MyFriendMike.com

Mike Haines’ Christian Music Ministry - Portland, Oregon

General

Mike’s Spring 2009 Update!

So - it’s been a while since I have been actively involved in the music ministry arm of my life.  Two kids will do that to a dad!  So I guess this is just a quick note to say hello to all the folks who have shown genuine interest in my music and the powerful message of God’s amazing love.

Be assured that I’m still available around the Portland Metro area to play for whatever your church’s needs might be.  It may be a little while longer before I can begin a regimen of calling around - but I’m always willing to answer the phone, set something up, and minister in your neck of the woods.  If you have ANY questions, don’t hesitate to call or email!

I look forward to the opportunity to record another album - I have more material than I know what to do with; now it’s all about finding the time.  Maybe if I kept it simple?  Let me know what you think - acoustic guitar and vocals - with some hand drumming by myfriendJess?  Would anyone be interested in that?  What about an “all original” worship songs CD recorded in this manner… there may be a few repeats from previous recordings, but we’d simplify and re-record everything, so you’d have a different “acoustic” version… Hmmm… I’d love to hear your feedback!  Feel free to comment below.

God’s blessings to you all!  I pray our paths will cross sometime this summer.

-Mike


Mike Haines’ November 2007 Update!

In this issue:

  • Upcoming Events! (There’s one this Friday, November 2!)
  • A New Freebie - Sheet Music!
  • Did you miss out? Find out!
  • Mike’s Winter/Spring 2008 Availability

Upcoming Events

Click on the venues below for more details regarding these events.

More Freebies!

Check out the Freebies Page for all the freebies, including instructions on downloading ringtones, and now there’s a Lead Sheet for Lord I’m Yours. Give it to your piano player, guitarist, singers, and worship our Lord Jesus with this easy to sing praise song. Need the recording? Visit the Music Page and get a CD, or order it from iTunes!

Previous Event Blogs

Whether or not you missed an event over the past month or two, be sure to check out the following Event Blogs - you might even see your picture in the gallery!

Availability 2008

Mike is currently booking a few events each month beginning in January 2008. The schedule is pretty open, so get creative and visit the Booking Page to connect with Mike. OH, and if you have ANY questions regarding what Mike does, how he does it, what he charges, etc… PLEASE visit the FAQ Page. It’s all there!

That about wraps things up for now…hope to see you at an event, or speak to you about putting one on! God’s many blessings this November. We have SO much to be thankful for - God’s forgiveness being at the top of the list!

-Mike


Mike Haines’ October 2007 Update!

Hey everyone!

In this issue:

  • Upcoming Events and Availability
  • How YOU can help the ministry!
  • More Free Stuff?

Upcoming Events

  • Saturday, October 6, 7pm, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church near Multnomah Village in Portland - Jess and I will be playing at a Saturday evening “Coffeehouse.” Click Here for more information.
  • Saturday, October 13, 5:30pm, Trinity Lutheran Church in Oregon City - Trinity holds a Saturday Evening worship service that is comfortable and accessible to anyone, and they’ve invited us to come share. Click Here for more information.
  • Friday, November 2, 7pm-9pm, Wilsonville Coffee Co. in Wilsonville, Oregon - Jess and I are playing everything under the sun to delight and entertain and make people think just a little. Come enjoy some coffee, dessert, and bring a friend! Click Here for more information.

Mike’s Availability

  • Mike is available for a mid-late October event. Does your church host a “Harvest Festival” or something like that? Does your youth group need a boost that only music can provide? Let ‘em know Mike is around, and would love to play their event. First come, first served! Just send ‘em to myfriendmike.com or have someone give me a call!
  • Mike is beginning to get early 2008 booked in the Portland/Vancouver Metro area. If your church is hosting a pot-luck or banquet or coffeehouse or whatnot, feel free to pass on my information, or give ME a call or an email and I’ll connect with them.

How YOU can help create some Online Buzz…

  1. Got a MySpace Page? Become one of my MySpace friends at http://www.myspace.com/myfriendmikemusic. Include one of my songs in your MySpace profile! Feel free to list “Mike Haines” as one of your favorite musicians in your MySpace Music Interests list. And best of all, use the code from my MySpace page to add a sheik little picture on your profile!
  2. Got a Blog? Add a link to www.myfriendmike.com in your blogroll.
  3. Head to the iTunes Music Store and write a review of your favorite Mike Haines CD, and/or create an iMix of songs including a Mike Haines track or two!

More Free Stuff on the way!

Just let me know what you want - be it a section of music for a ring-tone, or maybe a lead sheet (melody and chords) to your favorite worship song. Maybe you want coffee mugs or t-shirts with the myfriendmike logo on them! (Oh, those wouldn’t be free…sorry!) Ask, and ye shall receive.

Blessings on your Autumn season! Hope to see you soon.

-Mike


September 2007 News, and Free Stuff!

In this installment:

  • Mike’s September Events!
  • Were you at Wilsonville Coffee Co. or Xfest?
  • The beginning of Free Stuff!

I pray everyone enjoyed their summer! As folks head back to school, and others head into a more regimented work routine now that many summer vacations are behind us, I pray you bring God into “This Place” - wherever that may be! Read on for all the September highlights…

-Mike

September Events

  • Sunday, September 9, in the afternoon, Mike and Jess head over to Lake Oswego for a “Rally Day” picnic at Our Saviors Lutheran Church. Click Here for more info!
  • Monday, September 17, we’re back at the Dublin Pub at 9:30pm for one show only! Want the details? Click here!
  • Want to see YOUR church on the list?  Talk me up, then send your pastor or youth leader to my FAQ page right here at myfriendmike.com!

Mike’s log: Stardate August/September 2007

Check The Latest News (it’s over there at the top of the column on the right) to see what Mike had to say about his latest events. See an awesome “photoshopped” picture of Mike’sFriendKelly in the Wilsonville Coffee Co. log, and the news about Xfest NorthWest in his latest tour log entry…

FREEBIES!

After hours of testing, I think it all works. Get your “Annoying” ringtones right here! Just click on the Freebies button at the top of the page. If the ringtones work for you, and there are other ringtones you’d like to download, just let me know - comment below or email me! There’s more on the way, including hi-res album art and maybe even lead sheets to your favorite songs… You ask, and if I can, I’ll deliver!

Have a great month! Blessings,

-Mike


Mike’s August 2007 News (and upcoming shows!)

Hey there!

So in this month’s edition, here’s what you’ll find…

  • Wilsonville Coffee Co. show THIS FRIDAY
  • Xfest Northwest - Independent Christian Music Festival TIMES Announced
  • Mike may be coming to YOUR church!
  • Ringtones are coming…

Wilsonville Coffee Co. - THIS Friday, August 17, 7-9pm

Come out this Friday for two hours of music, coffee, and desserts served up by Wilsonville Coffee Co. and yours truly… Mike might just have to premiere some brand new music at this event… Click Here for ALL the details and directions!

Xfest Northwest - Saturday, September 1, 5pm

The schedule is finally complete, and it looks like Jess and I will be playing at 5pm on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. Xfest is the Northwest’s Independent Christian Music Festival out in Stevenson, Washington. For the details about Xfest, Click Here!

Want to get Mike to play at YOUR church?

I’ve been working long and hard to put together information that may be helpful to Pastors and Youth Leaders who wish to invite me to come play, but don’t really know what to expect or how it works. Take your Pastor or Youth Leader right here to www.myfriendmike.com and tell ‘em to click on the FAQ link at the top of the page. And then email me to let me know you sent ‘em!

Ringtones? Ringtones…

Well, I’m not really sure how they work downloading them from the web (I have the cheap cell phone plan…), but I’m going to try to post midi files and short mp3 files for all of you with phones that can handle those types of ringtones. Right now, my cell phone rings with the first few lines of Annoying (Track 8, Write em Down…Again). People think it’s rather humorous, so I just thought I’d share! Be on the lookout, and feel free to bug me with the song you want, and the format in which you’d like it (mp3 or midi or something else?).

That about wraps things up for this month. Hope to see you at an upcoming show soon!

Blessings,

-Mike


July 2007 News from Mike Haines

In this installment:

  • Abigail is HERE!
  • Your picture may be on the web…
  • Mike is on iTunes! (among others…)
  • The Indie Christian Music Festival is coming up Labor Day Weekend!

Greetings!


Abigail Grace Haines

After a relatively uncomplicated pregnancy, we are proud to introduce Abigail Grace Haines as the newest member of our family. Born almost a week late - Tuesday, July 24, 2007, 8 pounds, 13 ounces, 20 inches long. She is an amazing eater! A few pictures are posted in the gallery - just click the picture to the right!

Did you know?

Mike takes pictures at most every event he plays. If you were there, your picture might be right here at myfriendmike.com. For instance - check out the Wilsonville Coffee Co. Log for Mike’s thoughts on the event, and maybe you’ll find your picture in the gallery!

So you don’t want to get the WHOLE ALBUM…

Check out “Write ‘em Down…Again” on iTunes! Load your iPod with your favorite song or two or three. Maybe even send a track to a friend - music makes a great gift! You can even download mp3s from payplay.fm for, like, 88 cents. Now, if you want to GET the whole album - just head to The Music! page and order it right there…

Upcoming Events:

And so ends another monthly newsletter - Hope to see you all in August!

God’s many blessings,

-Mike


June 2007 News from Mike Haines

Hey there!

In this installment:

  • All about the new MyFriendMike.com
  • Baby Haines News
  • Upcoming Portland area events (The Last Dublin Show…)
  • Mike to play THE Northwest’s Indie Christian Music Festival
  • And More! Read On…

So with the dawn of a new face expected around my house (baby Abigail is due VERY soon!), I thought I’d go ahead and update myfriendmike.com before life became a sleep-deprived haze of gray.

The things I’m most excited about the new style of website are:

  • You can comment directly on the site, which makes for a much more interactive experience for all of us!
  • My Event Schedule is easily accessed from most any page. Just click an event for more information!
  • You will be instantly notified via email when there’s new news and events! Not on the list? Want to take yourself off? Just visit the “Subscribe” Page.
  • I can EASILY post photos from shows without having to do all the HTML anymore (okay, so that one’s just for me…)
  • The blog and events are integrated right into the site (without having to visit myspace) and it just feels so much nicer.
  • Did I mention you can make comments right on the site? How cool is that?

Special thanks to Bruce H for helping me “see the light” and get me into the whole WordPress system of website design…

Okay - enough about that…

The NEWS to find out more about:

  • My wife and I are looking forward to the addition of Abigail Grace Haines sometime in July… Feel free to keep both of ‘my girls’ in your prayers.
  • A Wilsonville Coffee Co Gig is coming up Friday, June 22
  • I’m excited to play Xfest NorthWest - the Northwest’s Premier Independent Christian Music Festival - It’s a camping excursion over Labor Day weekend - Check it out on the event schedule.
  • My Final Dublin Show (for a while) is Monday, June 25 at 9:30pm - For those of you over 21, I’d love to see anyone and everyone there! The show has gotten quite humorous, with the addition of kid’s music Nathan and I have come up with while we drive around town.
  • CD’s are only 10 bucks online! (okay, plus shipping) Read more here.

I’m sure I’ll think of more stuff to let you know at a later date… For now, just check out the site - make a comment, etc. I hope to see you in your neck of the woods sometime soon!

Blessings,

-Mike


New Online CD Pricing!


All CDs are just $10! Just like at live shows…although, we have to come clean, and say there ARE shipping costs…see them at the bottom of the Music page. NOTE that with a purchase of 5 or more CDs, shipping is FREE!


Everything you need is on “The Music!” page. You can sit back, relax, and check out the music samples, read the lyrics, and purchase the CDs all on the same page. If you’d like to hear some full length tracks - head over to my MySpace Page. Be sure to add me as a friend…That would be sweet.


Ministry isn’t always about Music…

And so they say, that if you put at least three or four words on the page, you can sit and type all night.  Well - with the “and so they say,” I have accomplished my first goal.

My second goal is to stop typing before the night passes me by.

Interestingly enough, I haven’t blogged (or gigged, for that matter) in a number of months.  I guess my “whole life’s ministry” will be pushed one direction or another depending on the circumstances.  For example, when my son was first born, I wasn’t really making a whole lot of phone calls to set up gigs for a little while.

And now, my ministry to my family has won out over the music side of things once again.  The house is becoming a home.  BeLIEVE me, I will NOT want to move for at LEAST 10 years after I am through with all the work I have put into the house.  So - for those of you who stumble upon my ramblings and are still reading, here is what has happened in my house since June 20, 2006..

The Kitchen: completely torn out and put back in a more friendly configuration (with mostly new stuff (we kept the stove and microwave (but we bought those last year))).  [Nice - I just nested three parentheses…]  New flooring, lights, cabinets, countertops, sink, fridge, dishwasher - and all the plumbing and ductwork and nailing and painting and screwing and wallboarding and sanding and and and etc. that goes along with all that…I thank everyone who came over to help - especially my Dad - we got some SERIOUS father-son bonding time in while my folks were in town.

The Windows: we had people come install new windows (they rule!) and since Kathy and I wanted to re-trim the entire house, we thought this might be a good time to do that.  SO - after the windows were installed, we (I) primed and painted all the window-jams white and cut new “fun” trim to replace our old plain trim, and hung and painted that white as well.

The REST of the Trim: This is what I’m still working on - I have taken off all the doors, painted them white, painted the jams white and put the doors back on - with new hinges and AWEsome new doorknobs.  Now I’m taking out and replacing the trim around the doors, taking off the baseboards and cutting (where necessary - the new “fun” trim is wider than the old plain trim, so the baseboards next to doors doesn’t fit anymore) and painting all the baseboards before I finally re-install them.  Do that to every room in the house and I’m mostly done…mostly.

The Exterior of the House:   Well, somewhere in there, my family got the job done - special thanks to my “other dad” - my father in law, painter extraordinaire - what used to be yellowish-brown is now a nice blue with grey undertones.  It’s kind of denim blue…with white gutters and trim… The front door which used to be brownish-yellow is now red.  Kathy always wanted a red door.

I guess I learned something today - or over the past few months…As I follow God’s lead in my life, sometimes I won’t be doing what I think I should be doing - and sometimes God will surprise me with a new “song in my heart” because I choose to follow His lead rather than my own.  And I wouldn’t trade that song, or that feeling of peace, for anything.  Cuz you and I both know I’d rather be playing guitar than hanging wallboard.  Or sanding.  Yeah…I hate sanding…

Well, after all this is finished, I guess I’ll relax on the house projects - at least for a little while.  I should record again.  I’ve still been writing down songs…feel free to come out to my church to hear one every now and again (but you usually have to get there early…I mostly play them before the service begins…mostly).

Okay - enough already…25 minutes has passed me by and I still need to go to bed.

Blessings.


They’re HERE!

At long last… What was just a bunch of ones and zeros on my hard drive has turned into, like 500 real actual CDs - I got to pick them up TODAY!

Now on to the next big effort - getting them into the hands and CD players of as many as possible, without going broke in the process…

I’m totally stoked - the CD itself looks WAY cool…and I pray the ones and zeros touch the hearts of the listener with the amazing love of God…after all, that’s what this record is about…

Blessings to all who read this!

-Mike