The latest offering from Vineyard Records UK sees Mercy Vineyard of Southampton bring the fruits of their fledgeling songwriting group to the national stage. Headed up by senior pastor Mike Pearson and worship leaders Kate Cooke and Jamie Pearson, this group sought to create songs for their church to sing, with all the passion and intimacy that forms the hallmark of the Vineyard's worship ethos. In essence, a project album (i.e. an album borne out of the initial project of a church songwriting group), this album follows in the footsteps of other such Vineyard UK releases as Beautiful and All from You (both released out of the Burn church in St Albans). It is here where we find the notable link between these albums - Mark James, Henry Cross, Samuel Lane and Jimmy Cooke formed the backbone of the Burn albums, and we find them here, offering the benefits of their vast experience to a church looking to embark upon their own worship project.

I have known countless people over my years in Vineyard churches whose initial encounters with the movement are recalled as times of intimate, empowering, overwhelming worship. What made these times so special in almost every case was the simplicity of the songs, yet the power of the Lord working through the worship. Songs such as Wimber's "Isn't He" and John Barnett's "Jesus, Holy and Anointed One" are, in my humble opinion as timeless, relevant and powerful as "Amazing Grace" and "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross". In the promotional clip for "The Lamb Has Conquered", Mike Pearson alludes to the first John Wimber conference he ever went to, and the heart of Wimber is overwhelmingly prevalent in "Spirit of Jesus". Wimber would have been delighted to write this song, intimate, simple, and not just engaging, but encapsulating of a heart longing for his enduring presence. Learn this song, play it in your churches, and invite the Spirit of Jesus to dwell in your place of worship.

I have previously said of bands such as Jesus Culture and Hillsong United that what I admire about them is their "brand" - the unique mark which makes their worship their own. Kate Cooke has this down to a fine art, melodies cutting through the acoustic folk guitar undertones of her music, and harmonies which complement the already-becoming tones of the worship succinctly. The 6/8 feel of "See the Risen Lord" and "The Lord is my Shepherd" lend a pleasant Celtic slant to the feel, while the picture in the mind's eye of "He Bleeds" comes through as the worshipper is taken to the foot of the cross to witness the Lord's sacrifice for us.

Overall, this is an album worthy of it's endeavours, and lays down a great example of what can be achieved from humble beginnings. I look forward to attending my own church's songwriting group, and can only pray that our endeavours can bring as much worth as this does to a worthy God. Find out first hand the story behind the album here: