Evan Craft On His Heroes
- To lead worship is to serve others, to bring people into the opportunity to worship the creator.
Committed to making a difference, Evan Craft is trying to serve a hurting world. A performer and songwriter with impressive vocal skills, Evan is also cofounder of Mi Casa, a homeless mission in Los Angeles. He alone has raised over $250,000 for the shelter. He wants to build a bridge between cultures and touch as many lives as possible.
In this Worship Sound Bite, Craft talks about his two worship heroes: Matt Redman and Pat Barrett. During a benefit concert for Mi Casa, Redman impacted Craft with his authenticity, humility, and desire to serve. During a recording session, Craft talks of how Barrett was so present, not looking for the next best thing or person to talk to. He was displaying the love of Jesus by loving each person he came in contact with.
These two are an example that motivates Craft to, “Look beyond the platform, look beyond the opportunities, and see, one, how do I really serve?” He says it is important for worship leaders to not let it become just a job, or an aspiration, or succumb to ambition.
To lead worship is to serve others, to bring people into the opportunity to worship the creator. We are created for worship. Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Leading worship facilitates the believer to embrace the purpose of their creation; to worship God and nothing else.
On The Walk podcast, Evan shares about his spiritual journey dealing with stress and anxiety; things that hinder us from serving and finding peace. On a tour of Latin America early in his career, he learned, through victories and trials, that you have to trust God, and he will bring you peace.
Craft is serving in the Latin music industry with his album Desperado, and an additional worship project Tierra Santa; and in the English music industry with Holy Ground. Working with the Mi Casa shelter, he is trying to live out a life of service and loving people as Jesus loves them.
More from Evan Craft
Listen to “Evan Craft: Are You an Artist or a Soldier” on Spreaker.
Transcript
The two people that I think have been some of the most humble men I have met that have definitely had a huge impact in the- in the church is Matt Redmond and Pat Barrett. These guys, you know, Matt Redmond is a dad and he came and we did an event together and he and we were raising money for a homeless shelter in L.A. and he was adamant that he didn’t want to receive anything.
And he was asking other artists, including myself, that we wouldn’t receive anything so we could go- Everything that we were working for would go to the homeless shelter and there’s no arrogance, there’s no pride in what he does. It was- it was always focused on, “Is this praising God? Is this glorifying God?” And Pat Barrett was you know, he really- he really stood out to me because he was very present.
And that was something that, you know, I think as artists, you know, you can’t really separate the artist from the worship leader. There is like you know, there is just this we live to perform in a way. We- that’s what we love to do. And that is the act of worship in many ways is that we are using the gifts that God has given us.
Pat was not looking over my shoulder to talk to the next best person in the room. He was present. He knew everybody’s name. He made my entire team. While we were doing a recording of 20, 30 people, he went and said, “Hi,” to everybody. He hugged everybody and they walked away feeling like, wow, the person I have, you know, I’ve sang his songs.
I- that’s helped me connect with God. But that person is a Christ follower and really was an example of Christ’s love in that room. And so I think that’s the- that’s the goal, and the example I want to follow as a worship leader, is to look beyond the platform, look beyond the opportunities, and see what, you know, one, how do I really serve?
I think that’s what most worship leaders have gotten into, to leading worship, because it was a way that they could serve while using their gifts and not letting it just become a job. And, you know, an aspiration and an ambition.
What's Your Reaction?
