Interview: Life.Church Worship
Oklahoma's Life.Church Worship is releasing their highly anticipated live album 'God So Good'. Louder Than The Music spoke with the group to find out more about them, their new album and their Bible App.
For those who haven't heard of you before, can you tell us a bit about yourselves and how you got involved in making music?
Life.Church Worship is a collective of worship pastors from Life.Church. As an extension of the church’s mission to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ, Life.Church Worship is passionate about creating music that inspires listeners to pursue a relationship with Jesus. We released our first album, Fully Devoted, in early 2016 for the church’s 20th anniversary, and now we’re releasing our second album, God So Good.
Tell us about your latest release?
Through God So Good, we’ve truly captured the heart and sound of our church. It’s honest, hopeful, and vulnerable. It’s for anyone interested in knowing God - including the person who doesn’t know Him at all, the person who is returning to God after years of running, and the person who has been following Him for decades. Every song was written as a prayer with a specific person and their unique circumstances in mind. Our hope is that these songs won’t just speak to the people of our church, but to the global church as a whole.
Which is you favourite Track off this new album?
We have so many favourites that it’s hard to choose! But we’ve seen God do some amazing things through the song, “Where the Spirit of the Lord Is.” The first verse of the song says, “there is power in this room.” The first time we played it for our staff, we could tangibly feel God’s presence and power fill the room. And it’s that way every time we play it at one of our locations. We thought the song was good, but we had no idea it would move our church the way it has. It’s heightened our awareness of how God is moving in us and in our communities.
If you could work with any songwriter, who would it be and why?
I’d love to work with Ryan Tedder because he gets the pop vibe. Plus, he’s an Oklahoma boy like me, so that would be a cool write. And Bono of course! If I got to collaborate with Bono… there aren’t words to describe how happy I’d be.
How would you describe your style of music?
Life.Church Worship songs reflect the modern sound you’d hear on the weekend at any one of our 33 locations in the U.S. or at Life.Church Online. Each song is an authentic expression of how God is moving in the lives of the people in our church. Whether we’re celebrating victory or acknowledging the brokenness in our lives, each song offers a message of hope.
How would you define success in your career?
Every day, we get to love people, tell them about Jesus, and write and produce songs for the Church. As a Christian musician, I can’t think of a better marker for success than doing what we love for God’s glory. We’re so grateful for the heart of Pastor Craig and Amy Groeschel for fostering an environment where people are trusted to use their gifts. It’s because of the trust they so freely give that we’re able to write these songs about our church and celebrate all that God is doing in our midst.
The YouVersion Bible App is used by so many people, when you released this did you realise how much of an impact it would have?
No, we never could have imagined all that God was going to do through the Bible App. It’s truly humbling! We’re also excited to share about our new YouVersion Bible Plan from Life.Church Worship, based on the new album, God So Good. It is a 5-day devotional that will encourage people in their relationship with Christ and serve as a reminder that no matter the circumstance, we have power and peace available to us through Him. Each day of the plan highlights a different song from the new album, so people can worship along with us as they read the plan and get a sneak peek of some of the songs before the album releases on Sept. 20.
You're stuck on an island, it's hot, you only have enough battery life left to listen to one song on your mp3 player. What track is it?
That’s such a tough question! But right off the top of my head, I’d have to say “The Pretender” by The Foo Fighters. I love the mood of the song, but also what it stands for. The lyrics in the chorus that jump out at me are, “What if I say I’m not like the others?” and “What if I say that I’ll never surrender?” It’s declaring that I’m not going to be a fake. I’m going to be who I am. Either that, or “Africa” by Toto because of its unbelievable melodic structure. It’s so triumphant - I feel like I’m sitting on top of Mount Kilimanjaro!
What does the next year hold for Life.Church Worship?
Honestly, it won’t look too much different than our previous year! As worship pastors, we’ll continue to focus on pastoring the people of our church and leading them to become fully devoted followers of Christ. We’ll continue to listen and watch for the movements of God in our church and in our communities and let that inspire new songs. We don’t have any set plans to announce yet, but there’s more to come from us!
