Young. Seasoned. Black. White. Yellow. Ties. Dresses. Jeans. T-shirts.  Gray hair. Spiked hair. No hair! These are just a few of the words that describe the people before the throne of the One True God as Travis Cottrell leads them into worship. Having a heart for unity among God’s people, Travis can be likened to a bridge, crossing the boundaries crossing the boundaries of denominations and filling in the gaps that separate the Body of Christ from one another. “God has given Travis what I believe is a gift of favor with audiences and congregations,” says author and speaker Beth Moore. “His approach permeates every denominational wall. His warm yet powerful style engages even the most resistant group into irresistible worship.

“There are few people who take me to the place of worship like Travis Cottrell,” admits Reverend Dick Hill, worship pastor at Champion Forrest Baptist Church. “When I’m in the room where he sings, I find my eyes closed and my soul opened. Many times in my office I worship with his CD during devotions. There is tenderness…joy…and awesome strength in Travis’ voice…showing not just the versatility of a voice, but the deep passions of a soul.”

Travis had his own plans when he came to Nashville in 1990 from Boone, North Carolina. He would finish school at Belmont University with a vocal performance degree, pursue an exciting career in the music industry, and be rich and famous in three years-or-less! But God had another plan in store. He graciously met Travis at a crossroad and led him down a life-changing path.

After graduating with a church music degree from Belmont in 1992, Travis began to write songs. His first song, “It’s only Thunder,” landed on Larnelle Harris’ I Choose Joy. His next published work, Waiters: A Youth Musical about Waiting on the Lord, became the year’s best-selling youth musical. He continued to write, and was working as an editor at a music publishing company, when out of the blue, the church he attended lost its minister of worship. At the church’s request, Travis spent the latter part of ’94 and most of ’95 as the worship leader for Two Rivers Baptist Church, a 6,000-plus-member church in Nashville. It was during this providential season that God began to stir Travis’ heart about worship.

God showed Travis John 4:23-24, which says, “A time is coming and is now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and truth.” Travis began to understand that God had not created him only to be a singer, or even a worship leader, but to be a sincere worshiper of the most holy and high God.

“The opportunity of leading worship at Two Rivers Baptist Church that Dr. Jerry Sutton gave me was a blessing,” says Travis. “The experience of working with that church body, choir, orchestra, and drama ministry was an unspeakable blessing. In planning worship, I began to learn at an early age how important it is to try to be sensitive to such a diverse group of people of ages and experiences.”