Pastor Erik Reed planted The Journey Church (TJC) 17 years ago in Lebanon, Tennessee. The church bases itself on some core values, including gospel-rich theology, pompous-free realness, and Great Commission-inspired ambition.
Brett Perkins, the worship pastor from Journey Church, says these three values, including biblical integrity and steadfast creativity, influence the creative approach taken by Journey Worship Co., the church’s 40-member-plus praise team.
The Journey Worship Co. comprises musicians, vocalists, writers, and a tech team. Brett believes that being part of a local church is the most important part of the worship band’s ministry: “It keeps us grounded, and it keeps our ‘why’ in front of us.”
About their music, Brett said: “We want the songs we write and sing to be truthful, clear, and interesting. Too often, you see one sacrificed over the other in worship music. Either content is sacrificed at the altar of creativity, and you have a creative song that is more ambiguous than clear. Or, you have a super-rich song—lyrically—but nothing creatively interesting about it. We are intentional about both.”
I connected with Brett to talk about the Journey Worship Co’s humble beginnings, the evolution of their music, touring, and their recent Christmas worship singles, "My Soul Magnifies the Lord" and "Glory in the Highest."
Tell us your story and how you joined the Journey Worship Co.
Since 2009, I traveled with my own band, leading worship for various organizations and churches across the eastern part of the country. I came to The Journey Church in 2016 to be a part of what God was doing at that church. After a couple of years, my desires shifted away from the solo approach toward more of a collective approach. I was in a place where I believed—and still believe—it serves the church better with more voices and leaders.
For a few years, I worked on that shift inside the walls at TJC and then worked through what it would look like to merge what we were doing at home—at TJC—with what we were doing on the road with my band. In 2020, when everything shut down, we put everything on the table to be re-evaluated. This also presented the opportunity to turn the page and make the shift I had been desiring to make.
In September of that year, we had a team night where our entire crew—probably 30 at the time—gathered to eat, hang, and cast vision. I pitched the idea of us writing together and fighting for truth on behalf of our people. Writing and leading songs that used the language we spoke inside our walls at The Journey Church but didn’t compromise the Word. They were all on board and our journey began. It’s fun to think back to the beginning.
When did Journey Worship Co. become recording artists, and why? How often do you tour other churches, festivals, and other locations?
We recorded our first project, which was a live record, in February 2021. And released our first studio singles later in the year: “With Christ” in May and “Come to the Lord” in June. We then followed that with a runway of live singles and then the full record in August.
The entire purpose of the recording was to serve our people at The Journey Church. We always knew there was a possibility of other churches finding us and using our songs in their contexts, but our “why” has always been to fight for the truth for our people.
That said, we have been able to continue our ministry beyond the walls of TJC. Our springs and summers are usually full, and then our falls have been slower. On average, though, we’re out about twice a month for a couple of days at a time—sometimes more—with pockets of intentional time off the road to focus on home. Next year is almost full, so we’re excited about that.
What genre of music does Journey Worship Co. prefer to play?
Our genre would probably be explained differently depending on whom you ask. We’re a blend of a lot of influences. The technical lane we’d probably land in is rock. But we’re a full-on worship band. So, I’m cool with just claiming worship as a genre; however, that might be interpreted.
Tell us about Journey Worship’s latest Christmas singles, “My Soul Magnifies the Lord” and "Glory in the Highest." Share what inspired the new songs, specific themes, and so on.
As we considered the message of Christmas and our approach to writing something that felt new, we keyed in on the prophecies from the Old Testament and the promised Messiah. Many Christmas songs talk about what the coming Messiah will do when He gets here, or they celebrate His arrival without explaining why it mattered that He came. They’ll stop before saying, “He came. He’s here. This is what He came for. This is what He accomplished.” (Not all, but many)
We wanted to emphasize the fulfillment of God’s promise. If Easter is the execution of God’s plan to save His people, then Christmas is the initiation of that plan to save them. We didn’t want to stop at the manger. We wanted to get to the cross in both songs (And in the songs that are coming). We believed that really rounds out the message of Christmas. Without the cross, Jesus is just another ordinary birth story. But we know there’s more to it than that.
What makes a good Christmas song?
Growing up around hymns and carols, all Christmas songs have a nostalgia that makes them special to me. The older I get, though, the more I lean toward songs that share a fuller Christmas story. Music that shares the meaning behind Christ’s coming to us. Those songs remind me of the intentionality of God for His people.
This is a very important question. When should you decorate your house before Thanksgiving or after Thanksgiving? Why?
Uh, is the day after Halloween too early to be an option? I’m a Christmas guy. We listen to holiday music early and continue into the new year. We jump at the decorations as soon as we can.
Tell us about your Volume One Reimagined for Kids EP. What inspired this new project? How has it been received by listeners?
Our kids' record was a super fun project. Producer Lincoln Davis is the mastermind behind the sound. I just had the idea.
I’m a dad of three boys—all under the age of 6—with another boy on the way in February 2023. We have kids' music blaring periodically at our home. So much of it is great and fun for the kids, but not that enjoyable for parents.
I was on sabbatical last year and thought, “What would it look like to reimagine our Volume One record for kids in such a way that children would love it, but parents wouldn’t think it’s cheeseball? What if parents even preferred it?”
So, we tried it out, and that became Volume One Reimagined for Kids. It has been received well—at least from what people have said to me. They dig the music and are enjoying them with their kids. We have a devotion book coming out soon to accompany the songs. Our Kids’ Pastor, Nick Judd, wrote them. It’s a great resource for parents to help disciple their kids.
What can we expect from Journey Worship Co. in 2023?
You guys are the first to hear this level of detail. We have brand-new music coming in 2023, beginning with our first live single, “Once and For All,” from Volume Two on January 20. We follow that with a single in February, March, and April. And then we will drop our full live record, Volume Two, in May. We also plan on releasing another Green Room Sessions Record, along with our first Christmas project, next year. It will be a full year of releasing new content and I’m so excited.
How can we be praying for you?
Thanks for asking this question. Pray that we will stay focused. I believe we are intentional and focused now. We want to be consistent in our approach and keep the main things in front of us.
Pray for our families and spouses. My wife is the MVP of this entire operation. She is the biggest supporter and the one who sacrifices the most. I could honestly say that about all our spouses (for those who have them).
I believe if you don’t win at home, you won’t win anywhere. So, pray that we continue to win at home, both individually (in our homes) and collectively (at our church home, TJC). Please pray that the Lord would continue to establish the work of our hands for His glory and the good of His people. We desire these things, but we need God’s help in it all for any of them to be possible.
Paul Phillips is a Canadian journalist with 20 years of experience writing and editing digital and print content. He specializes in health, fitness, nutrition, and travel. He loves music, Marvel movies, and, of course, living for Jesus.
NEW!BEHIND THE SONG
#1236 - Brandon Heath
Transforming wounds into stories of redemption in this powerful song
ADVERTISEMENT
NEW!NRT EDITORIAL
Skillet
We explores some of the band's best songs outside their hits
NEW!NRT LISTS
Jordan Merritt
A real conversation around the artist's new track, "Human"
NEW!HEARTSPEAK
Jordan Feliz
The artist's must-listen-to songs about faith, family, and redemption
NEW!AN NRT EXCLUSIVE
Rock Meets Worship
Seven gritty cover songs of popular worship music and hymns
