questions here . First of all , tell us about the new 10 record . What are your hopes for this recording , and how did you each participate in it ?
[ Andrew ] Yes , I mean , it ’ s very unique . Something we ’ ve never done . All of our albums before this have just been live from our church , from our conferences , and from a worship night we ’ ve done at church . I mean , those albums are very pointed in the sense that we ’ re writing them , first of all for our church , and then trying to give people in other churches access to those songs to lead in their churches . This one is all in the studio . None of it is live . It is just a celebration of the past 10 years . It ’ s 10 of our favorite songs , some of the most impactful songs for our house here in Nashville , our church , and some of the team members that have been a part of it from the beginning , which is special . And a lot of producers who had been a part of it from the beginning got to produce a part of it .
It ’ s not just Pastor Henry or Austin producing . Everyone kind of jumped in , which was really fun . I sang a couple of songs . One is called “ Come Alive ,” which Hope originally led a couple years ago . And so , that was fun . We wrote that together . So for me to be able to lead that and give a guy version , if you will ( laughing ), which is awesome . I also led a song called “ Jesus Over Everything ,” which has honestly been an anthem for our church . We ’ re always going to make Jesus the priority . That song has been special for our church . There are some really awesome versions of those 10 songs . It was fun to get creative , get in the studio , and do something different . So yes , I ’ ll let Hope speak to it too .
[ Hope ] Oh , I mean , it is just such a joy to get to do it . I got to sing “ Hosanna ” with Ben Cantelon . He wrote that song with Steffany Gretzinger . I remember Andrew sent the Dropbox link of all the songs that we were going to put on that record and seeing which songs resonated with people . And I remember at the time ( when we first recorded it ) being like , I love “ Hossana ,”
but I was already leading another song or two on the record , so it didn ’ t make sense . So Kari ( Jobe ) ended up leading it on the live version , and it is just so stunning and beautiful .
So , when they circled back and asked me if I would do a version with Ben , I was so excited . I ’ ve always loved this song from the very beginning , and it was just beautiful . David Ramirez produced it . He ’ s been here from the beginning , and it was just amazing . It ’ s the first time he ’ s ever produced something for a Belonging Co record . And I just think it was so fun . Everyone knows Sarah Reeves as a singer / songwriter and a worship leader , but she produced a song on 10 and sang on it too , our first girl producer , which is awesome .
[ Andrew ] And it ’ s really good .
[ Hope ] Oh my gosh . And then Lauren Sloat and Mia Fieldes do this epic version of “ Peace Be Still .” Mia , myself , and Andrew had written it together . And it is gorgeous . And so , it ’ s just fun . Pastor Henry ’ s charge was to go have fun , make this a celebration , put your stamp on it , and reimagine it the way you want . Which I think is so indicative of his leadership — that he is just so generous .
I think just the beauty of what has happened in the past 10 years ... Austin was not even producing 10 years ago . I wasn ’ t writing songs 10 years ago . David Ramirez wasn ’ t producing , and Andrew wasn ’ t writing songs . And to see our team 10 years later , when there were people in the basement or within that first year , be able to collaborate and make an entire record , I think that ’ s just so special . And it was really an honoring way for Henry to say , “ Look
Peace Be Still
what God ’ s done in our worship department and these people ’ s lives .”
[ WM ] Yes , “ Peace Be Still .” The video ’ s gorgeous ; it ’ s well done . Last question . So our readers are worship leaders , worship musician bandmates , and tech teams . What advice do you have for people who regularly serve in their local churches ?
[ Andrew ] Oh , great question . I think it ’ s easy . I ’ ve experienced this a lot where you get so caught up in the routine of doing church and it becomes this thing of , “ This is what I ’ ve always done .” I ’ ve done it for us for 10 years now . We ’ ve been leading our church , and it ’ s been different places , but there ’ s still that routine of every Tuesday , every Sunday , there ’ s another service . I think it ’ s easy to get where people are burned out with church , or they become jaded towards the church . And I think for me , the way that I ’ ve not become that way ... I ’ ve stayed fresh , and my heart has remained soft . Every time I feel any sense of that feeling of “ I ’ m getting tired or I ’ m burned out ,” I think about the first time of that story I told at the beginning of the interview . I walked through those doors , and I was so desperate for a touch from God , so desperate to meet with Him .
And there was a group of people who Hope was a part of who created a space for me to do that — to walk in and encounter God . And I think about today . If it ’ s a Sunday morning , I get that same opportunity , and there ’ s going to be someone walking through those doors who ’ s desperate for God , who ’ s walking through something that ’ s so difficult , or they ’ ve found themselves in the lowest valley , or whatever you want to say , in the wilderness . All those things , they found themselves in that place . And for whatever reason , God has drawn them to our house that day .
I ’ m very conscious of the fact that every time we meet , there are people walking through the doors like that . And that gets me so fired up . I say to our team a lot , “ If we ’ re just going to come get on stage and play some songs , we ’ re February 2024 Subscribe for Free ... 19