SOAR…

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?

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?

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.

Growing up in a turbulent neighborhood, 14-year-old Samuel Glass found himself caught up in a whirlwind of temptations and bad choices. A few years ago he decided 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:

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 several well-known Gospel artists. You may have heard his tremendous voice on Kirk Franklin’s latest album “The Fight of My Life” on the track “A Whole Nation.” Now Donovan has an album of his own called “All That I Have,” and he shows us you’re never too young to serve the Lord with your talents. Check out what Donovan had to say about his faith, dreams, walk with God, and more…

Listen to a clip from the interview in this video & read the entire interview below:

SOAR: Hi Donovan.

Donovan Owens: Hi.

SOAR: Hi how are you doing?

DO: I’m alright, and you?

SOAR: I’m doing good. Thanks for calling in. I wanted to start the interview by asking when you got started singing?

DO: I started singing when I was two and I started learning songs when I was 5.

SOAR: Wow, that’s great. And when did you begin performing and start doing engagements?

DO: When I was about 7, yeah about 7.

SOAR: And how was that, did you know that this is what you wanted to do?

DO: I just knew that, when I was about 10 I realized that this is what I really wanted to do and this is what I had a passion for. So that’s when I really started to get gigs and stuff.

SOAR: What kinds of gigs did you start doing?

DO: First I had church events, I was pretty much just singing at my church and just went up from that.

SOAR: And with all this going on, all those performances did you do anything to stay grounded?

DO: Well before I sing, I pray that I do well, and that people can be reached by what I’m singing and hear the words that I’m saying. I fast, and I deny some of the things that I do daily so… I pray and read my Word, and I just rest my voice so I can save it.

SOAR: Wow, that’s really good. You said that you fast before to prepare?

DO: Yes.

SOAR: That’s awesome – you’re 12 now?

DO: I just turned 13.

SOAR: Oh, happy belated birthday!

DO: Thank you.

SOAR: How does it feel to have your first album released so close to your birthday?

DO: Well, it was just so amazing because we’ve been waiting so long, people have been waiting so long… Everytime in church they say, “When is your album coming out? I’m going to be the first one to buy it.” It was just a lot of hard work that went into it. It was just my dream come true to have my first album, it was just amazing just to hear myself just on a CD, to actually give it out to people, and people are actually happy to be getting it. So it was just an amazing experience. Then I had a release concert, which made it even better, so… and there was a lot of people that were there, they bought a lot of CDs that I autographed. I autographed posters and everything. It was just nice that I had fans and people that believe in me and support me.

SOAR: That’s awesome. So for your first album did you have a vision? What message did you want to give to people?

DO: My vision is pretty much to reach youth, speak to them in my songs, to speak to them about their questions and their concernings about their life. It’s just encouraging them and being there for them through my music.

SOAR: That’s great. Did you get to help write any of the songs?

DO: I do write, but I didn’t on my first album, I just had an input on some of the songs.

SOAR: Did you have a favorite song that spoke to you the most?

DO: Yes, it’s called “Fly Like a Bird.” My song is actually here in Milwaukee for “Jam for Peace.” It’s like a peace concert where there’s a whole bunch of artists that come, and I sang the song called “Fly Like a Bird.” It’s my favorite song, it just speaks about how I just want to be with the Lord all the time and get away from the evils of the world, the killing and the hatred, and everything. So that’s what its about.

Donovan Owens: Fly Like a Bird

SOAR: Yeah, I heard that song I really liked it too. What other performances have you done and who are some of the people you’ve performed with?

DO: Well I performed with Dorinda Clark Cole, I sang for Marvin Winans’ youth conference, Hezekiah Walker’s youth conference, Bishop Alfred Owens’ youth conference, I’ve sung at lots of church events. I’ve worked with, well I’ve sung and opened up for J. Moss and 21:03. I’ve sung for Smokie Norful, and I also did a song for TBN.

SOAR: Oh, you’ve done a lot more then people twice your age. That’s really impressive.

DO: Thank you.

SOAR: How was it that you met Kirk Franklin, and got to sing on his album?

Donovan in “A Whole Nation” from Kirk Franklin’s Album “The Fight of My Life”:

DO: Well it was actually through my pastor, Bishop Darrell Hines and Pastor Pamela Hines. We had an Easter service and he was one of the guests, and I was singing with the youth choir. So, I’ve always wanted to meet him so I just went in the back and asked my Bishop if I could sing for him, and he said sure… And I sung a little snippet of like one of his songs on the Hero album, and he just loved it. So he called me back and he said he was going to call my mom. Within two or three weeks we got a phone call that he wanted us to fly down to record a song with him, and I was super excited, like that was one of my dreams come true.

Kirk Franklin & Donovan in the Studio in 2007

SOAR: Awesome. Speaking of dreams, I read [in your blog] you also got to perform at a release concert called the “Following Our Dreams” concert, for your friend Jacob Latimore?

DO: Yes, I did, it was just full of a whole lot of young people, and even grown-ups too, and I think everybody enjoyed themselves, I certainly enjoyed myself. The dancers, myself, Jacob, everybody there. Even with R&B, I just loved it.

SOAR: You said it was R&B, how did you feel, did you feel nervous about singing, how did it turn out?

DO: I felt comfortable because it was just a mixture, they are R&B and Gospel too. I was Gospel and some of them were R&B, some were dancers, and I just felt comfortable.

SOAR: That’s cool that you get to go into other settings and sing with other people who are singing other genres.

DO: Yeah, I just felt like light because I was singing Gospel. Yeah, I just felt like everybody enjoyed themselves, I certainly enjoyed myself.

SOAR: That’s great. So who would you say are your role models, people who inspire you? It could be musically or people in your life who inspire you?

DO: Smokie Norful, because of how humble he is, and how sweet his spirit is. When I met him he just had encouraging words for me. And so did Kirk Franklin, he gave me some really good advice and great wise words for me and we had some similarities, so he’s definitely one of my role models. J. Moss, because I like the way he speaks to people in his music, and how he writes. Donnie McClurkin because of how anointed he is. And I also want to be as anointed as all of them. So those are my role models.

SOAR: They’re great. How do you balance being a kid with your ministry?

DO: Well, my mom she helps me, she makes sure that I have time to be a kid and have fun. We do vacations and get aways, so she just makes sure that I’m being a kid and also being a Gospel artist too, so I have the best of both worlds.

SOAR: Definitely. How is it like at school? Do the other kids know about your singing and what have they said to you?

DO: Yes, everybody knows. When Kirk Franklin’s CD ["The Fight of My Life"] came out, like every single day people were coming up to me, to my locker. At lunch all the girls were like “Oh my gosh! You’re on Kirk Franklin’s CD…” By, like, a month passed and “A Whole Nation Song” was all on their ipods. They were just like jammin’ to it. It was just funny, it was just funny. In a month everyone just had it on their ipods.

SOAR: That’s pretty cool. I heard you have another passion, in acting. How’d you get started in that?

DO: I can’t really remember how, but I just remember trying out. I started off with one role, and I ended up with four more so I had five all together. It included singing, acting and dancing. So I just enjoyed myself in that, and it was actually called Modjeska Youth Theatre. It was “Suessical the Musical.” It was a play about all of Dr. Suess’ musicals and stories, so it was very fun.

SOAR: Cool. So do you have any other acting roles coming up?

DO: It’s in the works, so we’re praying and hoping that I’m getting in a movie.

SOAR: That’d be awesome. So what else do you like to do for fun, like read, play video games, play any sports?

DO: I like to play video games and I like to draw, and I like to read. Mainly I like to draw and read, when I don’t feel like watching TV. Mainly everyday I just sing and hum, and draw, and that’s pretty much what I like to do.

SOAR: Cool, do you have any favorite books or video games?

DO: The game system that I like the most is the Wii… And my favorite book is called Silver Cage… It’s a very good book, it’s kind of similar to the style of Harry Potter books, but I think it’s better than Harry Potter books. I like it.

SOAR: Cool, I might check that out. So with the singing, and the acting and all that, have you thought about what you want to do when you get older?

DO: Well, I want to be a fashion designer I want to have my own line of clothing and I also want to be a singer. I want to be a producer too.

SOAR: Well I’m sure that with your faith in God and with everything that you’re doing now that you’ll be able to achieve those dreams and goals. I was wondering do you have a favorite scripture that you’d like to share, something that inspires you the most?

DO: Well, its Luke 9:48. The scripture just talks about how God is saying whoever receives this child in my name will receive me, and whoever doesn’t receive this child doesn’t receive the anointing I have in him. I just like that scripture because sometimes I get discouraged because grown-ups just don’t think that I sing, I’m just a little kid. I’m just a little kid just coming up and singing and whatever, and they just don’t think that I have the anointing, so I just base myself on that Scripture.

SOAR: Well, definitely that’s a great scripture. Do you have any advice for other young people who feel like that or who want to use their talents for God but they might be afraid or unsure that they can do it now when they’re young?

DO: All I have to say is just follow your dreams, don’t ever give up. Remember it’s all about God put Him first. I have a song called “I’ll Be That” its actually my single, and it talks about how you get talked about, and how you get teased just because you have a relationship with God. It’s alright to say I’ll be that, it’s ok. It’s ok, just follow God and you’ll be alright. That’s all I have to say.

SOAR: That’s really good. What do you have coming up next, any projects or events?

DO: Well right now we’re just promoting the album, yeah we’re gonna have a lot of spots in cds, and pretty much interviews. We’ll be promoting the CD pretty much.

SOAR: Great, so where can everyone go to learn more and to purchase the album?

DO: Well my website is DonovanOwensMusic.com where you can purchase the CD and also listen to some of the songs. You can find out a lot about me, I have my bio. And a lot of people if you have Myspace, you can hit me up on Myspace, myspace.com/donovanowensmusic, where if you send me a friend request and I add you or you add me we’re having giveaways, where we’re going to have raffles, games, a whole lot of stuff. So all you have to do is be my friend on Myspace.

SOAR: Is there anything else you wanted to say, or do you want to give a shout out to anyone?

DO: Just to my family and all my friends, thanks for supporting me.

SOAR: Thanks so much for speaking to me today Donovan.

DO: Thanks for having me.

SOAR: Good luck on everything and God bless.

DO: Thank you.

SOAR: Bye.

DO: Bye.

Find out more about Donovan & hear more of his music:
Website: www.donovanowensmusic.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/donovanowensmusic Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/DonovanOwensMusic