Since the inception of New Horizons Worship in 2015, the Lord has allowed many different individuals to intersect at our local church, New Horizons Christian Fellowship. We started as the worship band for our Sunday morning gatherings, but these creative beginnings sparked a movement of individual and collective inspiration, especially through songwriting.

In the summer of 2016, our director, Jake Shivley, encouraged us to write with a sense of corporate worship in mind, and to lead our local fellowship with original worship music. During this time, we sought the heart of our church, community, and our world; to know the Father’s heart and what He was saying here and now. The first song we wrote collectively was “Free Indeed”. It was fitting, because it was almost like a call to worship; calling attention to the freedom believers have through the Holy Spirit; fixing our eyes and hearts on Jesus. The song calls us to a realization that sin and shame can’t separate us from the love of Christ, and we are more than conquerors as His sons and daughters in the Kingdom of God. What a start!

Many songs were birthed in the following months: songs of surrender and communion with Christ, declarations of praise, adoration and the goodness of God, ballads of struggling to trust God in the hard seasons of life, and refrains that echo the songs of heaven and earth. It was incredible capturing with pen and paper, voice and instrument, what the Lord was doing in and through us!

Fast-forward to the beginning of 2017. We wanted to share with others what we were getting. A 4-song demo (created and produced within the church with the help of Cori Shivley) and a few events helped us raise enough funds to begin recording and producing a full-length album at a local studio.  We were so excited for our first project to go public and are still thankful for Let Praises Rise!