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michaelmcarthur

MAKING MUSIC

freelifechapel

DOING LIFE

southeasternuniversity

jennifersmur

BETTER THAN EVER

MODEL BEHAVIOR

touchCF.com

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2012

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lettereditor

fromthe

I am so proud to be re-leasing the inaugural issue of TOUCH Central Florida Magazine. This publication has been a dream of mine for three years and it is almost unreal to be seeing it come to fruition .

The vision of this publication is to highlight the beauty talent and uniqueness that is central Florida. This booming area of our state has so much to offer and we want to expose the best kept secrets of this beautifull region.

Although it has been my dream, this beautiful magazine is the product of the hard work of the talented TOUCH staff. Their contri-butions of time, talent, and brilliant ideas make it a the exceptional work it is.

We are so pleased to be releasing TOUCH in six cities in three counties and the news of the anticipation for this first issue is so exciting! We are ecstatic to see the success and hear the feedback of you, are readers. Thank you so much for you support and we all hope you enjoy this first issue of TOUCH Central Florida.

DANIEL BARCELOEDITOR IN CHIEF

DANIEL BARCELOEDITOR IN CHIEF

CHAD NEUMANPUBLISHER

ASSISTANT EDITOR

STAFF WRITER

COPY EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

PHOTO EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHER

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

LOCAL FEATURE EDITOR

Ashley Coleman

Molly Dodd

Gospel Kim

Taylor Flumerfelt

Elizabeth Telg

Emily Specher

Jason Old

Daniel Barcelo

Henry Joseph

John Kent

Dan Austin

Anthony Cheas

Tariq Castil lo

touchCENTRAL FLORIDA

SUBSCRIBETODAY

$9.95per year

1000 Longfe l low Blvd .Of f ice Sui te 92

Lakeland FL , 33801

Touch Central Florida 3Touch Central Florida 3SUNDAYS 10 AM | THE LAKELAND CENTER

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in this issue6

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Freelife ChapelPastors Scott & Cindy Thomas make church relevant way beyond sunday mornings.

Local Hot-SpotsA little infographic that helps you dicover the big cool that is centralFlorida.

Jennifer SmurrA girl from little Lakeland who is taking the big modeling industry by storm.

Dan AustinProfile on this up & coming local photographer working with talent as extraordinary as his own.

Southeastern UniversityProfile on this up & coming local photographer working with talent as extraordinary as his own.

Black & BrewA great place to eat and our featured local hot-spot for this issue.

COVER STORYMichael McArthurA mucisian with talent that Polk county can’t contain.

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Lakeland Florida is home to many vibrant spiritual com-munities. In a city with hundreds of churches and many great pastors. It is a significant complement to say that a certain pas-tors stand out and are exceptional to the rest. Being a pastor requires passion and drive for the people in the congregation and people alike. Pastors Scott and Cindy Thomas are individu-als who exhibit Biblical values in the leadership of their church that reflect the integrity of their personal lives. Leadership is something that can not be part time; it has to be a part of who a person is at their core. This husband and wife team are effec-tive leaders because they are continually living out the call to be christlike servant leaders. Instead of leading from the top down they lead out of loving relationships that they strive to forge with their congregations members. One thing that sets them apart is that they truly understand that leading a church is not limited to putting a show on for two hours every Sunday.

Pastors Scott and Cindy Thomas realize that first and fore-most that Christ is the head of the church. This is evident in everything the church does and is apart of. Freelife Chapel is an example to may churches in the their passion and methods of reaching others with the gospel. The creativity of their pre-

sentation and the unconventional illustrations are all part of the passionate outreach to communicate truth to people that wouldn’t normally come to church. Contrary to the perceptions of many modern American churches, bright lights an flashy stages are not the extent of the effort of the congregations’s staff and volunteers. Intimate, meaningful communities full of love for God and others are the foundations of Freelife chapel. Daily discipline and consistent discipleship lived in community are

constantly emphasized and exemplified. Pastor Scott’s teachings are powerful, passionate, and most of all, Biblical.

In addition to cultivating congregational communities and creating relevant experiences that facilitate a deepening expres-sion of an individuals spiritual life, Freelife Chapel consistently effect the lakeland metropolitan area through many commu-nity outreaches. A main part of this outreach is to fund and support existing organizations with focused missions that serve the community with excellence. Philanthropic organizations like Lighthouse and Parker Street Ministries benefit from this support and are able to further accomplish their missions of caring for those experiencing homelessness.

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One of the greatest testimonies to the effective ministries of Pastors Scott and Cindy Thomas is the diversity of the congregation they lead. From religious background to race and ethnicity to socioeconomic sta-tus, the congregants of Freelife Chapel could not be more eclectic. This is made evident and adds variation and richness to the various ministry outlets facilitated by the church. Perhaps it is their transparency, generos-ity, and integrity that is a draw to those they come in contact with that draws such a diverse following. The most common word to describe this couple is “real”. This reputation has been an asset to their congregation considering all of the scandal and disappointment that has unfortunately become associated with modern charismatic churches.

Pastors Scott and Cindy Thomas can truly be looked up to as role models in the central florida community and this publication is honored to have had the privilege to feature them in this our inaugural issue.

Because Abuelo’sbest stories are

always told around the

dinner table.

new storecoming to kissimmee

Ar ticle by Daniel BarceloPhotos by Dan Austin

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THEULTIMATE

HOTSPOTCHEKLIST

Busch GardensTampaTheme ParkThrillining rides & wild animalsbuschgardens.com

Taco BusSt. PetersburgRestaurantAmaizing tacos & burritostaco-bus.com

Tropicana FieldSt. PetersburgBaseball StadiumTake me out to the Ray’s gametampabay.rays.mib.com

Clearwater BeachClearwater BeachSand like powder and bright blue waters

Channelside Bay PlazaTampaPlazaSeaside restaurants & shopschannelsidebayplaza.com

Acropolis TavernaYbor CityRestaurantBest Greek food around! Opa!acropolistaverna.com

CinebistroHyde Park Village Theater-BistroMakes dinner & a movie way more convenient than ever!cinebistro.com/hyde

Parkesdale Farm MarketPlant CityFarm/MarketBest strawberry shortcake in the world. Nuff said.parkesdale.com

Dave & Buster’sOrlandoArcadeThink Chuck-E-Chese’s for grown-ups.daveandbusters.com

Mitchells’sCoffee HouseLakelandCafeGreat local coffee, and delicious lunch specials.mitchellscoffe.com

Legoland FloridaWinter HavenTheme ParkDo you ever really outgrow Lego’s?f lorida.legoland.com

The Red DoorLakelandRestaurant/Wine MarketIt must be date night.reddoorwinemarket.com

Hard KnocksOviedoLaser TagTakes laser tag to a whole new level, seriously.indoorwar.com

Silver MoonDrive-In TheaterLakelandMovie TheaterJust like the old dayssilvermoondrivein.com

Fun Spot AttractionsOrlandoAmusement & RidesGo-carts, arcade games & more!funspotattracractions.com

Bok Tower GardensLake WalesLandmark/GardenTake in the scenery and de-stress.boktowergardens.org

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When most people thing of gorgeous high fashion models, they usually don’t think of Polk County. But if they got to know Miss Jennifer Smurr of Lakeland, FL they might think twice.

I sat down with Jen in one of her favorite bistros in downtown Lakeland and tried to find out this small town girl found herself in the fast paced life of being a high fash-ion model.

ME: so are you a Lakeland native?

JEN: Yep, born and raised, and I’m not afraid to say so!

ME: Have you always been interested in fashion or has this been a recent interest?

JEN: I have always loved fashion. As a child I was obsessed with the latest trends and always trying to improvise and make them my own. I got my hands on any mag-azine I could.

ME: So was it just fashion or have you al-ways wanted to model also?

JEN: Well, it wasn’t necessarily something I always pursued but everyone told me I was a natural in front of the camera so at first I was just trying it for fun, but then I fell in love with it.

ME: So what has been you experience with modeling so far? What do you like most about it?

JEN: Well I am still pretty new to this but I have had some amazing opportunities. Re-cently, I was on the cover of Panache Vue’ magazine and I actually just returned from Miami where I just finished shooting and ad Campaign for Nautica.

The thing I like most about being a model is challenging myself to see how diverse I can be. Being a versatile model is very valuable because the more ways your look can be marketed the more job opportuni-ties there are for you and the better you career becomes.

ME: Wow that sounds exciting! Where do you see yourself in five years? What are some of you milestone goals?

JEN: Wow, that’s a hard question... um... I have to be optimistic I guess. I would love to have a variety of experiences and I can’t wait to travel more. Milan, Paris, New York, I all sounds so glamorous! Just to know that I have the possibility to do this give me goose bumps.

Jen’s story is very inspiring and she is someone who’s career I think we all should watch.

Ar ticle by Daniel BarceloPhotos by Dan Austin

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@DanAustinPhoto

This is Jen’s most recent portfolio shoot done by local up and coming photographer Dan Austin (personality profile next page).

Sheer Blouse: Dolce & Gabbana - $219.99

Shorts: Forever 21 - $29.99

Watch: Michael Kors - $349.00

Tights: Target - $14.99

Shoes: Urban Outfitters - $49.99

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@DanAustinPhotopersonality profile:dan austin photography

Nowadays, it seems “photographers” are a dime a dozen. Everyone who buys and expensive camera immediately orders a set of business cards that reads “photographer.” Only a few have the skill, training and proficiency and can be considered a professional.

Dan Austin of St. Petersburg, FL is one of the these few. Dan, like many photographers, began to grow his photography business by shooting many local artists, models, weddings, and portraits. How-ever, what sets him apart is that Dan’s work and talent are being recognized nationwide and have opened doors for him far beyond the reach of Central Florida.

In the last couple of years, Dan has had the privilege of shooting for WEG Media Group, the music representation for Brittney Spears, N*SYNC, and Jason DeRulo. Widely popular Christian writer and recording artist Kari Jobe enlisted Dan’s Talents earlier this year to shoot the cover for her newest album. He also recently shot singer and actor Luke Edgemond. Luke was a top ten contestant on Ameri-can Idol and a recurring face and voice on the hit FOX series Glee.

This is only the short list of those that have had the privilege of working with Dan Austin Photography. I’m sure that by the time this issue of TOUCH is published Dan will have added many more remarkable clients to his portfolio.

For booking information visit DanAustinPhotography.com

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Ar ticle by Molly DoddPhotos by Daniel Barcelo

Dan Austin & Molly Mae Wright

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Over the past two semesters, Southeastern University has seen many changes. From the induction of a new president, Dr. Kent Ingle, to new fire pits and sand vol-leyball court, students and faculty have had positive responses to the changes. “I admire President Ingle’s determination and enthusiasm towards the students,” shared Junior, Kendall Altmyer, 21. Students agree that under the new administration, student have felt more relaxed and at home with the new hammocks and plac-es on campus for students to build community. In or-der to develop a sense of accountability and freeness on campus, some of the dress code rules were abolished in the fall of 2011. Men and women are now able to wear and show facial piercings, and are able to wear tops that show their shoulder blades. Last year this was not al-lowed by the board of trustees, but a motion was carried that stated that “Students should not be turned away from attending Southeastern due to what is on their face; we need to be accepting to all.”

Another change that has specifically positively affected the communications department is the welcome of a new department chair, Wade Mumm. Wade is a veter-an at Southeastern University, getting his start in 1995. Wade has made a return to the Southeastern family, and has created a program called COMMunity that has suc-cessfully integrated the communications department with the rest of the campus. Changes in athletics have been rapidly surfacing as well. Southeastern Universi-ty has decided to explore the possibilities of starting a scholarship based football team. At the 2012 Leadership Forum, Tim Tebow was present for the big announce-ment, and Dr. Ingle has begun the research with his team. A women’s softball team, and a men’s tennis team will begin training in the fall, as well as a co-ed cross-country team. Students are impressed with the advances that Southeastern is making in regards to hearing the student’s wants and needs. There has been talk about the prospective buildings that were in the recently passed

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“five year plan.” Due to the departure of Dr. Davis last year, some of those endowments were removed due to his contacts. However, new endowments are being sought and the buildings will still be built by May 2015. As the Southeastern campus grows in numbers, the student body is outgrowing the 87 acres that the campus sits upon. There has been talk of buying the historic Polk Theatre downtown in order to accommodate large chapel services and the annual “Conference” week. This has not been anything but a dream at this point, but if the Polk Theatre goes up for sale, Dr. Ingle has plans to make an offer.

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local hotspot profile:black & brew coffee house

@BlackandBrewDowntown Lakeland proved to be the perfect location for a coffee and lunch hot spot. Located at 205 E. Main Street, Black and Brew aims to serve the greater Lakeland community. Brothers, Chris and Mike McArthur always had a dream of opening up their own coffee shop. They both had high paying corporate jobs, and one day decided to quit and follow their life long dream. The inspiration for the location and décor came from their relationship with their mother, a local artist and art collector.

As a tribute to her, the walls are filled with local artwork and tapestries, which set a tranquil background for a meal, or a conversation.

Each day, fresh pots of coffee are brewed, and over 200 cold drinks are ordered. Black and Brew is always on the way to where you are headed. so it is a prime time breakfast, lunch, and dinner location.

Besides there house brewed coffee and homemade pastries, Black and Brew is a fun place to have a lunch date or meeting. Their kitchen staff and chef also artfully prepare sandwiches made-to-order, and fill weekly catering orders. On Friday and Saturday evenings, entertainment is provided beginning at 9pm, which includes local talent as well as national acts. Get your brew on at Black and Brew weekdays from 8am to 10pm, and weekends from 8:30am to 10pm.

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MAKING

MUSICTHE SO

ULFUL SO

UNDS OF

MICHAEL MCARTHUR

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GETTING TO KNOW THE ARTISTSitting in a trendy coffee shop on a gloomy day, 24 year-old Michael McArthur shared his pas-sion and desire for music, that has finally sur-faced in his life.

Michael denied his passion for music for most of his childhood. “There eventually came a point in my life where I had to decide whether I was going to turn right or left. A crossroads. Right was music and left was everything else.” Born and raised in Lakeland, Florida, he spent most of his early years practicing Taekwondo, playing basketball, and listening to every piece of music he could get his hands on. “From Old-ies to Hip-Hop, I loved it all, and still do.” His first and favorite memories were singing along to Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson cassettes.

GETTING BACK TO THE ROOTSWhen Michael turned 16, his grandfather bought him his first guitar, a made in Korea Fender acoustic. “It would be nothing special to most, but it meant everything to me. I can still remember the day I brought it home. My dad taught me a few chords and a basic strum pattern. I started writing songs shortly after and have ever since.” Michael spent many fall days and summer nights learning and writing music, and falling in love with the idea of doing what he loved for the rest of his life.

“There eventually came a point in my life where I had to decide whether I was going to turn right or left. A crossroads. Right was music and left was everything else.” For reasons unknown to Michael at the time, he couldn’t force himself to choose music. He was scared.

Over the next five years of his life, Michael did anything he could to avoid pursu-ing the one true love he had. “I decided I would be a professional basketball player, and professional football player, a police officer, a fireman, a doctor, and anything else that seemed, to me, more doable and less delicate than music.

Michael even opened a local Lakeland hot-spot restaurant called “Black and Brew” located in the downtown area. “All along though, there was this sort of emptiness that shadowed me everywhere. I was liv-ing with a purpose, but not with passion.”

LIVING THE DREAMSomething was missing for Michael. He convinced himself that if he didn’t try, he couldn’t fail, and if he didn’t fail, he couldn’t get hurt. It was the result of that logic that led to his incompleteness.

One mid-summer day, Michael came across a quote by Mark Twain: “20 years from now, you are going to be more disap-pointed by the things you didn’t do, than by the ones you did.” In that moment, he had an epiphany: It’s better to try and fail than to never have tried at all. Michael ad-mits that was no revelation, but to his rela-tionship with music, it was.

“I’ve always known that making music is what I was born to do, it’s just taken me a little while to accept it. So, here I am, walk-ing down the same path that so many have before me, yet the way is still unclear and unbeaten, with all the risk intact.”

Ar ticle by Molly DoddPhotos by Dan Austin

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