With Free Chapel Music's release of their Here I Am EP, JFH writer Josh Balogh caught up with Jonathan Etienne, Free Chapel Worship and Creative Arts Director, to talk about the church's music ministry, their new EP, and what their writing process is like...
This interview took place on: September 11, 2018.


  FreeChapelMusic

JFH (Josh Balogh): Can you tell us about the history of Free Chapel Music?

Jonathan Etienne: As a church, we have been writing and recording original worship music since 2007, under the direction of worship leaders during those years, including Grammy and Dove Award winning songwriters and musiciansm, like Ricardo Sanchez, Israel Houghton and Micah Massey. We have produced a number of albums, including Moving Forward, Power of the Cross, Echo and I Hear The Sound.

JFH (Josh): For those (like myself) unfamiliar with the Free Chapel worship team, who are we hearing featured on these five songs?

Jonathan: For the Here I Am EP, we are featuring three different members from our worship team from our campuses, including myself, and Worship Directors Lucas Aguilar and Shauntrice Laura.

JFH (Josh): I notice quite a few years between releases from Free Chapel Music, what was the impetus behind releasing this set of songs now?

Jonathan: Our team has been praying, fasting, and writing over the last two years, specifically. We have been redefining our sound as a church. As God is pouring out, we are writing. Timing is everything, and we believe that we have a message that needs to be shared with the world for this season.

JFH (Josh): What message(s) are you seeking to communicate with Here I Am?

Jonathan: The song "Here I Am" was inspired by a message from our Orange County Campus Pastor, Ben Prescott, during the 2016 Forward Conference. In his message, Pastor Ben told the audience that the direction of anyone's life can radically change while in the presence of God. Inspired by the message, my wife and I wrote the song together in the following months. We referenced the passage in Isaiah 6, where God was saying, “Whom shall I send?”, and Isaiah responded, “Here I am.” God is looking for those who are willing to follow Him, and this anthem is the cry of our heart in response to His call.

JFH (Josh): What is the songwriting process for your team? Do certain individuals submit finished songs, or is there a collaboration process to the writing?

Jonathan: The songwriting process looks different for every song. We have individuals on the team writing, as well as collaborating throughout the process. When we sat down to define Free Chapel Music, we came up with the mission statement, “It’s not about a face, it’s about a sound.” This mission holds true in our songwriting.

JFH (Josh): With the abundance of options in the worship genre right now, what is Free Chapel doing to stand out from the crowd?

Jonathan: We hope this worship will lead people to chase recklessly after the heart of God. Our team wants these songs, and any songs we write, to be an anthem that always points every believer's compass to the love of Jesus.

JFH (Josh): Is there anything else that you would want listeners to know about these songs or the Free Chapel worship team?

Jonathan: At Free Chapel, one of our core values is to, “Honor Yesterday, Inspire Tomorrow.” We want the worship of Free Chapel Music to connect every believer to the heart of God, no matter their age or background. We are excited to share these songs with the world, and are already in the process of writing more. This is only the beginning.

Free Chapel Music's latest album, Here I Am is available now wherever music is sold!