Interview with Canadian Worship Leader: Chris Bray
Dan Thomson, of the All About Worship Team, recently had the opportunity to interview Canadian worship leader and songwriter, Chris Bray:
For those who may not know you, can you share a bit about yourself and where you’re from?
I’ve been married for four and a half years. My wife Katie and I have two little girls, Molly, who is two and a half years old, and Norah, who just turned one. I originally grew up in farm country in south-western Ontario. When we got married, we decided to settle in a small town close Katie’s roots.
What motivated you to become a songwriter?
Peer pressure. I just wanted to play electric guitar in a rock band. I had no aspirations to sing or write music, but it was something that was encouraged, and eventually led me to grow in that. The more I started song writing, the more passion I realized I had for it. In the last 8-10 years, I’ve really felt a calling to writing songs that people can relate to and use as a tool to aid them in their spiritual journey closer to Christ.
I understand you’ve had the opportunity recently to co-write with other professional songwriters in Nashville. Who were they and how did that experience help you as a songwriter?
This spring when I was in Nashville I had some writing sessions with a couple of guys from the Word/Warner music group. The first was Michael Farren from Pocket Full of Rocks and the second was Paul Alan who has a song on Point of Grace’s latest album. Both guys are very talented song writers, and it was exciting and humbling working with them.
I could relate well with Michael because of his heart for worship and sharing his experiences ministering to people on the road for so many years. I also appreciated Paul’s discipline in business and his commitment as a husband and father, taking care of his family, while still being open God’s plan for his life with respect to music.
I felt like I had developed my song writing skills on my own as much as I could and that I had plateaued. So many songwriters stay in that rut, and write the same kinds of songs over and over again. Forcing myself to write with others (especially more talented writers) was like flexing my writing muscles, introducing new ideas that challenged me, allowing me to get stronger and nurture the gifts God had given me. I personally think it’s something that needs to be done continually.
You are an independent artist and songwriter. How do you manage to get your music into the marketplace and have the opportunities that you’ve had to open for major artists such as Matt Maher and Point of Grace?
I’ve realized along the way that nurturing relationships for both business and ministry is extremely important. When you look at most circumstances in life, the choices you make are usually based on the recommendation of someone you trust. If you need a plumber, you go ask your neighbour who they use. If you need a dentist, you ask a friend. As a musician, a recommendation from someone who can influence the decision makers can go a long way. Even more especially in Church and ministry. A pastor doesn’t want just anyone coming in front of their congregation introducing concepts that may not align with the churches beliefs, etc.
I’ve been blessed to have a wonderful management team to help me develop as an artist, take some of the burden off of me so I can focus more on ministry, and to facilitate the relationships I wouldn’t normally be able to on my own.
Being based in Canada, with a lot of the gospel music industry being based out of the United States, how do you go about releasing your music and how has the Canadian marketplace embraced your music?
Christian radio in Canada has been so welcoming, and I’ve been blessed to have the opportunities that I have. Stations have fewer and fewer spots for “new” music and the few spots available are extremely competitive to get, just because there’s so much great music out there. Promoting a new record and a new single is a lot of work, but it’s worth it. I know so many artists that spend the money to make a great record, and then don’t remember to budget for promotional efforts. Then I start to think, what was the point of spending all that money if no one knows about your music and you have 950 of the 1000 copies you got pressed sitting in your closet still?
Christian radio and retail distribution have taken my music from “the local worship leader” to a more national level. Even today, beyond my belief, my music is reaching and ministering to people across the continent, and that’s an amazing opportunity I feel honoured to have.
What would you say to encourage other songwriters or worship leaders who may want to get their music heard?
I think it’s important to recognize that there are various methods to distribute your music and by not getting radio play or retail distribution, doesn’t make an artist’s song less effective. A recent example I have with my own music is a slow melodic ballad I wrote with another local artist called, “Pursue Me”. I never intended it to be a “radio” song; it was more of a prayer to God. But a friend of mine led it in worship during a youth pilgrimage to Medjugorje . He said it turned into their theme song by the end of their mission trip because it spoke to them and allowed them to worship God effectively.
First off, I was honoured that a song I had a hand in writing was able to be used for that purpose. Secondly, I don’t feel that song is any less effective because it didn’t chart on radio. It served a great purpose and additionally, that song was nominated for “Inspirational Song of the Year” for this October’s Canadian Gospel Music Association Covenant Awards.
Artists—share your music every way you can (YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, worship events, radio, television, retail, iTunes, etc.). But personally, the songs I’ve been most touched by aren’t the ones I’ve heard on the radio. It’s the ones I’ve seen live, where the artist shares the story about the circumstance in their life that inspired the song, being able to relate to it myself and leave feeling touched. It’s the songs I’ve had an “encounter” with.
Something that I’ve had to learn along the way is to forget about the accolades, the awards, and the charts—because there is always going to be someone better. Work towards creating opportunities for people to encounter your songs. Keep focused on Christ and His plan for you.
When you travel and lead worship, you also speak for Compassion Canada. How has being an advocate enhanced your ministry?
My wife and I always “talked” about how it would be a good idea to get involved, but it took us a long time to put those words into action. When we finally did, our eyes were opened. We realized how good we really have it here in North America. How many people around the world suffer and go without. We realized that in our cushy lives, some days our biggest burden was getting our pizza delivered and they forgot the extra sauce, or ordering an ice cream cone, and they ran out of sprinkles. We didn’t know what it meant to go without like so many in our world do today.
We sponsored Marianna from Columbia and we instantly saw a change in our family. We started to see interest from our girls to write letters and draw pictures for her, to pray for her, and we were excited that we had the opportunity to bestow those values in our children at such a young age.
We really felt called to share that with others, which is why we have partnered with Compassion—to free more children from poverty, give them the opportunity to learn about Christ and to help folks that have been blessed, experience the graces received from giving and sacrifice (even though it is a relatively small sacrifice).
A question that we ask at the end of all All About Worship interviews: if you weren’t able to be involved in music, what would you be doing?
God only knows. If you would have asked me that question in my pre-teens, I would have said an action hero—most likely Superman, but I would settle for Batman.
Interview with David Santistevan
Dan Thomson, one of our contributors, recently had the opportunity to interview worship leader/songwriter/blogger – David Santistevan.
Dan: As a Worship Pastor and Young Adults Pastor, how do you organize your time with your team(s) to be ready for services each week?
David: With my worship team, I’m fortunate to work with some skilled, passionate young players who come prepared.
We use Planning Center as our home base of communication where our musicians can reference the weekends they are scheduled and come prepared to rehearsal. This enables us to rehearse on Saturday before our Saturday night service and skip a weekday rehearsal.
It’s pretty rare for a musician to show up on Saturday unprepared, which is amazing. It hasn’t always been this way!
Dan: Do you try to introduce original music in your worship services? If so, how often and what is the response from the congregation?
David: Yes, we do. Most songs typically take 2-3 weekends before they catch on. What I’ve found is that the original songs we write are embraced by the congregation even more than other songs. I’m not sure why, other than the congregation believes in what we’re doing. And, hopefully because the songs are good. 
I’m currently trying to introduce one original song a month. We just finished a songwriting retreat with our team a few months ago, so there’s a lot of songs we’re working on finishing and introducing. The hard part is finishing the songs! Sometimes you just need to call it done (for now) and test it out.
Dan: How long have you been blogging and what gives you the drive to write as many as 5 articles per week?
David: Believe it or not, I’ve actually been blogging for about 4 years. I started blogging just because a few close friends said I should. I had no vision or strategy for it. It was random and not very good. Barely had any readers.
About 9 months ago I decided to get more serious about it as a way to extend my influence and have a ‘home base’ for my ideas and ministry. I have a passion to teach so it’s been a great outlet for that as well. I write so often because I challenge myself to do it. I think it’s a great habit for everyone to write every day. Whether they have a blog or a journal or scribble on napkins doesn’t really matter.
Writing has made me a better thinker, artist, pastor, and leader. Positive feedback, blog growth, and having a passion for my niche keeps me going as well.
Dan: Your blog seems to have a lot of participation through comments and social media sharing. What topic would you say has brought the most feedback?
David: Anything worship related gets the most feedback and sharing. I was nervous that narrowing my niche would exclude readers and shrink my blog. It’s only grown as I’ve invested in this niche of worship leading in the local church. Second would be when I write about blogging. I think that’s because bloggers are online more than non-bloggers, so they’re always devouring content.
Dan: If you had one word of advice to give worship leaders, what would it be?
David: Invest your best energies into loving God with all your heart. “Passion for Jesus” is not a one-time event where you then move on to more practical matters. The practical aspects of worship leading are important but nothing can fuel a life of worship leading other than falling more in love with Jesus every day. Guard that passion with your life.
Dan: You are a Pastor and blogger, but you are also a songwriter and in 2008 recorded a worship album entitled “Near”. Can you tell us about the project and how that came about?
David: Recording “Near” was a dream come true for me. I’ve always wanted to record a worship album of original songs because my life was shaped by worship music as a youngster. I spent more time than I’d like to admit listening to Matt Redman, Vineyard, MorningStar, and Hillsong.
I wanted to release what was inside of me. The album was the result of a long season of physical suffering. I had an undiagnosed disease for over a year where I was unable to walk up stairs and lift up my hands, let alone play my guitar and sing. I laid down my passion for that year because I had no choice. Many of the songs were written without me actually singing them because I was so sick. But they were breath in my lungs as I poured my heart out to God through it all. He’s been so faithful.
Leave a comment on this post for your chance to win David’s CD – Near. We’ll pick 3 random winners. Deadline is September 6th. You must be a U.S. resident and at least 18 years old.
Exclusive Interview with Joshua Seller
Joe Brookhouse, one of our contributors, recently had the opportunity to interview Canadian worship leader/songwriter – Joshua Seller.
Joe: For our readers who may not acquainted with you, introduce us to Joshua Seller. What is important for us to know about you?
Joshua: I’m a husband, father and worship leader and love my life! I get to write songs, lead people in music and see worship break out. I’ve been serving as the Director of Worship at Harvest Bible Chapel in Oakville, ON which is just outside of Toronto. Our little boy London just turned 2 and we have a little girl due in September.
Joe: This past October, you released your first full-length album, My King is Coming. Tell us about the process of creating your latest release. What was the vision behind the album?
Joshua: My King Is Coming is a project that I had unknowingly been writing for about 3 years. I never had the intent to make a record out of these songs but simply wanted to sing and share them with my church congregation. It was through much prayer and waiting on the Lord that it became clear it was time to record them and release something official. The “Passionate Reverence EP” was a result of winning “Scriptural Song of the Year” at the Covenant Awards in 2009. Part of the award was free studio time for a 3 song project. That got the ball rolling and lead to a follow up full length project that I recorded in Nashville in the summer of 2010. 
My church leadership really got behind the project which really served in the decision that now was the right time and fit to do something like this. After we recorded the project I felt the song “My King Is Coming” was the biggest “thought” I wanted to remind both believers and non-believers. My friend Andi Rozier inspired me to make the record missional in the sense that someone picks it up or is given it that it actually shares the gospel with that person. I desire to remind believers and unbelievers that Christ will return. That’s the truth.
Sure it’s a worship record, but these songs are birthed out of the desire to meet Christ one day and see His love lived out through us on this earth until that day. It gave me new purpose when working with the designer on the packaging and wording. I wanted the Gospel to go out and be heard.
Joe: “Worship Rises” is a standout track on the album and was also featured on the EP resulting from the Worship Rises songwriting event. For those unfamiliar with the event, can you tell us more about it and how you came to be involved?
Joshua: My good friend Chris Vacher came up with this idea to get like-minded worship leaders together to form some sort of community and out of that community hopefully birth some new songs for the church in Canada.
On my way to our first writers retreat I get hit with the conviction that I could very easily make this day about me, about my agenda and my goals and write songs that were “commercial’ instead of “corporate”. I began to pray out loud in my car and for some reason recorded it into my phone. The chorus and verse for Worship Rises came out of me. I showed it to Chris when I got there and we began to work on finishing the song. It all came together within 20-30 minutes.
Joe: What is your approach to songwriting? How are you inspired to write songs? How does your approach differ when working with a co-writer or co-writers?
Joshua: I’ve tried to block out time each week to write. Usually I’m inspired from a specific passage of Scripture or time alone with the Lord. But there are times when I hear a sermon, read a book, hear someones testimony, play with my son or simply be driving down the road and I melody and lyric pops into my head from somewhere.
I think Chris Martin from ColdPlay said once songwriting is a lot like fishing. You just sit at the end of the dock and wait for something to bite. I find I can relate that to writing songs for my church. Sometimes I’ll lock myself in a room with my guitar and just play and sing random ideas and prayers I want to say to the Lord. Sometimes something comes of it, sometimes its just a sweet time locked in the room singing to Jesus. It’s easy to make a song the goal and when writing “worship” songs that’s a bad plan. The goal is worship and the by product is the song.
If I can get past the goal to write a song and just sit before Jesus, those are the songs I find I’ll want to sing again or sit on till their finished. When it comes to co-writing I almost prefer it sometimes then writing alone. I just love crafting something with the right person next to me for many reasons but mainly because it allows more than one persons experience with the Lord and taste for music, melodies and creativity. Worship leaders should make every effort to co-write with other people in their ministry or other area churches. Its a great resource for practicing humility and seeking God’s Glory with others.
Joe: Tell us about the journey that brought you to become a worship leader. How has your history with secular performance influence d your perspective of the role of the worship leader?
Joshua: I remember after my short time on Canadian Idol I stood to a sell out crowd in my home town of 7000 people. I sang a bunch of covers, ran around the stage, tried and tried to entertain and give these people their money’s worth. There were many other opportunities and experiences like that for about a year or so where I would sing my songs and entertain people. I’m so thankful I don’t have to entertain anyone anymore.
When Jesus put a passion in me to lead worship I had to be willing to flip upside down why I loved music, why I loved to write, why I loved being on a stage in front of people. I joke and say alot that the worship leader has the best seat in the house because I get to watch a lot of times men and women connect and experience God and express back to Him their love and devotion.
People aren’t raising their hands to me, they’re not singing that I would hear them, they are singing to the Most High and I simply get to witness it and accompany those praises. I’m so aware of my insecurities in my flesh but so confident in the Gospel of Jesus Christ who has saved me and turned me around to be a vessel for HIS use and not my own.
I’ll be the first to say there is nothing special about me apart from Christ. The fact I can provide for my family through a worship ministry is still mind blowing after 5 years. I don’t deserve it but I’ll spend my life saying thank you to my God for the opportunity to serve Him this way.
Joe: You posted your testimony on your web site (thank you for sharing – it’s a blessing). You mention, in your past, faking being “Christian”. How do you avoid being a “fake” or being inauthentic as a worship leader?
Joshua: Part of avoiding being a fake is replacing and protecting yourself from your flesh and the human tendency we each have to seek glory for ourselves. Being a Christian isn’t easy but I will tell you its easier when you have things like moral boundaries, accountability, discipleship and a plan in place to do battle with your flesh.
God’s grace is a huge part but my part is taking what His Word says seriously and making a choice to take my sin seriously. Do that and watch the Holy Spirit do the rest. I read somewhere this quote I keep in my Bible to remind me of my responsibility to Christ and what He has called me to, it reads, “The power for Christian Living is entirely from the Holy Spirit, just as the power of salvation is entirely in Jesus Christ. But BOTH in the justifying work of Christ and in the sanctifying work of the HS, man’s will is active and commitment is called for.” Easy? no. Worthy it? Always.
Joe: How do you define success now as a worship artist with the perspective provided to you from your achievement in Canadian Idol?
Joshua: I describe it as “night and day”. Before Christ I did everything for myself. It sickens me to think how self absorbed I was with chasing things like fame and money. The truth in success is to the world or the Christians it looks much the same on the outside.
What I mean by that is if you are a successful songwriter, artist then popularity, fame and the financial side is bound to happen. Whats not the same is the heart of why we do what we do. I remember always being stressed or anxious and loosing sleep over how I was going to do something new to get my name in lights. It was so annoying looking back.
Now, I trust and know that God is for me. He is the one who guides me and keeps me. He is the one who plans out my steps even before I take them and if I walk in His shadow and desire to see His will be done than the Bible tells me I have nothing to fear and can rest in that. I desire all the time and effort I put into my ministry and my songs to result in spiritual fruit.
If any of it is done in my strength or with a underlying motive to seek self glory then I pray God would stop me in my tracks. Hard prayer to pray but the last thing I want is to stand before my Savior one day and be held accountable to a life lived for God but not knowing God.
Joe: A question that we ask at the end of all All About Worship interviews this year: if you weren’t able to be involved in music, what would you be doing?
Joshua: Making films. I love telling stories and think if I would have picked up a camera before a guitar I might have been in a whole different creative space.
Exclusive Interview with Matt Redman
Wisdom Moon, founder of All About Worship, recently had the opportunity to interview worship leader/songwriter, Matt Redman, about worship leading, ministry, and his new album 10,000 Reasons.
Wisdom: Matt, thanks so much for taking the time to share with us today. I’ve followed your ministry since your album, The Friendship And The Fear. You’ve been a mentor to me from a distance all these years. I know that people like Mike Pilavachi have been a mentor to you when you started leading worship. How are you currently mentoring young worship leaders?
Matt: One of my favorite ways to get alongside younger worship leaders is to look at the whole songwriting thing
together. It’s such a great way to hang out anyway – in every song there’s a conversation, a bible study and a creative sharpening. Honestly, I get quite a few songs and albums sent to me to listen to and comment on, and I can’t really commit to many of those because of how busy life is. But instead there are a few younger writers who I’ve committed to hanging with now and again, and we’ll songwrite and talk about God, life and music. I really enjoy that. Of course the funny thing is I’ll end up learning a lot too – because they have a new approach with creative ideas that would have never entered my mind.
Wisdom: Looking back at your experience in worship ministry, if you could share one thing with all the up-and-coming worship leaders in the world, what would it be?
Matt: Approach ministry as a ‘team-player’. That might mean co-leading or co-writing, but there’s such a huge spiritual and powerful strength in working together. God loves ‘team’. I hope this new album displays a little of that dynamic. All of the songs were co-written, and some have up to four different writers. We’re all linked by a love for God and friendship with each other – and that makes for such great writing experience. It fosters an environment where people can be honest and creative.
Wisdom: I’ve been listening to the pre-release of your latest album 10,000 Reasons. Another amazing live album from you, I must say! Do you prefer recording a live album over a studio album?
Matt: Studio albums are always an exciting creative journey, but there’s something about the live album recording when it comes to worship music that’s very hard to capture in a studio. I hope this album is creative and musical and all that, but I also love that it has some effervescence to it – the people of God pouring out their hearts before Him. I’m so grateful that we got to record this with around 1,100 worship leaders, musicians, singers, and pastors in attendance. It was like having a choir of over a thousand people!
Wisdom: What is one thing you would like the listener to take away from your album, 10,000 Reasons?
Matt: A ‘readiness’ to worship Jesus. At all times and in all places we need to have a song to sing. If we wake up one morning with nothing to say in repines to God, there’s something desperately wrong. When I say there are 10,000 reasons to worship God, of course that’s a huge poetic understatement! True worshippers are always ready with a prayer or a praise – a heart response to the goodness and greatness of God over their lives.
Wisdom: If you were invited to an event full of non-believers and could only sing one song from the album, which would it be and why?
Matt: Maybe ‘Where Would We Be’. It’s a song of salvation, but while writing we were thinking about the Chilean miners rescue last year – and so use a lot of imagery and language from that news story. They say a billion people around the world watched that rescue, and so it feels like a song which I hope could relevantly convey the story of Jesus – the One who came to ‘seek and save’ us – or, as the song says, to ‘search and rescue’.
Wisdom: Thanks again for taking the time to share some of your insights with us and about your new album. We pray that God will use it to advance His Kingdom in a powerful way.
Matt: A pleasure… thanks!
Check out Matt Redman’s new album on iTunes:
Exclusive Interview with Sarah Lavigne
Wisdom Moon, founder of All About Worship, recently had the opportunity to interview up-and-coming worship leader/songwriter, Sarah Lavigne, about her life and music ministry.
Tell us about your personal journey of becoming a worship leader/songwriter.
Most people do not know this but I have only been leading worship for less than a year. My journey of
becoming a worship leader and songwriter started about 15 years ago. A believer since childhood, I went to a large christian high school where I started leading worship in our morning chapel services. It was here I started to see the calling God had on my life. I found myself writing songs and learning every worship song out there.
At 19 years old, after a missions trip to Kenya, which had me fighting for my life from malaria and typhoid fever confining me to a “hospital” in a refugee camp, I walked away from God. I was left wounded from the experience and confused about God’s involvement in my life and it settled into a gaping hole in my heart.
There followed years of absolute terrible behavior and bad decisions resulting in me being in a place I loathed…where I was physically, mentally and spiritually. I found myself laying on my Toronto loft floor, suicidal and desperate. It was then that I encountered God. He audibly spoke, softly saying, “I would have come if only for you.” It was there the song, “No Sweeter Name” was birthed. My Father reached down and loved me back to Him and saved my life. It wasn’t fast or quick, but, slow. He took His time as He walked me through all the twisted paths to forgiveness, restoration and healing.
Through that time I wrote many songs that brought healing to me and now hopefully will do the same for others. For it was truly my heart to God. I don’t want to ever forget that intimate time with my Heavenly Father as He gently took care of me. Without going into every detail about the years I spent away from the Lord, I realize now that those years held so much meaning and reasoning to where I am today.
Thank goodness the Lord factors in all my mistakes when He called my destiny. About six months later an opportunity to go to the Bethel School of Worship out in Redding, California became available to me. There I had more encounters with the Lord. In truth we all have encounters when we are His children, but I had now learned to recognize them and listen as Jesus spoke into my life.
I dove back in and passionately sought after God with everything I had. My past showed me truly that He was the only true and best thing ever to be found in this life for me. He saved me. It has now been a year and half that I responded to the Lord who was desperately working on loving me back to Him.
Who are some of your musical influences?
It is really hard to answer this as my influences are so wide. I really love everything from jazz to country to hip hop – though none are my personal style of music!
I would say though that Amanda Falk, A Canadian Artist who I’ve loved for years and had the opportunity to become friends with at the Bethel School of worship, would definitely be a big influence. She is an incredible singer/songwriter who inspires me. I absolutely adore this woman inside and out.
Daniel Bashta – He has something new and fresh which I truly believe is something our generation is looking for. His music stirs up something in my heart. His music is deep and not fluff! If that makes sense. I also love John Mayer, Anberlin and Coldplay to name a few. What can I say? These last 3 artists are simply a talented bunch I appreciate.
You’re good friends with Dave Fitzgerald. How did that friendship come about?
Dave and his wonderful wife Christy are two of the closest friends that my husband Seth and I have. Dave and I obviously connected first through music. It was at Bethel actually, where he recorded his record Hope of Heaven. Get his record if you don’t have it!
Dave and I have connected quite a bit this past year doing some worship and co-writing together. He may not know this or even realize it, but it is because of him that a lot has happened for me. He really invested in me and he is absolutely an inspiration and brings some great guidance to me.
You currently have a Kickstarter campaign going to raise money for a full-length album. What led you to pursue recording an album?
I recorded my first self-titled EP last year and did not have a whole lot of intention of recording a full record. It was just a thought sitting quietly in the back of my mind. I was working on getting married and immigrating to the U.S. as my husband is American. In our first few months of marriage I found myself holed up in Cato, NY.
Newly married and living on 20 acres in the middle of the forest far from anything. Due to not having a working visa yet, I had nothing to do but spend time in The Word and …..write, write and write some more. This was an interesting season that birthed new songs. Through all this writing I had done, it surprisingly began to open doors of opportunity to lead worship in different places.
Then, Dave Fitzgerald put me in touch with Conrad Johnson of Inertia Sound Studio in Lakeland. One thing led to another and it was very clear it was time to release these songs on a full length record.
What can we expect from the album?
What I want to happen on this record is for God encounters to take place in peoples lives. One thing I do NOT want is for this to be just another album on people’s iTunes playlist that does not change people’s lives.
I believe you can expect true and honest songs that have come from a place of desperation and hope and then healing. A real revelation of God’s pursuit to invade your soul and bring you into your destiny. Yup, it’s a pretty high expectation I have for this record. I am super stoked to have Conrad Johnson and Dave Fitzgerald along with some other amazing musicians and songwriters involved in this project.
How can our readers pray for you and get in touch with you?
Well, first pray that my Kickstarter campaign is successful! Also, pray that we put together production and continue to write and finish up songs for the album that will hold a clear direction and a road map that will reveal what the Lord wants to do with this record.
And finally, your readers can get in touch with me via my website at www.sarahlavigne.com and also my facebook page Sarah Lavigne Music!
Exclusive Interview with Joanna (Reyburn) May
Joe Brookhouse, one of our contributors, recently had the opportunity to interview Joanna May about her latest album – Here’s My Cup. Joanna is a worship leader/songwriter at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City.
Here’s My Cup is your first cd release. Can you share with us the journey of its creation? Has it been a long time coming?
It has been a long time coming. I’ve been at the House of Prayer since 2002 leading worship in a lot of different areas. I sensed a personal invitation to commit the first 5 years of my ministry life to the Lord; not to try and build a name for myself, record albums, or travel extensively but simply to be at His feet like Mary of Bethany. I am so thankful for that time, and do not regret it one bit.
In the last year, I felt that it was time to do an album. So I put out some “fleeces” (that’s the possible plural of “fleece”) like Gideon in Judges 6, and said, “Lord, if it’s time to do this album, bring about A, B and C.” And you know He did. I won’t go into the details of all that, but I am convinced that if the Lord has really called you to do something, He has made complete provision for it. In my case, there was a season of waiting for the right time, preparing my heart, and contending for the release of provision.
I started the recording process in the spring of 2010, while my fiance and I were planning a wedding and trying to close on our house. We got most of the recording process done at that time, but as my wedding date came closer, I put it on hold, and picked it back up months later to finish the project.
This is definitely a worship album, but very intimate. You refer to it as “devotional worship”. How does it differ from what we might normally associate with corporate worship? How do you hope the listener will respond to it?
When I started this project, I had a couple thoughts in mind. I wanted someone to be able to put on this album and let it play all the way through. I also wanted the album to make sense as a progression from song to song, each track building on the previous. I envisioned someone laying on the floor, and spending 50 minutes in the presence of the Lord, using this album as inspiring background music for their personal prayer time, or playing it as their children fall asleep. My goal for this project wasn’t to write songs that would be sung in congregational worship, but to provide a peaceful, presence-worship soundtrack for dialoguing with Jesus. I knew that I wanted to use excerpts of spontaneous clips, prayer, and some violin because I love the violin.
Despite being a studio album, Here’s My Cup has the feel of live, authentic worship. Did you approach recording the album with that in mind?
I was SO scared that doing a studio recording was going to end up sounding “canned.” I wanted that same atmosphere that exists in a prayer room devotional where the Holy Spirit leads people directly into the presence of the Lord. I talked with my engineer Luke Hendrickson, and we approached the recording process a bit differently because of this.
We created a peaceful and prayerful atmosphere in the studio. I’ve worked on recording projects where there were day-old pizzas laying around, and 5 extra guys there goofing off. Where each take was brutally critiqued, rehashed, auto-tuned and rerecorded. I knew I didn’t want that kind of a process. When I went in to record, I’d light a candle, turn off the overhead lights, and spend a few moments praying. Then I’d start playing and singing. I didn’t decide a hard and fast song layout. I went in with a loose outline of each song, and if that changed during recording, we went with it. Because of this process, no take was the same. After the first recording, we went back and fixed only the major goofs, leaving a sort-of rawness to it. Later we added other instrumentation. I think this process contributed to the “live” feeling. The three songs with a full band, Ocean, Humble and Here’s My Cup were recorded with everybody live in the studio in two to three takes.
The album starts with “What Do You Think About Me”, a powerful song and plea. Would you share with us the story behind this song?
This song was composed during a devotional worship time in the prayer room. One of the most important things in the life of a believer is to have confidence in the affections of the Father, to know how He feels about you, and what He thinks about you, whether it’s in weakness or in strength, on a good day or a day when you feel like you’ve completely blown it.
So many Christians are haunted by the idea that God is mostly upset with them, that they have disappointed Him, and He’s not happy with them. That view is so debilitating! It causes us to live in shame, condemnation, and rejection. It thwarts our ability to walk with boldness and confidence into the things the Lord has called us to, and causes us to live with a constant expectation of judgment.
When we, like David, are sure of the Lord’s affections, when we are confronted with our sin or compromise, we can run right back into His heart without spiraling into rebellion, feeling disqualified and shameful, or trying to earn back God’s approval. In the place of repentance and a contrite heart, we are the apple of God’s eye and His delight is in us. That’s so powerful! “What do you think about me” came out of singing those concepts over a prayer room full of people, and I’m convinced it’s a message God wants us to really get a hold of.
Your songs have a very fluid, almost spontaneous feel to them. Are your songs most often the result of an intentional songwriting process or do they come some other way?
My husband is a songwriter, he can sit and write a rap on a particular topic, and it’s so powerful. I’m not good at that. When I sit down to intentionally write songs, I produce some of lamest stuff I’ve ever heard. You may think I’m exaggerating, but trust me, I’m not – it’s bad. The songs on my album are the result of spontaneous singing. I’ll sit down at the piano or grab my guitar, and just start singing. Sometimes I’ll pick a Psalm, or a parable and weave together other Scriptures, or even sing my prayers. Other times, I’ll take the perspective of the Lord and sing over myself, my family or my city. It’s like a biblical stream of consciousness.
I’m a huge proponent of spontaneous singing – it’s something anyone can do (even non-singers) that will benefit your heart immensely. It’s a muscle you have to exercise, and it may not be comfortable at first, but learning to sing the Scriptures is something that Paul talks about in Ephesians 5:19, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” A good way to practice is to find an instrumental album with simple melodies, and just start singing along. I like to go on walks and sing acapella to the Lord.
We can hear you praying on “Humble”. I’m sure you’re used to leading prayer in a public venue; how different was it to pray for a recording? Did you prepare in advance?
Yikes, you really caught me on this question. I remember the day we recorded this prayer. It was early in the morning on a Saturday towards the end of the project, and I tried waking up my husband saying, “You have to come to the studio with me today! I’m going to pray on the recording and you have to tell me if it sounds stupid.” I was terrified to pray on a recording, and I still cringe a little when I listen to it. It’s like listening to yourself on a voice mail message.
I have a few albums that people pray on (Laura Woodley and Apostolic Prayers to name a few) and I have been profoundly ministered to by agreeing with recorded prayers. Praying out loud was one thing that the Lord brought to mind when I was considering what to do with this album; I felt like I was supposed to do it, but it didn’t make it any more comfortable. There is something very personal about praying on a recording. And even though I’m a singer, I still don’t like listening to the sound of my speaking voice. I did a couple takes, each time praying something different, and picked the one that I felt fit best. It’s not the most comfortable thing for me to do, or listen to later, but I hope that people will be encouraged.
You’ve been involved at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City since 2002 in a number of capacities including leading worship at the Prayer Room. How did that relationship begin? How has your experience with IHOP influenced you as a worship leader?
When I was 12 years old, I heard a message about Mary of Bethany pouring out her fragrant perfume at the feet of Jesus, and I knew that I wanted to give my life to Him in adoration worship, and when I heard Julie Meyer and JoAnn McFatter spontaneously singing the heart of the Lord at a conference, I knew that’s what it was supposed to look like for me too. A 24/7 prayer room began in Kansas City when I was in high-school, and I spent my weekends driving 40 miles to be there because for me, that was such a natural starting place for learning to live a lifestyle of adoration worship. After graduation, I enrolled in IHOP’s internship program and began singing and leading on worship teams, and the rest is history as they say.
24/7 prayer and worship is a unique phenomenon in the earth, it’s unlike many other ministry forms. As a worship leader in that environment, you have so much time actively leading worship. In the early days, we would do 12-24 hours of worship leading a week. It would take months to gain that experience at a Sunday service. With that kind of frequency, the practical benefits of being a “seasoned worship leader” come quicker like learning about song selection, transitioning, how to lead a team, leadership, practices, etc. But there are trying elements as well. In a 24-hour prayer room, people can leave whenever they want. Being a young worship leader, and having a mass exodus when you take over a session is a little disheartening, but you’ve still got two hours ahead of you. Not to mention major goofs? You will make them. Enunciation flubs, key change nightmares, sound issues, equipment failure, you name it. One time, I fell off the piano bench and got tangled in some cords and was completely mortified, but I had to go in the next day and do it all over again.
Another dynamic of a prayer room is that corporate worship is not the only worship expression. People are not always standing, many times they are reading, praying, studying, crying, taking communion, etc. The “2 fast songs, 3 slow” model doesn’t always apply here. Not to mention that one popular worship song? It’s going to be sung 12 times a day, and you’re going to get tired of it pretty quick. This is where that muscle of spontaneous singing really got developed, we’d sing through whole chapters, leading the room in sort of a musical Bible study.
Your husband, J. May, is an artist as well. How does his music compare with yours? Do you ever collaborate?
My husband J.May is a rap artist, and has released an E.P. Conflict and a single, The Throne. He has also contributed to a couple compilation projects. I’m so proud of him, and love his music. He writes theologically solid raps, that are also really fun to listen to. We’re still working on how to bring our sounds together on the same project, but I can definitely see some fun collaboration in the future.
A question that we ask at the end of all All About Worship interviews this year: if you couldn’t do music for a living, what would you be doing?
I think the question for me is “What would I be doing today.” I am a bit of a Jill-of-all-trades. I love doing all sorts of stuff. Right now, I’m programming an iPhone app for a ministry. Sometimes I do design work, wedding photography, and web development. I also really enjoying working on marketing campaigns, and brainstorming new ideas. Recently, we moved into a new house, and I’ve become mildly obsessed with decorated, DIY, rehabbing furniture, and renovating, so if you asked me today what I would do, it would be to run a decorator business. But tomorrow my answer might be totally different.
Thanks, Joanna, for taking the time to share your heart and ministry with us!
Interview w/ Jenny & Tyler About Their Album “Faint Not”
Jenny & Tyler are a married couple/indie artists who recently released an album called, Faint Not. Joe Brookhouse had a chance to interview them recently. Hope you enjoy it…
1. Congratulations on the release of your third album, “Faint Not”. You’ve described it as a bit of concept album. Did it start out that way? What is the story you are sharing through it?
Thanks so much. Yes, Faint Not developed into a bit of a concept album somewhere along the way. We didn’t intend for it to happen, it just sort of did. In the past we’ve had trouble shaking some sort of perceived pressure to have to write songs about certain things or fit into some sort of mold. This time around we decided to just write honest songs.
We ended up with an album that basically tells the story of our faith journey. The first track, Song For You is about the Lord’s pursuit of us even before we’re aware of Him or when we don’t want to be pursued. The next track, This is Just so Beautiful is about believing in Jesus for the first time. Songs about disillusionment, brokenness, love, and assurance follow. The last track, Anchored in Love, is an old Carter Family song that we felt summed up the album perfectly. It’s about resting in the Lord and finding peace in Him. Basically Faint Not chronicles the really high highs and really low lows of our journey over the past year and a half.
2. Confession: The day I received “Faint Not”, I listened to it easily three times. It is at once both familiar and unique. What artists (secular or otherwise) inform your sound?
3. What is each of your role in the songwriting process? Does your role change from song-to-song? How do you determine which of you takes the vocal lead in a given song or portion of a song?
We’re both writers and the process is different for us individually. Tyler always has a song, whether it’s a melody or lyric, going on in his head. Jenny is more of a sporadic writer, meaning she writes a couple songs a month. Usually one of us starts a song and at some point brings it to the other for help with the finishing touches.
Generally, whoever writes the majority of the song takes the lead vocal. This isn’t always true. For example, Tyler wrote most of the title track Faint Not, but Jenny sings lead. It’s really just about whose voice suits the song best.
4. “Carry Me” is a standout track, both personal and worshipful. Can you tell us how the song was written? How did Mac Powell ( Third Day) come to be involved?
I (Jenny) wrote Carry Me at my favorite coffee shop in Nashville. I was sipping an almond latte and journaling when the verses came to me. I realized that morning that I’d really screwed up a lot. At the same time, I knew that the Lord had forgiven me. I also knew that I was going to screw up a lot more and the Lord was going to keep on forgiving. I was and am still in great need of a Savior. Carry Me is really just my cry out to the Lord that morning.
We had the great honor of opening for Mac Powell a couple of years ago in Wilmington, DE (our home town!). A local church brought Mac in for a mens’ conference and solo show, and needed a cheap opener. We were delighted to play. Jenny’s been listening to Third Day since they released their debut album in 1996. Mac was incredibly humble and gracious to us. We kept in touch and when we were working on Carry Me Tyler suggested asking Mac to sing the bridge. Turns out it never hurts to ask!
5. You actually filmed a video for the title cut (it looked cold, by the way). How did that video get made?
The video for Faint Not was so much fun (and so cold!) to film. We took our videographer friend Nathaniel Schweinberg on the road with us for a week; hence the live show footage. While we were traveling we formulated a plan for the video.
We scheduled the shoot for an evening in early January. When we heard that Nashville was supposed to get 3 inches of snow the week before the shoot we knew we had to take advantage of it. We did our best to reschedule the shoot according to the weather forecast, and lo’ and behold, it started snowing just when we needed it. The shoot began at 11pm and ended at 3:30am. We were soaked through and chilled to the bone but it was definitely worth it.
6.I understand that percussion shows up in a unique way when the two of you perform live. Would you share that with our readers?
Tyler has always been a foot stomper. For a while we actually put a microphone to the floor so that the sound would make its way out to the audience. Tyler’s dad went to a house show in Portland, OR and saw a drummer who carried all of his drums in a suitcase and used the suitcase itself as the kick drum.
We loved the idea, so Tyler searched for the perfect hard shell suitcase to convert into a drum. The end result is a suitcase with a blanket stuffed inside and a bass drum pedal attached to one side. It works really well for us and we actually do use it to carry things like guitar stands. Tyler jokes that if the music doesn’t work out he’ll go into business manufacturing suitcase kick drums.
7. Tell me about “Stop Staring At Me”, the last track on the album. There has to be a story (or stories) behind it.
We were married very young and looked even younger. All of the lines from the verses of that song are things that were actually said to us. On the night of Jenny’s bachelorette party a woman really did approach her and ask if her mother knew where she was. And two older women at one of our shows really did say that they would kill themselves if their twenty-something daughters were to get engaged or married.
We thought it was funny that people didn’t realize how rude their comments were. One day after being bombarded with questions about whether or not she was sixteen and had a baby, thus being forced into an early marriage, Jenny came home a bit fed up. We channeled her aggravation into a tongue in cheek song about being married young. We’re coming up on our 4th anniversary and while we still look young, people aren’t rude to us anymore.
8. A question that we ask at the end of all All About Worship interviews this year: if you couldn’t do music for a living, what would you be doing?
We have degrees in English (Jenny) and business (Tyler). If we couldn’t do music, we would probably live in California and Tyler would be involved in some sort of surfer ministry. Jenny loves coffee and baking and Tyler is a master bread baker. We might open our own coffee shop/bakery. Maybe we’d line the walls with bookshelves filled with classic literature as a nod to Jenny’s English background.
A special thanks to Jenny and Tyler for taking the time to share with us. Check out their music video, “Faint Not”, referenced in this interview:
Worship Leader Highlight – Mandy Thompson
1. When and how did you know you were called to ministry?
When I was in high school, I told my parents that I didn’t yet know what I wanted to do in life, but I knew that someday when I hand someone my “business card” they’d know I work for God. Then college came, and I found myself leading worship – and leading a band of upperclassmen. The summer before, my college pastor sat me down and told me that he saw a gift in me – a gift to lead worship – to understand how it worked and how to lead others. He’s not the only leader in my life who has had that talk with me. I guess I looked up to them enough to believe, despite my own fears and nervousness and hesitations, that they saw what God has placed in me.
2. What do you do to keep yourself fresh as a worship leader and/or songwriter?
1) As an artist in general, I find that listening to new music and reading song stories, informative articles, etc, really help me keep a finger on the pulse of worship music.
2) As a worship leader, I like to play “under” other worship leaders. I get a chance to sit back and soak up their styles and fortes. It challenges and inspires me.
3) As a songwriter, I write. There’s no other growth edge than to constantly write write write. If I’m not writing, I’m not growing in my craft. Of course, I also listen to amazing music and study up on songwriting techniques.
3. What are five worship songs you are really connecting with currently?
Top pick: Miriam Webster’s “Made Me Glad” – I’m absolutely amazed at how well she puts scripture to music.
Also, Lehman’s breathtaking hymn “The Love of God” – this song is nothing short of a lyrical and poetic masterpiece.
John Mark McMillan’s “How He Loves” – “if grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking” is unquestionably the richest and most profound lyric to rise out of the bulging anthology of our generation’s worship songs.
Townend and Getty’s “In Christ Alone” – the theology and authenticity of this song is a must-have for every congregation.
Matt Maher’s “Christ has Risen” – this is more than a song; it’s an experience.
4. What is the most important thing you would share with an up-and-coming artist or worship leader?
“It’s never about you. It’s always about them.”
Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Ephesians 4:11-12 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.
5. Could you share one of your most embarrassing moments while leading worship?
Wow. Well… This is more sad than embarrassing, but it’s all I’ve got: I can think of three moments when I’ve started singing a song in the wrong key. Once when I just hadn’t practiced (lesson learned). Second time was a noticeably shaky start to “Mighty to Save;” even though I quickly recovered and climbed into the melody, my heart does that funny nervous flip whenever I utter the first syllable in “everyone.” The worst time – well – this is much more sad-embarrassing than funny-embarrassing. It happened on Mother’s Day a year ago. A nice lady at the church said hello to me, and asked if I had any kids. I tried to smile as I said no. What she didn’t know was that this was supposed to be my first “Mother’s day” but we had a miscarriage instead. The Sunday was hard. Then there was that question. I tried to shake it off as I stepped up front and grabbed my guitar, but our pastor’s sincere prayer for all the mothers in the room wasn’t helping. So we hit the first few chords of “How Great Thou Art” and my mind and voice did not land in the right key. I could not find the note. I couldn’t. I looked at our pianist, we stopped, she tapped lightly on that starting note, and we launched back in. I’ve never felt more exposed while leading worship.
===
Mandy serves as Director of Congregational Services at The Chapel in Brunswick, GA. To find out more about Mandy, visit our Leadership page or her blog.
Kari Jobe Interview with All About Worship
Wisdom Mooon, founder of All About Worship, recently interviewed, worship leader/songwriter/recording artist, Kari Jobe.
AAW: Your solo project from Integrity Music is filled with beautiful songs that not only express your heart, but are being used in churches all over. Share with us your experience working on this project… How long did it take? What are some of your highlights from that process?
KARI: This project was a desire of my heart for a really long time. A lot of the songs on this record came straight from my journals. It’s an expression of me pouring out my heart to God In moments of praise…as well as moments of brokenness. It was wonderful to finally have the CD recorded and ready to go because I knew it would allow me to step into a new season with God in what I was going to write about. It’s been an amazing journey as well since the CD came out. God has been blessing it and people are writing in constantly telling us what the songs are doing to help their churches and their personal lives!
AAW: One of the songs on the album, “Healer,” received a lot of controversy when a scandal was revealed with the songwriter. Could you share with us what made you decide to include that song on the album?
KARI: I wanted to keep it on the album because a lot of close family friends were receiving a lot of ministry from the song. I cried many tears over hearing the whole story…but I knew it was the truth about the word of God. I also want to be a change agent in my generation..to not just write people off when they fall or have sin revealed. To be a generation that shows grace and walks people through restoration in order to step back into the calling God has on their lives. No one is perfect…and we need to all cry out for His grace and strength to stand against the enemy and be strong. Some times those around us need our help. I felt that leaving this song on the album was a statement of grace…as well as not letting the enemy win since the song was already blessing so many. I’m so glad I left it on there!
AAW: Which song on the album was the most fun to write and/or record and why?
KARI: “Joyfully” was a lot of fun to write! It brought a smile to my face as we wrote this one! Ed Cash got the first part of the melody idea while helping his wife fold laundry…and then Ed, Mia Fieldes, and myself all sat down to fully craft the song. It was fun.
AAW: Could you share some helpful tips for co-writing? What have you found works well and does not work well?
KARI: You have to go in prepared with some ideas or at least some themes to work on. Give options of stuff you could write on so that the person or people you’re working with can see what they feel that they can connect to and run with. It’s also important to hear God on what songs you can co-write on and which one’s maybe He wants you and Him to finish. He’ll tell you.
AAW: If you could say one thing to all the young girls who are aspiring singers/songwriters, what would it be?
KARI: Journal, journal, journal. A lot of my songs come out of the time I spend with God. It’s also important to be a good steward of going back and crafting and really working on your songs. Most of them do not come in 2 minutes…the ones that really impact people’s lives are the ones that take a journey and process to write…be faithful to spend time with God, journal and see what happens!!
AAW: What can we expect from you in 2010-2011? What’s coming up?
KARI: A new album. New songs. New stuff!! : ) I’m writing and planning some new things now. Really excited about the direction God is taking me! I will give details and timelines through twitter and my website as I know the timing! : )
AAW: A question we ask at the end of every interview…share with us your most embarrassing moment while leading worship.
KARI: Oh goodness. Just one? Ha. I think one of them would be that as a service was starting, I greeted all the people and had them stand to their feet…then I said, “are you ready to worship the lamb of lambs?”…haha! It should be King of kings, or Lord of lords…not lamb of lambs. Hahahaha!
===
Visit Kari’s website and find her on Twitter. Be sure to check out her latest album on iTunes. If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of her latest CD, just leave a comment (at least two sentences) on this post or TWEET a link to this post and mention @allaboutworship and this shortened url: http://bit.ly/cS0K26 . Deadline is Monday, September 20th, 9pm CST. We’ll pick two random winners.
Here is Kari’s new music video of “You Are For Me”:
Worship Leader Highlight – Gary Durbin (and Giveaway!)
(Leave a comment on this post by Tuesday, August 17th, 9pm CST, to be entered into our giveaway. This week we are giving away: Lincoln Brewster’s “Today is The Day” Deluxe Edition [CD+DVD] AND ALM UK’s “Name Above All Names” Digital Songbook. You must be at least 18 years old to qualify.)
1.When and how did you know you were called to ministry?
My Dad has been a Music Minister in the local church all my life. I started singing in church when I was 6 yrs old, and I felt God’s call when I was 9-10 years old. As a kid, I felt God calling me to the music ministry of the local church. At the time, I wasn’t aware of the term “worship” or “worship leader”, but it definitely was a spiritual thing, even though I rarely heard about the Holy Spirit in church. I ran from that calling after high school for a while, and then in December of 2001, I surrendered to it finally. In May of 2002, I started leading worship full-time for the local church.
2.What do you do to keep yourself fresh as a worship leader and/or songwriter?
The basics. Read and study my Bible daily, and I try to devote more and more prayer time everyday. For accountability in that, I post “Word Wednesday” on my blog every Wednesday. My theory is that if you read your Bible everyday, God will give you at least one fresh Word every week. The most exciting times of writing and leading worship publicly has come from God speaking to me privately in a fresh way. Right now, my heart is really in discipleship. I just started discipling a couple of guys, and God is really teaching me and inspiring me through that. I’ve found that my quiet time and my personal relationship with God is the main way to avoid staleness in my ministry and in my life in general.
3. What are five worship songs you are really connecting with currently?
I haven’t done all of these songs in church, but in my personal listening…
“How He Loves” by John Mark McMillan – just introduced that to my church, and it caught immediately
“Jesus Saves” by Tim Hughes
“Come as You Are” by Pocket Full of Rocks
“Deliverer” by Vicky Beeching
“With Everything” by Hillsong United
4. What is the most important thing you would share with an up-and-coming artist or worship leader?
Invest in the local church. If God uses you or your music outside those walls…great, but let Him do that. Even if you do acquire some fame or notoriety, that will eventually fade. Your investment in lives in your local church is an eternal investment. Distinguish between your goals and your dreams. Go after and invest in your goals. Leave your dreams in God’s hands. Personally, my dreams are like a lot of artists. I would love to see one of my songs being sung in churches all over the world, but that’s not my goal. My goal is to impact my local church and ministry. Also, make sure to support your pastor or whoever is in authority over you in the church. Loyalty amongst the leadership of the church is a very healthy thing, and that unity will be a strength and encouragement to the church. I’ve learned that I don’t have to agree with my pastor all the time, but I must support him. If I have a problem with him or a decision, I make sure to talk with him, and not anyone else. It’s the right thing to do.
5. Could you share one of your most embarrassing moments while leading worship?
Probably the worst was about 5 years ago. I was leading worship with a brand new acoustic guitar that my Dad bought for me and my whole family happened to be there that Sunday. Right in the middle of a serious, calm, quiet moment of the worship set, my strap came unhooked from the guitar, and my brand new guitar came pounding down on the stage. It stopped everything, and I just laughed with everyone, tuned my guitar, and went on to the next song. My brother hasn’t let me forget about that one. Needless to say, I check my strap religiously now. J
===
Gary is the worship pastor at Bethany Ministries in Melbourne, Florida. He has been leading worship in the local church since 2002. In 2005, he released his first album, “Everything”, and in 2008, he released his second called, “Far Away From Me”. His latest album is Kingdom EP released in 2010. He has had his songs recognized by Myrrh Records, WorshipSource.com, the Saddleback Worship Conference, and the National Worship Leader Conference. He and his wife, Jennifer, have been married since 1999 and have two young children. Gary’s passion is leading people in corporate worship and connecting them to the true God.
Follow Us!
Sponsored
Categories
Join Us on Facebook
