Worship Musician MayJun16 | Page 20

Meredith Andrews GOING DEEPER AND THE PROCESS OF PREPARATION by Mitch Bohannon WORSHIP MUSICIAN: What came first, of years later, I was taking piano lessons. My preparing me for what He called me to, but I Worship Leading or Songwriting? youth pastor was also like our bandleader and didn’t fully understand it as a kid and I knew (my role) kind of morphed when he asked me to there were other things that I loved. Like, I grew MEREDITH ANDREWS: Actually, I feel like play keys. I was so scared, but he showed me up in a family where my parents were foster they came simultaneously. I wrote my first song what to do…when I was like 15 or 16, he said, parents and I have three adopted brothers. when I was 12. Now, granted, my first song “I want you to lead the whole service…pick the From the time I was a little girl, I always said I had six verses and no chorus…so, I guess I songs and keys. I want you to figure out the wanted to be a missionary. I always thought I thought I was like a modern day hymn-writer. I transitions.” I remember working really hard for would live overseas and work in an orphanage. grew up in a small Assembly of God church in that one set and I really never looked back. That’s what I envisioned for my life. I remember North Carolina. Also, when I was 12, my youth going to a Rebecca St. James concert when I pastor asked me to be a part of the youth band, WM: When did you feel the call to become a was 17. She gave a call forward, a surrender- so my friend and I would sing background worship leader? type invitation. I went forward and I was like, vocals and I played the tambourine. I wound up “Lord, I don’t know what you want to do with hitting my hand so hard that I would get like a MEREDITH: I feel like it was a process for me. my life, but I’ve told you like a thousand times blood blister, but I was so proud of it! A couple Looking back now, I see how the Lord was and I’m telling you again tonight…whatever 20 May  June 2016 WorshipMusician.com