New Songs for New Wineskins

Last week, I sat in a Detroit studio with four other songwriters and one simple question: what would it look like to help kids sing about the good news of Jesus for the whole world?

That question shaped my most recent week-long trip with United Adoration, where I traveled to Detroit to help write and record songs about global missions for a Vacation Bible School curriculum being put together by an Anglican Church missions network called New Wineskins.

I’m still buzzing from the trip, but having difficulty articulating exactly why. Maybe photos/videos will help!

As you can see, we not only enjoyed music-making but found our way to some delicious food! Turns out Detroit is near one of the LARGEST Arabic-speaking areas in all the US (Dearborn, MI), so I got to introduce some of my new friends to the food of my people which was an added treat. Also, did you catch the kids singing around a microphone? Some sweet little voices will be featured on these songs, too! (If you'd like to check out some of the other artists on this project, give a listen to Rachel Wilhelm, Lydia Eve, and Lift Your Eyes.)

Along with this portion of our trip, I had the opportunity to help lead worship at a church in Livonia, meet some new friends there, and connect with our UA Collective in Detroit (a collective is a group of artists who serve their city for Jesus in their various artistic disciplines). I had the opportunity to walk their core team through Working Genius, which served as a great framework and led to some major "aha's!" for the group. Always amazes me the insight that comes from shared common language.

Thank you for making this kind of work possible

I don’t want to skip over this part: I couldn’t do this work without your support.

Your partnership makes trips like this possible. Your prayers cover the travel, relationships, creative process, and all the unseen spiritual work that happens before, during, and afterwards. Supporting ministry can feel a bit abstract, but this Detroit trip is one of those moments where I can say, “Here’s a real thing you helped make possible!”

Because of your support, I was able to join a team serving a missions-focused VBS curriculum. Because of your prayers, I could show up ready to write, collaborate, and record. Because of your partnership, children and churches will soon have new songs that help them sing about God’s heart for the whole world. Because of your trust in me, artists in the Detroit area are encouraged and sharpened for the work ahead in making known the love, goodness, and beauty of Jesus in the means God has given them to do so.

So from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

One more reason to give thanks

I also want to point you toward a recent letter from Dave Frincke, president of United Adoration. It highlights some amazing work happening in Ethiopia, and I hope you’ll take time to read it. Along with breaking more than 80 retreats/events in more than 25 cities around the world in just 6 months, the work happening over this last year in Ethiopia is other-worldly. God is doing an incredible thing... yet another reminder that one plants, one waters, but it's God alone who provides the increase! You can read the letter here:

2026 Midyear UA President update.pdf

Download PDF • 779KB

Ways you can pray right now

If you’re willing to keep praying, here are a few specific requests.

• Pray for the New Wineskins VBS curriculum as it comes together and gets into the hands of churches.

• Pray that the songs written and recorded in Detroit would help children worship Jesus and care about His mission for all people.

• Pray for the churches, leaders, and artists connected to United Adoration’s work in Ethiopia, and partnerships with other organizations like Lutheran Bible Translators.

• Pray for me as I continue serving with United Adoration and discern the next steps in this ministry.

• Pray for provision, energy, and wisdom for the whole UA team.

  
  

I'm grateful for the chance to be part of this work. I’m also grateful that I don't do it alone, because I know you are with me!

If you'd like to financially partner with our work, or are interested in becoming part of this movement yourself (whether as an artist missionary or otherwise), let us know!