Why House Concerts/Alternative Venues for Heilman Ministries in 2012… and beyond…

(Written December 10, 2011)

 Last night, I went to a house concert in Dallas, TX played by a long-time friend of mine. It was incredible for a number of reasons. One, the location: I loved walking up the creaky stairs of the old building venue to apartment H. Others: I enjoyed walking in to a room full of people, sitting down on the big chair I shared with my wife, eating gluten-free cupcakes while sipping on a choice beverage as my friend released his songs and sounds over the course of the next hour and a half. I was refreshed, recreated and inspired.

One of the reasons I went was to observe; to investigate how he went about things during the entire evening. Why? Because God is speaking to me to begin doing the same thing, but in a little bit different way…

For about a decade now I’ve been traveling all over the USA, and even into some other nations, playing music at conferences, events, church meetings, etc… I’ve led for 10,000 as well as for 100. I’ve loved doing this and I will continue to do this… But there is something God is stirring in me for house concerts as well as other alternative meeting venues…

In my book, I share about a couple of times when I, my wife and our team had played in a living room, business office or similar venue. There was a dynamic in that small venue that lent itself towards a very fruitful time of refreshing, prophetic ministry. This is the kind of ministry we feel we are most called to. In fact, my latest CD “I Can’t Wear This Armor”, was recorded live in a living room with about 30 people. My favorite parts on that CD are the times when you hear the crowd of people releasing their songs… So basically, going forward, we are feeling led towards creating & ministering through venues like this on a more consistent basis.

My friend, whose house show we went to, has recently been on a 15,000 mile national house concert tour through which he’s been able to hold dozens and dozens of gatherings in only a few months time. The fact that he holds his gatherings in homes opens up a broader opportunity to release his music versus if he looked only to clubs… In a similar way, I feel led to do the same. Rather than only look to opportunities in churches, I see such vast opportunities to be able to create musical/moving/art ministry venues through alternative opportunities…

Often, I meet people (who are not necessarily in local church leadership) that love our ministry, love what we do and would desire to have us minister in their “neck of the woods.” Rather than only look for church venues to release our ministry, I believe it’s time to simply create other ways by which we can travel and do what we do through alternative venues.

Another thing I look forward to is the relational aspect of these venues. Conversely, over the course of a year, we held meetings in a local house of prayer on a monthly basis. When 20 people showed up in a room that could seat 150, it felt a little distant. Take those same 20 into a home, and you’ll have a different experience. So the Lord spoke and said, “Jason, you’re doing the right thing but you need to shift the venue.” As I sought God on what He meant, I felt impressed to no longer try to host meetings on my own at a “neutral location”, but to work with hosts who would be willing to help coordinate venues for the release of the ministry God has called us to.

That made me really excited. House concerts, and venues like it, allow me to work with a host or co-hosts that will invite and help spread the word to others. It becomes more personal. We hang out before the meeting starts, we eat & drink, I read a little excerpt from my book and then we engage into the Presence through music, dance and the arts in a unique, warm setting. That sounds really good to me! Picture yourself sitting back in your recliner, listening to a beautiful piano/strings medley while my wife dances the heart of God amidst the soft sound of a worship artist’s brush strokes on their canvas… You were made to sit back, drink a beverage, relax and release your worship sounds in an atmosphere of God’s presence like that. That’s my calling, to create that place for people and I want to do this now more than ever before.

I’m not going to quit ministering in churches or conferences. I just feel that God is emphasizing this type of venue for us and our ministry. I’m really excited about it, and I hope you are to. Right now I am booking the 2012 Potential of God’s Presence Book/Worship Tour, and I hope you’d be interested in hosting whether you are the pastor of a church of 1,000 to the owner of a living room with a couch, a few chairs and an electrical outlet.

This writing/blog was meant to be a little intro into my heart on all this, but I have more detailed info for those willing to consider hosting us. I hope to be in touch with you soon.

(For more info please email us at contact@jasonheilman.com)

Jason Heilman

 p.s. – CD Project: We plan to record many of our upcoming house concerts for the purpose of creating a compilation album filled with the best moments from these gatherings…