Staff picks: favorite Christian music artists

The staff at Creekside Community Church submitted their recommendations for some of their favorite Christian music artists. Take a look at the list below to see their picks and why they enjoy them.

Casting Crowns

• Favorite song: Who Am I
• Intended audience: adults/kids – mostly adult but appropriate for kids
• Why you appreciate this group: I love the words of their songs and how they uplift and glorify Christ.

-Nina Spencer, Director of Creekside Kids

The Corner Room

• Favorite song(s): Album - Psalms Vol. 1
• Intended for: Everyone
• Why you appreciate this group: There is a unique way that music sends truth into our souls. I am always looking toward projects like this one that sets the psalms to music for worship and memorization. These are beautiful settings of these psalms, and they have two more of these albums that are worth checking out as well.

-Stephen Powell, Worship Director

Josh Garrels

• Favorite song(s): At the Table and In the Garden
• Intended audience: Primarily for Adults
• Why you appreciate this artist: I enjoy listening to his music in the mornings. It’s calm and helps saturate me in worship of the Lord as I start the day.

-Jake Graybill, Student Ministries Director

Gray Havens

• Favorite song(s): There are too many to pick just one, but a few favorites are Far Kingdom, Songs in the Night, and Take this Slowly
• Intended audience: adults
• Why you appreciate this group: The Gray Havens' music is a beautiful blend of musical artistry, lyrical poetry, and truth. Their songs encourage and remind me that my walk with the Lord is a daily walk while pointing me toward my heavenly home and the joy to come in being with our God forever.

-Laura Vickery, former communications director

Liz Vice

• Favorite song: She has a number of good songs, but for a good feel of her style, check out "Empty Me Out"
• Intended audience: She's intended for adults but anyone could enjoy her.
• Why you appreciate this artist: She has a classic blues singer voice and she combines that with terrific worship lyrics. Kim and I had the chance to see her in person at the Performing Arts Center and had a great evening hearing her music and her testimony. She actually came to Gainesville early to visit children in the hospital since a childhood illness is a big part of her testimony.  

-Steve Gregg, Associate Pastor of Connection and Care

Rain for Roots

• Favorite song(s): Album named "The Kingdom of Heaven is Like This"
• Intended audience: Kids, but adults will love it as well
• Why you appreciate this group: This is a kids album from a few artists who have collaborated and formed a group called Rain for Roots. Their work is crafted for children, but it is so well done and beautiful that Megan and I really love listening to it. This album (they have four of them) contains songs about many of Jesus's parables and allows for familiarity of these parables as well as words to be able to sing about how we should think about them.

-Stephen Powell, Worship Director

Sandra McCracken

• Favorite song: My current favorite song of hers is "For the Waiting" 
• Intended audience: geared toward adults but great for kids
• Why you appreciate this artist: We've sung several songs that she's written or co-written at Creekside like, "Steadfast" and "We Will Feast in the House of Zion.” I appreciate her mellow style and her lyrics are filled with Truth. When I listen to her music I am reminded of God's goodness and the hope I have in Him. I am also reminded of Creekside and the sweetness of our worship as a church family.

-Emily Purcell, Office Administrator

Seeds Family Worship 

• Intended audience: They're mostly geared toward kids.
• Why you appreciate this group: They just put Bible verses to music. We like to play their songs in the background often, and we find our boys singing along or singing at other times. It's been a great way to get God's Word on our lips as a family!

-Michael Roop, Lead Pastor

Sons of Korah

• Favorite song: Psalm 139 (Still With You)
• Intended audience: adults
• Why you appreciate this group: The Psalms were Israel's hymnbook; they are meant to be sung.  Sons of Korah has created multiple albums full of beautiful, singable, acoustic renditions of the Psalms that lead me to worship the Lord, to lament my own brokenness (or the world's), etc.  It's a good thing that MP3 files don't wear out from being frequently played.

-Eric Olson, Associate Pastor of Christian Education