Art and worship celebrated at annual event

The second annual Resonate arts conference is planned at Church on the Rock in Wasilla beginning at 7 p.m., Sept. 20.

The conference was the brainchild of Jake Sloan, a worship leader and pastor at Church on the Rock who also owns and operates Aurora Audio, a recording studio in the Valley.

Last year, he and his wife, Leigh, started Resonate in an effort to bring artists of all types together to improve their skills and find inspiration and encouragement to keep creating. Originally intended for members of Church on the Rock, the Sloans said they were surprised to find so many different people from the community coming to connect with other artists in the Valley in 2011. Some even came from Anchorage and Talkeetna to join in the fun.

“Basically, we had no budget, but we easily found people from the area who were happy to share their skills and talents free of charge,” Jake said. “We were blown away by some of the talent we found right here in the Valley.”

Musician Ben Heller attended the conference shortly after moving to Talkeetna.

“It was great,” he said. “I’ve never been to a conference where I got so much practical instruction that really helped me improve. I think it is a significant step toward the middle balance of teaching both the spiritual aspect and the practical of instrumentation.”

Joining them for 2012 will be Rick Heil, bandleader of popular worship band Sonicflood. The ministry of Sonicflood has been widely influential across the globe. The band has earned a Grammy nomination, several Dove Awards and ASCAP awards. They also have sold more than 2 million records and have become known as “The Fathers of Modern Worship Music.”

Beyond all these accolades, what Jake and Leigh appreciate about Rick is his genuine love for God and for people. Rick has battled Crohn’s disease for much of his life, so he is very aware of the meaning and preciousness of each day we have on earth. To him, the music is secondary to the lives of people he affects.

Worship Sept. 20 will be led by Johnny Ramirez. The Sloans will speak on the conference topic “Artists on the Front Lines.” Their presentation will include an original production featuring an original song by AJ Ramirez and Andre Williams, aka “Blaack,” along with some other area artists and dancers. That evening there also will be a drawing for bands to have an opportunity of working with Rick and the Resonate team privately to improve their own church worship team or band.

On Sept. 21, private sessions are scheduled during the day. Then at 7 p.m., Rick Heil will lead worship and teach a session titled “The Intimate War.”

Saturday the event begins at 10 a.m. with worship led by Pete Munday. Then Nathan Steel, Creative Arts and Design director at Church on the Rock, will teach a session titled “David: Man of Passion, Man of War.” Lunch will be served at 11 a.m. for $5.

Ryan Massey and team will perform a dramatic comedy along with other entertaining artists. Massey is a writer and performer from Los Angeles who now lives in Anchorage. From noon to 3 p.m., everyone will have an opportunity to attend various breakout sessions on topics of choice. Session tracks are leadership, fine arts, instrumentalist, worship leader and technical arts. For more specifics on tracks, visit churchontherockak.org and click on the Resonate ad or the Worship Ministry page.

The conference concludes Saturday from 3:15 to 4 p.m. with Ramirez teaching on the topic “Releasing the Passion in You.”

This entire conference has a suggested donation of $20, but is not required to attend. This is strictly to cover the cost of the special guest, other conference costs and future Resonate conferences. Conference administrators would really appreciate it if participants would register online whether or not they are able to give a monetary donation. Registration will help them get an idea of how many people will be in attendance.

“Even though we are bringing out a special speaker and artist this year, our heart remains to pull from our own people right here in our community,” Leigh Sloan said, Resonate visionary. “It is powerful when artists join together for a common purpose and get to see other fellow artists in action. If you are an artist or a worshipper, this conference can be a great resource for you to improve your skill and engage your heart.”

Register today at churchontherockak.org.

— Submitted by Leigh Sloan