Michael Card
"And the call is to community, the impoverished power that sets the soul free..." -Michael Card
Bio
In a career that spans 25 years, Michael Card has recorded over 20 albums,
authored or co-authored over 14 books, hosted two radio programs, and
written for a wide range of magazines. While he has penned such favorites
as "El Shaddai," "Love Crucified Arose," and "Emmanuel," he never imagined
selling more than 4 million albums or writing over 19 #1 hits. The popularity
of his work seemed a stark contrast to his goal in life, to simply, and
quietly teach the Bible.
Although music provided him the opportunity to
share insights gained through extensive research, writing songs alone
limited what he felt called to share. Card would frequently agonize over
having to condense the vast depth and richness of scripture into a three-minute
song. And so he fell, quite naturally, into the field of book writing
where he has garnered numerous awards.
As Card continued on his quest
to teach the Bible, he was encouraged to follow his dream of hosting a
radio program entitled Joy in the Journey. Today it continues as In the
Studio with Michael Card and is broadcast on the Moody Radio Network.
The structure of each show is based on Card's three passions: community,
creativity and commentary. Card believes that it is out of community the
gospel really comes to life.
Never one to compartmentalize his spiritual
life, Card's quest for community slowly seeped into his professional life
as he began to write articles and books on topics that captured his imagination
through conversations with Bible teachers, friends and contemporaries
in both Christian music and the academic community.
Brennan Manning, Dr.
Calvin Seerveld, Dr. Larry Crabb, Kirk Whalum, Dr. George Guthrie, Don
Wyrtzen, J.I. Packard and the late Dr. William Lane from people known
for their academic biblical contributions to Grammy-award winning musicians,
Card is the first to note what an amazing community of friends and contemporaries
he has had the opportunity to learn from and grow with both personally
and professionally throughout his career.
"Thomas Merton said, 'The least
of learning is done in the classroom,' and hes so right," says Card.
"The bulk of what I've learned whether academically, musically or personally
is through interacting with other people, which is why I think community
is so important to our growth as Christians."
In everything he does, Card
seeks to encourage his audience to join him in his own journey to know
and be known by God by asking questions and entering into meaningful discussion
with one another. Card's vision is to edify the body of Christ around
the world by sharing experiences and resources in the context of community
in order to help facilitate the growth of smaller and more intimate communities
within his audience's own churches and neighborhoods.
To that end, Card
has branched out beyond the music which made his name known within the
Christian community into the various mediums he uses today; another reason
why Card sees the importance of continuing to teach at conference centers
like Glen Eyrie, Columbia Bible College, Maranatha Bible College and even
on a regular basis at his home church.
"It's odd to hear someone say that
they would rather hear me teach than sing," says Card, "but thanks to
events like the ones at Glen Eyrie, I don't have to pick one over the
other; I get to do both and it's a privilege that I am very thankful
for."
It is this combination of writing, music and speaking that creates
the perfect environment for the community Card hopes to achieve and something
he hopes to continue with the project he is currently working on, a book
on biblical lament, which he plans to expound on through both a musical
project as well as a series of speaking engagements. Articles appearing
in Discipleship Journal, In Touch Magazine and The Banner throughout 2004
will culminate in the release of a book on the subject in 2005, which
will be published by NavPress.
Card's newly forged relationship with NavPress
will also allow him to pursue a long time interest of his, fiction. An
opportunity he is very excited about. "Fiction books like Victor Hugo's
Les Miserables, Alexander Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo and even The Robe
by Lloyd C. Douglas lead readers on an adventure that brings to life the
themes of hope and redemption that are at the core of our Christian belief,"
says Card. "Both NavPress and I hope that biblical fiction will open doors
to a whole new audience who will hopefully be inspired to search the Scriptures
for the basis of the topics I plan to write about."
Whether it's through
his writing, concerts, teaching or his radio program, the core of what
binds these seemingly diverse endeavors together is biblical community.
It is at the heart of everything Michael Card does.
"The one thing we
strive to achieve is to reach people where they are," explains Card. "Someone
who is impacted by music may not be affected by reading a book, someone
who loves reading might not care about talk radio, but by providing all
of these things, whether it's my work or the work of someone else, there's
a greater chance of reaching more people, who in turn will reach out to
others in their own community."
In light of a new year and a renewed focus
on ministry, Card will continue doing what he loves to do; dig deep into
the Word, ask questions and invite others to join him on his journey of
knowing God and His Word.
News
7/25/06 - A Sacred Sorrow 2006 ECPA Awards finalist
A Sacred Sorrow by Michael Card is a finalist in the Christian Life Category for the 2006 ECPA Awards! Since 1978 the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association has recognized quality and encouraged excellence by presenting the ECPA Christian Book Awards each year.
5/2/06 - Press Release
Click here for the Hidden Face of God press release.
4/2/05 - Michael's Janet Parshall Interview
Click here to listen to Mike's interview about A Sacred Sorrow on Janet Parshall's America Radio Show.
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Booking and Contact info:
Booking Contact: Holly Benyousky
Booking: 574.269.3413
Email: hollyb@streetlevelagency.com
Artist Website: www.michaelcard.com
Warsaw, IN 46580 |
hollyb[at]streetlevelagency[dot]com | 574.269.3413