Hey there Peoples,

We would love for you to become our fan on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Brothers-Scars/6160428143?v=wall&viewas=782774557#/pages/My-Brothers-Scars/6160428143?v=info&viewas=782774557

Jacob, Myk and I heard a great sermon on Sunday morning. Pastor Matt Everhard read this quote about Genesis 2:21, 22...

"The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved."



- Matthew Henry, English non-conformist clergyman

(18 October 1662 – 22 June 1714)

To enjoy Pastor Matt's sermons click on the link below. They are grrrreat!


http://www.fepcb.org/Sermon_Audio/

So, just a little update on the past couple of weeks, we've been playing a summer camp at a place called Lakewood Retreat in Brooksville, Florida. The experiences we had there have been amazing! It has been our 3rd year playing there now and we have had a great time every year. This year has, once again, not disappointed and has been a great time of worship, fellowship, and drawing closer to God, whether the campers, counselors, staff or band we all took something away from the past two weeks. We had a lot of memorable times there this year, from shaving cream faux-hawks to falling (instead of sliding lol) down water slides, but the spiritual aspect of the camp have made lasting impacts on everyone involved and we appreciate all those who played a part in making the camp possible!

If you would like to know any information about the camp the link to the website is:

www.lakewoodretreat.org

And if you have any other questions feel free to ask us, whether it be about all the goofy stuff we did or the sermons and lessons we would love to chat and share our experience with you!

-Jeremy, Myk, Jacob, Chett and Kevin

Hey Everyone,

 

We just want to thank all of you for your prayers and support and give you an update on what we are up to.

 

We are again a 5 piece band as some of you may have noticed. Ben left the band to settle down and become a responsible adult:] We do miss having him around, but wish him the best with his new endeavors.

 

We are also now looking for transportation for the band. We are looking to do at least 2 out of state tours this year for the first time. We are very excited about this opportunity and look forward to seeing some of you who have never been able to come to a show.

 

We have been cruising around in 2 or more trucks for over 2 years now and we need to be able to use 1 vehicle. Please pray that God would send us adequate transportation.

 

We are currently booking these tours. If your church, youth group, or other venue would be interested in having us play, please contact us via email at mybrothersscars@earthlink.net We would love any opportunities to minister.

 

We are also beginning work on writing a worship album. We have no definite plans for recording. Whenever God provides we will begin the recording process. We have been playing worship since the beginning and love sharing our passion for worship with others.

 

Finally, we have made the decision to go into full time ministry next June. We would ask that you please keep us and our families in your prayers as we make this leap of faith. Add us to your church’s prayer list and spread the word about our ministry. We know that the economy is not conducive right now to being dependant on donations, but this is the direction that God is leading us. We still need to figure out housing arrangements for our families and other miscellaneous details, but we are confident that God will provide. If God lays it on your heart to help us financially you can do so through the button below. We truly appreciate all of your prayers, support and encouragement.

 

Thanks,

Jeremy, Myk, Kevin, Jacob and Chett

 

 

 

We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we are getting closer and closer to full time ministry. We know that many of you lift us up in your prayers already and we want you to know that God has been blessing us with opportunities to minister beyond anything we could have imagined. We are very grateful and humbled by all that God has done.


If any of you feel called to contribute financially to this ministry, we have added a donate button to our profile. We understand that times are very tight financially and completely understand if you are unable to do this. However, we have been approached and messaged by people curious of how they could donate, so we have made it easier for those of you that would like to.


For those of you that are interested in purchasing t-shirts or pre-ordering CD's, we will have those available online very soon. Our CD's and t-shirts have been designed by Remnant Gear. Check out their other t-shirts. T-shirts were printed at Perm-A-Grin by Carey Yaskovic. Also, our CD has been produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Dean Pratt at Leavell Studios. If you need any recording done, please check them out.


Thank you all for your prayers and support. We are are excitedly anticipating the doors God is going to open for us in the future.


Remnant - http://www.myspace.com/remnantgear
Carey Yaskovic - www.myspace.com/267665479
Dean Pratt - http://www.myspace.com/deanopratto
Leavell Studios - http://www.myspace.com/johnleavellstudio

First, I want to clarify that Sasha is not paralyzed. Her problem is that her limbs were not working and felt numb, like a huge dose of Novocain. She couldn't move them or feel them except for the feeling of pins and needles as if she had laid on them and they went to sleep. She couldn't hold things in her right hand and she could not use the right leg at all. The left foot and lower leg started going numb also, leaving her with the left hand and arm as the only extremity that functioned.

Tuesday night I was still searching as to what God wanted me to do as far as ministry is concerned. Myk and I were working with Dean at the studio and I told him about how I was questioning what I was supposed to be doing and he told me about a similar trial that his family had experienced when he was a child. His fahter was preacher with his wife and son extremely ill and he was wondering if he was doing the right thing. His father found that this was a time of his faith being tested and Dean said that maybe this is what is going on with me. Later, about 1:00am, I was calling my supervisor at work to let him know what was going on with my wife. The sergeant who answered the phone was asking how my wife was doing. When I was telling him about the disease and the odds of recovery that I had found he proceeded to go into hellfire and brimstone sermon for about 20 minutes. He is an AME preacher. He told me I was putting God in a box and he didn't see these percentages. He said that satan is trying to attack me because of the ministry that I'm a part of and that if he had attacked my body I would have never thought about quitting. He knew that attacking my wife would be a sensitive spot to hit me. After talking to my supervisor I hung up the phone and I was thinking about all things my sgt. had told me. Then at about 3:00 in the morning he called me and asked if I could drive to work because he had something for me. I drove over and he had printed up every healing scripture in the Bible and a few different prayers of healing.

Wednesday was really exciting in that her right hand and foot could wiggle! It still felt pins and needles, but they wiggled. I went to the hospital that night and laid hands and prayed every scripture on that list over her. It was an awesome time of prayer and she felt much better after we finished.

Thursday they got her up with a walker. She had to look at her feet and will them to go into the right position. When she saw that the left foot was under her and touching the floor she was able to put weight on it and drag the right leg forward. She still could not support herself on the right leg, but she was able to move it. It is a long process for each step, and she can't walk, but this is a HUGE improvement.

They are still trying to work out details with the insurance company about what rehabilitation program is approved. As soon as that is arranged they will be discharging her from the hospital. This should be happening today(Friday).

Some members of our church are loaning us an electric wheelchair for her. She is still working out the details of school and work but is anxious to get back at it, even if it's only part time. Again, thank you for your prayer support. I know that they are many of you praying for her and our family. We could not feel more blessed to have brothers and sisters in Christ like all of you.

Also, I know a lot of bands have been lifting us up in prayer and spreading the word through bulletins. I want to tell all of you how amazing it is to be surrounded in ministry by people who really care about each other. This is how Christian bands should be. Please let me know if there is anything I or my band can do to help any of you and especially if there are things that we can pray for.

-Jeremy

Well, it's been a while since I've updated on everything that's going on with us. So here goes.

First, let me thank all of you for your support. We really do appreciate all of your prayers and donations. We are truly blessed to have you all as friends and fans. We have been afforded several tremendous opportunities last year and this year by the grace of God and also because of you guys spreading the word about us. You're amazing!

Second, we have added a new member. His name is Chet and yes he is a redneck. Thanks for asking. He is going to be playing guitar with us and he has been a lot of fun to hang out with. He attends Inverness Church of God. So, that now makes a 5^th different denomination in the band. Sweet! Chet has been playing guitar for only 2 years, but has been dedicated to improving and is excited to get the opportunity to use his talents for the Lord. On a side note Jacob is excited to no longer be the youngest member in the band. Chet should be playing his first show with us at campfirepalooza in Lakeland on March 8^th.

Third, we have been helping a local business called Coney Island. The owner of this restaurant, Blair, felt that God was leading him to do something for the kids in the Brooksville area. So, he began Christian Youth Nite @ Coney Island. We are playing this event a couple times this year and booking bands to play for it. It is a night of FREE live music and a local youth pastor bringing a short devotion. We would love to see you all out for this event. It is the second Tuesday of every month at 6:00pm. Check out the website at www.myspace.com/christianyouthnite

Finally, we want to thank you all for your patience with the CD. We were at the point of recording the harmonies for the CD (the last thing to be recorded), when we decided that, with the addition of another member and other extenuating circumstances with production, we should record a full length album instead of just the EP. So, we are now going to add two additional songs to the album. This will delay the release of the CD, but should make it a much better album and we feel that we'd be much happier releasing a full length. However, our producer has promised to have two finished songs ready for us to post online for you guys to hear and add to your profiles very soon.

Thanks once again for your prayers and support. God Bless!

-Jeremy

TONY HOLT – Hernando Today

Published: January 18, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - Whatever the musical genre, there are always purists out there to judge authenticity. Whether it is punk, progressive, heavy metal, rap, hip-hop, soul, neo-soul, country, alternative country, folk, bluegrass or new age — the purists seem to always segregate the genuine acts from the pretenders.

Christian rock fans are no exception. They are quick to define who is real and who is not. My Brother's Scars know they are the real deal. They call themselves a Christian alternative rock band — as opposed to an alternative rock band made up of Christians.

"Every song we do has a message to it," said lead singer Jeremy Barker. "It's not just about the hook. It's music with substance." The band plays outdoor concerts and churches. Their songs are unmistakably about God and they devote half of their full-scale set list to praise and worship.

Some bands want to be accepted outside of the faith-based music world. In order to do so, they often attempt to wiggle from the label "Christian band." That will not be the case with My Brother's Scars. "We don't apologize for being Christian," said guitarist Mike Heald, who played with Barker years prior to joining him in his current band.

The band members all have jobs and some have families. They rehearse at least once per week at the drummer's house and play local gigs. Last year, My Brother's Scars played 52 shows. This year, they hope to exceed that number, release an album and establish a fan base that stretches beyond Florida. "We'd like to play out a lot more and do some touring," Heald said. "That's tough to do when you work 40 hours a week and raise a family."

They already have eight original songs written for their not-yet-titled debut EP. Dean Pratt, a member of the local band Providence, is their producer. Barker is an original member of My Brother's Scars, which formed two years ago. The band was mostly made up of Barker's brothers and brothers-in-law. After a few lineup changes, the group seems to have emerged and has its sights set on bigger achievements.

"Christian music offers more opportunities really," Barker said, referring to the prospects of playing festivals, outdoor concerts and a plethora of churches. "We have no interest in doing secular music at all," he continued.

The loyalty among Christian rock fans is evident even among local listeners. When they go see a band, they want to be involved in the experience. They raise their hands and sing. They want to listen to the lyrics as much as the guitar solos. It is a spiritual experience for all involved. When they like a band, they tend to stick with them. "Our three fans aren't going anywhere," Heald joked, invoking loud laughter from the band.

When asked about the origin of the band name, Barker took a deep breath. In 2005, after a bad breakup with his first group and thoughts about never returning to the stage, the singer was diagnosed with a form of skin cancer, he said. After surgery and treatment, he was left with several "hideous scars," which he thought were an appropriate metaphor for his life and music. "They're like the scars you get in life," Barker explained. In other words, God heals, but the scars remain. Because all the members of his band used to be brothers or brothers by marriage, the name My Brother's Scars seemed fitting.

The professions of the five-man band vary from correctional officer to auto mechanic. The youngest member, keyboardist Jacob Vandemark, is 17 years old. Drummer Kevin fields is the oldest. He is 33. The members go to various churches, but are all Protestant.

All five men were wearing red wristbands to symbolize their pro-life stance on abortion. A song on the forthcoming album, "Silent Screams," is centered on that message.

The band's influences range from the modern Christian rock (Casting Crowns and Mercy Me) to mainstream rock (Billy Joel and Rush). Recorded songs should be made available on the band's Web site by the end of February, Barker said. In the meantime, they will continue to play local and regional gigs at both outdoor venues and churches.

They are scheduled to perform at 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, at Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Brooksville. It is located at 200 Mt. Fair Ave.

My Brother's Scars are expressive about their religion and they aim to encourage people not to compromise their beliefs, regardless of how critics might react. "We encourage people to take a stand for what they believe in," Barker said.

For more information about the band, visit www.mybrothersscars.net.

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283

Upon reading the article members of the band were heard saying, "sweet" and "I'm in the paper"(Ben with a high girly voice) and other ridiculous outbursts. Anyway, We want to thank all of you that have supported us and prayed for us. Please keep us in your continued prayers. God Bless!

-Jeremy, Myk, Kevin, Jacob and Ben

Myk

Ben

Kevin

Jacob – He's so pretty. haha

Jeremy