Worship Musician January 2020 | Page 8

we got that started was with a team and trying [Chris] Yeah, that’s been such a fun thing to do. what we did was record two live services and to move somewhere together and figure out Like I told you earlier, my goal has always been eight songs, this was probably a month ago, what our sound is. to write songs for my local community, and I’ve and all of that will come out at the beginning been lucky enough that some of those songs of the year. I think we will call it a success if What you’re doing as a worship leader a lot of had a broader reach than just the Franklin, TN, the people in our congregation take it home times is just creating the culture of what your area. But we really sat down as a team and and feel like it helped them connect with God church’s worship looks, sounds, and feels like. scheduled about four “writing camps” as we more. We would be amazed and super happy We’ve put a lot of thought into that, and also a call them, where we meet together for three if other people came on that journey with us lot of effort into making sure that we are being days in a row. We got all of the songwriters that too. But this whole goal has been to help our diverse. Not just racially but making sure that its go to our church and all of our team members own church body to interact with God and take not just a bunch of dudes on stage. There are a that wanted to write together, and said, “Here is home even deeper what God is doing in our lot of male instrument players, but we try to go what I’m going to be speaking on this next year, community. out of our way to be extra diligent in that what and here are the themes that I think the Lord is is on stage reflects who is in the crowd. We going to be showing in our body” and we tried [WM] Your last album included the song, do that on purpose, and it’s not always easy. to write songs that reflected that. Then the next “I’m Listening” (featuring Hollyn). It’s your most Sometimes you have to push things around logical step forward was to record them so the recent radio single and is also included on your and borrow from other places in the church church can take them home. new EP, Fill This Place. Can you tell us about to get it right. But it’s one of our values as a church, diversity. this song? So, it’s been fun for me because most of what I’ve done in the past has been born in and out [Chris] I wrote that song with a couple of [WM] I hear that you also have an upcoming of the church but has lived in a space that’s friends of mine, and kind of wrote it out of a Church of the City worship project. Can you tell more commercial and music industry- driven. place of asking, “What does our congregation us about that as well? But this whole process has been very church need to sing”? As a pastor I hear from a lot driven, from the very first idea up until now. So of people that are going through tough times 8 January 2020 Subscribe for Free...