This morning, the town where I live experienced the first snowfall of the season. I'm sure it was pretty. I'm sure God wanted to remind me of the whiteness of His forgiveness. But, I was running late on getting my kids to school, so we were rush, rush, rushing. As my car slid on the cold pavement, I was beginning to look at the snow as a serious inconvenience; heaven forbid I have to drive 5 MPH slower!

The Christmas season tends to bring out the worst of our impatience. Yes, the cards are stacked against us. On the one hand, there seems to be so much more to do this time of year - church plays, family gatherings, school performances, social parties, cooking, cleaning, shopping. Yet, as we try to fit in more this month, everything tends to take longer to accomplish - more layers to bundle up in, more time for your car to warm up, more traffic to fight, longer lines to stand in, and to cap it all off... snow! Ugh!

If I quieted my life enough, I might notice that God is speaking through the snow. He's reminding all of us that our souls are made spotless, clean, and pure through the forgiveness we have in Jesus. Instead, I get upset at the snow because it slows me down. But maybe that's exactly what I need.

Could I busy my life to the point that I miss the point - even miss the manger itself? For this reason I am so happy for the reminders in my life that will cause me to never forget my Savior's birth. I see it in the Advent wreath, that builds anticipation. I hear it in the old Christmas hymns that are played by even the most pagan radio station. I find it in the candles and lights placed in windows, proclaiming that the Light of the world has come. I see it... yes, even in the snow.

This coming weekend, we will air the first of 3 all-Christmas music episodes of "Under The Radar". We find unique and creative remakes of holiday classics alongside thoughtful Christmas originals from some under-appreciated songwriters. I invite you to listen or download, even take with you during those busy hustle-and-bustle moments, and let the music draw you to the manger.

LET EVERY HEART PREPARE HIM ROOM!

One of the roles I love as a Dad is helping my children overcome their fears. Sometimes it's in the very small things, like trying a new food. At times it's a bigger challenge, like getting on one of those rickety rides at the local carnival.

My kids are a bit introverted, so they seem to be prone to timidity. I take on the role of coach as I challenge them often to stretch beyond their comfort zone.

I've seen how fear can affect people's health, cripple a church, hurt marriages, and cause businesses to fail. I also think of the football quarterback that loses his accuracy because he's afraid of tallying up a record number of interceptions (...not mentioning any names... Jay Cutler).

One of the simple activities I do with my kids is to have them jump off the stairs into my arms. I often challenge them to go one step higher. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. You can see their desire to leap off the higher step, but they are frozen because of fear.

I will say, "Look at me. Daddy will never, never, never drop you. I'll always catch you!"

My assurance doesn't always help, but sometimes my kids trust me enough to take the plunge. They quickly realize that I was there for them, and there was really nothing to be scared of after all.

What are the areas in your life where fear has frozen you? Is God daring you to take a risk that's outside your comfort zone? What's stopping you from leaping?

One of our "Under The Radar" listeners introduce me to the music of JJ Heller earlier this year. Even after 4 albums, she's gone largely undiscovered for the last 6 years. But the world is catching on to one of her hidden gems she released in 2008 called "Your Hands." It was featured on the Fox TV show "So You Think You Can Dance," and now has a national audience taking notice of this gifted songwriter. I'll be playing this breakthrough song on the next "Under The Radar."

The lyrics remind me that God sees things from a much different perspective than I do. Because I fail to trust Him with all of my heart, I get tripped up by my own fears and insecurities. Yet, He's coaxing me on, gently reminding me, "Son, I'm here. I won't fail you. My hands will always catch you!"

May you and I both go one step higher in our faith, ready to leap into the Father's trustworthy grip, "...for God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7)

Congratulations to these 3 UTR listeners who will each receive a Phil Wickham Discography.  (Thanks to INO Records for their partnership!)

Christopher Gruning - Clinton, MS

Tom Martin - Coral Springs, FL

Chris Smith - Winston-Salem, NC

Stay tuned.... Later this month we'll be launching our biggest contest to date!

How thankful are you the day after Thanksgiving?

I mean, we sit at our tables, with turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy and talk about how blessed we are. We say prayers of thanks to God and we thank the people in our lives for the things they have done for us. We remember the people that have died in the past, and the troubles we had to face to get to where we are in life, love, and a million other things.

And then we put away the turkey and buy a newspaper so we can scope out the best deals. We make plans of attack, pack baggies full of food so that we can eat in line while waiting at Best Buy, Macy's and Target. We forget everything we were so grateful for not even an hour ago and make plans to buy things that are bigger, better, and much more attractive. We get angry and frustrated when we get to the store and they are SOLD OUT of the product we want. We make a fuss about the lines and the lack of parking spaces. We complain about the staff that have left their families early on this Holiday weekend and have been there for hours just to open the store at 5am. We forget everything that happened last night.

Isn't something wrong with that?

Here we were just thanking God for what we have and now we're trying to get MORE stuff. We've made a production out of Thanksgiving, but just like the theatre, once it's over it's just a memory - rarely to be thought of again.

To help along these lines, "Under The Radar" this weekend presents a Thanksgiving special where all the music focuses on the theme of gratefulness. Maybe if we remind ourselves enough, we'll remember that thankfulness is a 365-day occurrence in the year of the Christ follower.

The three following UTR listeners' names were drawn to receive an autographed copy of Randall Goodgame's CD "Bluebird":

Ben Parten - Valdosta, GA

Breann Stephens - Racine, MO

Adebiyi Adeyemi - Trieste, Italy

Be on the lookout... a new contest with INO recording artist Phil Wickham will begin in just a few days!

When I was 12 years old, I asked my Mom the deepest, most profound question of my life so far: "Will there be Nintendo in Heaven?"

Yes, it was the late 1980's, and I had fallen in love with this new machine, the Nintendo. I grew up in a video game generation, and at 12-year-old, a good percentage of my time that year was "invested" in Nintendo games.

I couldn't fathom an eternity in Heaven without Nintendo. Did I really want to go to Heaven if there were no video games there?

It was an internal struggle I can laugh about now, but at the time it was a serious dilemma. A sinless world, eternal peace, and worshipping in Jesus' presence wasn't enough for me. I needed Nintendo too.

I still enjoy an occasional video game, but I now realize Nintendo isn't necessary for happiness. Better things came along in my life -- a job, a wife, kids, a house, church ministry, etc. And (though hard to believe) I was finding an even deeper joy than what my video games had given me!

All of a sudden, Heaven didn't have to have a Nintendo.

Do you sometimes feel like Jesus couldn't satisfy you completely? Jesus is great... as long as we can have your favorite TV shows, sports teams, novels, Internet sites, or video games on the side as well. Yes, God allows us to enjoy these things, but only ONE thing is needed for fulfillment.

The one thing I ask of the LORD - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD's perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high, above my enemies who surround me. At his Tabernacle I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the LORD with music. [Psalm 27:4-6]

My "Radar Rewind" song on the upcoming episode of "Under The Radar" is by David Wilcox, and also shares in the ultimate hope that Heaven gives us.

All those things I just "can't live without" -- they just don't compare to Jesus. Now I know, when I get to Heaven, I won't care about TV's, baseball, pizza, and Nintendo. All the best things of this world will quickly fade away as I see Jesus face-to-face.

And the amazing thing is that we can taste this even on this side of Heaven. As the old hymn shares, when we turn our eyes to Jesus, "the things of this world will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." May we each have more of Him this day!

Congratulations to the following 3 UTR listeners who will each be receiving Jason Gray's discography.

Steven Bill [Thunder Bay, ON]

Susan McFarland [Rochester, MN]

Josh Buschkopf [Manawa, WI]

Today, it's a break from music to talk about culture.

Should a pastor friend of mine have accepted an invitation to "Beerfest," an annual gathering of men at a neighborhood home? What would his congregation think if they found out? Well, he went... with the cost of admission in hand: a 6-pack microbrew. This resulted in getting to know several neighbors better, even having some personal & spiritual conversations that night. He gained far more that night than if he would have boycotted the event & stayed home with his arms folded in protest.

What about the annual festivity just days away, Halloween? Yes I said the "H" word. Will you boycott or will you seize the opportunity?

Let's be honest, to the majority of the nation, Halloween is nothing more than a fun day of make-believe and dress-up. Yet, the Church spends a lot of time emphasizing the pagan roots of All Hallow's Eve. Some even go as far as calling the entire holiday "evil." In a terrific 1999 article, John Fischer wrote:

"Not to diminish the reality of spiritual warfare - something to be taken seriously by all believers - but the last day of October is not a spiritual battle any more than any other day. If Satan comes out on Halloween, he doesn't go back into hiding the next morning.... If Satan wins anything on this day, he may win more through the darkened homes of Christians than anything else."

My wife & I were inspired by this article, so we started "Halloween Haven" on our block. We set up a tent outside of our garage so kids can play games and win prizes & candy. Inside the garage we serve hot dogs, hot cider, and coffee. We've been able to meet many neighbors and share openly about our faith. Regardless of your Halloween beliefs, on this day your neighbors WILL be walking your streets - knocking on your door. Will you be there to welcome them and engage in conversation?

Many Christians feel the best approach is to attend a Halloween alternative party at church. I believe this only adds to the problem. October 31 will be one of the biggest community hang-outs of the year, but where will the Christians be? Your dark house will speak volumes.

Just like a pastor carrying Jesus' light into Beerfest, my family will make sure our lights (physical and spiritual) are shining bright on my block on Halloween. Will your lights be on?

I was at a Christian radio conference earlier this month where there was a lot of discussion about the slogan "Safe For the Whole Family" and it's multiple variations (Uplifting and Kid Safe, Family Friendly, Safe for the Little Ears). Why does it seem like a huge chunk of Christian music radio has chosen monikers like these? Yes, it's something that can be a distinctive for a radio station in a saturated marketplace. Both nominal and mature believers find common ground in a radio station that chooses to keep their jokes clean and music even cleaner.

One speaker at this conference brought up a great question: "Have our radio stations become so safe that we're actually boring?" True. Show me something completely void of risk, danger, and uncertainty, and I'll show you something as exciting as dial-up Internet. Really.

Before you tune me out - let me ask a question of my own. Why would we brand our radio stations with a slogan that we would never give to our Bible or to our local church?

If all you desire is a safe Christianity, then you'll become best friends with Mr. Fiskars, given all the verses you'll need to cut out of your Bible. And who among us would say that their local church is "safe"? A church at its worst is filled with gossip, divisions, failed leadership - and at its best is confronting, convicting, taking risks, leading boldly.

The good news is that I've never met a radio manager who has hacked up his/her Bible. However I've met many who are quick to keep a song off their airwaves because it doesn't fit their "safe" image. They take a song of spiritual conviction and label it as "controversial."

This week, I'm playing a song that I doubt will get much radio airplay, if any. Just the title of Matt Papa's song "Woe to You" tends to put us in very unsafe place. Sometimes unsafe is exactly where God wants us to be.

If you want to be progressive about your station's music ministry, or if you want your station to be an on-air Church community, you can contact me and I'll share a list of unsafe songs that will challenge, convict, & inspire.

Thanks for all of you have started following us on twitter this summer. By following us on twitter (@radarradio) you are automatically entered into the twitter contests we run. Plus, you get exclusive behind the scenes info about whats going on in the world of Under The Radar. Our most recent winners are:

@scoopie77

@rachelradio

@cburge

Congratulations to these three. They each win autographed CD's by Jonny Diaz, Kathleen Carnali, Mike Farris and Katy Bowser!

I'm going to take a break from reflecting on the spiritual truth found in music to tackle a more lighthearted topic - one that I hope to get your feedback on. Traditionally (esp. from the 80s & 90s) there exists three main ways that one discovers new music: (1) the recommendation of friends & families, (2) live concert events, and (3) radio airplay.

However, in recent years - with the advent of MySpace, Facebook, iTunes, Twitter, Napster, NoiseTrade, and the list goes on - the rules have dramatically changed. The traditional methods still exist, with a whole extra layer of social media that opens us up to a world of new music.

One of the favorite parts of my job is connecting with listeners and hearing about musical hidden gems. I've been introduced to some amazing artists, albums, & songs that I likely would have missed out on if it weren't for a timely recommendation.

Sometimes this suggested music is fostered by new networking tools. Lately I've found a lot of good music by just window shopping in the iTunes store. I may even start by looking up an artist I really love... then checking out what other listeners' bought when they purchased that artist/album. Then when I purchase a download, the Apple Genius app makes some song recommendations as well. This is how I found one of the songs I'm playing on this week's program.

After downloading a Shaun Groves song, iTunes thought I would like to sample Charlie Hall - whose music you have likely heard or sung in church (especially because of his involvement with Passion). I didn't think it was what I was looking for, until I read this customer review: "I hated Christian music before this album. I usually still hate Christian music. But this album is really good."

Sold! That's enough to get me to shell out the 99-cents for a song! I snagged "Swimming from the Shipwreck" from 2003, and I'm playing it this week on "Under The Radar". So, how about you? How do you find good music? I'd love to hear the stories, whether traditional or exotic, about your explorations for hidden treasures in Christian music. I look forward to hearing from you!

Does your church have an usher like mine? At 10:28AM, he's strolling the foyer giving folks a 2-minute warning. When the praise music begins at 10:30, he starts exclaiming, "Let's go folks! You're going to be late for church!" He's even been seen breaking up conversations in his zealous attempt to get people in the pews on time.

Unfortunately, my definition of church is vastly different from my usher's. I remember a few years ago at a different church, I was having a very deep and meaningful conversation with a friend in the hallway - while the praise music was playing inside the auditorium. After our talk, he apologized that he had caused me to miss some of church. I quickly responded, "What are you talking about? THIS is church! We are the church!"

One of the songs I'm playing on this weekend's program was a special request from Ben in Georgia called "Cathedral Made of People." In the last several months, I've been digging deeper into the music of Downhere, and they are quickly becoming (and I don't say this lightly) one of my favorite bands of all-time! I need no excuse to play a Downhere song - so it was easy to fulfill this listener suggestion.

In typical Downhere fashion, you get to hear a well crafted song and is artistically strong and lyrically deep. The song asks if your faith would stand in the midst of persecution - or if we've become dependent on the symbols of Christianity. Do we trust that God's Spirit is at work in the believer's life even apart from church attendance or the number of devotionals one's read?

The song echoes the message of 1 Peter 2:5, "You are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple." The Church is not made of brick & mortar. It's you. It's me. And the gates of Hell cannot overcome us!

[FYI... I had a chance to hang out with Downhere for about 30 minutes at GMA Music Week this last Spring. They were very encouraging toward the concept and vision of "Under The Radar." This song was the first one they recommended as a fit for the program.]

I returned from a summer media conference recently that talked a lot about trends - both big changes in the media world and macro changes in our culture. It was a good time with Christian media partners, and a lot of information that will (hopefully) help us improve our ministry effectiveness.

One of the big questions our organization (ReFrame Media) walked away with was "How can a media organization track consumers' spiritual growth path?" It's easy to track the path from new listener to committed donor. But how can we find out if we are being effective at discipling individuals into a deeper relationship with the Lord?

Maybe this isn't possible to track through media. We'll see...

Regardless, it's caused me to think deeper about tracking my own spiritual journey. Am I growing? How do I know? How do I know that I know? Do I assume that I'm a deeper, fuller person based on the my successes and triumphs? Am I honest about my weaknesses and failures?

If you, like me, are trying to honor God with your life - you also likely have this big chunk of your life that's bearing good fruit. Yet because we are fallen, we all have these lesser areas that play tug-of-war with our souls. This piece of us won't fully disappear until we get to heaven. So does this never-ending tension limit our ability to track our own spiritual growth?

A song that I'm playing this weekend by new artist Brandon Bee shares how sometimes the lesser side of that tug-of-war wins the day. I am my own worst critic much of the time, aren't you? The song even shares how we can often feel like "the last one qualified" to serve God effectively.

But thank God that He has redeemed us - even the broken parts. John 15:2 shares that God is the gardener who "cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more." He knows us intimately and knows we all have a few dead branches in our lives. And only God could use our areas of brokenness to minister to those around us. That's good news if I ever heard it!

Two weeks ago, music fans worldwide were shocked to hear that Michael Jackson had died at the age of 50. Regardless of your musical taste and impressions about his private life, the chatter on Twitter & Facebook shows two quite universal impressions people have about Michael. (1) He lived a tragic life. From the way he was exploited as a child to all the identity issues, we all watched the wild ride of a lonely and broken individual. (2) He was one of the most talented and creative musicians in pop music history. Even non-fans admit that his creativity and raw talent could not be denied.

In life, we as a culture focused all too much on Michael's brokenness and flawed life. In death, thankfully, we look beyond dark corners and celebrate the talent. I don't think I had listened to one of his songs in nearly a decade. But like many others, I found myself on Friday morning, listening to "Billy Jean" on the way to work, saying to myself "Wow, I forgot how good this song was." It's no surprise that Michael's greatest hits CD has been one of the top downloaded albums on iTunes for the last 2 weeks.

This has caused me to think about the power of creativity. There are very few celebrities who (just a few months ago) had more negative public perception than Michael. Although those perceptions will never be fully shaken, the last 2 weeks have shown our willingness to allow Michael Jackson's legacy to be his groundbreaking creativity and eclectic song catalogue. Talent overshadowed even our tabloid perceptions.

There's a spiritual power in creativity. Good art draws us closer to our Creator. God has redeemed every aspect of life, even what fallen humans create. On the next episode of "Under the Radar" I'm playing a song by Sara Groves that encourages us to honor God through celebrating how we can add to the beauty of this world to better reflect God's grace.

Through music, other arts, acts of service, and our love, we can draw others around us to the Father by displaying His creativity in our lives. We're all fallen and fragile vesicles, but we very well may be remembered by the creativity we added to this world. Let's strive to honor God by doing wonderful & beautiful new things in His name.

Father's Day is just around the bend, and I'll admit that it's nice to get that proverbial pat on the back from the family. But as a wise radio station manager once told me, "You can never outgive your kids." Yes, so true! Even though parents give up time, energy, money, and freedom to care for children, it can't compare to the love, fun, joy, and newfound purpose a parent receives in return.

As a dad of 3 children, I know first-hand the weight of responsibility a father carries. My kids learn a lot more through my everyday actions than I care to admit to. And not just the times I interact with them, but just by them observing how I respond to everyday life. If I freak out over bad weather, they'll probably learn to do the same.

Case in point... my 4-yr-old son Sammy carries my personality. From his love for music, to his sense of humor, to his cravings for salty snacks -- he's my spitting image. Poor soul, he has even inherited my love for the woeful Chicago Cubs!  And when he's in public, being admired for how funny, intelligent, or adorable he is -- my heart swells as if I myself were receiving the admiration.

Do you think that maybe our Heavenly Father wants us to be His spitting image? Those times that we are representing Him well, I'm sure it puts a smile on His heart.

But the temptation is to wear a fake spirituality so that it looks like we're close to God. How could God want me to walk with authenticity when I'm so flawed and scarred by sin? And there's God, speaking to me through my children once again - the real life parable before my eyes.

Of course He loves me unconditionally. Of course He accepts me, flaws and all. Of course He's cheering for me. Of course He wants me to be transparent - no hidden corners of my life. Of course He wants to impart His character in me and help to bear His fruit in my life.

In celebration of Father's Day weekend, I'll be playing a few creative songs about the joys and woes of being a Dad - from the likes of Rich Mullins, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Randall Goodgame. Check out UTR episode #32, beginning 6/19/09.

The summer blockbusters are upon us. There's something about summer that makes us more willing to accept storylines involving aliens, dinosaurs, Klingons, asteroids, hyperspeed, & superheros. Recently, I caught up on a couple of the biggest summertime movies of all time that I had missed: 2002's "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" and 2005's "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith". [Each film made over $300M domestically.]

I really like the Star Wars series, but as you can tell by my procrastination, I'm not as madly in LOVE with it like some. I'll keep the movie review to myself [although Episode III was MUCH better]. Instead, let me share an emotional and spiritual response I had to these films.

If you're like me, you find yourself relating to certain characters in movies. More often than not, we see ourselves in the life of the hero. However, in these two most recent Star Wars films, I could see glimpses of myself in Anakin Skywalker. On the one hand, he's the ultimate good guy... a Jedi knight... a prodigy... or as Obi-Wan called him "the chosen one". Yet, he's also a tragically flawed character whose lust for power ultimately causes him to become one of movie history's greatest villains. And I see myself in him?

Here I am, soul searching during a sci-fi action movie. I needed to confront how I often times want to improve my life for the wrong reasons. I want to serve God, but many times I hold on to my own agenda. I want to accomplish great things - but how much of that is for myself? Does my heart brag like Anakin: "My powers have doubled since I met you." Let's not forget Count Dooku's response: "Good. Twice the pride, double the fall."

This weekend, I'm playing a new song by Jars of Clay that openly admits that WE are the problem - WE are what's wrong with the world. We can't only see ourselves as heroes. Many times we're the ones that need to be rescued.

Don't you love how music, movies, and other art can cut into our hearts - even helping us deal with the darkness inside ourselves? Let me know how God has creatively spoken to you though the arts.

One of the artists we've featured on UTR, Katie Herzig, wrote this song with indie artist Matthew Perryman Jones. Here's a live recording of "Where the Road Meets the Sun" - a song that was featured on the recent season finale of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy".

KATIE HERZIG & MATTHEW PERRYMAN JONES "WHERE THE ROAD MEETS THE SUN" (LIVE) from SITUATION OPERATION on Vimeo.

I haven't heard of many artists who don't have the desire to have a hit. A painter getting her work into a gallery showing. A filmmaker getting a movie into the top ten at the box office. Musicians getting that single on the radio and up the charts. It's all very natural.

I roll my eyes when a producer, songwriter, or artist says they have no interest in having a hit song. They carry an air of artistic piety about their music - obviously the masses are just too superficial to accept such fine work. I find this attitude more of an excuse than a mission. Common sense will tell you - a "hit" means (a) more people will hear your art and (b) you'll sell more records. Name me one musician who is opposed to either.

However, I do respect artists that say, "I'm not trying to write a hit." This is a distinct difference in worldview.  If one of their songs catches fire and storms up the charts, great! If not, that's okay also. Either way, the song will stand on its own two legs as a piece of art. After all, the Creator expects us to be creative beings, and so bringing a new song into the world is a success (even if it never spins on one radio station).

So do I have a problem with hit music? For the most part... NO. There's a long list of chart-topping songs that have moved or inspired me. Yet, one problem is when songwriters TRY to write a radio hit... and many times this is done in a short timeframe, is not connected to a heartfelt experience, and is made for a third party performer. Exhibit A is the massive commercialism of praise & worship music. Some churches are inadvertently writing songs with radio in mind, rather than their congregations. I'm concerned with this.

A second problem is how radio will play a song to death. For me, the very life of the song can get sucked out after I've heard it 50 times in one month. I have an equally long list of both worship and pop songs that no longer make we smile or sing along - but rather give me a queasiness that rivals gorging on two extra value meals. It's radio's quandary. The medium that gave that song wings to fly is the very thing that shoots it down and cooks it for dinner.

I'm very grateful (with thanks to cultured listeners) for finding and being blessed by a huge landscape of music that's just under the surface. As UTR celebrates our ½ birthday this week, we enjoy some of the best listener-requested songs over the last 6 months.

On the last day of GMA Music Week 2009, I left my hotel and drove to a neighborhood eatery in Nashville called the Pied Piper. It was at this small sandwich shop that I finally met Eric Peters in person. Eric is an "under the radar" artist, for sure - and those who don't know about the Square Peg Alliance have likely never heard of him. He's a singer-songwriter that is writing honest and thoughtful music, and is currently in the studio working on his sixth album. [I'm playing his 2003 song "Love is Real" on this weekend's edition of UTR.]

Over sandwiches and fries, we talked about families, ministry roles, and how the down economy seems to affect quite a lot. It's always helpful to put a face behind a song; a family behind a face; bills & groceries behind a family.

Eric is an independent artist... by choice. When I was growing up, if you weren't on a major record label it meant that you weren't good enough - you didn't cut the mustard. Not today. With the advent of iTunes, MySpace, Facebook, Amazon, & Twitter (to name a few), it is becoming easier to "make it" as an independent artist. And frankly some of the BEST music being made is sans record label. These indie artists rely on playing gigs and selling merchandise - and for Christian artists that often means a church venue.

"Church budgets are getting slashed," Eric shared. "This is the worst I've seen it in 15 years." For a husband and father of two (including a newborn), Eric would love to have more steady work and thus steady income. We brainstormed some small ways "Under The Radar" can help.

Now, here's an offer for you. Do you belong to a radio station or church that likes to host events? If the timing & finances work out, Eric is willing to play for a low honorarium or even for a free-will offering. You would be blessing a great guy & family, and I am confident you would be blessed by Eric's music & ministry in return. Learn more at http://www.ericpeters.net.