Review: Glenn Packiam’s The Kingdom Comes EP

The Worship Community will be giving away THREE (3) The Kingdom Comes EP prize packs this week. We will randomly draw the winners from the comments section (below) next Monday (April 11, 2011) at the end of the day. Make sure you get your comments in! All you have to do is answer the question:

Glenn Packiam is an accomplished worship songwriter, author, AND executive pastor. If you could spend 10 minutes with Glenn and pick his brain (about songwriting, being an author, balancing pastoring with leading worship, etc.), what ONE question would you ask him?

Make sure you ask a clear concise question! Only ONE question per commenter please!

Three winners of our drawing will receive:

• A The Kingdom Comes EP (8 tracks featuring new songs and a chapter from his new book)
• Lucky: How The Kingdom Comes to Unlikely People – Glenn’s latest book.

*** UPDATE ***

WINNERS HAVE BEEN SELECTED:

1. Douglas Phillips
2. Zachary Miller
3. Rodney Morton

Thanks to all who participated!

This is the second solo album from Glenn, writer of the popular modern worship songs My Savior Lives and Your Name, and a founding member of the Desperation Band with whom he recorded four albums. Previously, he released the critically-acclaimed CD Rumors and Revelations, which coincided with his book Secondhand Jesus…Trading Rumors of God for Firsthand Faith.

Glenn  is an executive pastor and a worship team member for New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado and has appeared on numerous New Life projects in addition to those he recorded with the Desperation Band. His latest New Life album guest appearance is on You Hold It All, which will release on April 12, 2011.

He also authored Butterfy in Brazil: How Your Life Can Make A World of Difference.

GlennPackiam.com | NewLifeChurch.org | integritymusic.com

Russ Hutto (russhutto.com | @RussHutto)

I’ve been looking forward to hearing this solo EP from Glenn Packiam as I tend to really love anything that comes out of New Life Church and the Desperation Band. If you’re a fan, like me, you won’t be disappointed. From the first track to the last track, you get good stuff from Glenn.

Our Messiah Reigns: Tempo – fast. Themes – Praise, Worship, Adoration. This song starts off with a great simple acoustic feel and then builds to a full band arrangement. The hook is catchy and the words are powerful. This is definitely one you can immediately add into your Sunday Setlists.

All Things: Tempo – moderate. Themes – God’s Provision, Faith. All of the songs on this EP are very singable and catchy. The truth in this song is a great reminder of God’s work in and through us. Recommended for corporate worship.

Forever Forgiven: Tempo – moderate. Themes – Forgiveness, Salvation, Confession. This one begins in an acoustic finger picking style and has a bit of a compound (triple) feel to it. Glenn has a way with simple, but singable and catchy melodies. I’ll be implementing most of these songs into my repertoire.

Praise Is The Offering: Tempo – fast. Themes – Call To Worship, Praise, Shout, Greatness of God. This is a good up-tempo song that would work well in most churches with a contemporary rock edge. Could be arranged for a little more of a standard modern worship feel or taken to a really heavy rock extreme. I could hear it both ways! Good song!

Everlasting God: Tempo – slow/moderate. Themes – Worship, Adoration, Attributes of God, Faithfulness of God. I was expecting it to be a cover of another song with the same name, but as soon as it started I was surprised. Driven by a pulsing quarter note piano groove. This one is neither better or worse than the other Everlasting God, it’s just different! Some people will be bothered that it’s named the same, but I think it’s a great song that stands on its own.

At The Cross (Hallelujah): Tempo – slow. Themes – Forgiveness, Salvation, Grace, Healing. I tend to love songs that are just piano oriented. Being a piano player that leads from guitar often, I love to add in a little variety with a piano/voice ballad. This is one that I really enjoyed listening to several times. It’s simple, yet beautiful. As the song grows, layers of acoustic instruments are added in. The song has an almost modern hymn feel to it. A good one to add to the repertoire. Would be a great Easter song.

Russ Hutto is the editor of The Worship Community, volunteers in worship leadership at St. Simons Community Church in St. Simons Island, GA, and also travels to worship with congregations throughout the Southeast.

Gary Durbin (garydurbin.blogspot.com | @garydurbin)

I met Glenn a couple years ago at a conference. I was really excited to talk with him, because I was just finishing up his book at the time. The vibe I got from him was refreshing. This guy isn’t just a songwriter/recording artist or mega church rock star. He exudes a pastor’s heart, and I have a feeling that’s what he desires people to see.

Thanks to Integrity, I now have the privilege to review his new EP called The Kingdom Comes. In a broad sense, what I love about this album is the tangibility of the songs for the Church. In short, these are songs for churches to sing, and that reaches me immediately.

The opening tracks, “Our Messiah Reigns” and “All Things” are infectious and has me wanting to work them up for our church. “Forgiven Forever” and “At the Cross (Hallelujah)” are beautiful, deep ballads as well. “At the Cross” (Hallelujah)” will be a great song for Easter time.

My only critique is “Everlasting God”. This has nothing to do with worship in the church. From a songwriter’s perspective, I try to come up with new ways to say the same things, and “Everlasting God” is definitely a title I would stay away from. I love the song, but I probably would have tried something like “Never-ending God” or something else. It’s easy for me to critique it, not being involved in the process, because “everlasting” is definitely a fitting term for the message of the song.

My goal in writing songs for the church is to write something that’s simple, yet fresh, which is no easy task. Glenn’s definitely done that on The Kingdom Comes. Great job, Glenn!

Gary is a Christian, father, husband, worship leader, songwriter who is striving for genuineness as much as possible.

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