Bless the Lord O my soul

b Watford, Herts 1974. Brought up from the age of 2 to attend St Andrew’s Church (CofE), Chorleywood, Herts, he learned there to value varied styles of Christian music. His Christian faith became ‘official’ at the Luis Palau London mission in 1984. He learned guitar at 15 and began songwriting at 19; he was encouraged to lead the music in the home group, youth group, then Sunday services and more widely at youth houseparties for other churches. From his early partnership in music with Mike Pilavachi grew the beginnings of ‘Soul Survivor’ in Somerset. Here he was the main ‘worship leader’ and he remained involved for a dozen years as it became an annual gathering of teens and 20s—from 1,800 in 1993 to over 21,000 in 2005. A first album, ‘Wake Up My Soul’ came in 1994; ‘Passion for Your Name’ followed in 1997. He took a leading part in New Wine, Spring Harvest, Greenbelt and similar events in the USA, where he spent a 6-month sabbatical in 2002, and elsewhere. He sees the congregational songwriter as poet, prophet, proclaimer and pastor, and in addition to his recorded albums, among his books are Face Down (2004) and The Unquenchable Worshipper. He is credited with ‘narrowing the gap between worship and pop music’. He shares in ‘The People’s Album’ project to encourage other young songwriters. From 2002 he became involved in Christian music leadership at the Church of Christ the King, Brighton, Sussex, and has recently worked on ‘fusing’ old and new by adding stanzas to traditional hymn texts. A small book by Matt and Beth Redman, Blessed be your name, was based on his recent song and published in 2005; his CDs include one with that title; also We shall not be Shaken and The Ultimate Collection. See also the dozen references to his work and doctrine in Pete Ward’s Selling Worship (2005, as for G Kendrick). No.430, 1251.