Jamie the Go Fish Guy

Groovy Wins A Dove Award!

Congratulations to Denver and the Mile High Orchestra for winning the "Best Children's Album of the Year" Dove award!!! I'm very proud of the work the guys did on this album and am honored to work with them.

I really love the fact that half of the music on the new "PRAISE" VBS curriculum is from this album!  I can't wait for churches everywhere to be exposed to Denver's unique brand of children's music.

To read the official press release about this exciting news CLICK HERE!

To learn more about Groovy on our web site CLICK HERE!

Groovy Baby

Congratulations to Go Fish Kids Records artist Denver and the Mile High Orchestra on their Dove award nomination for Children's Album Of The Year!  Their very first kids album "Groovy" is already proving to be a hit with families everywhere.  We are featuring 4 songs from this amazing record as part of the new "Praise" VBS curriculum and can't wait for kids across the world to hear Denver's unique brand of kids music!  Congratulations guys.

 

 

Songwriters Beware

The more you learn about God the harder it gets to write songs about Him.

Free Song From Go Fish

I was going through some files this week and came across this acappella remix that we did a long time ago of our song "Savior".  We never released it and quite honestly, I forgot all about it.  I was trying to think of a way to use it and since I couldn't come up with anything clever I thought...let's just give it away!  I hope you enjoy it.  Feel free to pass it around!

Download Savior (Acappella Mix)

Solid To The Core

We were asked to write and record the theme song this year for the INCM Children's Pastors Conferences in Orlando and San Diego.  We asked our pals Denver & The Mile High Orchestra to help us out and this is what we came up with!  Enjoy.

 

CPC Theme

Answers For Ella

We recently received the following email at our Go Fish web site.  I thought I'd share my response since it isn't every day that someone does a report on me!  Thanks Ella.  I hope your school project turns out great.  If you need anything else let me know!

Hi,
 My name is Ella. I am 11 years old. I live in St.Paul MN, and go to St. Thomas More Catholic School. I am doing a school project on Jamie Statema. I convinced my teacher to let me write about him, but now she says I don't have enough info. I have a few questions to ask Mr. Statema. If I could.
Thank you for your time,
Ella

What is your mission?    Musically, my mission is to make great music for kids that won't drive their parents bonkers!  Personally, my mission is to serve God by telling others about Him.  If you were about to drown and someone came to rescue you at the last minute, you'd be grateful to that person right?  Well, that's what God did for me.  I deserved God's wrath (anger) because I had sinned against him by breaking his laws. (I lied, dishonered my parents, wanted what didn't belong to me, and didn't always put God first in my life) However, even though I deserved to be punished, God made a way for me to be rescued!  He sent His Son Jesus to take the punishment I deserved.  Jesus died on the cross as a perfect sacrifice for my sin.  That's why my mission is to serve Him.  I am grateful for what He did and I would be crazy not to tell others!  The Bible says that we've all sinned and none of us could ever be saved if it wasn't for Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross.  That is awesome news and whether I'm singing with Go Fish or hanging out at home, I love talking about it!

What do you think is your impact on the world?  The impact that Go Fish has on the world is relatively small.  However, God can take something small (like Go Fish) and use it to accomplish whatever He wants for His glory and for His purposes.  A lot of people make music to get rich and famous, but we use our music as a tool to teach families about how great God is and how important it is to read the Bible.  People will eventually forget about our music and about our little group, but nobody will ever forget about the one, true God!

What motivates you?  What motivates me is the fact that some day my life on earth will be over.  The day will come for all of us when we die and stand before God to be judged.  If we have surrendered our lives to Jesus and accepted His forgiveness, we will be saved and go to heaven.  If we haven't, we won't.  Because of that, I'm motivated to tell others about what Jesus has done and about the Truth that can be found only in the Bible.  The Bible says that there is only one way to be saved and that is through Jesus.  Love and concern for others is what ultimately motivates me to share this great news.

What do you want to do for your fans?  I want our fans to love our music and to learn about God and the Bible.  I also love putting on concerts that thoroughly entertain everyone in the audience.  If you've ever been to one of our shows, you know that we love to have TONS of fun.  I want our fans to know that without them, Go Fish wouldn't even exist.  We are truly blessed to have so many people who support what we do.

What helps you to write songs?  I get most of my song ideas from talking to people, reading books, and from studying the Bible.  I also like to test new music out on my 3 sons.  If they think a song is funny or catchy, then usually other kids will agree!  I also always think of my audience when I write a song.  I don't write songs for me.  I always write them for the listener.

Christmas With A Capital C

I realize that many of you are finding this blog as a result of the "Christmas With A Capital C" video on youtube.  Because of this, I wanted to take a minute and explain why I wrote this particular song and why I think people have such extreme reactions to it.

Year after year it seemed the annual debate would start to surface.  It was maddening to me to hear people talk in circles about saying "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" without ever addressing the true issue.  That is why I decided to write this song.

I wanted to get beyond how you greet your fellow man and get to the heart of why people have issues with the word "Christmas".  I know what the issue is.  The issue is Jesus.

Jesus said "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6)

The Bible goes on to say in Acts 4:12, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

These are not very politically correct statements.  They made people mad back then and they make people angry today.  Hebrews 13:8 says that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." So no wonder the name of Christ continues to demand a response.  You can't be a moderate when it comes to Jesus.  You either accept him or you reject him.  It has always been that way.

I pray that this simple song will challenge you to take a deeper look at what you think about Jesus.  All you need to do is read the comments on youtube to see that he still solicits a hot or cold response.  Jesus said this would be the case and warns us about making the wrong choice in Matthew 10:32-34.

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.  Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.  I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."

Like the songs says, we've broken God's laws (sinned) and when we stand before God someday when we die we will be judged accordingly.  However, God loved us so much that he provided a way for us to be saved from our unholy nature.  This extreme problem of sin (which is so easy to see all around us in this fallen world) required an extreme solution.  God provided this solution by sending his one and only son Jesus to this earth.  He lived a perfect life and was killed on the cross as a sacrifice for all the wrong things you and I have done.  He rose from the dead 3 days later proving that he was God and achieving victory over the penalty of death.  He did this for you because there is nothing you can do on your own to earn your way to God.  Like Jesus said, he is the only way to the Father.

It's truly quite amazing.  Unlike other religions, with Jesus you can't do anything to be saved.  It's already been done.  You just need to believe, turn from your sin, ask Jesus to forgive you, and live your life for him instead of yourself.  It sounds simple, yet so many choose to live their own way and reject God by choosing sin over God's forgiveness.  I beg you to not reject Jesus.  To do so is truly the worst choice you could ever make and you will regret it for all eternity.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."  1 Corinthians 1:18-19

That's what I believe and I'm stickin' to it!

Merry Christmas.

(Originally posted in October 2009)