Stained Glass Story releases worship album “Turn Your Eyes”

Stained Glass Story released its second album in March.

Evangel University’s touring worship band, Stained Glass Story, released its second album on March 12, 2013.

Titled “Turn Your Eyes,” the album features modern arrangements of classic hymns such as “How Deep the Father’s Love” and “Jesus Paid it All,” as well as renditions of contemporary worship songs such as “Great I Am” and “Beautiful Things.”

Jason Salazar, assistant professor of music and director of Stained Glass Story, says the album was recorded during a live concert last November, and the group has been working on editing since then.

Salazar says while the songs were written by other artists, the band has made its own arrangements of each one.

“We try to always put our own spin on them,” he says. “I think the album we just recorded reflected that. There are a lot of songs that people are going to know, but we try to do them a little bit different.”

The members of Stained Glass Story at a national Assemblies of God youth event in February. From left: Caleb Hawkins, Michael Bremer, Nick Bearden, Joel Harrison, Heath Adamson (national youth director for the AG), Dylan Nieman, Jason Salazar (faculty director).

Salazar says the band, which formed three years ago, has two purposes, the first to promote Evangel University as it performs around the nation.

“We’re trying to hit the youth events,” he says. “We’re trying to play in front of potential Evangel kids.”

He says another important purpose of Stained Glass Story is to give the band members ministry experience.

“Most of the guys that are in the group now aspire to be worship leaders or musicians in those kind of venues,” Salazar says, “so it gives them great experience. “

The band has played at several events this year, including a nine-day tour of Colorado over Spring Break. Salazar says the band is lined up to play at this year’s National Fine Arts Festival in Orlando, Florida.

The group, which currently consists of five male members, holds auditions for open spots at the beginning of each school year.

Salazar says the experience working with the band members is different than the teacher-student relationship he has during the school day. “Whether it’s a recording or a practice or a tour or a concert, I feel like more of a mentor in that role where I try to take opportunities for teaching,” he says.

Along with touring, the band is already working on its next album, which will contain all original songs written by the band’s members. Salazar says while the CD is still in its infancy, the band hopes to have a few songs finished by the end of the semester and possibly release an EP.

Hard copies of “Turn Your Eyes” are available at Evangel through the Music Department (417) 865-2811 ext. 7212, or the album can be purchased digitally through iTunes and Amazon. Salazar says the songs are also available for streaming through Spotify and I-Heart Radio and will soon be on Pandora and Rhapsody.

— By Ian Richardson, a junior from Afton, Iowa

Evangel Consolidation Update

Evangel University is pleased to anticipate its consolidation with the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and Central Bible College beginning with the fall 2013 semester, pending approval of accrediting bodies. For information on the consolidation progress, please visit http://ag.org/top/consolidation/

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Finding Solutions to Complex Problems - The Story of Kate Elder, '12

Finding Solutions to Complex Problems - The Story of Kate Elder, '12

By Mike Lesczinski, Excelsior Life News Staff--

The moment Kate Elder received her Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree this past July, it marked the culmination of an improbable journey for the Cobleskill, New York teacher. She is, after all, a civil engineer by trade – someone who looked towards Silicon Valley after graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The birth of a child however often leads one to reassess priorities, and after less than ideal restructuring at her company, Kate decided to change directions and embark down a path that provided more opportunity to spend time with her growing family. She took a teaching certification course and landed a job and quickly discovered the joy of working with children. She landed assignments in San Francisco and Oregon before heading back to New York.

Since New York State requires a Master’s to teach, she searched for programs flexible enough to work around her home and work schedule. She took classes at Boston University and then Patten University She even applied for a program at SUNY Albany, but by the time the application process had culminated, the program no longer met New York’s stringent professional certification requirements.

She eventually discovered Excelsior, and enrolled after learning 15 of her graduate credits would transfer.

She took her first class in 2007 – and was quite surprised at its rigor. Unlike traditional classes, class discussion never truly ended – there was always an opportunity to engage her fellow classmates or the instructor. She would put her children to bed and spend the night writing a paper. She would spend vacations on the beach with her laptop. Her husband was there to take on child care duties when she spent a summer holed up in the basement writing her thesis.

During this time she remained committed to her community with active involvement in several local causes. She is also a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an organization of women educators from around the world, where she was recently elected vice president of her local chapter.

But does she miss engineering? “I do,” says Kate. “But I made the right decision. I get to spend time with my family and I love what I do, listening to my students and watching how their minds operate as they attempt to work their way through puzzles.”

Finding solutions to complex problems? Now that’s something Kate can relate too.

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