Heidi Haskin Music

Pg. 42
The Christian music scene in The River Valley has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past ten years, and includes such a diverse spread of styles and influences. From traditional to hard rock, and everything in between, we are lucky to have such a strong talent pool of entertaining and gifted performers.
Damascus 180 is a band that swims in the Rock & Roll end of the genre pool, and they have been able to combine an edgy, anthem sound with a powerful lyric base that really comes from the heart. Their music has hints of classic rock mixed with aggressive impulses and high energy, back beat driven attitude that really builds a heartbeat to each song. It’s almost as though they have given each tune a personality of its own!
The name Damascus 180 comes from the book of Acts and the story of Paul, who was persecuting Christians until he was confronted by God on the Damascus road. His life then took a turn, or a ‘180’, and he became one of the most influential people in the history of Christianity.
The band went through the typical stresses of members coming and going, learning and rewriting songs, struggling with the purpose of the group, and the like. They have found a metaphor for the band that is quite appropriate in Damascus Steel, which is very strong, hard steel that must be refined and reforged again and again before it becomes strong. They finally have reached a place where the core of the group is solid and dedicated to the long haul Heidi Haskins, the lead singer and keyboard player, says that it has really become a close family now. It actually is a little familial as her husband John Haskins now plays bass in the band.
The guitar parts are the meat of the sound, and with guitarist Darin Bjornson, it is easy to see that he likes to rock. The drums are played by Jenna Lucht, who kind of just appeared out of nowhere wet the need for a drummer arose. “My son knew a friend of Jenna’s, and we played phone tag with her for a while before we actually connected.” As one of just a few female drummers in the River Valley, she is a hard-hitting time clock for the band.
The band has wrestled with direction and mission of the group, and have come to realize that God has a ministry for them, a job that is much more important than just music. They have refurbished and old church building in Centuria, WI and will open up to the public for jam sessions, youth events, weekly music & worship services as well as renting the building to people who need a place to gather. The room is equipped with lights and a sound system and will impact lives as God sees fit.
The group recently signed on with an independent record label and will be traveling to Mustang, Oklahoma to record a CD. The album will be available online and at lives shows soon. The band also has other merchandise like hoodies, hats, & T-shirs for sale online or at shows. Scan the QR code below to connect with them on Facebook or to visit other online info sites for schedules or merchandise.
Keep your eyes on Damascus 180 as they grow into one of the most popular bands in the region! - The River Valley Good Life

Osceola Praise in the Park held their season finale Sept. 4. The event drew its biggest crowd of the summer as six bands took to two stages and flooded Mill Pond Park with a hefty dose praise, worship and comedy thrown in for good measure. Pictured is Heidi Haskin of St. Croix Falls belting out a tune with her band Damascus 180º - Osceola Sun Newspaper

(on page 7)Going outside the walls
East Balsam Baptist hosts outdoor Celebration of Hope

by Mary Stirrat
Leader staff writer

BALSAM LAKE — Shadows are lengthening, summer is shifting into fall, and students are heading back to school. Families are taking every opportunity to spend time together outdoors, enjoying the changing sunshine and cooler temperatures.
At the same time, more and more people are feeling the stress of financial insecurity, illness, and anxiety. More and more people are feeling helpless and hopeless.
But there is hope no matter your circumstances, say organizers of a September 11 outdoor event at East Balsam Baptist Church.
“There are a lot of people out there who have no hope,” said Eric Ogren, head deacon of the church, “who are just trying to make it through day by day.
“We want to give them an opportunity to find out they can have hope in this world, and hope for the future.”
East Balsam Baptist’s “Celebration of Hope” will begin at 10 a.m. with an outdoor tent service with music by the local band Damascus 180 and a message from Justin Hoover of United for the Gospel.
A free barbeque dinner, along with games for children and a full performance by Damascus 180, will follow the service and go into the afternoon.
The church, said Ogren, is going “outside the walls” to let people know that they are loved by the church and by God just as they are. Everyone is invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets and to come dressed as they are for a day filled with fun and with hope.
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Although the intent was not to deliberately mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, said Ogren, the date is appropriate.
“A lot of people remember that day as hopeless,” he said. “We will share how they can have hope.”
Taking church “outside the walls,” said Darin Bjornson, guitarist and backup vocalist for Damascus 180, is basically the band’s motto.
People are finding that their possessions or status are not really fulfilling but don’t know why not, said Bjornson. At the same time they look at the church and see tradition, routine, and hypocrisy. They joke that if they enter a church, either it or they will “burst into flames” or face some other calamity.
“There is more to it than that,” he said, “more to it than what’s here for us right now.”
Taking the church “outside the walls” allows the band to take Christ’s love out to where people are and meet them where they are at, as Christ himself did when he walked the earth.
“We want to show them that we love them, that Christ loves them,” said Bjornson.
• • •
Another thing that sometimes keeps people from seeking to know who God really is, acknowledged band members and Ogren, is the fear that he will ask them to do something they are not able to do.
But both Damascus 180 and East Balsam Baptist Church have found the opposite to be true. Whatever God asks someone to do, said John Haskin, bass guitarist for Damascus 180, he will equip him or her to do it.
Damascus 180 ( HYPERLINK "http://www.damascus180.com" www.damascus180.com) is a Christian rock/pop band based in St. Croix Falls that performs both original and contemporary music. Haskin’s wife, Heidi, is lead vocalist and an original member of the group but John only recently “discovered” his talent on the guitar.
Having never played before, Haskin picked up the bass in 2010. Not only did God equip him to play, he said. God equipped him to play good enough that his first show was with Damascus 180 at Sonshine, a four-day outdoor event featuring top-notch Christian artists.
The band’s name, Damascus 180, is indicative of what God can do with a life, said Bjornson. It refers to the 180-degree turnaround in the life of Saul, a first-century persecutor of Christians, after encountering Christ on a road to the city of Damascus.
Saul was struck blind, and God asked a Christian named Ananias to got to him and pray for him. Ananias, who was aware of Saul’s reputation, did as God asked and Saul’s sight was restored.
Saul, whose name was changed to Paul, became one of the most effective witnesses in the early Christian church.
• • •
The church congregation at East Balsam has also been finding itself equipped and excited to do some new things, said secretary Gina Gustafson, and they have begun to “step outside the walls” of their comfort zone.
East Balsam Baptist has been without a pastor for about a year now, she said, and during that time the congregation has grown not only in numbers but also in depth. And as it has been growing, people there have felt God asking them to step “outside the walls” and reach in different ways into the community.
Throughout the summer, until Sunday, Sept. 4, the church has hosted a free community breakfast each Sunday morning at 7:30 p.m. The Sept. 11 event, said Ogren, is an extension of that outreach.
“So often for Christians,” he said, “we’re used to doing church. We sing some praise songs, we listen to a sermon, and we head on home.
“Over the course of the summer we’ve been talking about getting uncomfortable. We want to be stretching ourselves and reaching beyond our borders and being available for God to work through this church.”
As the church has followed this path, he and Gustafson said, there has been a growth in excitement and passion that is fun to be part of.
“God can use anybody,” said Haskin. “It doesn’t matter what your background. If he wants you somewhere, He’s going to equip you for what he wants you to do.”
Not only were band members, Gustafson, and Ogren speaking about their own situations — they said that the same thing is true for any person who, at any point in their life, decides to do what God asks of them.
• • •
Evangelist Justin Hoover, who will give a message at the 10 a.m. tent service, is another example of a life changed and equipped. Hoover was 22 when he chose to follow Christ, and in 2004 left his corporate job as a software engineer to fly for Mission Aviation Fellowship.
He has gone on to teach and preach, and to work as a part-time professor for Teen Challenge in Minneapolis. Hoover is an evangelist at the downtown campus of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis and is founder and chair of United for the Gospel ( HYPERLINK "http://www.unitedforthegospel.org" www.unitedforthegospel.org).
His preaching and ministry have taken him to India, the Philippines, Ukraine, Brazil, and other remote and urbanized places.
• • •
Those who attend the Sept. 11 event are encouraged to come as they are, with a blanket or chairs, said Ogren and Gustafson. Nursery is available as well as a junior church program for children up to third grade.
East Balsam Baptist Church is located five miles east of Balsam Lake on CTH I. For more information call 715-857-5411 or visit www.eastbalsam.org.
- Inter-County Leader