grew up wasn’t the best city to grow up in, which was Montgomery, Alabama it had quite a bit of crime and I would have to say some of the friends I had there weren’t the best and did not have the greatest influences on my life.

SOAR: When did you begin getting passionate about God, and how has that journey been?

GP: I would have to say around the end of my seventh grade year when I was transferred to Christian Fellowship Academy. Since then my journey has been quite hard. For instance people who I thought were good friends have now turned their back on me. They expected me to be the same person I was before and to do the same things. I have to resist the temptations of turning to the ways of the world again and participate in the things my peers are often doing.

SOAR: When did you begin rapping and why did you decide to use your passion for God?

GP: I began in the 3rd or 4th grade. It was at the end of my seventh grade year, I decided rapping for God would be a way to glorify him. It would also allow me to reach out and interact with the youth, and show them that rap does not have to always be about sex, gangs, drugs, violence and degrading females. I have always been passionate about rapping and music in general and I knew that God would be pleased because I was uplifting Him and not me.

SOAR: What are some of the things you see urban youth facing today, or you yourself have faced? What type of message do you want to bring to the youth of today?

GP: I see a lot of people dealing with lust, anger, depression and heartache, because if you look at the latest research conducted, it shows that teen pregnancy is on the rise again, the use of drugs, as well as teenage suicides. It is because of this my message to the youth is basically to just come to God and let Him solve all of your problems of depression and anger. Let Him cast the lustful spirits out of you, because there is nothing too big for God to handle, and that we should not let the devil take this nation to hell in a hand basket.

SOAR: You said before it’s not about being cool because your friends aren’t your judge. Tell us a little bit about that motto, how have you faced peer pressure?

GP: The way that motto came about was because people started trying to pick on me and call me a church boy and telling me I need to start back doing my old things. So I had to resist the temptation by remembering that they don’t have a heaven or hell to put me in. That motto has helped me face peer pressure because it has allowed me to remember that I can’t let my friends dictate my decisions. The things they define as cool are the same things that kept me in trouble. Things I knew GOD was not pleased with.

Click Here to Continue Reading Youth Voices: Repping With Purpose – Interview with God’s Prodigy

For our first SOAR interview, DreaminSoul.com welcomes an “ordinary kid with an extraordinary gift” in music, who is using it for the Lord. 13-year-old Donovan Owens has been singing for a quite while now, and has shared the stage with Gospel artists like Kirk Franklin, Dorinda Clark Cole, J.Moss and 21:03. Donovan recently released his debut album, “All That I Have,” and in the interview he talks about being both a regular kid and Gospel artist…

Listen to a clip from the interview in the video below & click here to read the entire interview on SOAR.

Click here to read the entire interview with Donovan Owens on SOAR.

Find out more about Donovan & hear more of his music on:
His Website: www.donovanowensmusic.com

Myspace: www.myspace.com/donovanowensmusic

Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/DonovanOwensMusic