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| SITE NAVIGATION |
| OUR ENTIRE SITE HERE ! |
Christian Music Review was launched September 25, 2004 with one goal in mind. Lead
visitors to positive & uplifting Christian music that will not only minister to them, but to glorify
God in the process. Even today, the goal and aim is still the same.
To find out where the idea of Christian Music Review came from you would have to go back to
a cool summer night in August of 2004, when former radio DJ and talk-show host Jay Heilman
was trying to figure out what it was that the LORD wanted him to do with his life.
"I remember walking outside of my house one night just thinking. Thinking about what the
LORD wanted me to do next. I had just finished up working with 96.7 FM 'The Switch', and was
confused as to what God had in store for me from there." Heilman recalls. "I had always been
into music, so I thought that once I gave my life to Christ and was born-again, that was the
reason for me being part of a radio station ministry." After an emotional disagreement with
the owner of the radio ministry, Heilman felt that it was time to move on to something new.
visitors to positive & uplifting Christian music that will not only minister to them, but to glorify
God in the process. Even today, the goal and aim is still the same.
To find out where the idea of Christian Music Review came from you would have to go back to
a cool summer night in August of 2004, when former radio DJ and talk-show host Jay Heilman
was trying to figure out what it was that the LORD wanted him to do with his life.
"I remember walking outside of my house one night just thinking. Thinking about what the
LORD wanted me to do next. I had just finished up working with 96.7 FM 'The Switch', and was
confused as to what God had in store for me from there." Heilman recalls. "I had always been
into music, so I thought that once I gave my life to Christ and was born-again, that was the
reason for me being part of a radio station ministry." After an emotional disagreement with
the owner of the radio ministry, Heilman felt that it was time to move on to something new.
| Christian Music Review Founder & Lead Review Jay Heilman |
"I had a lot of questions in that period of time. Questions like, God, how could you allow me to be a part of something
as exciting as a radio station, and then take it away from me? I just didn't understand it. I loved working there. I loved
the perks, the attention, the articles in the local papers. But one thing was missing. Ministry." Heilman remembers
ministry not being the main focus of the station. "I was living this dream. I had graduated high school in 1999 with
hopes of going to college and majoring in mass communications. But there was one problem. My girlfriend was
pregnant, I had no way of supporting the baby, yet alone myself, so I was forced to work full-time, putting college on
the back-burner." It was a tough experience in which Heilman goes onto explain. "Here I was, 18 years-old, a new
baby and my future ultimately derailed. At that point in time, I wasn't saved, so my thoughts were not focused on God
and what He had in store for me."
Life changed and so did Jay's willingness to accept what the LORD had wanted for him. "I remember after getting
saved, thinking to myself. Now what? I want to share with people the love and saving grace of Christ, but how?"
Heilman got his first opportunity in February 2004 when a Christian radio station landed in his backyard. "I had just
moved to Zephyrhills after having lived in Tampa the previous 5 years. I needed a break, away from the hustle and
bustle of the big city. A friend of mine had told me that there was a new Christian radio station, and it had broadcast
out of town. I started to grow excited. I called the station up and spoke with the owner, offering my services and help.
By the end of February, I was a member of 'Team Switch'. Within a few months a friend of mine and I had started a
weekly talk and music show called 'That Show! with Greg and Jay' and for a while, we were the talk of the town."
It was about six months in where Heilman's world would soon come crashing down again. "I had worked for the station
for about six months when everything started to go wrong. I was fighting with my girlfriend Shannon, who later became
my wife (lucky for me!), and I started to really feel the Holy Spirit tugging on me asking, 'Are you doing this for the right
reasons?'. The truth was I wasn't. I was too busy with myself then to focus on what God wanted. Then came a choice
given to me by Shannon. It's either me or the radio station. Wow! I couldn't believe she had said that! Finally I was
happy, I enjoyed my job and did not want to give it up. Not without a fight!"
The end of the radio ministry. The start of something new. "I left the station in August of 2004, bruised ego and all. I
didn't know it then, but I do now that the LORD had bigger and better plans for me. In late August, early September I
was throwing an idea around with a friend of mine for an idea I had for a music review site. Reviewing albums and
posting them on-line. I first thought of the tag-line, 'Reviews that help build His Kingdom'. I wanted the site to mean
something, to help and minister to people, with the help of music." says Heilman. "My site was going to be different.
The focus wasn't going to be so much on the music, but the message. After all, music is influencing to people, but the
words can be even more. Put the right words with the right music and get it into the hands of a non-believer and bam!
It could possibly lead them to getting saved and giving their life to Christ. Yes, that's what I wanted to do." On
September 25, 2004, the thought became a reality.
"I had trials and tribulations when I started the site. My biggest being convincing publicists to send me pre-releases
and promotional material. I really thank people like Velvet Kelm and her crew at the Media Collective and Brian Mayes
at Nashville Publicity Group for really putting faith into what I was doing and being supportive. Even to this day, they
are our biggest supporters." Heilman gladly explains. "I have a good team now, a group of writers that are honest, full
of potential and who have the same aspirations and goals as myself. Mike Strubie, the first to join the 'Review Crew'
back in March of 2006, Steve Serneels, Stacey Papanikos in March of 2007 and her fiancee Josh Poston in May of
2007 are daily helping to exceed the goals in which I have set forth for this ministry. Our newest member, Liz Zelinski
joined our ministry in January 2008 and is the only one on our ministry team that actually has a college degree!
Reaching the world for Christ with the help of music, that's what it's all about. Has it been all cookies and cream? Not
by any means. Has it been fun and worthwhile? You bet. If even one person comes to know Christ as their Lord and
Savior by visiting, then we can feel assured that we have accomplished something and helped to build the Kingdom of
God. All praise, glory and honor go to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for without Him, there would be no need for
Christian Music Review or Christian music for that matter! To that regard, we are grateful that we have Someone to
work for and to win folks to."
The prayer of Christian Music Review is that we are always found in the center of God's will and that everything we say
and do will be pleasing to the LORD. May the LORD continue to bless each and everyone reading this right now!
as exciting as a radio station, and then take it away from me? I just didn't understand it. I loved working there. I loved
the perks, the attention, the articles in the local papers. But one thing was missing. Ministry." Heilman remembers
ministry not being the main focus of the station. "I was living this dream. I had graduated high school in 1999 with
hopes of going to college and majoring in mass communications. But there was one problem. My girlfriend was
pregnant, I had no way of supporting the baby, yet alone myself, so I was forced to work full-time, putting college on
the back-burner." It was a tough experience in which Heilman goes onto explain. "Here I was, 18 years-old, a new
baby and my future ultimately derailed. At that point in time, I wasn't saved, so my thoughts were not focused on God
and what He had in store for me."
Life changed and so did Jay's willingness to accept what the LORD had wanted for him. "I remember after getting
saved, thinking to myself. Now what? I want to share with people the love and saving grace of Christ, but how?"
Heilman got his first opportunity in February 2004 when a Christian radio station landed in his backyard. "I had just
moved to Zephyrhills after having lived in Tampa the previous 5 years. I needed a break, away from the hustle and
bustle of the big city. A friend of mine had told me that there was a new Christian radio station, and it had broadcast
out of town. I started to grow excited. I called the station up and spoke with the owner, offering my services and help.
By the end of February, I was a member of 'Team Switch'. Within a few months a friend of mine and I had started a
weekly talk and music show called 'That Show! with Greg and Jay' and for a while, we were the talk of the town."
It was about six months in where Heilman's world would soon come crashing down again. "I had worked for the station
for about six months when everything started to go wrong. I was fighting with my girlfriend Shannon, who later became
my wife (lucky for me!), and I started to really feel the Holy Spirit tugging on me asking, 'Are you doing this for the right
reasons?'. The truth was I wasn't. I was too busy with myself then to focus on what God wanted. Then came a choice
given to me by Shannon. It's either me or the radio station. Wow! I couldn't believe she had said that! Finally I was
happy, I enjoyed my job and did not want to give it up. Not without a fight!"
The end of the radio ministry. The start of something new. "I left the station in August of 2004, bruised ego and all. I
didn't know it then, but I do now that the LORD had bigger and better plans for me. In late August, early September I
was throwing an idea around with a friend of mine for an idea I had for a music review site. Reviewing albums and
posting them on-line. I first thought of the tag-line, 'Reviews that help build His Kingdom'. I wanted the site to mean
something, to help and minister to people, with the help of music." says Heilman. "My site was going to be different.
The focus wasn't going to be so much on the music, but the message. After all, music is influencing to people, but the
words can be even more. Put the right words with the right music and get it into the hands of a non-believer and bam!
It could possibly lead them to getting saved and giving their life to Christ. Yes, that's what I wanted to do." On
September 25, 2004, the thought became a reality.
"I had trials and tribulations when I started the site. My biggest being convincing publicists to send me pre-releases
and promotional material. I really thank people like Velvet Kelm and her crew at the Media Collective and Brian Mayes
at Nashville Publicity Group for really putting faith into what I was doing and being supportive. Even to this day, they
are our biggest supporters." Heilman gladly explains. "I have a good team now, a group of writers that are honest, full
of potential and who have the same aspirations and goals as myself. Mike Strubie, the first to join the 'Review Crew'
back in March of 2006, Steve Serneels, Stacey Papanikos in March of 2007 and her fiancee Josh Poston in May of
2007 are daily helping to exceed the goals in which I have set forth for this ministry. Our newest member, Liz Zelinski
joined our ministry in January 2008 and is the only one on our ministry team that actually has a college degree!
Reaching the world for Christ with the help of music, that's what it's all about. Has it been all cookies and cream? Not
by any means. Has it been fun and worthwhile? You bet. If even one person comes to know Christ as their Lord and
Savior by visiting, then we can feel assured that we have accomplished something and helped to build the Kingdom of
God. All praise, glory and honor go to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for without Him, there would be no need for
Christian Music Review or Christian music for that matter! To that regard, we are grateful that we have Someone to
work for and to win folks to."
The prayer of Christian Music Review is that we are always found in the center of God's will and that everything we say
and do will be pleasing to the LORD. May the LORD continue to bless each and everyone reading this right now!
| Meet the 'CMR Review Crew' Click here to read about the writers of this on-line ministry. |
A SPECIAL NOTE FROM FOUNDER & LEAD REVIEW, JAY HEILMAN -
Greetings!
I want to personally thank you and welcome you to Christian Music Review. My prayer is that you will receive a
blessing from something on our site. While our ministry's goal is to bring the 'reviews that help build His Kingdom', we
hope that you can leave knowing a little but more about Christian music. If you ever have any questions, comments or
concerns, please feel free to e-mail me personally! On behalf of our ministry team, thanks for visiting and may the
Lord continue to work in your lives and to bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Jay Heilman
Greetings!
I want to personally thank you and welcome you to Christian Music Review. My prayer is that you will receive a
blessing from something on our site. While our ministry's goal is to bring the 'reviews that help build His Kingdom', we
hope that you can leave knowing a little but more about Christian music. If you ever have any questions, comments or
concerns, please feel free to e-mail me personally! On behalf of our ministry team, thanks for visiting and may the
Lord continue to work in your lives and to bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Jay Heilman
