ShineMK
Genre: Pop/Dance
Official Web Site
ShineMK Bibliography: (click on each album cover to view tracks and ShineMK lyrics)
ShineMK Biography " ... let your light shine before men that they may see ... and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
"That's such a picture of what we do in Shine MK," says Loretta, member of the savvy, all-female pop band from Milton Keynes, UK who bases their ministry upon this scripture. From compassion to commitment, from humor to creativity, each member of the group plays a significant role in making Shine MK the "light" they were called to be. Making a childhood dream come true, Natasha, Hanne, Loretta, and Nicola have already influenced many young people, by example and through their ministry, to turn their eyes upon Jesus.
Diving right into the heart of secondary schools in the UK, Shine MK focuses on winning the hearts of one of the largest youth populations in the area. Through weekly ministries filled with morning assemblies, lunchtime and evening concerts, and one-on-one witnessing, Shine MK offers friendship and the Truth in a non-threatening way. "Kids have to know that we care about them," says Natasha. "We can't just burst in and say, 'We're a band ... bye!' They have to trust us." Later, the girls not only make follow-up visits, plugging each student into a local church, but they also conduct follow-up courses over a six-week period, extending the individual relationships and accountability that lead so many of the youth to become "disciples of Christ."
With the support of their debut album from Reunion Records, Shine MK is now able to take their ministry even further by sending the message home with teenagers worldwide. "We are a schools band," Nicola remarks, when asked about the album. "That's where our heart is; that's where our passion is; that's what God called us to, which is the most important thing. This whole thing with Reunion and making this album is that it flows in so well with what we do. And, it's to promote God. Also, handing a kid an album ... is something that is gonna really touch kids, as well, when they hear [it]. So, it all ties in-getting it out, being evangelistic with it-it's something we know is just so from God."
This something "so from God" lays the ground work for cuts like "Do It Right" on their debut album. By offering an appealing, universal dance and pop mix, also found in "Do You Believe In Love," Shine MK motivates teenagers, and parents alike, to not only imitate the moves of the group, but to also sing its catchy lyrics: This is the way to do it right. We've got to pray and we just can't get enough. This is the time to give it up. And we will find we can bring this world to life. Everybody do it right ... Everybody do it right. ... And, that is exactly what the group continues to do-bring schools throughout Milton Keynes to life.
Each member of the group grew up longing to become singers and dancers, but when they turned their lives over to God, each at an early age, the opportunity to integrate their two loves in life became a reality. Two years following their training at the School of Creative Ministries, a school where the girls studied the art of becoming Christian performers, Loretta and Natasha focused on praying and planning for the future. Loretta Andrews, former member of World Wide Message Tribe, and happily married identical twin Natasha Andrews, began with a dream, further explaining other Do It Right lyrics: ... we can begin to make it happen, if we would open up our eyes. ... They then added to the vision of Shine MK Nicola Rodgers, a rambunctious redhead, and Hanne Pettersen of Norway, who was once destined to be in a wheelchair due to severe problems with her legs. Like Hanne, who now dances successfully in Shine MK, each member of the band has a unique story to tell and a true desire to share what God has done for them. This not only comes across on the album but can certainly be seen in their hearts.
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