Boy Scout Jamboree Band - Austin, Reggie, Dean & Brandon

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I hope your summer has been a good one overall.  Mine has gone by so fast, but it has been great!  I can’t believe there’s only a couple of weeks left.  I took the family to Washington DC for two weeks and we had a rich time together as well as some memorable ministry events.  I am now lining up all kinds of events for September doing what I love: encouraging others through leadership, music, and training. [click here to see a list of coming events]

I’ll be doing two concerts this weekend, so I hope you can make one of them (Felton Bible Church Saturday night and Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church Sunday night).  I’ll be sharing what’s new with me as well as encouraging you in Christ (see below).

This is a new season for Heartfelt Music Ministry where, in order for more ministry to take place, I will need to raise support.  I will be raising $2,000 a month as I will be serving with Heartfelt Music Ministry full-time now.  Would you pray about supporting me and the Coates family as we devote ourselves to the Lords work in this vibrant ministry?  I will be sending another letter in a couple of days explaining it more and asking for your help.  Thank you for your consideration.  [click here to read more about donations]

I’ll be teaching a number of 8 week music courses throughout the Bay Area starting in September.  These are mostly for children and youth, yet there are a couple of beginning guitar classes for adults.  I’ll teach in Danville (band and guitar at San Ramon Valley Christian Academy), San Jose (guitar with Valley Christian Schools and Showcase Music Institute), Los Altos (voice with Los Altos Christian School), and Scotts Valley (guitar with Baymonte Christian School). [click here to find out more about the courses offered]

Mark your calendars to pray for the following events and come if you can.  You’re welcome to get involved with any of these events.  Your prayers are so much appreciated.  Here’s what’s coming:

• August 21 (Sat) – Felton Bible Church, Felton, CA [http://www.feltonbiblechurch.org].  Family worship and concert.  Reggie will be sharing in concert at 7:00pm.

• August 22 (Sun) – Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church, CA [http://www.mhpc.org/].  Family worship and concert.  Reggie will be sharing in concert at 7:00pm.
• August 29 (Sun) – First Baptist Church Watsonville, CA [http://www.fbcwatsonville.com/].  Reggie will be leading worship and sharing in concert for their special 10:30am service at Koinonia Christian Conference Center [http://gotocamp.org/].

• 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.  He will share in concert Monday night.

• 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.
• October 5-7 (Tue-Thu) – The National Worship Leader Conference, LCBC, Lancaster, Pennsylvania [http://www.nationalworshipleaderconference.com/home].  Reggie will be teaching both the Electric Guitar and Acoustic Guitar training workshops.

• October 22-24 (Fri-Sun) – Fall Men’s Retreat, Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center, CA [http://mounthermon.org].  Reggie will be leading worship throughout the weekend.

There will be a special concert with Phil Keaggy in Monterey on Thursday, September 16^th at 7:00pm.  The concert is in honor of a recent double lung transplant for Justin Mompean.  Phil and other friends are doing the concert to help with the medical costs.  Tickets are $20.00 in advance and $25.00 at the door. [click here for more info and tickets]
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.The 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts was very meaningful and went very well.  It was so nice to minister with my two sons and Dean Bell, who flew out especially to sing harmony on all the songs.  There were over 7,000 boy scouts at our protestant chapel Sunday morning.  Thank you for your prayers!  It was a fantastic experience!

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Over 6,000 Boy Scouts at the protestant Chapel

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The band for the Boy Scout Jamboree chapel

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Tenth Avenue North leading worship

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What a powerful time of worship renewal, refreshment, training, and fellowship with over 1,000 worship leaders.  I taught both acoustic guitar workshops and electric guitar workshops with over 70 in each class.  It was so fun to help guitarists understand the technical ways to be more expressive and make it easier to lead worship on guitar.  The worship nights were rich times full of energy with Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Tenth Avenue North, Phil Wickham, Israel Houghton, Starfield, and even teaching by Luis Gigleo.  I was particularly blessed to see the freshness of the worship wave that is flowing over the church today.  God is on the move and I’m glad to be on the wave with Him!  Of course what makes it truly relevant is what’s happening in my heart (and your heart).  It’s fun worshiping together with a huge group of worship leaders.  Yet, God’s looking at each of our hearts and that’s how He reaches the world.  As I sit here alone in my hotel room, I’m filled with awe of the One who loves me so much.  Jesus deserves all our worship.  He is worthy of all our praise!

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March has been a full month with the Church Workers BASS Convention at the beginning of the month and the three events at the end of the month (Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday).  I sang in the BASS Vocal Ensemble with Tommy Walker and band.  It was good to help the Music and Worship workshop section improve by organizing the courses and instructors.  One participant had an encouraging word, “Reggie, I just wanted to tell you that my sister, Kelly Thrift, and I attended work amazing and informative  workshop on Band Interactive.  We absolutely loved it.  I got so much good information and ideas out of that workshop.  Just wanted to thank you for your time and the energy you put into the workshop.  Respectfully, Terrie”  The whole conference was a success and had a great turn out.
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I began a group guitar course for beginning guitarists (grades 4-8) called Fun Guitar Class 2.  It is a continuation of the Fun Guitar Class 1 which just ended.  I’m continuing private guitar lessons in Alamo, San Jose, and Los Altos.  I performed and taught at San Ramon Valley Christian Academy’s middle school chapel the end of March.  It was received well and the students were so encouraging.

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I grouped Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter into a three part emphasis called “Reliving Resurrection.”  On Palm Sunday we focused on Receiving Christ with the Jesus saying “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6).  On Good Friday we focused on Remembering Christ with Jesus saying “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35).  On Easter, we focused on Rejoicing in Christ with Jesus saying “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).  Jesus is all about life!  May you daily live in His resurrection power.
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Hoping you’re having a good start to the 2010 new year.  There are many developments  through Heartfelt Music Ministry, opportunities for you to be encouraged, and a few requests for prayer.  God is leading the way and opening doors for ministry and training others for ministry.

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I will be doing an intimate concert this Sunday night at Creekside Community Church in Alamo (6:30pm-8:00pm) sharing stories through multiple guitars and voice with brand new songs and favorites too.  This Wednesday, I’ll begin two beginning guitar8 week courses for 5th-8th grade students called Fun Guitar Class 1.  One is in Scotts Valley (Baymonte Christian School, 7:30am) and the other in Alamo (Creekside Community Church, 5:00pm).  January 25th begins an online two week course called Essential Guitar Worship Series: Strumming and Finger Picking, Level 1 .  I’m also working on the continuing Level 2 course for intermediate guitarists.  Mark your calendars for the BASS Convention Thu-Sat, March 4-6, at Redwood Chapel in Castro Valley.  I’ve helped expand the Worship/Music workshops from 6 classes last year to 15 this year.  Key leaders involved for this year is Luis Palao, John Ortberg, and Tommy Walker.  This year, I’ll be singing in the conference vocal ensemble.  I’m continuing with private music lessons in San Jose, Los Altos and Alamo.  There are some openings in each location for lessons.  We have some good discussions on the Guitar Notes Christian Forum and welcome your input.

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Continue praying for each avenue of ministry as it’s all about giving God the glory.

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I hope your Christmas season is full of meaning with faith-filled celebration of Jesus.  He deserves our worship!

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Bruce Blake sent out a letter a few weeks back to invite you to help Heartfelt Music Ministry with a tax deductable year-end gift.  We appreciate the response so far.  Your donation anytime this month would greatly help.  Visit our website for more details http://heartfeltmusic.org

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The Creekside Christmas presentation The Journey to Bethlehem – a Journey of Faith was fantastic!  It was a full house and the cast and crew did a great job, including a touching testimony and culminating message by our Lead Pastor.
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Check out below the gifts available and the events coming up in January…

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Three Great Deals for Christmas Gifts (Available through December 25th)

1) Two CDs for the price of one, $10.00 (Bundle includes Here to Worship with full band and Heartfelt Celebration with voice and guitar only).
2) Two lessons for the price of one, $85.00 (Includes two hour long lessons with notebook and lesson summary videos.   This is for those not currently taking lessons. )
3) Give a Gift Certificate.  You can purchase a Gift Certificate for a friend or loved one to spend on any item through Heartfelt Music Ministry, even lessons.
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Go to http://heartfeltmusic.org/products/ to take advantage of these offers.
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Mark your calendar:

Guitar Looping, January 7 (Thursday), 7:00pm-8:00pm, Guitar Showcase (Showcase Music Institute), 3090 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose, CA 95124, (408) 377-5864 [ask for Norri], $20.00 for non-SMI students. Guitar looping is the art of recording a short section of music on-the-spot and adding multiple parts on top of the original “loop.”  It makes it sound like a few guitars are playing at once, but it’s all coming from your one guitar.  Whether enhancing your performance on stage or using it to practice lead at home, Reggie will show you guitar looping techniques which will improve your playing.

Fun Guitar Class 1 (Grades 5-8), January 20, (Wed) Scotts Valley and Alamo:  (Every Wednesday for 8 weeks beginning January 20th), at Baymonte Christian School, 5000B Granite Creek Road, Scotts Valley; and Creekside Community Church, Alamo. These are beginning courses for children grades 5-8 who want to learn how to play guitar and experience the basics in music.  Students start developing modern guitar technique, essential musical listening skills, foundational understanding in reading music, and how to care for their instrument.  Sign-up with Heartfelt Music (925) 206-9895. The cost is $185 for the 8 week course which also includes the book Guide to Playing the Guitar (with CD) by Terry Burrows and a sturdy binder.

Reggie’s Concert, January 17 (Sunday), 6:30pm-8:00pm,  Creekside Community Church, 1350 Danville Blvd., Alamo, CA  94507, (925) 820-9031.  Acoustic & Electric Guitars with strong vocals and an uplifting message.  Original songs with a variety of effects to both entertain and encourage.  Bring the whole family!  (Love offering will be taken.)

Mary Christmas,

Reggie