Fall 2023 Magazine

Bethel's worship arts program launched its new album, “Altars,” in September.What began as a song-writing class developed into a community of musicians whose goal is to reach their generation for Christ through song. “Altars” invites listeners into a pace of authentic worship, combining a variety of genres. Recorded at Omni Sound and Sound Kitchen in Nashville, Tenn., and produced by Billy Smiley, Terry Linhart, Ph.D., Jonathan Crone and Becki Graves '13, the album has eight songs. This is the fourth album for HCM (Helm Christian Media) Records, which was established in 2016 with the album “Anchor in the Undertow.” “Altars” was the culmination of the semester-long work of the worship arts studio project class. Ten students – a combination of traditional undergraduate and BU-X (Bethel University Extension Studies) – participated and went to Nashville to record their music with Smiley; Linhart, executive director of BU-X; and Graves, Bethel director of worship arts. Graves, who began leading the worship arts program in 2021, explains, “It was a unique offering – from January through May, the album was dreamed, written and recorded. From May to September, it was mixed and produced professionally. Students got to listen and offer feedback.” Both Graves and students expressed a spirit of unity as something unique about the project. “This album is students speaking Jesus to each other, for their generation, in their own way,” Graves says. “Students contributed uniquely and collectively.” Junior John Njihia, who is double majoring in worship arts and nursing, says, “One thing that I learned along the way was just how cool it is to be in a community of songwriters…You have an idea or a thought that comes to your mind and then you get to bounce that off of somebody “Altars” Invites Students into Authentic Worship BY LISSA (GRASHORN) DIAZ ‘07 10 BETHELUNIVERSITY.EDU/MAGAZINE