Kat Newland: Journal

The Spirit Radio Featured Artist

Kat Newland

Bio: Singer/Songwriter Kat Newland is a worship leader who has been ministering in music for 12 years. She leads worship at her home church "Vineyard Christian Fellowship" in Hyannis Massachusetts. She leads worship at other churches, retreats and has sang at weddings, coffee houses and has ministered in song for the homeless. Kat's prayer is to travel and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ with her music and to see many come to a saving knowledge of her Lord and Savior! "Here am I Lord, send me".

Interview:

TSR: Tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started in Christian music.

Kat: I was born and raised in Southern California. I grew up listening to Classical, Country and Show tunes. My first experience with singing was in the school Christmas play when I was 5. I joined the choir in Junior high school. My oldest brother played guitar and he showed me a few chords when I was 14 and I have been playing ever since. When I was 20, a neighbor asked me to go to church and a few months later I accepted the Lord as my Savior. I sang in the church choir and did my very first solo’s there. Through many heartaches I walked away from my faith a few years after that and it wouldn’t be until 16 years later that I re-dedicated my life to the Lord. My husband and I took our 3 young daughters to Calvary Chapel in Oxnard California. I started as a back-up vocal on our worship team and then I led worship for women’s retreats. A very good friend and Pastor asked me to lead worship for Wednesday night service and that evolved into leading worship for two Sunday services. We moved to Cape Cod Massachusetts in the fall of 2001. I am the worship leader for Vineyard Christian Fellowship here in Hyannis.

TSR: How did you come up with the title for your most recent project?

Kat: The title “Praise Him” is the theme song for the CD. It comes out of Psalm 148.

TSR: Can you explain some of the themes of your songs on your current CD?

Kat: “Come Let Us Exalt the Lord” is about how we are to exalt the name of the Lord; to praise Him with our voices and with our hands raised. I wanted to write a “worship” song that the whole congregation could worship to. Another song “Savior of Mine” is about how Jesus is our Bridegroom and we, the church, are His bride. “Alabaster” is about the sinful woman in Luke 7 and how she wept and her tears washed His feet. She also anointed Jesus’ feet with oil because she didn’t feel worthy enough to anoint His head as was the custom.

TSR: Where do you get the inspiration for most of your songs?

Kat: From God’s word mostly but also from the Lord inspiring me to write.

TSR: Did you feel God calling you to get involved with music?

Kat: Yes! I felt God’s call on my life to be a “worship leader” in 1997. Sometimes God will call us to do something that we feel we aren’t able to do but God has a plan for our life to be effective for His purpose and His plan for me was to lead worship.

TSR: What aspirations do you have for your ministry?

Kat: It is my prayer that my music would be an instrument for God’s purpose; that it would reach the person who doesn’t know Jesus as their Savior and in turn that they would come to a saving knowledge of Him.

TSR: Anything else that you would like us to know about?

Kat: That my music would be a blessing to anyone who hears it.

Official website: http://www.katnewland.com

tSr website:
http://www.thespiritradio.net/artisthome.asp?id=2712

Wednesday August 1, 2007 was the opening day of SoulFest in Gilford New Hampshire at the Gunstock Mountain Resort. This year marked the 10th anniverary of this awesome event. If you have never attended one of these four day events, I recommend that you do. There is so much to take in and see; so much energy.

Artists from all over the world, come together for four days of non-stop praising our Creator God. There are people from all walks of life and from different denominations; young, old and middle of the road. My slot to sing was opening day, very first performer on the mountain top stage.

The one thing that sticks out in my mind was the fact that I was able to worship the Lord on top of that mountain, gazing out on the beauty of His creation. How awesome to know that He made the heavens and the earth for our pleasure.

I was a little trepidicious (let me re-phrase that) I was MUCH afraid when I found out that I would be performing up on the mountain top as I am deathly afraid of heights and the only way up the mountain is the chair lift; this is a ski resort and I DO NOT ski because of my fear of heights. Well "all things are possible with God" the God who made me and He did not give me a spirit of fear; I managed that all on my own; and "fear does not come from the Lord" and only through Him was I able to climb that mountain for the soul purpose of worshiping Him. And praise Him I did.

When I started up that mountain with my fearless daughter Andria beside me (who sang with me) my only thought was oh God, please keep us safe. So, I tried to think of something that would take my mind off of the climb and the Lord spoke to me and said "sing" and that is what we did...all the way up the mountain. What a kind and loving Father we have that would use one of the gifts that He gives us to conquer something that was so paralizing to me for years.

Do I still shake when thinking of going up that mountain? Absolutely! But as I said, all things are possible if we but trust the One who can conquer our fears.

What must I do to insure peace of mind?
Is the answer I'm seeking too hard to find?
How can I know what God wants me to be?
How can I tell what's expected of me?
Where can I go for guidance and aid
To help me correct the errors I've made?
The answer is found in doing three things
And great is the gladness that doing them brings-
Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with God-
For with these three things as your rule and your rod,
All things worth having are yours to achieve
If you follow God's words, have hope and believe.
Helen Steiner Rice...