Amanda Cook is a songwriter and worship leader at Bethel Church. Originally from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Amanda has a dynamic history as a worship leader and songwriter that began at a young age. She has been a part of the Bethel Music family since 2010 and currently ministers in the US and internationally. Her worship wraps words and pictures around what it is like to live honestly and passionately connected to God, discovering greater fullness and wonder in every season with Him.

Amanda has written many anthemic worship songs including “You Make Me Brave”, “Closer”, “I Will Exalt”, and “Shepherd”. Her newest song “You Don’t Miss a Thing” is featured on Bethel Music’s latest album We Will Not Be Shaken. She is featured on past albums including You Make Me Brave, For the Sake of the World , and Be Lifted High; and co-authored numerous songs on Steffany Gretzinger’s solo album, The Undoing.

In 2014, Amanda received three Covenant Awards from GMA Canada including Female Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year and Praise and Worship Song of the Year for her worship song, “You Make Me Brave”. Her next project is currently underway. When she is not traveling, she and her husband, Jacob, enjoy life and community at home in Redding, California.

Amber Brooks, an Alabama native, is a worshipper and GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter who has a heart to see generations encounter God like never before. She was a student at MorningStar University and upon graduating, joined the worship department staff of MorningStar Fellowship Church and served there for four years. She has traveled extensively both nationally and internationally to lead worship and has released two worship albums. Her songs have been recorded by artists such as MorningStar, Tye Tribbett (Motown Gospel/Capitol CMG) and Christine D’Clario (Integrity Music). She currently resides in Raleigh, NC and serves as Worship Director at Catch The Fire Raleigh.

About Bethel Music:

"Big House is a Worship Arts Community and Local Church situated in Norfolk, Virginia. Big House holds worship as the highest form of artistic expression, revealing through creation the nature of the Creator. Founded by Adam Cates in 2008, the Big House community is a collective of many gifted songwriters, poets, musicians and artists. This community consistently breaks down dualistic barriers between sacred and secular as many of its worship leaders are just as at home singing in coffee shops and clubs as they are leading a congregation in heartfelt worship. At its core Big House exists for the pleasure of the Father and his son Jesus Christ. Intimate friendship and partnership with Divinity inspires the songs and sounds of the Big House."

Brian Morykon’s stories and songs open the backdoor of the heart so the Father’s love can sneak in. His debut album The Smallest Seed was released in 2013. It’s found good soil in the hearts of many. Currently Brian lives in the Charlotte area with his wife Joy and three children.

Cageless Birds is a genuine community of people who love Jesus and love each other. We live and work at a ministry called A Place for the Heart and the surrounding area. We love to create and we have a passion to see this generation encounter the love and adoption of the Father.

 Our mission is to be an authentic community of artists and musicians who create out of wholeness and inspire the world into their freedom and true identity. We see a world free and alive in the fullness of their identity, creating in confidence as the children of God.

View Music Under Jonathan & Melissa Helser

Some people, like some cars, are built for speed. Designed aerodynamically, fueled by lightening and geared toward performance, these models captivate, amaze and delight. They—the ‘rock stars’ of our day—create spectacular moments of glory. But humanly speaking, if you’re built for your own glory, you’re going to burn out.

For worship leader/musician/songwriter Dave Fitzgerald, it’s the slow burn that fuels everything, an unwavering passion for God’s presence as experienced in authentic worship. His calling was built for going the distance. Designed not for fame or notoriety, but for the long haul, his life is spent in steady pursuit of Kingdom work this side of Heaven.

Fitzgerald’s Kingsway worship debut, Hope of Heaven, certainly bears out this idea, although a five-star reception on iTunes might suggest a promise of glory, if that was the point. Instead, it is the realization of a dream born in the heart of a 14-year old Pennsylvania-born drummer boy, the live CD embodies the collaborative, vertical approach to worship.

Featuring special guests Brian and Jenn Johnson, Rita Springer, Chris McClarney, Christa Black, Kristene Mueller-DiMarco and backup from the amazing army of Jesus Culture musicians, Hope of Heaven delivers on both fronts. It’s an eclectic collection of 10 powerful songs with a Euro-pop feel, full of piano driven anthems and melodic guitars—all recorded live at Bethel Church in Redding, California.

Hope that doesn’t disappoint, love that doesn’t fail, joy that doesn’t fade; I believe that all of these things are found in the Person of Jesus Christ. The desire of my heart is that every person that listens to my music would be filled with a sense of hope, experience God the Father’s love, and be drawn into the beauty of Christ. This is what I sing about. This is the reason I play music.

My name is David Olinger. I’m a songwriter and musician from Winston Salem, NC. I moved to North Carolina in 2008 to become a part of a church plant called Awake Church. It’s been a perfect fit. Currently, I’m leading worship there, and also pastoring the 18-30’s college ministry. Originally from Pennsylvania, I will always be a “Northerner” at heart. Although, I prefer the food and music of the South.

I’ve been writing songs and playing music for the past 15 years. I’ve found that songwriting is my way of journaling. The music that I write is, simply, my dialogue with the Lord put to melody. My prayer is that these musical journal entries would ignite hope inside of every person that listens, and that they would hear the voice of their loving Father over every other voice. They would hear Him singing His love song over their life.

-David Olinger

Swan Song offers five original tracks with engaging arrangements, poignant lyrics and haunting melodies. Moved by the metaphor of a swan’s last exhale before departing this life, Hunter’s crafted lyrics and soundscapes explore the paradox that life is a vapor, while being ever connected to eternity. Marked by phrases like “May I sing as if these words would be my last…,” the album takes an honest stance toward what it means to remain unreserved in love even when life’s circumstances try to convince us otherwise.

Hunter’s songs are raw, vulnerable and ultimately hopeful. Declaring “at the end of my days, I’ll look back and I’ll say, it’s worth it just to love You, worth it just to love You,” the album’s overall tone is reminiscent of David’s psalms, reflecting themes of resilience and rising again. In its entirety, the project is a powerful acknowledgement of who we are and who we become not in spite of pain, but through it.

“This record is for those who have withstood the test of time and have chosen to stay the course,” writes Hunter in his album dedication, “We have fought a noble fight; we have fallen, but kept crawling forward. We’ve been misunderstood, and some of us have been broken. To all of you, may your ears be met by a familiar voice, and may your heart have permission to give it one more try.”

Raleigh NC native Jess Ray has been writing and recording music for the past ten years. She spent most of that decade in bands and collaborations which helped her to find her signature "friendly-folk" sound. In recent years, Jess has release her first two solo records - the first a live worship project entitled PURE Live: Psalms, Hymns and Songs of the Spirit (April 2014). The second a spiritual folk-rock record called Sentimental Creatures" (May 2015). Jess strives to write music that is deeply spiritual and highly creative, in hopes of connecting with many people in and out of the church. 

John Mark McMillan is something of an anomaly. From the very beginning of his career, nearly a decade ago, his music has defied easy categorization. A singer-songwriter as interested in musical exploration as lyrical exploration, McMillan carved his own path from the outset—with an ear for melody with a poet’s eye for metaphor—no topic was off-limits: death and love; isolation and exultation; restlessness and silence. And always consistent—an ongoing dialogue with God, ever-wrestling for some kind of blessing and usually at volumes most suited for rock clubs. Now, ten long years in, McMillan is set to release Borderland, his fourth studio album and arguably his finest.

Jonathan and Melissa Helser are worshiper leaders and songwriters whose hearts bleed to to see a generation get wrecked by the love of God. The songs they sing come from the journey they have taken. The albums they have recorded come from their collisions with God's heart. The dream of their heart is to simply waste their life worshiping Jesus.

They have two amazing children and live in the Sophia, North Carolina where they lead a a multi generation ministry with Ken and Linda Helser called" A Place for the Heart." For the last 14 years they have pioneered and lead a school of the heart called the "18 inch journey." For more information you can go towww.jonathanhelser.com and www.18inchjourney.com

Laura Cooke’s travels have taken her to 26 countries and to many states leading worship, teaching on worship, and helping churches. During her years as the Worship and Creative Arts Director at ORU, she not only led campus worship and coordinated bands, but she also trained and sent over 250 students on worship mission trips to 25 countries. Currently, Laura is obtaining a Masters’ Degree in Business and travels independently as a worship consultant, leading worship and helping to train worship teams across the country.

Leah Mari is a beloved vocalist and worship leader at Bethel Church. Daughter to Bill and Beni Johnson, Leah carries a rich inheritance and value for the presence of God. She began singing at three years old, and continues to express her musicality and sensitivity in worship when she leads or sings background vocals. Leah has contributed her seamless sound on multiple Bethel Music worship albums, and released her own album in 2010 entitled, All I Have Needed. Leah’s album reflects her heart for timeless worship anthems and delivers a refreshing take on classic hymns. Leah is currently devoted to being a full-time mom and lives in Redding with her husband and four children.

Mark and Sarah Tillman are worship leaders and singer/songwriters pursuing the heart of the Lord together as a couple. With the heart of pastors they have an immense passion for creativity and community co-existing in the tension between heaven and earth. Their desire is to see the two worlds come together to become one, releasing a renaissance of worship throughout the earth.

Whether exploring the heart of the Lord in spontaneous song or leading a room of passionate worshipers corporately, their desire is that the love of God would invade and transform every spirit and reveal the heart of the Father. 

Mark and Sarah's first album is entitled "In My Bones." These songs and melodies are a snap shot of their journey and an invitation into their times of praise, seeking, desperation, and hope in the Lord.

Mark Mathis' music is really just a mirror of his life and thought on the above. It approaches the edges of pretense, soars to the heights of worship, and tries to have as much interesting musical fun as possible. A songwriter at heart, Mark loves to communicate ideas and feelings that bring about personal change and challenge the listener. He recently released his eighth album, Night Hymns, and is chasing two small children around Charlotte, NC.

I’ve had the privilege over the last 25 years or so to travel around the world. I’ve recognized how fortunate and blessed we are in the West. We don’t just have food; we have several different choices of food. We don’t just have coffee; we have lattes and cappuccinos. We have toilets that are inside our homes with running water at almost every location coast to coast. I don’t believe there is anything wrong with having wonderful things or great conveniences, and we shouldn’t feel bad about that.

However, I also believe that with every privilege given to us there is a purpose attached to it. Consider Queen Esther’s (from the Bible) life for a mo- ment. Esther was a stunningly beautiful woman. That privilege granted her access to the king’s palace. She had ser- vants attending her and almost unimaginable comforts and privilege surrounding her. She had everything she needed or wanted. But there was a mo- ment in time when the purpose for all of her privilege, favor and beauty emerged. She realized that she could leverage her privilege to save thousands of lives from death.

The same thing happened with Oscar Schindler. During the Holocaust when the Jews were being slaughtered he saw that his incredible privilege positioned him to save lives. He didn’t sell everything he had to give it away, he leveraged his business and skills in several areas to insure his work could continue. I believe every person on the planet who has privilege has similar opportuni- ties. When I realized this myself I started asking God to show me the purpose of my privilege

—Hydrating Humanity was born a short time later.

We are using the privilege we have here in the West to pro- vide clean drinking water and hygiene education in East Afri- ca where waterborne disease is still one the biggest mortality threats among children. What are your skills and tal- ents? Do you own a business or have a gifting of some sort? Ask the Creator of the Universe to show you how to use what you already have; how to lever- ageitanduseitinawaythat honors the privilege He has given you. Every privilege has a purpose. We found ours and we invite you join us in bringing safe clean water, hygiene education and hope to millions in Africa. Together we can change the world – one well at a time

Michaela McLaird is a worship leader and songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee.
She released The Morning Sun EP in 2012 with the purpose of documenting the songs in her heart.
She currently lives in Redding, CA where she leads worship for Bethel Church's young adults group as well as The Worship Room. She is still writing songs as she attends college and works as a preschool teacher and finds inspiration in the mountains of Northern California.

We are the worship community of River Church Charlotte. We exist to release music that carries the presence of God. Our heart is that all would encounter Jesus, the hope of the world.

Rob Jones is Worship Pastor and a Singer Songwriter. His heart is to create in himself and others a heart that longs to know the Lord. He grew up in a moving truck but would claim Concord North Carolina his hometown. Now living in the DFW area in Texas, Rob has been blessed with a beautiful wife and daughter. Rob is excited to see how God will use the new album coming out soon to change peoples hearts.

Sallie grew up singing and writing songs all over eastern North Carolina.
She came from a long line of preachers and teachers and lived in the mission
field with her family as a child. Her love for Jesus sprang up from those
deep roots of faith. In college, Sallie learned guitar and began to write
songs prolifically, sang for the love of worship in any venue opened to her,
and has never stopped. In the spring of 2000, she had an encounter with God
that broadened and changed her perspective on worship forever. "Worship is
not the songs we sing; but as God's creation, we are worship to him." That
same week she began her journey as worship pastor with a small church in
Raleigh NC and has continued to lead congregations in worship, continuing to
write and perform her songs in every open venue.

In 2001 she met and married the love of her life, Elijah. They currently
live in Lincolnton NC with their three children, two dogs and newly rescued
stray cat.

Sarah McMillan grew up in Vidalia GA, a rural southern town that's famous for sweet onions. Her passion for worship and the arts swelled in the late 90's while touring North and South America with performance companies like Ben and Robin Pasley's "Enter the Worship Circle".

Relocating to North Carolina in 2000, Sarah planned to study and develop her skills as a potter. At the same time she developed relationships with singers of the area and became heavily evolved in the flourishing community of worshipers and artists. Before long she began to write and sing her own unique variety of sweet rootsy material. Sarah McMillan's folky compositions are intimate, anthemic, accessible and always sincere. She and her husband John Mark McMillan live in Charlotte with their three children Jude, Moses, and Louisa.

Sean Feucht is a husband, father, missionary, musician, speaker, author and founder of a grassroots global worship, prayer and missions organization; Burn 24/7. His lifelong quest and dream is to witness a generation of burning hearts arise across the nations of the world with renewed faith, vision and sacrificial pursuit after the Presence of God. He travels to 20-30 nations per year planting furnaces of worship and prayer, training, mobilizing, leading worship and speaking. He has produced, recorded and released fifteen music albums, numerous books and teaching resources. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Kate, and is obsessed with their three children: Keturah (4), Malachi (2) and Ezra (1). He currently resides in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - when he is not on planes, trains or automobiles.

The music of North Carolina’s Songs of Water carries a universal appeal that cross- pollinates with genres from across the world. While maintaining roots in American- Folk, Classical, even subtle Bluegrass traditions, this Art-Driven music is heavily informed by a global perspective.

The band’s previous works maintain a largely instrumental landscape. However, in the spirit of forward thinking, their 2015 release, "Stars and Dust" ventures into the realm of lyrics, adorning raw, cinematic compositions with surrealist, poetic imagery and lush vocal layering.

Much like the earthly element from which they draw their name, the music of Songs Of Water ebbs and flows, pulsing with life, beauty and energy.

What does it look like to worship through the process of growth, love, pain, and healing? The Undoing is Steffany’s whole-hearted response to this question and the journey that it beckons, resulting in 11 lyrically-rich tracks bearing honest lyrics, fresh melodies and unique instrumentation. Some songs began in spontaneous worship, whilst others began as personal prayers or were written for friends. The Undoing invites listeners to embrace not so much the destinations we reach with God, but the many processes we walk out in this life with Him: the crucial moments along the way. It is from this place that Steffany has translated her experiences and passion into songs that are meant to last.

Artist with Bethel

Stephen Roach is a multi-instrumentalist, poet, songwriter, speaker and author. He is the founding member of the Indie-pop group, Songs of Water on Freshwater Records.He has written and recorded five CDs, produced music for independent films and has contributed to the works of numerous recording artists including Ricky Skaggs, Leonard Jones, Jonathan David Helser, John Mark McMillan, Sean Feucht, and many others.

Stephen travels internationally and teaches on creativity and the pursuit of God. He has self-published two collections of poems, The Beckoning and A Strange Innocence, and a children's book entitled, Satchel Willoughby & The Realm of Lost Things. Stephen is the founder of the Christian arts collective, The Breath & The Clay. He and his wife Sarah live in Greensboro, North Carolina with their beautiful children, Evangelyn Belle and Isaac Brighton.

Suzy Wills Yaraei is a gifted song writer, worship leader, speaker, jazz and pop vocalist, and author. Her four original worship CDs, Simple, Shining, Spin, Praise is Beautiful and Rocket , are full of powerful and moving songs. Suzy's has helped countless people across the globe into freedom of creative expression in worshiping God and discovering who they are in Christ. She is widely known for her deep level of prophetic and spontaneous singing and her heart to release others to do the same. In worship consulting, schools, conferences, and meetings worldwide, she releases and encourages musicians, worship leaders, and all worshipers in the body of Christ to higher and deeper levels of worship in music and as a life style beyond rules and traditions and within the borders of Christ’s love.

Prior to this, she sang professionally with Reba McEntire, Wynonna Judd, Alan Jackson, Kathy Mattea and many other successful recording artists out of Nashville, TN. She has appeared on many TV shows such as Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Today Show, Grammies and more.

Suzy also has a rich jazz inheritance and she performs at clubs, parties and events such as Talia Espresso in Wilkesboro, NC with Chad Lawson and other renown musicians through the Heart of Folk series.

Her first book, War and Paradise, is a fantastic inspirational journey that will lift you up and fill you with faith, hope, courage, and passion for your life and the lives of others.

The Hedgerow Folk was formed out of a local church body in Auburn, Alabama in 2012 where Amanda Hammett and Jon Myles were leading worship together. The two realized very quickly that there was something special about the combination of their voices and began to pursue the idea of recording some original music. Jon had been in a few previous bands but was sensing the Lord leading him to begin to write in a new kind of way that centered around quiet reflection and being in an intimate relationship with Christ. Bryant Hains and Jon had previously played together in another band for several years and had really begun to have a mutual respect for each other as artists, recognizing that each one had something unique to offer when it came to creating music. After some prayer and consideration, Jon, Bryant, and Amanda began working and writing together and eventually solidified their group under the name The Hedgerow Folk (taken from a line of a C.S. Lewis poem).

"We really felt early on that whatever we created should be a blessing to all those who might hear it. We see ourselves now as more of a ministry than a band in the conventional sense, and our desire, above all else, is to be useful in connecting people with the Father. We want to create art that leads people to slow down, reflect, and hear God's voice in their lives."