A joyful noise: music opens doors to collaboration

With the launch of its new Strategic Charter, the LCAQD is sharing stories that embody the Charter’s ‘five open doors’. Here are two stories of music-making that serve as wonderful examples of the ‘open door to collaboration.’

BAM! Big Ark Music brings God’s story alive for kids

Big Ark Music is an independent Christian music project, based on the Gold Coast. The aim of the project is to write songs for children about stories or scripture from the Bible that stay as true as possible to what’s in the Bible. But the intention is also to make the songs catchy, fun and memorable, so there’s a little poetic licence employed in the lyrics, and hopefully there’s a little fun for parents listening too, who might appreciate the humour.

Stephen Huth, who wrote the songs and recorded all of the musical tracks, has a background as a music teacher and has performed professionally since his early 20s. His daughter, Sarah, who sang most of the lead vocals, is in Year 9 and has a passion for music too, playing and singing in a number of choirs and orchestras.  Stephen and Sarah are also heavily involved in the music team at St Andrews Lutheran Church, Tallebudgera, on the southern Gold Coast.

The idea for Big Ark Music (BAM) grew over time, following Stephen’s involvement in the development of some software games back in the early 90s.  The games were based on Bible stories and he wrote a title track for each program that summed up the story in one short song. Years later, when he was teaching Christian Studies in the Lutheran system, he was struck by how many students, even ones from Christian backgrounds, didn’t know about famous Bible characters, and it was then that he thought that writing Christian children’s music could be an enjoyable way to employ his passion for music and composition.

Once the songs started taking shape in the studio, it didn’t take long to convince Sarah to don the headphones and start singing the vocal parts. She especially loves singing the various harmony lines and hearing them build as the recording progresses. The first time she recorded anything, she was only in Year 5, but she’s still keen to sing tracks now 5 years later, when the opportunity arises, even though she’s pretty busy with her other creative pursuits.

Collaborating with local Christian artists

When the songs were finished, Stephen spent some time trying to find artists who could contribute artwork for the lyrics videos they hoped to release. The plan was to have pictures to illustrate what was happening in the story, with lyrics for kids to sing along with. It took some time but he eventually found two different Christian artists who had a good understanding of the Bible stories, and importantly, good senses of humour: Geoff Logan, from Logan Art, who has also taught in the Lutheran education system for a long time, and Jason Rodgers, a Toowoomba based artist.

Once Stephen finished assembling the videos, the songs were released on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms.  Later, a chaplain at a local school suggested that some videos with actions for younger kids would be a great addition to the project, so Sarah worked on some actions and recorded a few tracks with a friend from her dance studio.

Although Stephen has returned to a full-time role in a Gold Coast Christian school, he and Sarah hope to continue to record more songs and release them gradually in the coming years.

All of the music is freely available for use in churches, Sunday Schools, youth groups, school devotions or assemblies, or just for kids to listen to while they drive around in the car with their parents. You can find the videos on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@BigArkMusic or just search the streaming platforms for Big Ark Music and enjoy!

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Together: Bound in Love joins Caboolture communities

At the beginning of this year St Paul’s Lutheran Church Caboolture chose an annual theme based on Lutheran Education Australia’s Growing Deep–Free to Flourish focus on ‘Relational.’ They called the theme Together: Bound in Love, inspired by Colossians 3:14:

‘And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.’

‘Throughout the year (at both school and church) we have been exploring what it means to “put on love” and to live as God’s people, bound together in Christ’s love,’ explained Pastor James Leach.

‘As we journeyed through this theme, God placed it on my heart to write a song that captured its message.’

Pastor James then reached out to Lutheran educators and invited them to collaborate on the song.

‘One of the great blessings of serving in Lutheran education is the incredible people God places around you. After mentioning to our wonderful music teacher, Elisabeth Kirby, that I had written some lyrics, she generously offered to see if she could compose a melody. She then taught the song to our school choir.

‘This term we were also blessed to work with Nathan Poetschka, Music Director at Grace Lutheran College Caboolture, who recorded the choir and worked his magic in bringing the song to life.’

What began as a simple idea has become a wonderful collaboration between church, school and college—a beautiful reminder that we truly are better together.

Together: Bound in Love

You have made us for each other
Called us into grace and light
In your love our lives are woven
Held as one within your sight

Together, bound in love
Held by grace from God above
Together, one in you
Living out what love can do

Send us out to serve with courage
Hands to heal and hearts to care
Let our lives become your message
Hope and mercy everywhere

Together, bound in love
Held by grace from God above
Together, one in you
Living out what love can do

Together, bound in love
Held by grace from God above
Together, one in you
Living out what love can do

When we stumble, when we falter
When our faith feels weak and small
You remind us we don’t walk this path alone
We are never on our own

Together, bound in love
Held by grace from God above
Together, one in you
Living out what love can do
Living out what love can do
Living out what love can do

You can listen to the song below. For copies of the mp3 and backing track, email Rachel Flanagan, LCAQD Communications Advisor at communications@qld.lca.org.au or Pastor James Leach: james.leach@lca.org.au

Together: Bound in Love (song)