TDATK 2014

Hey guys!

Wow… I am so stoked for The Drumset and the Kingdom this year. We are neck-deep in promo stuff… getting the webpage all set up, discussing topics and themes for all the speakers, getting an updated promo video together, etc. Registration is now open, and keep checking risendrums.com for updates on everything.

In the meantime I want to share a little about where the event came from and why we’re doing it. A few years back I did a clinic at my church – kinda out of the blue – on a Saturday morning. It was two hours of me talking and playing and doing Q&A about my experiences during 20 years of playing drums in church. About 50 dudes came and the morning felt like a big success. I did it again the following year and around 70 people came. In 2012 I had the idea to expand the day and include some voices besides my own, and Keith Anderson at Risen Drums caught the vision and offered to sponsor the event. More than 250 drummers and worship leaders from across the country came to Bethel University for a full day of really wise and experienced drummers giving master classes on what it means to love Jesus and play drums at the same time. The Drumset and the Kingdom was born.

Then, in 2013, both myself and Risen Drums were too busy to host another event. Dang.

But now it’s 2014 and we are more excited than ever to gather as many drummers as we can and try to better ourselves in the role of playing drums in our churches. I’m convinced that the drumset is a powerful tool – one that can contribute to corporate worship in incredible ways. I want to grow in my knowledge of how to use this instrument and I want to grow in my knowledge of God’s Word and his creation of music. I selected this year’s 5 guest speakers not only for their incredible and inspiring musicianship but also because of their love for Jesus and commitment to the Gospel. I can’t wait to learn from them!

TDATK2014 will take place on May 10 at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, MN and will run from 10am until around 8pm. Each of the speakers will give a full session of their own and I’ll also facilitate a panel discussion with them for Q&A. We also added an exclusive first-come-registration open house at the new Risen Drums shop in Minneapolis for the night prior to the full on event… May 9. That night be mainly just a hang and an opportunity to see the new RD shop, which is awesome. I’ll also give a session on some material that I won’t be addressing on Saturday’s main event.

I’m really pumped about what TDATK has become and where it can still go. Please join us!