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 Tuesday, June 3, 2025
SINGLES Sixpence None The Richer The Needle and the Damage Done - Single [Flatiron]
This Friday, June 6, 2025
ALBUMS CCV Hollow (Deluxe) (independent) Ben Fuller Walk Through Fire [Provident] Hopeful. The Wild One - EP (independent) Christy Nockels King Who Never Sleeps; Anthems for Rest [The Fuel] Pastor Mike Jr. God Showing Out - EP [Rock City] Isaiah J. Thompson The Book of Isaiah: Modern Jazz Ministry [Mack Avenue] Chris Whittington Bright Portal 2025 Remastered Version - EP (independent)
SINGLES 7eventh Time Down My Will - Single [BEC] Pat Barrett Praise The Lord Forever - Single [Capitol] Bill B. & Cyrus Sonata Kevlar - Single [Syntax] bodie whisper and the wind (b+CL version) - Single [Provident] Burial Extraction The Overseer - Single [Charon Collective] Elan Brio I'm Satisfied (ft. Henry Israel) - Single (independent) Aaron Cole NOBODY BUT GOD (ft. Parris Chariz and Jon Keith) - Single [RCAI] Equippers Worship Living in Freedom (Live) - Single [DREAM] Kirk Franklin Do It Again - Single [Fo Yo Soul] Good Weather Forecast Pray - Single [DREAM] Ic3rd & EJ Swavv Woke Up (ft. CJ Emulous & George.Rose) - Single [Syntax] King David tha Vessel Consistant - Single (independent) The Kingsmen Wish You Were Here - Single [Horizon] Brandon Lake Daddy's DNA - Single [Provident] Myles Maestro Flood (ft. Ace Savage & Shruumi) - Single [Syntax] Mell Omii Wave - Single [Syntax] Kevi Morse Mr. Pilot - Single [Syntax] River Valley Worship Time For Revival - Single [BEC] Sleeping At Last The Piano (Original Score) - Single - Single (independent) Roy Tosh Everything's Gonna Be Alright (feat. PEABOD) - Single [RMG Amplify] Solachi Voz All I Need - Single [Syntax] Emilie Weiss Genesis (Studio Sessions) - Single [BEC] Ayiesha Woods I Have Hope - Single [Backsider] Megan Woods I Believe You - Single [FairTrade]
VINYL Ironwrath Master Storyteller Vinyl [Girder]
Next Friday, June 13, 2025
ALBUMS Coqui Death to Your Ego [DREAM] King's Hammer To Speak In Tongues - EP [Rottweiler] Brandon Lake King Of Hearts [Provident] Joel Vaughn Feel It - EP [DREAM] War of Ages Eternal (15th Anniversary Edition) [Facedown]
SINGLES CalledOut Music Worthy of It All - Single [Integrity] Equippers Worship Garment of Praise - Single [DREAM] Mainstream Worship Near - Single [DREAM Worship]
Ben Fuller Drops Highly Anticipated New Album "Walk Through Fire"
Sixpence None The Richer The Needle and the Damage Done - Single [Flatiron]
