Great news! So what is your favourite song out of all the songs you’ve composed?
My favourite song always changes. (laughs) At the moment it’s a song called ‘Everything’. It’s just about God being in our everyday life. In our sleep, in our work, in our dream, and our hurting... all these things that God is in the centre of. It’s about Christ being our hope and our reason for living, and just the sense that worship is all for Him. The song will be in the new album.
What awaits you in the next couple of months?
I’m still settling here in HTB as a worship pastor. I’ve just been here 6 months, so we’re just kind of growing and developing the worship team here.And then there’s Worship Central. I’ll be involved with training days, and the website (www.worshipcentral.org.uk) will launch on 1 July, 2006. We’re going to do monthly podcasts and retreats — there’s one on February and one in May.
We have six Saturdays (worship training days) planned for next year, where we will present different teachings. We will have theology streams, streams for leaders about leading bands and the church, and then we have a practical stream on improving your skills as a guitarist, drummer, bass player, singer etc.
The heart is to find as many ways possible to resource worship leaders and musicians to strengthen the church.
What changes would you like to see in Christian music today?
I would like to see more authenticity, more passion expressed. I would also like to see some more diversity. I think the danger is that Christian music might start to sound a bit “samey”. We need to see the heavy metal side, the classical side, the acoustic side, hip- hop... God has given us all these sounds and types of music for us to express how great His love is. Sometimes classical music can express the beauty and mystery of God. Sometimes dance music can express the joy of knowing Him. I’d love to see that.
For me, it used to be that the church would set the standard in terms of great music.
Now it feels like it sees what happens in the world, and tries to replicate that - but not quite as well. Rather than following trends, I would like to see the church setting trends in what is great music. I want people to hear music from the church and say that something about it is different. Something about it inspires me.
