THE PORTER'S GATE RELEASES NEW PROJECT, NEIGHBOR SONGS, TODAY
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NEWS SOURCE: Merge PR October 25, 2019
NASHVILLE, TENN. - (October 25, 2019) - Integrity Music and The Porter's Gate, a sacred ecumenical arts collective, release their second project, Neighbor Songs, today (click here). Artists featured on Neighbor Songs include Josh Garrels, Audrey Assad, Casey J, Leslie Jordan (from All Sons & Daughters), Zach Bolen (of the band Citizens), Urban Doxology, Diana Gameros, Latifah Alattas, Lauren Goans, and Paul Zach, among others.
“We wanted to involve the people who are really dealing with the pressing questions and issues of our times—the people who are coming face-to-face in a daily way with people’s doubts and struggles and questions about the Christian faith—and put those people in a room with other songwriters and worship leaders," Isaac Wardell shares. "In many cases, we actually paired theologians and songwriters together in the songwriting process. We had a lot of beautiful, surprising moments of really coming up with things that could not have been written any other way except having that group of people in the room.”
In celebration of the album release, The Porter's Gate shares the official live video of their song, "Daughters of Zion," led by Casey J, Urban Doxology and Paul Zach in tandem with the album's studio recording featuring Josh Garrels and Casey J.
“Songs of Lament are all over the psalms, but in recent times, lament has lost its important place in many of our worship services," shares Wardell. "The song ‘Daughters of Zion’ is a song of lament inspired by the third chapter of Zephaniah when the prophet foresees a day when the Daughters of Zion will rejoice and eat and sleep with no fear. In a time when there are so many ways that women in the church are abused and silenced, we hope that this song is an opportunity to pause and to lament that many of God's daughters continue to await the day of rejoicing in the house of the Lord. Come, Lord Jesus, we pray.”
The Porter's Gate was founded in 2017 by Isaac and Megan Wardell with a mission to be a "porter" for the Christian Church - one who looks beyond church doors for guests to welcome. It started as a group of 50-plus songwriters, musicians, scholars, pastors and music industry professionals from a variety of worship traditions and cultural backgrounds gathered for meaningful conversation about worship and vocation. The result was the release of Work Songs.
They hosted a second gathering in Nashville in January 2019; but this time, they intentionally curated a select group of greater diversity boasting more than 50 songwriters, theologians, pastors and worship leaders from a variety of cultures and worship traditions. The intent was to cross lines of difference in order to facilitate healthy conversations. The album covers an array of current topics in which we can all learn to better love our neighbors. Some of these topics include uplifting and lamenting with women in the church who have been silenced or abused ("Daughters of Zion"), loving the least of these as we love Jesus ("He Is Among Us [The Least of These])" and welcoming others of difference rather than fearing them ("Nothing To Fear").
“More and more of our friends and loved ones, for very legitimate reasons, are becoming disenfranchised with the Church and are looking to be spiritually nurtured other places outside of the Church,” Wardell contends. “We want to double down on our commitment that God is at work in the worship of the Church, and we want Neighbor Songs to be just one of the thousands of things going on in the world that are all about the renewal of worship in the Church.”
This Friday, August 22, 2025
ALBUMS The Choir Room Love Never Fails [Centricity] Travis Greene Made in the South [Tribl] Lecrae Reconstruction [Reach] Lizzie Morgan Not My Will [Provident] Josiah Queen MT. ZION [Capitol CMG]
SINGLES John Allan Heaven Secrets - Single [Centricity] Seth Davey The Highs and Lows - Single (independent) Darlene Zschech, CeCe Winans Shout To The Lord - Single [The Fuel] Dex the nerd who loves Jesus GRACE - Single [Syntax] Drea LP & OnBeatMusic A Sign - Single [Syntax] Dust and Grace Hallelujah - Single [MTS] Anthony Evans You're Not Finished (feat. Kaleb Carson) - Single [SJP] Fepeste That's Okay - Single [Velvet Blue] Forrest Frank THE ROCK (feat. Crowder) - Single [River House / 10K] Good Weather Forecast Today (feat. Elijah Thomas) - Single [DREAM] J.Solo Fair Warning ft. Knaladeus - Single [Syntax] Tasha Layton The One You Love (feat. Rachael Lampa) - Single [BEC] Mainstream Worship Invitation - Single [DREAM Worship] Tyson Motsenbocker Future Seer - Single [Tooth & Nail] Polished Arrow Bitter Waters - Single [Polished Arrow] R.kitect, RJ Payne, m1L Lion King - Single [Syntax] Rave Jesus I Met God On The Dancefloor - Single [Provident] Saints in Exile & Czar Josh Becoming the Villain (Remix) - Single [Syntax] Mackenna Swann Focusing on the Light - Single [Rixon] tonyxtrotter Days of Old - Single [Syntax] tylerhateslife. brave. - Single [Syntax] V1 Worship Been So Faithful - Single [DREAM Worship] Zach Williams Hated - Single [Provident]
This Saturday, August 23, 2025
ALBUMS Brandon Hixson The Dawn of Mercy (independent)
Next Friday, August 29, 2025
ALBUMS Jenn Chenoweth Out To Get Me - EP (independent) Paul and Hannah McClure After Your Heart (Live) [Bethel]
SINGLES Ashes Awaken A Better Way - Single [MTS] CAIN Jesus Lifted Me (feat. Brooke Ligertwood) - Single [Provident] MATTHEWS Don't Stop 'Til - Single [Curb] Vineyard Worship Joy In Obedience - Single [Vineyard UK] Zane Walls Dry Bones - Single [DREAM]
Brandon Hixson Releases Deeply Personal Project, "The Dawn of Mercy"
The Choir Room Love Never Fails [Centricity]
