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I have received some very encouraging emails lately and wanted to share some of them.  Thank you so much for words that spur me on!

“What struck me as soon as I started reading your newsletter is how faithful you have been over the years to teach and encourage young/old musicians. Guitar playing hasn’t been my focus, but I’m so grateful that you are building this skill with musicians. What a blessing you have been to many with your teaching and worship leading! May He continue to enlarge your ministry!” ~ Wanda P.
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“I have been thinking lately about people who have a great idea and do something about it. You are one of those people! As I was dwelling on that idea, you came to the very front of my mind and I could not shake the feeling that you could use some encouragement.  MANY times when I have my guitar in hand I remember the training and good times I had at the Christian Guitar and Bass Conferences. All of that great teaching and encouragement in one place! What an awesome thing!!! I know that it had to take its toll on you and your family (to whom I am also grateful ) but you did it. I’m sure you would say not without the Lords help, but someone had to be the hands and feet for it. I am glad it was you! I have enjoyed your company and gentle spirit every time that I had the opportunity.  So I just want to say thank you for “getting out of the shower, drying off and doing something about the great idea that you had” for the CGBC. May God continue to bless your endeavors and your great ideas in the future!! Thanks again.” ~ Jeff C.
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“Enjoyed your teaching at National Worship Leader Conference East. We could surely tell that as much as your formal training is in voice, your love is playing guitar.  Thank you for the cords and techniques to work with. May God bless you as you encourage others to glorify Jesus with their best skills.”  ~ David B.
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“Reggie is the amazing triple play, fabulous musician, inspirational leader, and fantastic teacher. To find all these qualities in one person is rare, to find them in a person as humble as Reggie is astounding. I’m extremely grateful for Reggie’s mentoring, he has helped my playing and worship leading immensely. I’m proud to count Reggie as a friend.” ~ Steve M.

We had a fantastic trip to Washington DC as a family with many great bonding moments.  There were some ministry events which brought us there (leading worship for the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts Jamboree, leading worship for New Life Community Church, and holding two workshops at another church), but most of the time was spent sight seeing.  We took a lot of pictures, but I just included a few to give you an idea of our wonderful experience there.

We were able to visit my brother and his wife, see many memorials (like the Lincoln Memorial), see many museums (like the Space Museum Annex and the Marine Corps Museum), go swimming in the Potomac River because of some good friends (the Turner family), see George Washington’s home, visit a Tavern in Fredericksburg, eat lunch in Georgetown, and stay with some truly amazing friends (the Katsarelis family) in Stafford, Virginia.

Thank you for praying for us.  It was a blessing that everyone enjoyed the flights for the most part.  We were all pretty flexible with the schedule and that made it enjoyable and not rushed.  The weather was actually pretty nice during our stay there.  We had many reasons to thank God for this trip, but the best one is the closeness of our family.  We are all very grateful for this.

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July has been a month of defining direction for the Coates family.  Last month was a tough one with the surprise of my position being eliminated at the church I was ministering at full-time (because of church financial struggles).  This month, I’ve been working to launch Heartfelt Music Ministry full-time again.  This is a new direction from the last two years as I’ve been doing more discipling, teaching, and nurturing the people of Creekside Community Church spiritually and musically, staying more local.  Now, I will be traveling more and ministering to the church-at-large.  Brandon just graduated from High School and is going to San Jose State University in Animation/Illustration which is a new direction for him (though he has been anticipating it for years).  Austin is doing well, taller than everyone in our family, and will be going to a new school as a sophomore this fall.  Sherri also is doing well enjoying the community of friends at Mount Hermon.  Both of us miss the people at our old church and are feeling a sense of loss.  Through all the changes, we’re excited about the future and realize it’s all a part of God’s adventurous plan.  We trust Him fully and look forward to seeing how God is going to use us for His glory!

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Due to financial difficulties at Creekside Community Church in Alamo, where I’ve been the Associate pastor, they announced to me on Wednesday, and the congregation today, that my position has been eliminated. I will be looking for a new ministry opportunity to begin in July. Any ideas? Appreciate your prayers for me and my family.

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Right in the middle of this month, a dear friend died of cancer.  Ron Miller’s example and testimony was such an example of God’s mercy and love.  He maintained such a sweet attitude throughout his life and even at the end in the last weeks.  He, and his wife Carol, were adult leaders while I was a Youth Pastor 20 years ago.  We’ve been at Creekside Community Church together for the last two years.  We will miss him greatly.
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My Heartfelt Music Ministry activities have mostly been teaching private music lessons this month, but beginning in June I’ll be doing a lot more workshops, concerts, and worship leading across the nation. Mark your calendars to pray for the following events and come if you can.  Thank you for your continued support and prayers for me and Heartfelt Music Ministry.  Here’s some of the events & workshops coming up:
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• May 31 – Jun 11 (Mon+) – Beginning Strumming and Finger-Picking, Music Dojo .com online courses  [https://www.musicdojo.com/main.asp].  Reggie will be teaching 5 beginning strumming patterns and 5 beginning finger-picking patterns over this two week course.  These are affordable lessons with email interaction with Reggie tailored to your schedule.
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• June 7 (Mon) – Joni and Friends’ Family Retreat, Mission Springs Christian Conference Center, Scotts Valley, CA [http://www.joniandfriends.org/fr_schedule.php].  Reggie will be doing a concert on their first night.

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• June 15-17 (Tue-Thu) – Regional Worship Leader Conference, Calvary Church, Albuquerque, NM [http://www.nationalworshipleaderconference.com/home].  Reggie will be teaching both the Electric Guitar and Acoustic Guitar training workshops.

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• August 1 (Sun) – Boy Scouts of America 100 Year National Jamboree, A.P. Hill, VA [http://www.bsajamboree.org/].  Reggie will be leading worship for the Protestant Sunday Service in the middle of their week-long conference.
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• August 30-September 2 (Mon-Thu) – Christian Songwriters Conference, Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center, CA [http://mounthermon.org/adult/professionals/songwriters].  Reggie will be teaching songwriting workshops and judging for the songwriting competition at the conference.
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• September 3-6 (Fri-Mon) – Labor Day Family Camp Weekend, Sugarpine Christian Conference Center, CA [http://www.sugarpine.org/camps/FamilyCamp/FamilyCamp.shtml].  Reggie will be leading worship throughout the weekend.

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Easter was a nice shot in the arm to remind me to live anew in the power of the resurrection of Christ.  Right after Easter I took a two week vacation which was a renewing time for me personally and also a wonderful time with family.
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I have to share with you an April miracle which encouraged our whole family.  My oldest son is going to college next year and I’ve been looking at getting him his own guitar to take with him.  Both of my sons have been playing a lot lately and making remarkable progress.  I found two really nice affordable guitars at Guitar Showcase, but the only way to buy them was to sell one of my guitars (My 1985 Ovation Collector’s Guitar, the first nice guitar I ever bought).  I put it on eBay for a few days.  No one bid on it, so I re-listed it for another few days.  A number of people were looking, but no bids.  After a couple of days, someone sent a message asking if I “wanted” to sell the guitar or if I “needed” to sell the guitar.  I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I answered honestly about how I really didn’t “want” to sell it.  I explained how the guitar had meaning to the whole family, but we “needed” to sell in order to buy the two guitars for my sons, so they could continue to develop their own ministry creativity.  Within an hour of my reply, the gentleman sent me another message saying, “I have just purchased the guitar through eBay.  Now I donate it back to your ministry.”  Praise God!!  You should have seen the excitement we all had…tears, dancing, laughter…and much thanks to this generous man and our loving God!  Now, my boys have their own guitars and have been playing like crazy while I continue to use the Ovation to God’s glory.

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I was so encouraged by this email I received on Monday.  I am amazed at how faithful God has been throughout the years.
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Hi Reggie,
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It was great to hear you lead worship on Sunday morning service last week.  I was sitting right in front of you with two of my children and wife.  As I was sitting there, the sound of the guitar and your voice brought me back to my high school days.  I couldn’t figure out why you were familiar until the third song as it finally dawned on me that I remember you leading worship at Redwood Christian high school camp during the late 80’s.  A flood of memories came back as I contemplated the importance your music played in my walk with the Lord as a high school kid.  It was during that week at camp meeting that I decided to commit my life to God as a young man and take my walk with God more seriously.  Your music profoundly ministered to me by the Grace of God.  I have wavered in my faith from time to time and definitely have lots of work to do in my life today but I thank you for your service to God and his church.  When I arrived home from church I brought out my old box of tapes and found three Reggie Coates albums waiting to listen to.  My family and I praised God while we were working on dinner and listening to those three tapes.  Shout for Joy!  Don’t give up in doing good and know that you are reaping a harvest for Him.  I look forward to seeing you in person in the coming weeks to say thank you in person.
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Sincerely,

Scott

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The Coates family has experienced some big changes in the last few months.  I’m still working in Alamo as the Associate Pastor with Creekside Community Church, but we moved back to our home in Mount Hermon due to our difficult economy.  The summer went by very fast.  I celebrated a year with Creekside Community Church in June, Sherri and I had our 25th wedding anniversary in July,  and we moved in August.  August 15th I earned a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do.  Below is a short clip of me breaking two boards with a jump back kick.  Brandon and Austin are into Tae Kwon Do as well, plus they are playing the guitar like crazy.  Austin’s even playing keyboard.  We’re all doing very well and appreciate your prayers as we unpack boxes and make our house a home.

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Happy 4th of July everyone! As we celebrate our independence as a country, let’s commit anew our dependence on Jesus.  What a collision of freedom and fulfillment!
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There’s been some wonderful events in June with the Christian Guitarist Fellowship, an instrumental concert at Yellow Wood Coffee & Tea, and private lessons in both Danville and Los Altos.  Also, I’m beginning my second year with Creekside Community Church and it is such a blessing.  I oversee the Worship & Arts Ministry and work with the three pastors in the Student’s and Children’s ministries.  I taught on Love (1 Corinthians 13:7 & 8a) in the main service last month and will teach on Trusting in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-8) July 26th.  There’s a lot of ministry opportunities with good people to work with.  Please, pray for God’s continued blessing.
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Ministry Update & Coming Events

Tomorrow, July 5, is our 6th monthy Christian Guitarist Fellowship.  Hope you can make it from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at Creekside Community Church in Alamo.  I know many are out of town because of the 4th of July weekend.  But if you’re around  glean from fellow guitar players and share with them what you’re learning.  We have some good stuff planned!
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One of the best (and most affordable) two-day training conferences is Friday & Saturday, July 24 & 25.  The Lift Him Up Worship Training Conference is for all who are involved in the various aspects of woship.  Some of the training workshops cover:  Soundboard Techniques; Acoustic Guitar; Lead & Electric Guitar; Drums and Rhythm Section; Bass Guitar; Vocal; Worship Band Techniques; Platform Techniques; Worship Team Leading; The Meaning of True Worship; Genres of Worship; Prayer Worship; and Expressive Worship.  I am one of the featured presenters and workshop instructors for the conference.  Mark Kenoly and Kingdom Voice are also featured artists and instructors. The cost is very affordable at $25.00 per person for the two days of training and concert Saturday night at 7:00pm.  For more information contact New Life Christian Church at (510) 889-1304 or visit www.newlifechristianchurch.com .
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Are you a songwriter?  You won’t want to miss the Christian Songwriters Conference at the Mount Hermon Conference Center, August 31 – September 3 (Sun-Thu).  Write, learn, eat, and play!  Located in the breathtaking coastal redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains, this conference immerses you in songwriting with a close knit community of artists. Experience 3 plenary teaching sessions and 8 elective classes with experienced songwriters like Shane & Shane, Don Moen, Sara Groves, Charlie Peacock, Israel Houghton, and Joy Williams.  I will be one of the reviewers for the  songs submitted for competition and I’ll be teaching workshops throughout the week.  For more info:  http://mounthermon.org/adult/professionals/songwriters .
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In addition to private lessons in Los Altos and Danville, I’ll be an instructor with the Showcase Music Institute in San Jose (which is a part of  Guitar Showcase) beginning in the fall.  The cool thing about these lessons is that they will be twice a month with the addition of as many workshops as you’d like throughout the month.  Each instructor gives one workshop a month which is open for all the students to attend for free as a part of the lesson package (since there are about 15 instructors, you could take up to 15 workshops).  It’s great for those who want more than the hour a month I’ve been offering.  I’ll tell you more as it gets closer.  Let me know if you’re interested as there is limited availability.  Check out their site:  http://guitarshowcase.com under Lessons.
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Personal Update & Prayer Request

As a family, we’re doing really well.  We love to spend time together and have a lot of fun when we do.  Brandon has been busy doing things with new friends and attending camps and retreats.  He continues to draw daily.  Austin is enjoying summer with Tae Kwon Do, Gumdo, archery, gaming, and chess.  Both of them ended the year very well scholastically with straitht “A”s.  Sherri and I are very proud of them.  Sherri continues to be the best mom and wife in the universe which keeps her busy.  We’ve been affected by the economy, as many are struggling to make ends meet nowdays, so we’re having to change housing to something more affordable for us.  Please, pray for our transition which may take a few months.
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Your continued interest and involvement in Heartfelt Music Ministry is very much appreciated!  Drop me a note on Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace anytime.  May God richly bless you throughout this month with all the unique things that summer brings your way.

~ Reggie

The Coates family is enjoying life in the Danville area.  Sherri is busy nurturing Brandon and Austin as they are growing like crazy (both are taller than me now).  She is also involved at Creekside Community Church with girls in the Middle School Ministry, with greeting on Sunday mornings in the Frontline Ministry, and helping care for the babies in the Nursery Ministry.  She truly makes our house a home with her laughter and love.   Brandon is now 17 and will be driving soon.  He is enjoying drawing and the High School youth group at church.  Austin is 14 and is continuing in Tae Kwon Do and Gumdo.  Both of them like Venture School (although they think they have too much homework).  This week has been fun for me to be on vacation and spend time with family.  Last weekend was so nice to be at Sugarpine Christian Conference Center’s Father and Son Retreat.  I took Brandon and Austin and felt like it was one of the best times ever with a time of playing paintball, the cabin hang-time, prayer for each other and honest appreciation of each other.  Sherri’s birthday was this week and we’ve had some good moments of celebration.  All in all, we’re doing well.  May God bless you as you keep him first in all you do! If you get a chance, visit me on Facebook, Twitter or MySpace.