Coming from Canada to the United States was only one of the major journeys Michael Cook has made in his life. Leaving a fulltime music ministry in a church he helped start in Indianapolis to enter fulltime into the Christian music recording industry has been an even greater on-going journey. For this married young artist, he says the biggest challenge was leaving his job at the church and leaving his wife at home to work fulltime so he could go out and make pennies.

This journey began in 2003 after Jaci Valesquez heard him, liked his music, and asked him to tour with her. He had previously worked independently; singing regionally and cutting two CDs.

Michael believes that humility is the key to keeping grounded in this business. He says it’s so easy to get caught up in how many records are being sold or how much radio coverage his songs are getting. He has told his people he doesn’t want to see those reports. He wants to focus on the ministry aspect, not the business aspect.

He wants to go out each time fresh, knowing that although he’s singing the same songs, the people in the audience are hearing them for the first time. He wants his music to connect with the people and for them to get to know him. He wants to keep things more real and in perspective.

Michael believes his music is a tool which God can use to show people that it’s okay to talk about their problems and struggles. His unique personal human experience comes out in his songs; struggling with faith, the good times, and the bad times. All are part of his journey. He says it’s so difficult because even in the church, people put on masks, get dressed up, go and play church. He emphasizes how church is like a hospital where people need to come broken to receive healing. He believes Christians need to be honest with God and those around them.

Listening to Christian music while growing up wasn’t something Michael was into and he says he really doesn’t know what other Christian artists hope to convey with their music. One Christian artist, Rich Mullins, who he’d seen in concert, really impressed him and by the time the concert was over, Michael felt like he knew Rich. He decided then that if he ever had the opportunity to work in the music industry, he’s like to pattern himself after Rich. He’d seen that people left Rich’s concerts in meditative moods.

The one thing Michael wants people to take away from his concerts, is that regardless of the struggles and challenges each one has gone through, each needs to know that God’s love is faithful. He says if we know we are loved by God, it can change our identity. It changes our need to be defined by something other than that.

Knowing God loves us keeps us from trying to find out who we are through quick fixes. Even seemingly good things can ultimately become bad if our ideas are out of focus. Working on a church committee is a good thing, but when it becomes obsessive, then it becomes a bad thing.

Michael says, “I’m real. There are no pretenses. I want to encourage listeners who’ve made mistakes, to learn from them.”

Michael continued his amazing journey in 2006 by ministering and touring with the group, Grand Prize. He and his wife, also, traveled to the Ukraine where they enjoyed working with an organization which strives for pro-social justice. Because there is little money available to the people and some already have several children, oftentimes, abortion is used for birth control. They work with the mothers, counseling them; striving to show the sanctity of life, and dealing with major health concerns which follow abortions. American doctors volunteer for this and they, also, assist with the numerous disabled children.

One major issue Michael spoke about was the numerous adoptive children available in that area. If an American couple wishes to adopt a child from Russia, it often costs $20,000, but a child from the Ukraine can be adopted by paying expenses of about $4-5000 after purchasing a filing document which costs $125.
By: Linda Brown