Soaring With Worhsip Music

Soaring With Worship Music

Bruce Von Stiers

In the faith community there has been a lot of talk about how the local church is reaching out for a faith revival. One solid way that the local church is reaching out is through music ministry. Although some people are accustomed to traditional hymns and gospel music, others are wanting and expecting something more modern.

This modern music approach is kind of what a new album from Influence Music is about. The record label has taken songs from various local churches across the U.S. and put together a great Contemporary Christian Worship album. The title of the album is SOAR: Spirit-Empowered Worship.

The album was produced by John Hartley and distributed by Provident Distribution. Hartley is one of the top two people at Influence Music and has produced artists such as Leigh Nash and Twila Paris.

There are eleven songs on the album and it has a play time of just under an hour.

The first song on the album is Fill This Place. The song is from Red Rocks Worship, which is the worship team for Red Rocks Church in Golden, Colorado. The song features Jake Espy, Adaeze Azubuike and Jerrica Matrone. The song was written by Espy and Matrone. It has a kind of alt rock styling and great vocals and terrific harmonies.

The second song is Love From The Start. It is from SEU Worship, the campus ministry at South Eastern University in Lakeland, Florida. The song is from the SEU Worship album, So All The World Will Know. Chase Wagner, the Campus Worship Pastor for SEU Worship, wrote the song. It is a terrific light rock anthem. It's about the love that Jesus has had for us from the very start.

Zach Loomis is the worship leader for the Journey Community Church in Fairview Park, Ohio. He is the featured vocalist for the song There Is A King. This is a slower ballad dedicated to Jesus.

The National Community Church is in Washington, D.C. Their worship leader is Kurtis Parks. The church's worship team is now called 714, after 2 Chronicles 7:14 which is about revival. The church's song on the album is called Revive. It is a beautiful ballad that asks Jesus to revive our faith and turn us to him.

Be Exalted is a mellow, folk rock styled song. It is sung by Vinnie Zarletti, who is the worship leader and creative arts pastor for the New Life Church in Princeton, Minnesota.

Nate Marialke is the worship leader for the Rochester First Assembly in Rochester, Minnesota. He does the lead vocals for the song I Still Believe. This is more of a rock styled tune with toe tapping music.

Zach Loomis does another song on the album. On the song Always More, Zach is helped out by Brian Johnson, who in addition to being one of the worship leaders for Journey Community Church, was also featured earlier this year on the NBC musical talent show, The Voice. Like the previous song featuring Loomis, this is a slow and endearing ballad.

The anthem styled This Is Revival (Open Up Our Eyes) is a live recording from Mark Alan Schoolmeesters and Emmanuel Live, the music worship team for the Emmanuel Christian Center in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota. It is about giving everything we have and all that we are to Jesus.

Brad and Rebekah Bichsel work as worship evangelists for the Christ's Church of the Valley, in Surprise, Arizona. They also have a terrific music ministry separate from the church. Brad and Rebekah are featured in the song When We Gather. It is a ballad with terrific duet vocals from Brad and Rebekah.

Brandon and Jerah Divine are worship leaders for The Church at Chapelhill in Douglasville, Georgia. They provide the song Faithful God for the album. Jerah does the lead vocals for the song. Her voice on the song reminded me a bit or Twila Paris.

The album closes with the song Holy Fire. The song features Clayton Brooks, who is the worship leader for The Oaks Fellowship in Red Oak, Texas. It is a slow song with a little R & B styling mixed with a rock guitar anthem.

SOAR is probably one of the best modern worship albums that I've ever heard. The message in each song attempts to bring the listener to a closer relationship with Jesus. And the music itself is moving, energetic and spirt filled.

SOAR: Spirit-Empowered Worship is available on iTunes, amazon.com, the My Healthy Church web site and selected traditional music retailers.

To find out more about the album, visit http://influencemusic.com/soar/ . The web site also has music videos from several songs off the Soar album.

Bac k to the BVS Reviews Main Menu