Southern Gospel News SGNScoops Digital

Congrats Kristen and Rob !

Congratulations to Kristen Stanton and Rob Patz as they announce their engagement.

Best wishes for a lifetime of love and happiness!

Your SGN Scoops Family

Rob Patz: Time to be Bold

2020 June SGNScoops  Publisher’s Point By Rob Patz

So here we are ….

Over the last couple of weeks that is the statement that I’ve heard from so many people: So, here we are. What does the future hold? How will our music, our industry, the world around us, recover?

There are many that have their opinion as to what we will see over the next few months as far as music in general, church, and the general population.

I believe that God is getting ready to restore everything that we have lost over the last few months. I believe there’s going to be an outpouring of excitement for church, for concerts, and for events.

I believe we as a people for so long have taken for granted the opportunity to be able to go to church, and I truly believe this time of a pandemic circling our country has awakeno people’s desire to return to church and to return to something most of us took for granted.

Many people are worried about the future. They are worried they will in some way be infected by this horrible COVID-19.

Over the last three months, certain scriptures have come clearly to my mind. In fact, as I was sitting on an airplane, flying home from Atlanta to Seattle, I opened up My Bible app and Isaiah 41 came up. Suddenly the words, “Fear not, for I am with you,” shot through me like a sword.

I realize there is a lot in our world to be fearful of, but we need to remember that we have a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever; that none of this came as a surprise to him, that he wasn’t shocked by this but he knew the outcome from the beginning.

So, as we began to return to a normalcy, I truly believe that we as humans need to have – not a new normal – but normal back to what it should be, back to what we truly need as a world, back to the basics of the Bible and faith in God. 

Let me tell you this: Fear not, for God is with you. Go boldly into this next phase. Know that God is with you, that he is there to protect you, that he is already in your tomorrows, and he already knows your plans.

So, if you are a promoter this is like a new beginning. Promote harder than ever. If you’re a singer, may this be a time that you invest more in the ministry that God has called you to. If you’re someone like me who works in the industry, may we find new ways to cultivate the opportunities that come out of a terrible three months of being at home.

I’m seriously thinking about getting shirts that say “Fear not.”

But right now, let me encourage you to come and be a part of Creekside 2020 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. I believe that this year is going to be life-changing. I believe God is going to use it as an opportunity and a conduit, to send out a revival throughout this country. Join me October 25 – 29, 2020.

Rob Patz

Until next time, this is the Publisher’s Point.

By Rob Patz

First published by SGNScoops Magazine in June 2020

Rob Patz: The start of something great

Rob Patz

2020 May SGNScoops Magazine

Publisher’s Point

By Rob Patz

Welcome to the May Publisher’s Point. I hope that this issue finds you safe.

We are living in unprecedented times. We have never seen unemployment at these levels, we have never known the hardship that is currently happening, but I will tell you this: if you study history, you know that out of hardship comes great victory.

I truly believe that for our industry, this is a time of reset. I believe God is using this time to get us ready for even greater things for gospel music. I believe our magazine is going to grow, I believe concerts are going to grow, and I believe that we are going to see more people come to know Christ in the next year than we have seen in a long time.

When I started Creekside, one of the things I prayed was that it would be a center for revival; that people would come and be restored and feel excitement to go back out into the community, to go and to reach those that may not know Jesus as their personal Savior. I truly believe that this year at Creekside that will be our theme: a theme of revival, not only for our community, but for our country. I believe that!

If you haven’t made your plans yet, I want you to join us for Creekside 2020. I think it’s going to be a life-changing experience.

I think that for many of us the time at home has been a time of reflection about what used to be. That’s good. We need to remember what the past was like but I’m going to challenge you, starting this month, to boldly move forward to what God has for us to do.

I think that this is just the start of something great; I think we’re going to start to see the country come back to life.

I want to encourage you to seek out events that are still going to happen. I know there’s been cancellations, and rumors of cancellations, but I want to encourage you to take time to go to a concert when there’s one in your area. Please encourage your favorite gospel artist today.

It’s so easy during this time to look at all the things in front of us that are daunting. There are so many cases in the Bible where we read the story of people, including the Israelites, when everything was against them, God brought them through. We can think of David and Noah, and we can realize at those times, people rose up boldly, making a stand: David took down the giant when no one else could, Noah built an ark when there wasn’t any rain.

I challenge you today to be like them, to make a stand, even with those around you who might be saying that the world is crumbling. Today, we need to plant our flag as Christians and tell them the good news: we serve a God who is a God of restoration and hope!

May 2020 SGN SCoops Magazine

As I talked about earlier in this Publisher’s Point, I want you to come and be a part of Creekside 2020. We truly believe this year is going to be life-changing. We are already praying for just that! We want you to be there: October 25 through October 29. If you need information, please email me: rob@sgnscoops.

Until next time, this is the Publisher’s Point.

By Rob Patz

Published in the May 2020 issue of SGNScoops Magazine

Rob Patz: God is in Control

Rob Patz

2020 April SGNScoops Publisher’s Point by Rob Patz

Welcome to the April edition of the Publisher’s Point. I know many of you spent the last two to three weeks in quarantine.

Unfortunately, due to my schedule, I wasn’t able to do that immediately, but within a week I was able to enter quarantine. During this time, I’ve been reminded so much of the song, “Be still and know that I am God.”

For a lot of us, our job includes daily interaction with people. For me that includes conventions, conferences, and musical events, and over the last two weeks we had to cancel Southern Gospel Weekend, an event that I’m a part of in Oxford, Alabama. Now the good news: We have rescheduled and will be having it September 3 – 5, 2020.

As I watch the news and hear about the economy and everything else that’s going on, I’m reminded that God is in control. I will tell you, in my own spirit, I have felt very worried over the last few weeks, but knowing that God is in control has helped me so very much.

While I was staying in a hotel in Oxford, one morning as I was getting up and praying, God told me that everything that has been taken, will be restored – pressed down, shaken together, and running over. God is not a God of lack. God is not a God who can be surprised. He knew that this was going to happen. He knew that we were going to face this not only as a country, but as an industry.

Rob Patz. Picture courtesy of Penny Walters and Gloryland

Let me encourage you if you’re reading this, to pray for the artists, their ministries, the promoters and the fans.

I believe that this year is going to be an incredible year for gospel music. I say that because I think during this time, more and more people are going to be searching for answers that the world cannot give them. We have the most incredible music in the world, and we have music that will bring them hope, joy, and strength, things that we need as we look ahead and not behind. May we realize that God is in control. 

Please, over the next few months, attend concerts, buy CDs, and sow into the ministries that are out there. I ask also that you will join me in Ann Arbor, Michigan, June 4 – 6, 2020, for the first Gospel Music Weekend. It is going to be a special event. We’re excited about the opportunities that God has laid in front of us for this event and we believe that lives will be changed, hearts will be touched, and a fire reignited in a country that needs it. Pray with me from now until that date, that people that are seeking and hurting will find their way to the Wyndham Convention Center.

I’m praying for each and every one of you this month. I believe that God has great things for our readers and for our artists ahead. I also ask that you will pray for me and for our staff.

Before I go for this month, I want to ask you to join us in October for our biggest event of the year: Creekside Gospel Music Convention, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, October 25 –  29, 2020. Please email events@sgnscoops.com for more information.

Until next month, this is the Publisher’s Point.

By Rob Patz

April 2020 SGN Scoops Magazine

As published in April 2020 Publishers Point

Classic Artists Records releases Pine Ridge Boys “Creekside Live!”

Charlotte, N.C. (April 13, 2020) –  Classic Artists Records releases a milestone DVD-CD recording from the Pine Ridge Boys this spring. This recording celebrates the group’s 57 continuous years of singing quartet gospel music.

“Creekside Live!” was recorded in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, during the kickoff concert for the annual Creekside Gospel Music Convention. The intimate concert welcomed Creekside VIP fans, Pine Ridge family and fans from the southeast, with gospel music D.J.’s and promoters in the mix. 

Jean Grady of Gospel Music Today

Classic Artists Music Group’s Charlie Griffin states, “Creekside LIVE is incredible. The music, emotion and worship shared between the Pine Ridge Boys and the concertgoers is contagious. The response has been exciting from young and old alike. And you would expect nothing less from this heritage quartet.”

PRB manager Larry Stewart exclaims, “Over the years, my Dad (Jim Stewart) and Charles Burke recorded many studio projects, but the quartet had never recorded a project like this. This recording captures that special energy and spirit that only happens with friends when sharing the love of gospel music and its message. It was a great night and a concert to remember.”

Creekside promoter Rob Patz shares, “Larry and the guys have stood with us since the first Creekside convention in 2012, and we were thrilled to be their venue for this historic event. From the very beginning I have looked forward to this recording. The Pine Ridge Boys are some of my favorite people. I cannot wait to re-live the evening.”

The recording team from Gospel Music Today captured the Creekside LIVE concert.

Ken Grady of Gospel Music Today

Ken Grady says, “We are big fans of the traditional quartet sound and we love working with the Pine Ridge Boys. In Rhode Island, there is a blind fan that receives an audio cd of the GMT syndicated television program. After featuring the live version of the Pine Ridge Boys’ “Wine Into Water,” on the program, he called. The first thing he wanted to talk about was the Pine Ridge Boys. His excitement confirms;  the Pine Ridge Boys concert that night is exceptional.”

The audio-video recording features a live version of the group’s current studio radio release “Wine Into Water.”  A total of fifteen songs filled with worship, quartet convention singing and just pure fun with special Creekside friends makes this concert recording a treasure for years to come.

The DVD and CD are separate units and are available at any Pine Ridge Boys appearance, through Springside Marketing, or from PineRidgeBoys.com.  

For more information on the DVD – CD release contact at ClassicArtistsRecordsllc.net. For artist interactions with personal management by Larry Stewart, call 864-473-8849 or visit PIneRidgeBoys.com.  

Rob Patz: Spring and a Grateful Thief

2020 March SGNScoops Publisher’s Point by Rob Patz

Can you believe we are already in the third month of 2020? March also signifies Spring, and for those that live in certain parts of the country, it means the chance that the snow will soon be disappearing from their walkways and streets, and flowers will start to bloom.

I know I’ve written in the past that I love Spring and it’s no surprise. I love new beginnings. I love the part of life where things start anew and for me, Spring has always been a signal for the start of many great gospel music events. I have been so blessed to have the opportunity to now run and organize events throughout the United States.

Spring also means that Easter is right around the corner. As a Christian, it should be the most incredible time of year. I heard a sermon recently about when Jesus was crucified, and the one thief recognized how amazing Jesus was that he wanted to be with him wherever it was that he was going. I find it very fascinating because this man obviously had lived a life of only caring for himself or taking what he wanted from whoever it was in the society of the time. I did some research and we really don’t know that much about either thief. I know in a lot of circles they call the thief that accepted Jesus as his personal Savior on the cross, as the “grateful thief.’ I think that’s pretty cool.

As Christians today, we know that our society as a whole is spinning effortlessly out of control. I’m not here to say that I have an answer for how we can fix that, but I do think about the thief on the cross. He knew that Jesus was pure, and was willing to sacrifice who he was for more than just himself. I think as Christians, in this Easter season, we need to learn to sacrifice ourselves more to show those around us what it truly means to be a Christian. Not just Christian in word only, but Christian in deed and action. We are set apart, we are an example.

So let me challenge you, as we lead up to Easter, to be an example, to be the Christian that people are drawn to, not the Christian that’s judgemental. Not the Christian that only talks to other Christians but to be the Christian that Christ so desired us to be. To be the person that takes the extra effort to lift up the people that are hurting, those that are looking and seeking for an answer, not just a religion, but a relationship. 

That’s my challenge to you between now and Easter. Find someone in your community, find someone in your neighborhood, find somebody at your office, and show them what it truly means to be a Christian. Because the outside world looks at us and they see the image of Christianity, not the relationship we are so blessed to have.

March 202 SGN Scoops Magazine

Let me encourage you to join us in Tupelo, Mississippi, at Barnes Crossing Mall, April 23 – 25. If you need more information, you can call me at 360-933-0741, or email me at events@sgnscoops.com. 

Until next month, this is the Publisher’s Point.

By Rob Patz

Southern Gospel Weekend in Oxford Alabama Returns!

It’s back! Southern Gospel Weekend, Oxford, Alabama presented by Donnie Williamson, Vonda Armstrong, and Rob Patz, cancelled this spring due to the Corona virus, is returning this fall.

Originally scheduled for March 19 – 21, 2020, Southern Gospel Weekend in Oxford Alabama has been rescheduled to September 3 –  5, 2020. Thursday night, September 3rd, is Veterans’ Night, saluting all first responders and veterans, and will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday night and Saturday night concerts will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Southern Gospel Weekend will present Southern Country Grass, a combination of Southern gospel, Christian Country, and Bluegrass gospel music. A great mix of quartets, live bands, soloists and wonderful music, fellowship, and fun will be enjoyed at daytime showcases beginning at 9:00 a.m., and evening concerts.

On Saturday, the daytime showcase will take place in the number eight pavilion, the largest pavilion in the park area. It will be a Picnic/ Showcase beginning at 9:00 a.m. The park will be open all day on Saturday, offering a chance for good family fun in the outdoors, complete with fishing.

Rob Patz and Vonda Armstrong

Josh and Ashley Franks, Hope’s Journey, The Williamsons, Jessica Horton, New Ground, The Bibletones, ClearVision Quartet, MARK209, Eagle’s Wings,  and The Connells are just a few of the artists that will be appearing at Southern Gospel Weekend. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. for each evening concert and parking is free. You don’t want to miss this weekend packed with some of the best in gospel music with over 30 artists on the schedule. 

SGW will be held at the Oxford Civic Center. Accommodations are available at the host hotel, the Sleep Inn Oxford. Please call 256-770-4804 and mention that you are a guest of SGW for a special event rate.

 For more information, or VIP tickets, call 256-310-7892 or email vonda@sgnscoops.com. Visit the SGW Facebook page HERE. 

For more Gospel Music News, read the latest issue of the SGNScoops Magazine HERE.

Cancellation of Southern Gospel Weekend

Oxford, Alabama (March 16, 2020) — As the COVID-19 virus continues to spread in communities across Alabama and the United States, we have made the difficult but important decision to cancel the upcoming Southern Gospel Weekend, to be held in Oxford, Alabama, March 19-21, 2020.

Donnie Williamson, Vonda Armstrong, and Rob Patz, the SGW board, know the importance of having a faith-filled and encouraging family event at this time. However, the health and well-being of attendees and artists are paramount during this pandemic.

The Southern Gospel Weekend board will reschedule this event at the first opportunity when it is safe to do so. We hope and pray that each and every one of you remain safe and healthy during this unprecedented time of sickness and trial.

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”Psalms 91:1 NIVUK

We pray you find peace and strength I  knowing that Jesus Christ is your rock and your salvation.

Thank you for your continued support.

For more information call Vonda Armstrong at (256) 310-7892 or visit HERE or email events@sgnscoops.com

Andrew Ishee joins SGNScoops

Andrew Ishee

SGNScoops Magazine publisher, Rob Patz, is thrilled to welcome gospel music artist and writer, Andrew Ishee, to his elite writing staff. Ishee is known by many gospel music fans as the talented pianist who has played for many top artists, including the Kingsmen Quartet.

SGNScoops Magazine will host Ishee’s writing regularly. Publisher Patz says, “Andrew is a gospel music staple and a friend. I’m excited to have him join our team and I know our readers will enjoy his features.”

Rob Patz: My Vision for 2020

2020 February SGNScoops Publishers Point By Rob Patz

I was part of a radio interview recently and was asked by the DJ what my vision was for 2020. It took me a minute to really gather my thoughts, but I wanted to share with you much of what I saw as a vision for 2020, concerning SGNScoops Magazine and Coastal Events.

More than anything in 2020, I want to lead more people to Christ. I want them to know my personal Savior. I want them to realize that they’re not in this world alone, that the hurt that they’re going through, the worry they have, the loneliness they feel, can all be answered by one man; and they can be comforted in knowing that he has everything under control.

That’s the first thing. The second thing is I want to watch this industry grow. I want to be a part of that growth and I want to be a cheerleader for those artists that are looking to see their ministries expand. I believe we live in a time where our industry needs to look back to its roots, back to a time when the local church was very important. My desire is to introduce new people who are not in our current demographic to our music. I believe it can be a life-changing, encouraging music, and the words are truly the message of salvation.

My third vision for 2020, is to see the growth of events nationwide in our industry. We are excited about Ohio and Michigan and Tupelo, Mississippi. We’re excited about events we haven’t even been able to talk to you about yet.

As we move into the second month of the new year, it is important that we realize that everything we do should be tied to what God has called us to do. I believe everyone of us has a mission and I strongly encourage you to pray and seek out what that mission is that God has for you to do this year. I also want to ask you at this time if you’re interested in volunteering to be part of our team for events or behind the scenes work with the magazine. I encourage you to email me rob@sgnscoops.com.

I look forward to seeing you next month in Oxford, Alabama, at Southern Gospel Weekend, March 19 – 21. We are going to have an incredible time. If you have not been to Oxford, Alabama, and you have not attended Southern Gospel Weekend, please make plans now to join us.

Until next time, this is the Publisher’s Point.

By Rob Patz

First published in SGNScoops Magazine February 2020

For more Gospel Music News, read the latest issue of the SGNScoops Magazine HERE.

Download SGNScoops Magazine PDF Here

Find SGNScoops Magazine On Facebook Here

Listen To Today’s Gospel Music Here