In a place where a public display of worship to God isn’t exactly sanctioned by its government, Mark Tedder recently made history by leading—and recording—a live worship event in China. With the July 27 release of The Door, a compelling CD/DVD package from Kingsway with EMI CMG Distribution, U.S. fans can finally experience this unique event.
As a worship leader at Beijing International Christian Fellowship and for Worshiplanet, a multiethnic band that has performed public concerts across China, Tedder has attempted to bridge the gap between Western and Eastern styles of praise.
“Just being able to pull off a worship project of this magnitude right under the nose of the capital city in China was a miracle,” Tedder shares. “But the door is really beginning to open up. And that’s why we named this project, The Door, because I really believe things are changing. There’s an opportunity for people to use worship as a tool to reach out to the people of China.”
In addition to resources for worship leaders and a video that brings the event to life, the CD features songs like “Be Still,” a relevant reminder of God’s calming presence in life’s most turbulent seasons. For Tedder, performing “Be Still” alongside his fellow worship leaders in China was a highlight.
“In the process of writing the song, I realized that my own life was crowded and calling attention to other things. I was focusing on external things rather than focusing on the author of my faith, Jesus Christ,” Tedder shares. “Then, when I had the opportunity to record it live with a Chinese worship leader who leads services for about five underground churches in and around Beijing, well, it was a magical moment. Here I was, sitting next to a 23-year-old Chinese worship leader, who has given his life for the sake of the Gospel. We’re singing the song, him in Mandarin and me in English, and just to know— to stop and know—that He is God in the midst of the struggle and the persecution and the trials that many of our brothers and sisters face in the People’s Republic of China, that encouraged my faith, too.”
With a passion for the nations, Mark Tedder is a frequent worship leader at Spring Harvest in the United Kingdom. He and his wife Carrie also lead Worshiplanet Inc, an international worship equipping ministry, along with their work with Beijing International Christian Fellowship.
For more information on Mark Tedder, The Door and Worshiplanet, go to www.worshiplanet.com, www.kingsway.co.uk.
About Kingway:
Tracing its music heritage to 1969, Kingsway today is known as a leader in Worship Music. As the creator of Thank You Music, and latterly in partnership with EMI, its catalogue includes songs such as “Here I Am to Worship,” “In Christ Alone,” “Everlasting God” and “Blessed Be Your Name,” to name a few. Kingsway’s songs are sung in more than 300,000 churches worldwide accounting for over 30% of CCLI’s (Church Copyright Licensing International) bestseller list. With writers and artists like Tim Hughes, Matt Redman, Delirious?, Graham Kendrick and Stuart Townend, Kingsway is dedicated to feeding the Church with songs that will change the world. As the music arm of David C Cook, a nonprofit organization located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, the monies that Kingsway and Cook make are used to provide discipleship and music materials free of charge to church leaders in developing parts of the world who wouldn’t be able to get them any other way.
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