“The House of Worship” album is a collaborative project created by a collective of worship leaders and artists known as the House of Worship team. The 13-song album unites, for the first time, the world’s most iconic worship artists with today’s leading and emerging voices in worship music. A bold revival of the anthems that have shaped modern worship across the world, 25 artists in all collaborate to re-imagine classics, offering a fresh and inspiring expression that bridges generations and celebrates the enduring power of worship music.
Featuring heartfelt duets of timeless, chart-topping worship songs, artists featured on the recording include Brenton Brown, Brian and Jenn Johnson, Brian Doerksen, CeCe Winans, Charity Gayle, Chris Brown (Elevation Worship), Chris McClarney, Christy Nockels, Cody Carnes, Darlene Zschech, Ed Cash (We The Kingdom), Hillary Scott (Lady A), Israel Houghton, Josh Baldwin, Kari Jobe, Leeland Mooring, Martin Smith, Matt Redman, Michael W. Smith, Mitch Wong, Naomi Raine, Pat Barrett, Paul Baloche and Tim Hughes. Together, these artists have received 48 GRAMMY Awards (142 nominations) and 183 Dove Awards.
Executive produced by multi-award-winning worship legend Michael W. Smith alongside worship pioneer Darlene Zschech, the album was recorded and filmed in-the-round at World Wide Stages in Spring Hill, Tennessee, with all the artists gathered in the same room.
One of the quiet blessings of projects like this is how they help listeners reconnect with the stories behind the songs we have sung for years. Many popular worship songs have become so familiar that their writers fade into the background. For example, “Open the Eyes of My Heart” is often associated with Don Moen, but it was written by Paul Baloche, something I previously shared in one of my articles. Moments like this deepen appreciation for worship music, reminding us that these songs were birthed through real people, prayer, and obedience.
One of the songs featured on “House of Worship” is ‘Breathe’ featuring multiple GRAMMY-nominated, Dove Award-winning recording artists Brian Johnson, Jenn Johnson and Kari Jobe. Written by Marie Barnett and first released by Vineyard Music in 1996, the song was nominated as “Song of the Year” during the 2003 Dove Awards for Michael W. Smith’s live version. It was also named ASCAP’s most recorded Christian “Song of the Year” in 2002. Over the years, dozens of artists have recorded the song, including Elevation Worship, Passion, Rebecca St. James and Upperroom”.
“I love this song,” shares Jenn Johnson. “For me, this song takes the chord of being in love with someone, and you just don’t want to be without them. I can’t imagine going about my day without the friendship of God and the voice of the Lord. This is my daily bread: the Word of God and the voice of God in my daily life.”
“I have been just hungering for more of the presence of God in our home,” adds Jobe as she reflects on the inspiration of this song in her own life. “And we’ve made some pretty beautiful changes. Like we had a TV in our living room, and we decided to pull it down and put an upright piano in its place because we wanted to communicate that the presence of God was going to be more important than any entertainment or thing that would try to catch their attention.”
Along with ‘Breathe’ other featured songs on “House of Worship” include “Agnus Dei” led by iconic artist Michael W. Smith joined by GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter and Elevation Worship founding member Chris Brown;‘I Want To Sing Of Your Love Forever‘ featuring songwriter, producer and modern worship pioneer Martin Smith and Gold-certified singer, songwriter and worship leader Josh Baldwin; “Here I Am To Worship” with original writer and Dove Award-winning Tim Hughes and four-time GRAMMY-nominated Cody Carnes; and lead single ‘Shout To The Lord’, a duet by original writer Zschech and 17-time GRAMMY Award-winning gospel icon CeCe Winans.
It is also worth noting that this kind of collaborative worship expression is not new within the worship space. In the 1990s, Integrity’s Hosanna! Music pioneered similar gatherings, bringing worship leaders together to record songs that would go on to shape congregational worship worldwide. In many ways, “House of Worship” feels like a continuation of that legacy, echoing a model that has long existed while reintroducing it to a new generation.
“House of Worship” ultimately serves as a reminder of why these songs have lasted. Long after trends change, worship continues to draw people back to the presence of God through simple, sincere expressions of faith. By bringing these voices together in one space, the album honors the past while quietly inviting a new generation to listen, remember, and worship again.
