Some people use the word "ticker" to refer to their hearts. True to form, this week's Ticker has plenty of heart, as we get lots of news about charities and organizations, as well as one very big career change.

 

The big news in Christian music this week was that singer-songwriter Bebo Norman has announced that as of the end of 2013, he will officially retire from everything music. 

 

"For those closest to me, this really has been a decision that was years in the making, but after a lot of prayer and continued conversation, my wife Roshare and I made the final call back in December," shares Bebo. "And honestly I wasn't sure if I would be done right away, or what the exact timetable would be, but ultimately I decided that I really wanted to honor my label and publishing commitments through 2013 and tour this new record (Lights of Distant Cities) for at least a year from release just to make sure I finish well."

 

After 17 years in music, Norman notes that the future is wide open. "The reality for me is that I don't have any one specific calling moving forward; I feel pulled in quite a few different directions, but none of them are music-related. I don't know that I really feel called to something else as much as I feel called away from music."

  

Norman will be touring throughout the summer and fall, anchored by a co-headlining tour "in the round" with his longtime friends and musical counterparts Andrew Peterson and Sara Groves. 

 

On the heels of their most successful Billboard 200 debut, worship powerhouse band Hillsong UNITED announces they're coming to America for their 12-stop "WELCOMEZION" summer tour. Supporting their recent international release, Zion, UNITED will be appearing at venues across the nation including the famed Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and the beautiful Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver. The tour kicks off June 3 in Portland, Ore. Tickets for four dates went on sale Friday, April 5. The remainder of the tickets will be on sale on Friday, April 12. Buy tickets now here.

 

Multi-Dove Award-winning singer/songwriter Cindy Morgan and critically-praised singer/songwriter Andrew Greer have joined forces once again to bring their popular "Hymns for Hunger" Tour to cities around the country this spring. Presented by Food for the Hungry, the innovative tour—which was inaugurated last fall—also helps raise awareness and resources for local hunger relief organizations.     

 

"More than merely a fundraiser, we talk about and point audiences to the need in their immediate vicinity, and how they can help," Greer shares. "It has been a perspective changer for us to observe how music can help address the need of our neighbors instantly. We hope this ongoing tour effort is one small part of bringing heaven to earth."

 

For a complete list of "Hymns For Hunger" Tour dates and further information, visit www.hymnsforhunger.com.

 

ProjectInspired.com--the definitive compass for guiding young women to reach their maximum potential--has partnered with Girls of Grace to share branded content between the two organizations, which both share a vision to reach teens with positive, faith-based content.

 

For Project Inspired, Girls of Grace has created videos that promote honor and dignity in relationships. Chris Wheeler from Girls of Grace has shared a set of videos that are being highly embraced by the PI audience, sharing his wisdom and challenging his audience regarding dating. With titles "Test Driving is Good for Cars, Not for Your Heart" and "Girls, Leave the Beef Jerky Behind", the videos are receiving great reviews on the site. Joel Smallbone from for KING & COUNTRY has also created a co-branded video regarding respect and honor in relationships that just posted to the Project Inspired site. 

 

For GirlsofGrace.com, Project Inspired has created branded content that includes Nicole Weider, founder of Project Inspired, sharing her testimony, a blog featuring 10 things other than makeup that can make you feel better about yourself, and another story featuring several of the PI girls who have participated in the site's "Me Without Makeup" campaign.

 

To learn more about ProjectInspired, visit www.projectinspired.com; to explore Girls of Grace's site, visit www.girlsofgrace.com. 

 

Ten performing songwriters, four speakers and a preview of an upcoming movie about the late Rich Mullins--sounds like the beginning of a special event July 4 weekend. 

 

Under The Radar--a radio station dedicated to uncovering new songs and Christian artists--has announced their first annual Escape to the Lake music event, which will feature performances by The Farewell Drifters, the Vespers, Andy Gullahorn, Christa Wells, Randy Stonehill and Jill Phillips, among others. There also will be a Q&A with Rich Mullins' brother, Dave, following the sneak peek of clips from the aforementioned movie. More information about this event may be found at www.escapetothelake.net. 

 

The second annual Cantinas Music Festival in Paso Robles, Calif. announced Michael W. Smith and Francesca Battistelli as its headline acts for its Aug. 24, 2013 event. The festival, which drew 5,000 people in its inaugural year, features a day full of entertainment on various stages.

 

To coincide with this year's music festival, Cantinas Ranch Foundation will once again host its annual Worship Song Talent Contest. Finalists will be chosen to perform in front of a soon-to-be announced all-star panel of judges for 2013. In 2012, three frontrunners (out of thousands of submissions) were selected to take the stage before celebrity judges that included Today Show's Kathie Lee Gifford, actress and former Full House star Candace Cameron Bure, and T.V./Feature Literary Agent Michael Van Dyck. The 2012 winner, Kyler Gentry, from Simi Valley, Calif., took home the grand prize of $2,000. 

 

Additional details about the event may be found at www.cantinasmusicfestival.com, and submissions for the 2013 contest will be available on the site later this spring.

 

Show Hope™, a nonprofit orphan care ministry founded by GRAMMY® award winning Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, this week announced a partnership with the Tim Tebow Foundation that will raise awareness and provide financial assistance for families who have a desire to adopt children with special needs.

 

Approximately 1,000 families apply annually to Show Hope for adoption assistance. Often, families are willing to welcome a child into their home, but are unable to afford the high cost, which averages $25,000 per adoption. Due to the lack of funding, more than 8,000 grant requests have been turned away since Show Hope was founded in 2003. With the financial support from the Tim Tebow Foundation, Show Hope can help more children through grants, which will be awarded in the average amount of $7,000 to $10,000 to each family. 

 

"We are privileged to combine our efforts with funds provided by the Tim Tebow Foundation to provide critical help to waiting children with special needs," said Scott Hasenbalg, the Executive Director of Show Hope. "With this assistance, we can help to remove the financial barrier that exists for many families. Together, we will help make adoption a reality as we continue to transform the lives of many children with special needs."

 

Learn more about Show Hope at www.showhope.org. 

 

As part of their official LIVE CD/DVD release, premier Christian worship duo All Sons & Daughters will stream their April 8 screening party--held at the Franklin Theater in Tennessee--live through WorshipStream.com starting at 7 p.m. Central Standard Time.

 

The free stream will include a question-and-answer session with Leslie Jordan and David Leonard, where they answer questions via Twitter (@allsanddmusic). Learn more about this event at www.allsonsanddaughters.com.