Good things to come...
We just wrapped up the few weeks we had lined up for this Fall and we thank God that everything turned out OK. This has been somewhat of a trying year, our 10th year as a ministry, but we haved worked through the hard times and God has shown us that we are not ready to slow down. We were first challenged to travel this Fall without our number one man who was on a 4 week European Vacation. We want mention any names but his initials are Tripp Caines. For 10 years he has been producing the sight and sounds of Direct Message and I pray that we never have to do it again without him. We then had to replace our Bass player who moved back to Florida. But we were truly blessed to have our former bass player, Richard Johnson return back just in time.
A special thanks to Glen and Deana Totherow and all the folks at Second Baptist Church in Lancaster SC. You guys are such a blessing and we appreciate your hospitality and friendship as always. The next time we come we promise to say Lancaster correctly.
We appreciate David Middendorf and all the folks at Uncaged Outreach Ministries and Powerline Church. You guys have a special ministry and a special annointing to reach people for Christ. We are looking forward to next year already. We plan on being there for the entire event and hopefully the weather will be better too.
Direct Message has been blessed over the years to have some support and by Gods Grace we have been self supportive now for 5 or 6 years. But we have never had someone to help us the way Keith and Marty Richardson have over the last year. These guys have bought us banners, given us bottled water, made numerous contributions and supported us with prayer like noone else has. All we can say is thanks guys. We love you and you know that Gods work has been multiplied through your gifts. Most of all, thanks for your friendship.
We recently had our first annual bike rally and benefit ride to help our friend Donnie Suggs. A special thanks to New Covenant Wesleyan Church in Pleasant Garden for letting us have the event at your location. The turnout was not what we expected but hopefully this is something we can grow on. I will be posting more about New Covenant and some other ministries in a few weeks.
We have some great things to look forward to in 2009. For now we are going to regroup and spend the winter in the studiobecause we have a lot of catching up to do. We will try to keep our schedule current and hopefully by the end of February we will be releasing our 2nd Rewite Album and our first original Praise and Worship album. Please keep us in your prayers. God Bless. Randy, Dan, Rick, Tammy, Jeff, Richard, Tripp and Dean.
1st Annual Bike Rally and Charity Ride
Direct Message Ministries is having our 1st Annual Bike Rally and Charity Ride and we would love for you come and join us. It will be a great day of bikes, music, food and fellowship. Here are the details..and please call if you have any questions. 11 AM lunch begins 11:45 AM music begins by Backseat 12:15 PM music by Second Chance Ministries 1:00 PM Blessing of Bikes and ride to follow 2:15 PM Door prizes Vendors On-site Please contact Randy Austin ay 336-963-3111 for registration or for questions. We hope to see you there!
Hey...we are looking for a bass player
We are sorry that Frank had to leave us as we will truly miss his unique ability, but we know that all things work together for good for those that love God....and we know Hes got someone special out there lined up. If you are interested in auditioning with us, please call Randy at 336-963-3111.
Freedom Biker Church...An amazing work by God!
We just returned from
We have said many times that Christian bikers are some of the most transparent people you will ever meet, but to see a cooperate worship environment specifically designed to target bikers and to hear and see the lives that have been touched through this vision is simply amazing. The good news is that more biker churches are coming and probably to a town near you. Whether you ride or not, you will want to check out this unique ministry if you are ever in the area.
An awesome weekend at Ocean Isle Beach...
Shouts out to Jerome Munna and his beautiful wife Shawnna for allowing us to be a part of the Brunswick County Toy Run. We were treated with wonderful accomodations at Ocean Isle Beach that was amazing and we enjoyed a special weekend of fellowship and rest. We also want to say thanks to Scott for making it possible. We have decided that we want to be a full time beach ministry. On Saturday there was a great turnout of Motorcycles, Show Cars and Racing Lawn Mowers along with a beautiful gazebo for us to play. We pray that someone was blessed and that Christ was lifted up through our ministry. Blessings to all our new friends with the Brunswick County Motorcycle Enthusiast.
Another great weekend of Biker events...
We are asked many times if Biker Rallies are the only events we sing at anymore. We have seen our ministry change and grow over the years and we know we are right where God wants us to be. To answer the question at hand, we do still sing at church worship services, youth events, crusades and revivals. However, we have fell in love with the many Biker ministries that call on us and like we have always said, you will never find more transparent, real people. Just like the testimonies from Direct Message band members, we meet many people that understand Grace in a different capacity. I am not saying that you have to live like the devil to appreciate Grace, but there is much appreciation to our Lord for saving us from the clutches of a life in the gutter and given a brand new beginning in Jesus Christ.
Many weekends we find ourselves traveling as hard as we can go from one event to the next, and it is easy to get so caught up in the work of ministering that we neglect our own food. We are thankful to the many pastor friends that feed us with Gods word at the events we travel. As much as we miss our own churches and church families, we are thankful that Gods word is universal. On May 3 we had a great day in Wallace NC. Way Riders Motorcycle ministry had a good showing for their event and we are thankful to Deanna Maready and those folks for inviting us. On May 4 we were at Shorline Baptist Church in Southport NC and we were so blessed. Not only did we get to see our Faith Rider friends but we were blessed to hear the awesome ministry of David Middendorf from Uncaged Outreach Ministries. You can find out more about him at www.uncagedministries.org. A special thanks to David Hicks, Pastor Steve Hinton and all the wonderful people at Shoreline for your hospitality.
As promised, we will be writing about some special ministries in the near future that we have been so blessed to work with over the years. We are excited for our friends JD and Kelly Tew from Freedom Biker church and the awesome band that he plays with called Second Chance. To get a sneak peak check out www.secondchancemm.org. More soon.
We will check back soon. Again, thanks to those folks that support our ministry. You are blessing people that you cant imagine. And like we always say tell someone about Direct Message. But more importantly tell someone about Jesus.
Thanks to New Vision Fellowship.....
.....and the wonderful people we met at the Biker Sunday event. There was a wonderful Spirit of the Lord and we praise God for the souls that were saved. We could never put a price tag on what God has allowed us to do over the years and whether it is 200 people or just 1 at a time, we are just thankful that God would allow us the opportunity to carry His message in song. New Vision had an awesome puppet ministry and praise team to kick things off and from there on it was just sit back and let God work. I think we were aware that a special day was going to take place when we rolled in shortly after 7AM and began setting up. Rick even mentioned to me that it was going to be a good day when we were doing a sound check. It was a great blessing to meet Franks wife Michelle too. Since Frank has been with us he has not only brought a professional background with Jeremy Camp and Sonic Flood, but he has added a new excitement to Direct Message that something bigger is getting ready to happen.
We regret to inform our friends in Elizabeth City that due to health problems with the team members at the Salvation Army, our upcoming event scheduled for April 19 and 20 will be postponed till the fall. We will keep you updated. To all of our new friends with Carolina faith Riders, we cant express enough our thanks for letting us be a part of a wonderful weekend in Myrtle Beech. What an awesome moving of Gods Spirit and some of the best messages we have ever heard. More about Carolina Faith Riders in North and South Carolina, Freedom Biker Church, Kelly and JD Tew, Dale Brooks and Sammy Gilbreath to come.
We look forward to seeing our friends with Carolina Faith Riders...
We look forward to seeing our friends with Carolina Faith Riders and enjoying a great weekend in Myrtle Beach. We will be sharing Friday night and Saturday morning with some Praise and Worship and we will be in concert on Saturday night. Sunday morning we will participate with the blessing of the bikes and have some more Praise and Worship. We love meeting and worshiping with all of our Faith Rider friends and we are praying for a safe trip for all the bikers. Be sure to stop by our table and say hello!
Would you consider helping Direct Message financially?
Before I begin explaining our needs financially, let me begin by praising God and thanking those of you that support our ministry faithfully and for the kindness of so many people who have shared our vision over the years by giving of monthly support. God has blessed us by seeing that all provisions have been met and all expenses have been covered by the venues that call on us and support we receive. However, we have come to sort of a crossroad where much of our equipment is showing the natural wear and tear of road work and we have found ourselves wandering how long we can continue using what we have.
It just never hurts to ask and that is why I am posting this. For those of you that know our ministry you know our heart and passion is winning souls. That will always be our primary focus as a band and a ministry. If God puts it on your heart to help us please contact me at 336-963-3111 or raustin001@triad.rr.com. As always, tell someone about Direct Message, but more importantly, tell someone about Jesus. We love You! Randy
Direct Message would like to say thanks to......and welcome to.
First we want to say thanks to DeVane Burnette, as he has been one awesome bass player. DeVane has done well to jugle a growing business, family, church and a crazy schedule with Direct Message. DeVane will be missed although we hope that he can make some trips with us occasionally. Thanks for your sacrifice and time. We Love you Bro!
We have prayed for someone to fill the bass position for a few weeks now, and out of nowhere comes an amazing guy that will also be a great asset to Direct Message. Frank Faccioli brings years of background as a studio and on stage musician, working with artist like Jeremy Camp and Sonic Flood. We know that he also has a heart for reaching people for Christ and with this key ingredient he will be a great addition. Welcome aboard Frank.
Direct Message wants to hear from you. If our ministry has blessed you....
....or if you have made a decision for Christ through this ministry, we want your testimony to share with others. We will be establishing a link with personal testimonies that will tell how Direct Message Ministries has been instrumental over the last 10 years in the lives of others. If you have a story to tell or just a quick shout of praise, email us at info@directmessage.org. We cant wait to hear from you.
Direct Message wants to hear from you. If our ministry has blessed you....
....or if you have made a decision for Christ through this ministry, we want your testimony to share with others. We will be establishing a link with personal testimonies that will tell how Direct Message Ministries has been instrumental over the last 10 years in the lives of others. If you have a story to tell or just a quick shout of praise, email us at info@directmessage.org. We cant wait to hear from you.
Direct Message is currently auditioning one new member.....
Direct Message is currently auditioning one new member to fill-in on bass, rhythm guitar and help with stage production. If you know of anyone that has a heart for ministry and would be interested, please have them call Randy at 336-963-3111. This is not a paid position, however, God has blessed us so that all traveling expenses are paid. The ideal candidate would have background in Classic Rock and Praise and Worship.
Thanks,
Randy Austin
www.directmessage.org
Thanks for a great year. 2008 marks our 10th year as a ministry....
Thanks for a great year! 2008 marks our 10th year as a ministry and we thank God for being so good to us. As we look back over the last 10 years we are amazed at the opportunities that we have had and we are even more excited for what lies ahead. Over the years we have had the privilege to share the gospel of Christ through music and testimony to thousands of people, and though we can not take credit for anything that God has done through us, we are wanting to hear back from some of you. If Direct Message has been a blessing to you or if you have made a decision through our ministry, we are asking you to let us know. We are making a link on our web sight for testimonials, and we would love to hear how God touched you through our music, speaking, or testimonies. We just want to brag on God for allowing a group of misfits to accomplish His work. Just email us at info@directmessage.org or raustin001@triad.rr.com. We will post your thoughts and comments sometime in late January or early February.
Thanks again to all of our new friends in Christ for your support and encouragment. We have no plans on slowing down because 08 looks to be a busy year. Please continue praying for this ministry as we seek opportunities to reach the lost.
Jeff, Dan, Rick, Tammy, Tripp, DeVane, Randy and Dean
Direct Message Ministries
A special thanks to our new friends at Camp Lejeune.
Direct Message would like to thank Deputy Commander Chaplain Alan Pitstop Hansen for allowing us to be a part of Midway Extreme Chapel at Camp Lejuen. We were truly blessed by meeting you, your wife, and the wonderful families at Midway and we are excited to see God working through your ministry. Thank you for the hospitality and generosity. We definitely look forward to returning. Your heart and compassion for Gods work is evident and we will continue to support you in prayer for the work that lies ahead. We pray for blessings to all of our new friends at Midway and hope that you have a Wonderful Christmas holiday.
A special thanks to Marty and Keith Richardson! We love you guys and appreciate your support!
Check out new photos from Lancaster, SC and Monroe, NC
To Glen and Deena Totherow, you are amazing people! You opened your doors and made us feel like we were right at home. Thanks for you hospitality and for such a warm and compassionate heart for lost souls. God has blessed you with a wonderful passion to reach people for Jesus through music, bikes, testimonies, church and more. Your joy radiates the God you serve. We are looking forward to next year! Oh, Deena,could you work it out so that you are not in a wheelchair next year? Glenn promised us you would fix a big breakfast. Just kidding! We love you guys!
To Pastor Dan and Linda, thanks for having such a crazy son. Chis is a trip! Thank you for the hospitality and for making the wonderful accomodations. You have a beautiful church and beautiful family that obviously has a heart for outreach. I have to admit, mom has a cool bike! Thanks so much for letting us be a part of your outreach and we look forward to next year and seeing the growth and fruit of your efforts. Chris, thanks so much for making us feel at home. The Valley Church Praise Team is awesome and we hope that we will see them next year. If you sound like you do after only a month, next year will be awesome.
New pictures have been added to the web sight. A great big THANKS to our friends of Second Baptist Church of Lancaster SC and Valley Church in Monroe, SC.
To Glen and Deena Totherow, you are amazing people! You opened your doors and made us feel like we were right at home. Thanks for you hospitality and for such a warm and compassionate heart for lost souls. God has blessed you with a wonderful passion to reach people for Jesus through music, bikes, testimonies, church and more. Your joy radiates the God you serve. We are looking forward to next year! Oh, Deena....could you work it out so that you are not in a wheelchair next year? Glenn promised us you would fix a big breakfast. Just kidding. We love you guys!
To Pastor Dan and Linda, thanks for having such a crazy son. Chis is a trip! Thank you for the hospitality and for making the wonderful accomodations. You have a beautiful church and beautiful family that obviously has a heart for outreach. I have to admit, mom has a cool bike! Thanks so much for letting us be a part of your outreach and we look forward to next year and seeing the growth and fruit of your efforts. Chris, thanks so much for making us feel at home. The Valley Church Praise Team is awesome and we hope that we will see them next year. If you sound like you do after only a month, next year will be awesome.
Visit our ad at www.myspace.com/directmessage. Listen to clips of our new project "I Am Saved".
Visit our ad at www.myspace.com/directmessage. Listen to clips of our new project "I Am Saved".
Direct Message would like to thank all those that participated in the 3rd Annual Eric Crane Memorial Scholarship Fun Run. Belinda, we love and appreciate you. Your efforts made it possible that at least 15 people recieved Christ as Lord and Saviour. This is the reward that keeps Direct Message going!
Triad Biker Day was a great day! Riders came from all over for Crossover Triad 2006. Thanks to Carolina Faith Riders!
Triad Biker Day in Greensboro was a huge success. A special thanks to Mike and Pam Young of the Carolina Faith Riders and to our new friends from Second Chance Band.
June 2006 - New Website!! & New Album "I Am Saved" is about to be released, check back for more info....