as it has grown it’s become more than just a name drop, or further our careers; we are here and she was ushered up to the third or fourth
musician’s church. People from many other to worship God. From the most well-known to row. Once she was seated she was like, “Oh
walks of life are a part of our church now. We the least known, we all have one purpose in my goodness! I’m in the wrong place. I don’t
have several thousand people that are part coming to church, and that’s to worship God. belong here!” But she could not deny the love
of our congregation on a Tuesday night or
Sunday afternoon.
of people and the love of Jesus. And then
[Alex] We’ve cultivated that just through who Henry got up and had a prophetic word for her.
Henry and I are, because it was God’s divine He stood up and pointed her out and said, “I
[Alex] We have a large online community instruction for us. He had two Australian’s that don’t know you, but the Lord just wants to tell
as well. really don’t understand the whole Christian you you’re going to be used mightily for His
music world, or the Christian celebrity thing. It’s name and glory.” She left that place absolutely
[WM] How many songwriters attend, do pretty foreign to us. People of notoriety would dumbfounded with the love of God and people.
you think? come when we were in our basement, and Today she is saved and goes around America
we didn’t know who they were. Once we did telling her story of redemption and salvation. It
[Henry] I don’t know, but probably hundreds. find out who they were, we didn’t treat them shows that it doesn’t matter what you come
We know of people that are literally in every any differently. We realized that even when in looking like, or your past story. Everybody
genre of music who are attending. For me, somebody is gifted they still must develop needs to be honored and celebrated, and that’s
that was a bit of a wrestle at first, because we character and a heart towards God. So, we the beauty of the Belonging Co.
ended up with so many musicians. I’d never lead them just as we do a person needing been in a church where you had almost too Jesus without a creative gift.
[WM] Now that The Belonging Co has an
many musicians. Most people are clamoring
album out, will there be more releases and
to find enough musicians. I had to ask, “God It resonated with the person that has the gift. how do we steward these people in a way They felt like, “Oh my goodness, this is the that allows them to be part of the church first place I’m attending where I’m known for [Henry] That’s a good question (laughter).
community?” Through that, I came to realize me and not my gift.” It created a safe haven I’m sure there will be more music coming out.
that not everyone’s outlet is going to be on the for them. But also, we didn’t use it as leverage The whole journey, even with this first record,
stage as part of a worship team, and that’s to gain popularity with an outside crew just is that we never set out to do a record. We got
okay. In the church, traditionally we’ve set the because they attended. We tried to kill the idea to the point where we had all of these songs
platform up to be the most important part of of a celebrity culture, because every person that were coming out of the life of our church.
church life. We have to realize that is not the has a God image. We’re all image bearers, and They were songs that people had been writing
case. There are people called to minister from we’re all to be celebrated. We’ve been very out of response to what God was doing. Once
a worship point of view, and there are people intentional to honor people in all walks of life we had those songs, we put them together
called to be outside the four walls of the church and see the gold inside of them. When they and released it. We approached it a little bit
ministering, and not necessarily in a Christian come to church they are off the clock. That’s differently than some places do. Many people
music realm. They minister to people through what they do, that’s not who they are. set a deadline and then work back from that,
a completely different outlet of music. That’s
been an interesting part of the journey for us.
possibly a label?
trying to complete the songs in time. We were
Don’t take a photo of someone just because more like, “Let’s see. . . When we have enough
it makes you feel better about yourself so your songs that we believe are going to impact the
[WM] How do you cope with the “celebrity” friends can go, “Wow! You met so and so!” Put church on a wider scale, then we’ll release it.”
congregation members? away the camera. Put away the nonsense of Our team is writing all the time, and we already
autographs and just get to know people. It’s have a bunch of new songs that we’re working
[Henry] I think that’s a bit of a Nashville thing. created a beautiful, safe place, and that’s why on now. Maybe in the next year or two there’ll
Traditionally, our town has been a little bit like so many have been drawn. It’s been a very be another Belonging Co record, or we might
that. We’ve been vigilante about not allowing beautiful thing, and it is a very healthy church. just release singles.
that as part of our church culture. It took us We have this beautiful story recently where a a little while to really establish that. We would girl was involved in prostitution and she came [WM] Are you signing up artists, or just pulling
remind the people who were coming that into our church because she thought it was a songs and artists from the congregation?
outside of church walls people are who they nightclub. She had just finished work and she are, but inside church we’re all here for Jesus. was downtown, thought we were a nightclub, [Henry] We’re not really signing anyone.
We’re not here to rub shoulders with celebrities, and walked in. She was welcomed by people Nashville is an interesting place because there
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January 2018
WorshipMusician.com