Nationwide Song Contest Winner!
Best Alternative Worship Song from Emerging Lutheran Singer-Songwriters
"New Prayer Song" to be featured in volume 2 of Songs For Worship
2010 Winner: Best Alternative Worship Song
Gretchen Weller Mertes came out of the womb singing, and hasn't stopped yet. In a past life, she toured around the countryside in true Lutheran Rockstar fashion, playing at youth gatherings and churches across the country, and sharing the stage with other Lutheran royalty such as Rachel Kurtz, Dave Scherer, Jonathan Rundman, Peder Eide, and many more.
One time, Gretchen's band 'The Pull' won a Madison Area Music Award for best 'Other' album, much to their gladness and surprise. (Those Madison rockers never knew what to do with an album about Jesus. But at least they knew good music when they heard it!)
Gretchen currently spends her time as the worship pastor at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Renton, WA, and raising her daughter Advent with her husband and bass player, Ryan.
Listen to free sample of "New Prayer Song"
Gretchen in her office at St. Matthew's in Renton, Washington.
Guitar Chick Gretchen
Volume 2 to be released August 20th!
(soon you will be able to pre-order online)
Including many of the great singer-songwriters from vol. 1
plus AGAPE, TANGLED BLUE, MUDHOUSE
Be Peder Eide
Build Up Dakota Road – Hans Peterson, Larry Olson
By Grace Nate Houge, Jonathan Rundman
Draw us closer to You Peder Eide
Each Day, Each Night Eric Wefald
Fortune Lake Jonathan Rundman
Go Now Dakota Road – Hans Peterson, Larry Olson
Here Lost And Found – Michael Bridges, George Baum
Incense Lost And Found – Michael Bridges, George Baum
I Will not Let You Go Tangled Blue - Aimée & Joel Pakan
Light of the World Cathy Pino
The Messiah Is Here Eric Wefald
Mighty Praise Mudhouse – Brian Spahr
New Prayer Song Gretchen Weller Mertes
Nobody but You Lord Mudhouse – Todd Miller
Rejoice Agape – David Scherer
Singing out loud Lloyd Garrelts
To You Richard Bruxvoort Colligan
You are a light on my path Richard Bruxvoort Colligan
Most of these songs have never before been published!
Now included with Worship Leader Resource pages!
Nationwide Worship Song Contest
(dateline July 16, 2010)
Our first winner is Gretchen Weller Mertes, with her "New Prayer Song," to be featured in
Songs For Worship, vol. 2.
The next contest will begin at the end of 2010. Watch here for coming details.
Enter your best Lutheran alternative worship song.
Up to two winning songs will be published in the next volume of Lutheran Songs Today!
ENTRY RULES
1) The song must be original, and entirely your own composition. Your song may be a collaboration of more than one person.
2) The composer(s) must be Lutheran; ELCA, LCMS, WELS, LWF, Lutheran Brethren, Apostolic Lutheran,
Church of Norway, Church of Sweden, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia, etc.
3) Record the song in a MP3, M4A, or similar format.
4) Write out the lyrics, to be copied into an email.
5) If your song is chosen, you would give permission for Songs For My Soul, Inc. to use your song, mechanical sound format and written piano/guitar/vocal format along with lyric/guitar format, in present and future publications. However you would also retain your copyright ownership to do whatever else you want to do with it. You would sign a contract stating all of the above.
Our panel of judges will be the singer-songwriters of volume 1 of Lutheran Songs Today.
Criteria for judging:
* consistency of lyrics rooted in Lutheran theology and practice
* sing-ability of melody
* play-ability of music by instrumentalists
The Contest begins again in late 2010.
Send an email to eric@songsformysoul.com.
Put your name, congregation, and lyrics in the text of your email.
Attach your MP3 of your worship song to your email.
(If your email service does not allow an MP3-sized attachment, please let us know, and we will make other arrangements to receive the MP3 recording of your worship song.)
Tell your musician friends that they may upload an MP3 recording of their Lutheran worship song, along with their lyrics!