"The Light Between Trees"

Image by Rachel Hill and Erin Doerflinger (Mecklenburg Community Church)

Meck Creative’s second album of original music, The Light Between Trees, dropped this past Sunday and is available wherever you stream music. 

It’s not just amazing music. It doesn’t just have a compelling theme—the idea of the Light that came into the world between the wood of the cradle and the wood of the cross. 

It also models a new approach to how music can be created by churches, for churches.

Most are aware of the “big business” surrounding Christian music in our world today. It’s filled with a lot of royalties, a lot of tours, a lot of merch, and a lot of celebrities. I have no interest in trying to critique what others do, but I do have a personal dis-ease with much of it.

So at Mecklenburg Community Church (Meck), when God began working within our creative team to produce original music, we wanted to try something altogether different.

Really different.

For example, no individual earns any royalties from their investment composing any of the songs. In fact, no name is associated with any of the songs. They were written collaboratively, with all involved signing waivers that they would not receive, nor seek, compensation in any way. All proceeds from the album, as with Meck Creative’s first release, go directly to ministry and mission, locally and globally. 

The vocalists and musicians, producers and technicians, are almost entirely made up of volunteers who attend Meck. They are high school and college students, young professionals and soccer moms. They collectively have draped a towel over their arm and consider this their ministry to and in their church and its mission.

So no egos, no “stars,” nobody making money or getting rich—pure ministry through the local church of which Meck Creative is a part, in hopes to serve our own church and churches around our nation and world.

I hope you’ll give it a listen.

James Emery White