DJ church

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been traveling a bit more lately. From Canada to London to Pittsburgh to Orlando…the last few weeks have been a bit crazy. So, one of the more common questions I’ve been asked is this: “How do you parent your kids with such a crazy schedule?”

Well, keep in mind, when our kids were little, we simply couldn’t travel as much. And when we DID travel, it was definitely “Mommy & Daddy time.” (See the blog on “Surviving Young Kids” here)

But now that our kids can help us actually assist us in DOING ministry, it’s really getting fun.

For example, two weeks ago, I dragged my son to Experience Church in Calgary. Of course, he was thrilled about the idea of going into their kids ministry to learn how they did it. Then, this last week, I dragged my daughters to England. Substance Variant (our DJ worship band) was debuting our first music video at NewDay festival – and if you haven’t seen it, click here).

But I was so proud of my daughter Lijah (@lijahhaas on Insta). She got up and did a complicated DJ routine in front of 7000+ of her

NewDay Festival Main Stage

peers – which honestly took a LOT of guts. And after I preached, she took the stage with Substance Variant and gave these Brits a bit of the Substance experience. And after I shared the story about my other daughter, True’s vision of Historic Wesley, many people kept coming up to her for prayer (@truehaas). And it was delightful to watch her shower people with kindness.

Looking back on these last few weeks, the highlight wasn’t speaking and performing to a giant sea of people; rather, it was doing it alongside people I love. It was watching my loved ones serve God’s people with their gifts. And watching God bless them in return.

But I’ve noticed that a lot of people never experience this joy unless they painstakingly prioritize parenting and church involvement over the never-ending opportunities that are marketed at us. And what do I mean by this?

For starters, I’ve always made sure my kids had a ministry at church. Did they always like it? No. Like most kids, they complained… a LOT. There were seasons where they didn’t know where they fit. They struggled with friends. And it took hundreds of conversations…explaining the need for Christian friends and servanthood. They needed to wrestle with the value of putting Gods Kingdom first. And yes, even when our kids ministry got truly amazing, they still complained about getting up.

In some ways, much of parenting is simply having the energy to stand firm when your kids whine. And when they get older, this can require a bit more artful negotiating. But once they owned the church for themselves, they’re now walking in a whole new level of blessings. They don’t need me to convince them anymore.

But as another tip, I’ve always tried to have a few hobbies in common with each of my kids. And yes, many times, those common interests were strange and awkward for me to acquire. Our common interests have constantly changed and evolved – from Minecraft to YouTube shows to now, writing music and DJ-ing.

But the important part is that we’re logging hours, wrestling with values, and having fun together.

Research shows that “quantity of time spent with your kids” is THE SINGLE greatest predictor of child outcomes. Yet, we live in a world that’s constantly pressuring us to drown our children in a long list of extracurriculars – sports, academics, arts… basically “good things” that often crowd out the the single greatest thing your child needs most: YOU.

Don’t allow good to become the enemy of great. Any activity that decreases your child’s interaction with you is likely something that needs to be seriously scrutinized.

So here’s how to think about it: If life was a juggling act, and each ball represented a different aspect of your life… careers, friends, & opportunities are like rubber balls. If you drop them, they always bounce back.

And although your kids, your marriage & your health FEEL like they bounce back as well, over time, you find that they’re ACTUALLY a lot more like glass… when you drop them, they chip, they crack, and some even shatter. And many parents don’t realize this until it’s too late.

But how do we prevent this?

Just be intentional to put your marriage, your kids, & your personal walk with God first. Time and intentionality change everything.

But to get practical: if you were to do one thing (in a valued relationship) that would make 60% of the difference, what would it be?

Write out your thoughts. Be as detailed as you can.

But, let me tell you, the joy and delight from investing in relationships is ALWAYS greater than money, opportunities or professional success.

So don’t waste your life learning this the hard way. Amen?

It has finally arrived! Be sure to download our free electronic dance music project called SubstanceVariant!

Ever since the launch of our congregational worship band Substance Input / Output (or I/O for short) there’s been a buzz around here. Our recent I/O music video literally had over 50,000 views within a week of releasing it on Facebook. And if you haven’t seen it yet, click here. But beyond I/O, we feel called to create music that goes way beyond the scope and constraints of congregational worship.

So, we are jumping out of our skin to announce the launch of another band – led entirely by turntablists, rappers, and controllerism DJs, called Substance Variant. Using video walls cued by turntables and midi controllers, we’re singing a “new song.” And Substance Variant’s first album is now available for FREE on our website Apr 13th (or streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play etc for subscription fee). Yet despite being free, we were amazed that our new album climbed all the way to #8 on the mainstream electronic dance iTunes charts (which only counts the people who paid for it). So, it’s clear to us: It’s time to take Variant to a new level.

Variant performed to 4000 leaders at ARC Birmingham Apr 2018

As many of you know, this project has been in the works for a LONG TIME. I actually gave my life to Christ in a nightclub while working as an electronic dance music turntablist – (aka EDM dj). And ever since then, I’ve always had a heart to reclaim club culture and the dance music that made me come alive.

Every night, in every major city, there are tens of thousands of young people who line up outside of nightclubs to have a subpar “worship experience” with a rap artist or EDM DJ. In many ways, nightclubs are the single biggest competitor to the modern mega church; yet churches are still quite clueless when it comes to this global tribe of young people.

Even though rap, EDM, and R & B have completely dominated both record sales and concert revenue for 17 stinking long years, most “contemporary worship” churches do not even have a single rap or EDM oriented song in their repertoire. To make matters worse, there is a massive gaping hole in all of Christian music when it comes to upbeat, happy, and danceable songs. (Just ask any worship pastor: they’re always looking for a “non-cheesy fast song”). But why?

Well, let’s be honest: Congregational worship definitely caters to long-term Christians – and understandably so.

Sunday morning is the intersection of theology and methodology, not to mention the needs of multiple target audiences. The mystical folks in our churches want one type of worship. The people who pay the bills and invite their older friends want another. Still others see worship music through the filter of race and ethnicity – i.e., your music tells people who is truly welcome there (and who’s not). And by the time a song goes through all of these filters, quite often, it just results in an artistic mess. It’s light-years away from the music that’s consumed by mainstream folks. In some ways, congregational worship is often plagued by the proverbial “Too many cooks in the kitchen” – when everyone tosses in their favorite ingredient, the stew becomes a strange flavor that no one truly likes! And I haven’t even begun to mention the “unchurched filter.”

DJ Kirk hyping the crowd

So, when it came to our worship projects, I finally told our team: “Rather than getting lost in a never ending debate about target audiences, let’s be a both/and type of church!” So, from here on out, Substance’s two major bands will focus their efforts like this:

I/O is congregational worship; and Variant is evangelistic. I/O will write music that’s easier to reproduce in churches. Variant will write music that’s easier to reproduce in clubs. Or, as I told my friend recently, “even though the majority of Variant songs are worship, they’re still not even meant to be sung in a church service.” And why? For starters, no one wants to walk into a dance party at 8am on Sunday morning – even if they like dance music. And although Substance (with our thousands of newly church young folks) might be able to pull off certain Variant songs on Sunday morning, most churches would look downright silly if they tried them. But, that’s not the point of Variant ANYWAY.

And that’s why we have two different brands: There’s a time for I/O. But there’s also a time for a Spirit-filled dance party (See 2 Sam 6).

So get ready: On June 13th 2018, Substance Variant is doing a live album release party at Substance Northtown Campus. And we are also filming 4 music videos to show people what DJ-led worship can look like! And for you Substance I/O fans, we have 3 new singles releasing this Fall – along with a few new music videos too). But, whether we’re writing music for the church or your unchurched clubbing neighbor, we still only have one mission: to build Christ’s church. Not everyone is going to like EDM, rap, or turntables. But to hundreds of millions of young people around the world, those three words could easily unlock their souls for eternity. Make sense?

Thousands gathered at the ARC after-party. A sign of things to come?

How to Get Your Kids to Fall in Love with the Church

Get Ready for Substance Variant – Turntable Ready Worship