Exciting Info And An Insider's Heart on Hillsong's First Chapel Album

Greetings Praisecharts Readers!

It's been a year of new beginnings at Hillsong Church. Just within our worship team we have embarked on many new endeavours and continue to see our team grow and take on the opportunity to be a part of their local church.  On any given weekend we have over 36 different services across our Sydney and Brisbane campuses alone.

Yet, we know that churches the world over come in all shapes and sizes. Each week across the globe, believers gather together in large meetings in large buildings, new buildings and historic buildings, in small meetings in home churches and every type of gathering in between. Even just within our own church, we are constantly adapting and adjusting what we do to suit the size of the venue and create an atmosphere appropriate for who and how many people are there.

It is our role as worship leaders and musicians to help create the most inspiring and inviting atmosphere for worship within our churches. I like how our Senior Pastor, Bobbie Houston, describes this as 'setting the table’. A full 10-piece band in a room with 30 people is likely to be setting the wrong table... and while most of us would see the error in that scenario, the reality is that we are all faced with re-thinking how we arrange our songs and how we can better musically approach our church environment.

It's amazing the difference that some small changes can make. Changing the key so you can sing quieter; slightly slowing a quick song; using less instruments; being creative with drums and percussion...

Earlier this year, our team gathered in our Chapel, a small and much-loved glass and sandstone building on the back of our church property, for a night of worship. It was intimate, it was kind of acoustic, it was our team and it was definitely one of my most favorite meetings. And what's more...we recorded it!

The lights were low and the small chapel was filled with expectancy. To hear some of my favorite songs, ‘unpacked’ and played in a way that made sense in that context and to hear the voices of the church drown out the band, was something I'll never forget.  This night was all about encountering and worshipping God, though beyond the night itself, our hope is that this project will help worship teams approach times of worship with an even greater sensitivity and creativity, regardless of the size of your congregation.

It is coming out later this year, Hillsong’s first Chapel album “Yahweh” - an intimate and devotional collection of some of our favorite songs and my hope is that this album will encourage and excite you for all God is doing in and through your worship team, as you serve God and others with creativity and love.

Love from ‘down under’
Ben Fielding
(Songwriter, Worship Leader, Pastor, Hillsong Church)