Radio Free JoJo

City Council: bullet vote for Tim Butler

joel — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:10:12 +0000

It technically isn’t “Taxation without Representation,” but it has been 14 years since a Republican sat on Erie City Council. So as one of the 25% of voters who live in the city and have an “R” after my name, it can be easy to feel disenfranchised by the those who are obligated to represent all of us. Often the values of limited government, low taxes, more efficency and less bureaucracy are not priorities by a local government comprised totally of elected officials from the Democrat party.

Most of the time, there are no Republican choices offered in city races, however this year we do have a real choice for City Council: Tim Butler. Tim has an excellent grasp of the challenges facing the City of Erie, and has a strong, effective agenda for taking on the problems head on. His experience as a local staffer for Sen. Rick Santorum shows that he understands the political landscape and can work effectively with all of the players.

Of course, we can vote for four council members in this general election. But with the lopsided registration tally for the Democrats, accompanied by great numbers of those that will just press the big Democrat button, it is very difficult for anyone outside the Dems to rank in the top four vote-getters to win a City Council seat.

That’s why I intend to, and want to encourage other city voters to vote only for Tim Butler for City Council. Those who wish Tim to win should not defeat their own efforts by adding to the vote totals of other candidates. Instead, “bullet vote” for Butler and no one else and give his fresh new voice a fighting chance…for a new Erie.

Sunday Setlist: October 31-November 1-McLane Church, Edinboro, PA

joel — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:34:35 +0000

Our band of musicians and vocalists once again had the wonderful privilege to lead worship at the Edinboro site of McLane Church this weekend. We continued our series on the Old Testament on Nehemiah, as Bill Cox preached a message on confession.

We welcomed visiting Spanish River Church worship leader Ashley Bowersox on vocals, who sang a stirring lead on “Amazed.”

We closed the service introducing the incredibly powerful song from Pastor Ross Parsley and New Life Worship titled “Overcome.” I get the feeling that this anthem will make a huge impact on our congregation.

Here’s the band:

David Van Matre: Electric Guitar
Brandt Fuller (Dir. of Worship): Acoustic Guitar/Vocals
Brian Van Matre: Keyboards
John Gersims: Drums
Jared Leininger: Bass
Ashley Bowersox: Vocals
Joel Natalie: Worship Leader/Vocals

And the set:

Let God Arise/Chris Tomlin
Forever/Chris Tomlin
Never Gonna Stop/Tommy Walker
Amazed/Desperation Band
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)/Chris Tomlin
Overcome/This Is My Story/New Life Worship\

This post is part of Fred McKinnon’s Sunday Setlist blog carnival.

Sunday Setlist: October 10-11-McLane Church, Edinboro, PA

joel — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:56:11 +0000

It is always a privilege to lead worship at McLane Church, and the Edinboro congregation were engaged and were powerful participants in honoring God. Daryl Myer shared the third sermon in our series on Nehemiah, with a hard talk about opposition. It was a moving and exhausting weekend.

Thanks so much to the band:

Andy Pamer: Electric Guitar/Vocals
David Van Matre: Acoustic Guitar
Brian Van Matre: Keyboards
Peter Natalie (my bro): Drums
Sherri Sullivan: Bass/Vocals
Joel Natalie: Worship Leader/Vocals

Set list:

All Because of Jesus/Casting Crowns
All the Earth Will Sing Your Praises/Paul Baloche
Here I Am to Worship/Tim Hughes
Kindness/Chris Tomlin
Revelation Song/Gateway Worship
How Great is Our God/Chris Tomlin

Have a great week!

Note: I am participating in the “Sunday Setlists” blog carnival at FredMcKinnon.Com

Fearless by Max Lucado

joel — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:53:44 +0000

Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear

As a pastor in addition to being a best-selling author, Max Lucado can diagnose the source of the racing pulses, cold sweat, and sleepless nights he sees in his congregation. The symptoms presented indicate the presence of fear, that debilitating emotional response to screaming cable news headlines, a certified letter, or a change in life’s seasons.

In fifteen chapters Lucado, through his brand-new book Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear, surveys a baker’s dozen of contexts in our journey where we typically respond in fear. Whether you are in the middle of a storm, financially devastated or even doubting God’s power, the master storyteller examines each fear situation. Then instead of invoking the Rodgers and Hammerstein/Deborah Kerr solution of “whistling a happy tune,” Lucado plugs into the power of God’s Word to ensure the reader that God’s solution is stronger.

It’s fitting that this book arrives almost 12 months to the day of a near total collapse of our global financial system. In its wake, news junkies and worrywarts like me, along with those facing terrible personal valleys can receive true comfort as Max Lucado reminds us of the promises and encouragement of Jesus to “fear not.”

Sunday Setlist: August 22-23-McLane Church, Edinboro, PA

joel — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:48:36 +0000

It seems like I’m always saying it, but this weekend we had an incredible band of musicians leading worship at McLane Church. We did some powerful songs and congregational participation was strong. Bill Cox preached a very practical sermon on the spiritual discipline of reading the Bible. What a blessing to be a part of it!

The band that rocketh’:

Andy Pamer: Electric Guitar
David Van Matre: Acoustic Guitar
Brian Van Matre: Keyboards
Wendy Plyler: Grand Piano
Ken Kibbee: Drums
Grace Johnson: Vocals
Joel Natalie: Worship Leader/Vocals

Set list:

Everlasting God/Chris Tomlin
Everyone (Praises)/New Life Worship
Mighty to Save: Hillsong
Revelation Song/Gateway Worship
Word of God Speak/Mercy Me
The Word is Alive/Casting Crowns (closing special)

How awesome it is to worship the Lord in community with folks in our region and around the world this weekend, including those in in the “Sunday Setlists” blog carnival at Fred McKinnon.com.

Sunday Setlist: July 11-12-McLane Church, Edinboro, PA

joel — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 22:59:30 +0000

Back in the saddle leading worship in Edinboro with a great bunch of folks at McLane Church. With most of church leadership on vacation this weekend, Pastor Andy Kerr and I were blessed by the participation and engagement by our fellow worshippers at McLane.

Tight band:

Ryan Irwin: Acoustic Guitar/Vocals
Andy Pamer: Electric Guitar
David Van Matre: Bass
Pete Natalie: Drums
Barb Priestap: Vocals
Joel Natalie: Worship Leader/Vocals

Set list:

Awesome, Amazing: Joe Horness/Willow Creek
This is How We Overcome: Hillsong
Til I See You: Hillsong United
Search Me, Know Me: Kathryn Scott
What If (special): Jadon Lavik
You Are My King (Amazing Love) (closer): Billy Foote

Andy Kerr preaches the message about really following Jesus.

This post is part of the Sunday Setlist blog carnival at FredMcKinnon.com.

Sunday Setlist: June 27-28-McLane Church, Edinboro, PA

joel — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:30:22 +0000

Here’s the Sunday Setlist for our annual Baptism weekend here at McLane Church, as part of the weekly blog carnival at FredMcKinnon.com.

The band cooked:

David Van Matre: Acoustic Guitar
Andy Pamer: Electric Guitar
Paul Grenberg: Bass
Pete Natalie: Drums
Brian Van Matre: Piano/Keys
Dawn Wisniewski: Vocals
Amy Monocello: Vocals
Joel Natalie: Worship Leader/Vocals

Just four songs:

All Because of Jesus – Casting Crowns
Be Glorified – Passion
Not to Us – Chris Tomlin
How Can I Keep From Singing – Chris Tomlin

The sermon by Senior Pastor was Baptism: It’s Purpose and Power. The sermon concluded with a video of last year’s baptism with Travis Cottrell’s “Search Me, Know Me” as a soundtrack…very moving.

Sunday Setlist: May 30-31-McLane Church, Edinboro, PA

joel — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:36:30 +0000

This is my first shot at participating in the Sunday Setlist blog carnival, but I was encouraged to do so by Jen Kerr and Brian Lusky, two passionate worship leaders who I much admire and appreciate.

A little background: I have been involved in contemporary worship bands since the late-1980’s, and have been a consistent worship leader most of the current decade. Although I dabble a little in piano and guitar, I don’t play them for worship yet, so I’m a vocalist worship leader. My vocational background is in radio broadcasting, so sometimes my approach to building a set is colored by the “hit rotation” strategies we use in radio. Of course, it’s important that each entire weekend worship service is covered in prayer and seeking God’s plan for it.

It was a different weekend at my home church, McLane Church in Edinboro, PA. We were significantly short on players on these particular dates so we went for a unplugged, stripped down vibe that actually worked out quite well.

Band:

Brandt Fuller (McLane’s Dir. of Worship) – Acoustic Guitar, vocals, worship leading
Andy Pamer – Acoustic Guitar
Edmund Blank – Grand Piano (special guest from Mississauga, ON)
Joel Natalie (me) – Worship Leading, vocals

Setlist:

Everlasting God (Tomlin acoustic version) – Brenton Brown & Ken Riley
God of My Days – Zach Neese
We Are Hungry – Brad Kilman
I Give You My Heart – Reuben Morgan
Enough (closer) – Chris Tomlin & Louie Giglio

Our sermon was a video from Life Church. Week 2 of the Life. Money. Hope. series with Dave Ramsey entitled Breaking the Bondage of Debt. More information is on the McLane Church website at mclanechurch.org.

This post is part of the the â€œSunday Setlistsâ€ blog carnival at FredMcKinnon.Com. Here’s this week’s post.

Tax Day: no walking up til midnight

joel — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:34:22 +0000

Just a quick note to warn you and to learn from my mistake last year. I always e-file my federal return, but mail my state and local returns. Well, because of e-filing and the general lack of Tax Day being an event, the Post Office no longer postmarks returns up until midnight. You have to get the returns in before their last pickup or else you will have to use an automated postage machine. Last year, there was a line an hour plus long at the Main facility on E. 38th because the machine transaction takes a while for each piece of postage, and if you are mailing three returns, you can be there a good five minutes. Multiply that by dozens of Erie procrastinators and you’ve got a problem.
Consider 6:00 at the main facility as T-hour, not midnight, ok?

What kind of leader does Erie need? Part one: position

joel — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:26:13 +0000

Over at Outside Erie, the discussion is whether there is such a person who could be an ideal candidate to run for local office in Erie. I think that it would be hard to find someone who wouldn’t be simultaneously loved by one side and scorned by the other.

But beyond the politics, and after the election, what kind of leader do we need in Erie, for such a time as this? I’m pretty sure that this is a question that can’t be answered in one post, so let me get started and we’ll go from there.

I think that it’s important to begin with the position. Where does the real power lay for generic Erie, meaning the area that is recognized by those out-of-town as Erie, not just the municipal boundaries? By the way we need to make that distinction, because we may find that a Millcreek Township supervisor could have as much power and agenda-creating force as the city’s mayor, given the socioeconomic strength in that suburb.

Is the real power centered in Millcreek or Summit, or is it at City Hall, or the County Court House? 25 years ago, there would have been no contest: Erie Mayor Lou Tullio was the power broker personified. Of course, back then the county was quite new under the Home Rule Charter, and the suburban townships were full into their own business.

However in 2009 the significant decline of the city center has been accompanied by the decline in its power base. Retail has long moved its traffic to Millcreek and Summit, following the housing migration. You have a situation where thousands of people can live in generic “Erie,” work in “Erie,” and shop in “Erie,” while rarely traveling into the City of Erie.

I still think that it would be difficult for a township supervisor to lead a regional area-wide agenda. The commissioner’s chair is a slight bully pulpit. So that leaves the city’s mayor and council, and the county executive and council. As much as I’d like to see the mayor be the captain of Erie’s team, right now in my opinion it is only the county executive who holds the wherewithal (fiscal and powerbase) to lead the community’s agenda.

The county has to be the seat of good government, economic development, and facilitating networks toward the advancement of the region. The county exec should have something to say about everything that is part of life in our community, including law enforcement, education, water & sewer, and emergency response.

See how hard it is to define our leadership? It’s taken us 440 words just to figure out his or her position! Next time, we’ll start knocking down some of the traits we want to see in our community agenda-makers.

Please chime in on what you think!