Citipointe Live

G’day guys!
It’s Nigel here. Your friendly neighbourhood drummer!
Well, I have been playing in Church for the good part of 25 years and I have got to tell you, I have loved every minute of it.
I love how God can use praise and worship to celebrate His greatness and also as an instrument of warfare.

A few examples of this in the Bible are:
1. Moses and the children of Israel sang joyfully at the crossing of the Red Sea
2. King David used music as an intimate form of praise and worship towards God and also as a weapon against the Devil to ward off evil spirits
3. Paul used music to comfort himself and glorify God
4. Jesus even sang hymns with the disciples

What we do in our services by letting God move through us can change hearts forever.
When I first started playing in the youth group many years ago, our vision statement was “Let our ability affect the eyes of the community and the Anointing change their lives for eternity.” Jesus is our source. He created us to worship Him. Jesus Himself said ‘The time is here and now to worship the Father in spirit and in truth’.

In The book of Amos (5:23-25), it says “Away with your hymns of praise! They are only noise to My ears. I will not listen to your music, no matter how lovely it is. Instead, I want to see a flood of righteous living that will never run dry”

I’m passionate about seeing God continue to move us forward.  As much as we move forward on our instruments, let’s continue in what Amos chapter 5 says.
“To see a flood of righteous living in our lives!”

Much love,

Nigel

Are You A Christian? – Ps Aaron Lucas from http://citipointe.blip.tv/

Check out Aaron’s latest preach at our home church Citipointe.
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Both audio & video versions are available.

Just taking some time to reflect on what actually took place last weekend at
the 2010 Ultimate Worshiper Masterclass. It set out to be a normal day,but
our expectations were blown out of the water.

God didn’t want just a well polished, tightly run day. He wanted to
interrupt what we were doing and encounter us.  In my own words, He SMASHED
us with His presence.

We couldn’t of asked for a better day, better speakers and incredible people
that were willing to take a risk and share the day with us and see what it
was all about. 
So we want to send out a BIG thank you to all our guest speakers, to
everyone who served and attended on the day. You brought faith & hunger and
God responded.

Let’s now take what was said and do something about it. Don’t let the words
go in one ear and out the other. Fight to give God our Ultimate that He
deserves.

Look out for upcoming info on Ultimate Worshiper 2011 – March 12-14th, 2011
Updates will be found on the website www.ultimateworshiper.com

We’re pumped for what God is and will do in your lives. Bless ya guys!!!

Nothin but BiG love

Aaron & Bec

We are so pumped to host our first Ultimate Worshiper Master Class this coming May 14th & 15th.  The first question we asked ourselves before venturing to put on this event was…Why are we doing this?  Here’s why…

The heart behind this Master Class came at the beginning of 2009, as our Creative leadership team were throwing around ideas for the year. We began to chat about where the world is at and how we live in crazy and extreme times.  The world as we know it is evolving ,changing and sadly enough is running rampid with darkness Epidemics of diseases, young children being stripped of their innocence and being sold into sex slavery and severe world poverty. The list goes on and on.  Along side all these extreme examples, we chatted about how our team members daily get bombarded with the fear and negativity through world view points through TV, movies and media.

We came to a conclusion. After seeking many wise peeps advice, we agreed that our ULTIMATE responsibility was that we must COLLIDE darkness with the LIGHT of God’s Word and His presence.  It was OUR responsibility to BOMBARD our team with God’s ideas, His view points and build our team to become worshipers that understand their role here on earth.  We need to be worshipers that are willing to pay the price & serve at all costs.  Worshipers that are tired of colourless dreams. Worshipers that don’t care for popularity and aren’t seeking to build their own name, but SHINE the name of Jesus to all men, women and children.

To carry out this new found plan, we spread out the year talking about different areas and disciplines that should be evident in a worshiper’s life.  We talked through things like servant-hood, prayer & fasting, justice and more.  Our team has risen to new levels because of it.  A new hunger and Christ-centred focus has consumed our team.

The breaking point to turn this idea of a Master Class into reality was at a worship seminar that Crossroad put on in May 2009.  During the day of this seminar, there was incredible teaching and powerful worship. However, the thing that broke our hearts was the ministry time at the end.  After the day ended, multiple people came up to us in tears letting us know that God had touched their life and that they hardly ever get to experience the presence of God like that. Now, they were now so inspired to go back to their teams and local Church with a new determined passion to bring God to their people.

In that very moment, we knew we wanted to open the doors to every denomination of His Church and create a moment in our year where we can come and encounter God, see lives impacted, equip people to step up and become the Ultimate of who and what God has called them to be. Set hearts ablaze with new dreams and a fire uncontrollable for the cause of Jesus Christ.

So, we made the decision and now it’s coming into reality!  Partnering with Crossroad on this new venture, our heart is to see every Church grow and thrive with a new song, a new passion, a new hope and a new understanding of their God. We need people can shake this world and advance His kingdom throughout every corner of this earth.  We want to see every person find their calling, understand their responsibility with the gift that God has placed in their hands and start RUNNING into the dreams that God has for them.

In saying all of that, we’re so excited for May!
We are thrilled to have some of the finest leaders in the global worship movement such as HENRY SEELEY from Planet Shakers, RIC KNOTT from City Church Brisbane & Magnify and DAVID GARRATT from Scripture in Song. In addition, we also have key guest speakers NATHAN IRONSIDE & the CITIPOINTE LIVE TEAM.  They will bring innovative and inspiring teaching to challenge us to become the ultimate worshiper, musician, vocalist and expert in all facets of the production world.

We would absolutely LOVE it if you would join us in May!

“May you be among those who lead your generation to encounter the greatness of God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit”
Psalm 71:18

REGISTER ONLINE NOW   www.ultimateworshiper.com
Or email us at     ultimateworshiper@citipointe.com.au

Nothin but BIG love
See you in May!

Aaron & Bec

Well, we are back home in Aussie-land now after our 10 day tour in beautiful New Zealand! I never knew our sister country could be so much fun & with such incredible people & scenery. In fact, it’s actually so ‘picture perfect’ that my fiancé & I are thinking of having our honeymoon in mountains of New Zealand. Whoever thought that only a three hour flight could take you to another world.

Parachute Festival was wild hey. Such a blessed country to have such a killer festival on each year. Over 28 000 people all coming together to celebrate Christ through worship, music and dance – it was so inspiring. Our Citipointe Live team had the honour to be on Main Stage on Sunday night with other bands like Hillsong United, Leeland & Parachute Band. Also, on the same stage performed Underoath & Swichfoot on the Saturday night. Even in the pouring rain & mud – thousands would come out at night with their raincoats & umbrellas to worship God. The main thing that stood out to me is that the Kiwi’s have such a culture of passionate worship & immediate response to God. It really is a culture that is so genuine, generous and fun to hang with!

We had such a ball traveling the country and making such a bond with several churches and specifically music teams. I think the biggest honour is when you have people come to you saying that your songs have impacted their personal lives & their local Church. Our team just thrived on having the privilege to host The Ultimate Worshiper Master class workshops & impart into the music teams of New Zealand. We felt such a unity with them as worship leaders together holding each others hands up high and going forward in what God has called us to do.

If I had to pick one testimony out of all of them that moved me, it would have to be when I had an elderly lady tell me that the week before her husband passed in hospital last year he asked her to play our Citipointe Live album ‘DEVOTED’ and specifically ‘Name of Jesus’ on repeat in his ward. It’s funny to think that God can use an ordinary song that was originally intended for our local Church, Citipointe, to then go into the homes & hospitals in other nations around the world and impact lives in amazing ways.

Now back home in Brizvegas,  I am so pumped about what God is building in our church, its true there’s no place like home (thank you Citipointe!) I sooooo loved you NZ and looking forward to seeing you again with my fiancé in August.

Share the love peeps

Chardon

Touring can be tedious at times!  Hours of travel, fast food, sickness, being away from family and general life stuff. However, when you finish the tour, look back and see all the people that have found the love of Jesus, or those that we’re influenced to love God and people more,  it all is SO worth it.

New Zealand is like a second home to us now.  We have been going there for the past 3 years straight, and every time it just gets better and better.  The relationships that have come out of it are unreal. Kiwi’s rock! It’s awesome to see Churches that are moving forward and going from strength to strength. Ultimately, it’s an honour to be a part of what God is doing over in the land of the sheep!

Some highlights of this tour would defiantly begin with the Parachute Festival.  Besides microphones not being plugged into front of house, no sound check time, crazy bucketing rain, we LOVE what Parachute represents and who they are as people.  There is such a buzz, such a hunger within the boundary lines of the festival for God, fun & food!  Probably one of the best festivals in the world.

I would probably have to say our favorite highlight of any tour is hanging with our team on such an intimate level.  We have the best group of guys that we travel with.  Such servant hearts, dedicated to God and fulfilling the calling that’s on their life.  They give up so much to come on these tours and we honour them for that. They rock!

We love NZ! Can’t wait for next year 2011. Yew!

Nothin’ but BIG love

Aaron & Becky

The final chapters 4 & 5 of our mini-documentary ‘project cambodia: cause behind the commission’ are now live.

You can view them over on the project cambodia page.

We’re packing our bags, de-tuning our guitars, and flying over to New Zealand! We love visiting New Zealand, I got excited and researched some facts… Captain James Cook was the first explorer to set foot on NZ soil in 1769 and now it has a population of 4 million. Major religion = Christianity (yew!), and some of the most beautiful landscape you will find across the globe!

We’re all stoked to hit up the Parachute Festival this weekend. Such a good vibe! One thing about Kiwi’s is they love to worship. This will be our second time playing at the festival and we are so honoured to be apart of this year’s huge lineup. Switchfoot, Leeland, Hillsong United, Family Force 5 and so many more.
After Parachute Festival, Citipointe Live will be staying for another week in NZ. Unfortunately, only on the north island this time. We will be hitting up a few more churches, doing some training master classes and leading worship.

Touring is great and playing music is defiantly second to none, especially when you’re so passionate about it. However, that’s not the main reason we travel. Our heart is to see the church worldwide strengthened and equipped to impact this planet! Our Senior Pastor, Mark Ramsey, says “We exist to unmistakeably influence our world for good and for God!” Therefore, if we can bring good by imparting who we are and what we’ve learned and experienced then hey, the Church will be stronger!

Can’t wait!
Much love,

Aaron

NZ NORTH ISLAND 2010 TOUR DATES

FRI JAN 29TH
PARACHUTE FESTIVAL – MYSTERY CREEK, HAMILTON NZ
WHERE – PALLADIUM STAGE
TIME – 8 20PM

SUN JAN 31ST
PARACHUTE FESTIVAL – MYSTERY CREEK, HAMILTON NZ
WHERE – MAIN STAGE
TIME – 6 35PM

WED FEB 3RD
ELIM CHRISTIAN CENTRE – HOWICK, NZ
“ULTIMATE WORSHIPER MASTERCLASS”
7.30 – 9.30PM

THURS FEB 4TH
THE EQUIP CHURCH – WHANGERAI, NZ
“ULTIMATE WORSHIPER MASTERCLASS”
7.00 – 9.30PM

FRI FEB 5TH
ELIM CHRISTIAN CENTRE – HOWICK, NZ
“OXYGEN” YOUTH
8 00 – 10 00PM

SAT FEB 6TH
HOUSE OF BREAKTHROUGH – GISBORNE, NZ
“ULTIMATE WORSHIPER MASTERCLASS”
1 30 – 7 30PM

SUN FEB 7TH
CITY IMPACT CHURCH – BROWNS BAY/NORTH SHORE, NZ
SUNDAY PM SERVICE
7 00PM

On our recent trip to Cambodia we documented what we saw, felt & experienced together as a team. We’ve cut these into 5 webisodes to be released over January. We invite you to view these mini-docos over on the project cambodia page. We hope these are reflective & inspiring…

much love
citipointe live

view the ’cause behind the commission’ webisodes