The Porter's Gate, a sacred ecumenical arts collective, release its second project titled Neighbor Songs on October 25.
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 conversations about worship and vocation. The result was the release of Work Songs.
In January of 2019, the collective gathered again over three days for a series of discussions about the challenges of worshipping across lines of difference. This group consisted of Christians from all theological backgrounds, denominations, worship tradtions, as well as cutrual and racial difference. As they discussed challenges, they composed new worship songs and hymns with the hope of providing the church with more songs that specifically celebrate God's call to love our neighbours as ourselves.
Artists of The Porter's Gate such as Audrey Assad, Casey J, Diana Gameros, Josh Garrels, Latifah Alattyas, Lauren Goans, Leslie Jordan, Paul Zach, Urban Doxology and Zach Bolen gathered to record the new album. Neighbour Songs. The upcoming project features stripped down song arrangements that range in style from Gospel, to Contempoarary Christian, to Neo-classical to Mexican Ranchero. In the current times of political and civic strife and polarisation, it is the hope of The Porter's Gate that these new songs will help churches continue to grow in worship practices that unite worshipers around the good news of the gospel - that God is truly redeeming all things.