August 22, 2011

Wanna Help?

Thanks so much for your willingness to help me out. As things keep progressing for me, I'm learning I can't do any of this on my own. Any of the opportunities I've had have come from someone taking a chance on me, putting a checkmark in my box, and believing in me. I'm truly grateful. I'm also finding that there are people out there, like yourself, who would love to help me out, if they just knew something they could do! That's what this page is for! I'd like to form a team - maybe you can help me come up with a name - but a team of people who are interested in helping spread the word about my music. Why? Number one - because I believe we are surrounded by people who desperately need the message of hope found in my songs.

Send me an email through the contact button above, the reply box below, or simply mark@marksmeby.com. Let me know how you'd like to help - let's start a dialogue. And let me know if you don't have a copy of Pilgrim Man yet, I'd be glad to send you digital copy for free—just for helping out! I plan to send out regular updates about what's going on, and if there are any particular needs. By regular I mean, no more than monthly...

So how can you help?

#1 - CONCERTS - This is the most effective way I connect with people. I'm constantly looking for more places to sing. Perhaps you know someone at a place that you think would be good for a Mark Smeby concert. Perhaps you'd like to be a rep for a certain area where you live—focusing on multiple locations for concerts. Having someone reach out to a venue on my behalf is 100% more effective than me doing it myself. You can help tremendously! And FYI: I love to use church choirs or involve other musicians/vocalists from a church during my concerts, if they'd like to do that. Click HERE for more detailed info about concerts that you can pass on to someone who might be interested.

#2 - SHARE THE MESSAGE! This is super easy. Share lyrics, song clips, or video clips with anybody you know—whether it's through email or Facebook or Twitter, you can spread the message to your circle of friends, and people will listen because they know you! If you share something, don't just cut and paste, make a specific comment about how this song inspires you, for example. You can find song clips to share just to the right on this page - or HERE - each of the songs on Pilgrim Man are at the bottom, you can click on one, or the whole album, and share through whatever means you desire. Post a lyrics as your status update, or link to a blog on my site, for example. I also have a ton of videos on Facebook and YouTube that are ripe for sharing. Or if you're feeling really ambitious, I've seen some people create videos of songs they like, just using the lyrics on the screen and maybe some photos...go for it! I'd love to see what you can create - and you can use my music in any way you'd like! Maybe you'd like to sing one of my songs in your church, or have the choir sing a song—awesome! I have choir charts & accompaniment tracks for many of my songs and I'd be glad to send them to you for free!

#3 - INTERACT - As we build our team, it's going to be very valuable to interact. We can do that on my Facebook page, Twitter, or here on my website/blog. Let's keep this from being one-sided, or just about me, and more about you and your thoughts. I hope to simply be a catalyst.

#4 - REFERENCE - If you've seen me in concert, I'd love to get a response from you...you know, like a short little review like they do for movies? I'd love to get a video clip—something super basic on your phone or computer is fine—or even something written, just saying what you thought the concert was like, why other people should go to a concert like this, or even just what the music means to you, etc. I want to build a collection of these and use them for promotional purposes. You would be a great help to me with this! Email whatever you come up with to: mark@marksmeby.com.

#5 - PRAYER - This is so important. If you want to join the team simply as a prayer warrior, I'd love that so much. The more I travel and get to share with people, the more desperately aware I am of my need for prayer support.

Again, please let me know how you'd like to get involved, just type in the reply box down below or shoot me an email. Thank you so much for considering how you could help! I'm very open to any other creative ideas you might have. So let's talk!

In closing, I'd love to share with you what John Piper writes about Hebrews 10:24 - as a fleshing out of the vision I have for my music, but especially for this team: "Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds." Here is the focus for your life. Here is what you aim at from morning till night as a Christian. Notice carefully: it is not what you might expect. It is not: consider how to love each other and do good deeds. That would be Biblical and right. But it's different: "Consider how to stimulate each other to love and good deeds." Focus on helping others become loving people. Aim at stirring up others to do good deeds. And of course the implication would also be that if others need help and stirring, we do too, and so we would be aiming at what sorts of ways we can think and feel and talk and act that will stir each other up to love and to do good deeds. The aim of our lives is not just loving and doing good deeds, but helping to stir up others to love and to good deeds.

AMEN!

9 comments:

Karen Ford said...

Hi Mark:
I would like to help you in anyway possible I can. I remember contacting you about a 1 1/2 yrs ago, after i saw the movie you were in Perfect Gift, and love the song Emmanuel, but wasn't able to find it, and you sent me the cd and some more of your songs, which i think i played them out...lol..They were such a great help during the time my mom passed away and dealing with her death..for that thank you...
Now, how can i help, my church is located in Pinellas Park, FL Praise Cathedral Church of God, we are going though some growth issues again, so we only have about 100-200 at times, attending, so we are not a hugh crowd. If we can work somthing out for you to come to our church to do a concert, what time of the year do you like to consider? I am looking forward to meeting you if we can get a chance to have you at our church, if not, my prayers are always with you and your ministry.
Looking forward to talking to you soon.
Karen Ford

Julie Strand said...

Mark, I saw u at your concert in Cross Lake, MN. My kids and I so enjoyed it!!
We also enjoyed watching the movie Clancy! I would love to see you come back
and will keep my eyes ( and ears) open for an opportunity to get you back here!!
I will definitely be in prayer for you and your ministry!!
Your Friend in Christ
Julie

Betty Campbell said...

My other e-mail is bettyacamp@gmail.com
I want you to know You are a wonderful singer and sing beautiful uplifting songs and I praise God for them all. You sang at our Church a while ago (Christ Community in Omaha NE) and I hope you come back soon. I bought your Pilgrim Man cd when you were here. I always wanted to be a singer, cause I love music and I love to sing. I will keep you in Prayer cause God has answered many prayers in my life and I praise God for who he is and all he has done and all he does! If there is anything else I can do please let me know. Take care and God Bless You!
Sincerely Your sister in Jesus Christ,
Betty Campbell

Cheryl Bellas said...

I would love to help...I will start with prayer...would love to see you in concert in my area...will share your videos on FB, too !!

Sue Koxlien said...

Hey Mark,
I would love to help you! I can definitely pray and share videos and songs online. I could also check with my pastor to see if they would be interested in having a concert sometime. I go to Rochester Assembly of God in Rochester, MN. There are a few other churches that I could possibly check with also if you are interested. Have you ever considered or tried being part of music festivals? For example, have you heard of Life Light Music Festival? It's held in Worthing, South Dakota every year during labor day weekend, Friday through Sunday. There have been many bands/singers that have come there that I had never heard of before but after hearing them, I really enjoyed their music and bought some of their albums. They have 6 different stages. You'd be a good fit for the triple shot cafe stage, I believe. They have a website. Also there is a smaller festival in Lewiston, MN called "Crossfest". Lewiston is about 32 miles east of Roch. In the summer 2010 they did a 3 day festival, but b/c of bad weather they had bad turnout so this past summer they only had it for one day, but I think they would eventually like to get back to 3 days. They have a website also. Both of the mentioned festivals are free admission. This is all I can think of for now. I can try to write a review but I'm camera shy so prob. not going to get a video from me. :) Praying. Sue Koxlien

Janylee McGlinchy said...

Mark, I've been singing in the praise band at the First UMC here in Saint Augustine since July 2010 and I have been in many church choirs from a little girl. I love to sing praise music. I am a creative writer, deep thinker and poet/storyteller though what I truly have a passion for is studying the Bible and doing a literary criticism of the text. I would be happy to help you with your music. I will keep you in my prayers. (Lady in front pew, Anastasia Baptist Church).

Katie Hansen said...

Hi Mark, I will do what I can to get your music out there. It would be awesome if you could play here in Rochester more often. I think your music is phenomenal! Its some of the most inspiring music I have ever listened to. I can relate to so many of your songs. Some even have the words that Ive only ever told myself. I cannot wait till you release your next CD. You have such an amazing gift woth words! Love and Prayers.... Katie

Amy Dias said...

Would be honored and blessed to help you on your Journey.

Phiip Ciampa said...

Hey Mark it's Philip. I would love to help spread the word in the tri-state area where I live, let me know of any other help you need

God Bless
Philip